Tips + Tricks for Getting Into Shape for 2020

With a New Year comes a looooottttt of New Year’s Resolutions. Do you remember my last post? Yep, I don’t L O V E resolutions. What I do love are longterm goals. Today I want to talk about how that translates into fitness goals. Going to go ahead and say, I am not the fittest person and I know I have a long way to go still; that being said, I have come leaps and bounds and we all have to start somewhere, so I’m sharing my tips/tricks.

Backstory: This time last year, I had kind of fallen off the health train and finally realized it. I had just moved from New York City to Columbia, South Carolina. . . without Mitchell. I was alone for the first time since I MOVED TO NYC. Back story, I graduated in mid-May 2017 with my Master of Science, and received a job offer in mid-June 2017—side note, my child life peeps know that this is such a short timeframe for getting a job offer in this crazy competitive field. I moved to NYC in late July 2017 and started my job in August! Mitchell didn’t move to NYC until November and that was the last time I was alone before this. When I was alone in my apartment in SC I realized. . . WOW, I LET MYSELF GO, GIRL. And my fitness journey started! But it was so hard for me because I was doing A L L the wrong things! After my {very scary} car accident in March 2019, I really buckled down and made the right changes. So here is how I’ve gotten to where I am now:

Have a R E A S ON for your fitness goals

• My coach said this the other day: Remember your W H Y. Whether you’re on this fitness goal because you want to feel better, look better, be able to keep up with kiddos, or for a specific event—always remember your why when you feel like you can’t take anymore. My why is because I want to feel better, look better, become stronger, and start healthy habits in my late 20’s that will stick with me throughout life. In the future I want to be able to fit into a wedding dress that makes me feel and look like a princess, I want to be able to go to the lake or beach and not compare myself to others, I want to be able to keep up with my sweet sweet god-daughter and (hopefully) my own kids one day. I’m doing this for me, not anyone else.

Drink your water

• If you ask any of my coaches or friends. . . I hated water. I even drank soda in between cheer practices when I was on 2-3 teams. I remember once I finished a bottle of water and my best friend Taylor said, “wow I’m proud of you.” YIKES!!!! This time last year, I realized that water would help hydrated me longer and I wouldn’t be wasting calories on something that wouldn’t fill me up. I started drinking more water, but it wasn’t until recently I really started making this change. Now I drink 60 oz of water at work, 40 oz during my workout, and at least 20 oz when I get home. I can see the difference in my skin, my body, and my clarity. Our bodies are 60% water and to stay in homeostasis we need water to help each cell in our body function. Okay, enough Science Sammi for the day. Drinking water will help, trust me! You can even get a cute water bottle like this:

Figure out Y O U R fitness style

• If you’ve been reading since the beginning, then you know that I used to be a competitive cheerleader/gymnast until I suffered a devastating spinal injury that almost left me paralyzed. Luckily, I can workout in a modified way to get gainzzzz but not reinjure my spine. I have always done group sports. My parents made me pick a sport and an art/music each year so I’ve participated in Uechi-Ryū, Soccer, Tae Kwon Do, Gymnastics, Tumble and Trampoline, Middle + High School Cheerleading, Competitive Cheerleading (levels 1-5 before there was a 6), etc.. SO I don’t know W H Y I thought that doing individual gym sessions with 0 idea of what I was doing would work. I love fitness Instagrammers/YouTubers (aye girl Whitney Simmons, be my BFF plz). But I just struggled to follow them at the gym. I realized working out alone wasn’t for me, because it didn’t feel right. . . and I saw minimal results.

• Then I found OrangeTheory Fitness and y’all. . . it has changed my life. The community aspect, the science behind the workouts and heart rates, the fact that workouts are never the same, and having a CPT as a coach to help me was what I needed. I’m super competitive (lol) and being able to compare myself to the person next to me is helpful for me pushing myself. I’m not telling you that you HAVE to do OTF to get results, just suggesting that group classes may be your style! I’ve heard amazing things about Sweat Method (Charlotte), Fly Wheel, Pure Barre, etc. Just try a group class and see if that is what fuels your fitness fire.

Focus on what you fuel your body with.

• As someone who is in the 1% of the world with Celiac Disease, and the .4% of those people with a diagnosed wheat allergy, I thought that I had nutrition down. I have to read nutrition labels to live, literally. But I wasn’t focusing on the right things.

• I’ve learned my body doesn’t love carbs, but does love protein and fat (yay autoimmune diseases). So I follow a *lower* carb diet with high protein and moderate fat. I don’t cut out carbs completely and follow the 80-20 rule; meaning I follow my “diet” 80% of the time. My personal goal is to eat 1350-1500 calories a day, less than 100 g Carbs, around 70-80 g Fat, between 110-130 g protein. That is what works for ME. This is not a 1 size fits all! I started tracking in My Fitness Pal, and once I got the hang of it I stopped tracking everything I ate. Sometimes I do go back to check if I am still on track, but it doesn’t run my eating habits.

• Also, meal planning and prep have been huge!!!! Each Friday I plan my meals for the following week. I sit down and calculate calories and macronutrients (i.e., carbs, fats, protein) for each meal and make sure that I have a solid foundation for the week. I then spend one weekend day shopping and prepping food for the week. That way I have everything I need ready. I love these containers I use to pack my meals, I have them in pink, clear, and blue:

Reward yourself. . . but not always with food!

• We all deserve and need praise, even from ourselves! Sometimes we deserve to splurge on food, but not always! Instead, I encourage you to reward yourself with something that relates back to why you are on this fitness journey. Maybe it is appearance? Then treat yourself to a new workout outfit, and each time you reach a milestone or goal continue to do so! It’s scientifically proven that if you think you look good, you feel good! Maybe its to keep up with your kiddos or nieces/nephews? Then plan a small trip to the park or somewhere fun! You get the picture! Just always try to bring your reward back to your goal!

There ya have it, pals, these are my tips + tricks to getting to your fitness goals. Be flexible, readjust when needed, and stick to it! No excuses, do this for you! Here are my before + 5 month pictures (no after pictures, because this is a life long journey!)

Disclaimer: I am not a Registered Dietitian/nutritionist or a personal trainer. This is just what I do to see results with consultations of an RD, MD, and CPT. Consult your doctor, RD, or personal trainer before making drastic changes to your diet or lifestyle. Additionally, links on photos have 0 commission.