I'm so flattered whenever I'm asked to post about my fitness routine/workouts because, honestly, I don't think I'm in that great of shape. I remember once getting a message thanking me for "being me" because I showed them that "you don't have to have the perfect body to be beautiful" and it felt like someone punched me in the face and then kissed me on the forehead. I forget who the comedian was that said "don't make me the captain of the fat team" but like...that was a swift kick to the jugular if I ever experienced one. Especially because, at that time, I was working out like a maniac but was still built like a surfboard. I was coming to terms with myself! I had one (1) visible ab muscle and my collarbones were showing - that was as good as my body was getting as far as I was concerned. I couldn't lift for shit and I was winded after running for more than 5 minutes - but I was working out for about 2.5 hours a day, 5 days a week, and eating 1200 - 1300 calories. I sincerely believed it wasn't getting any better than that. It was frustrating, really, because I thought I was giving it my all - I was mentally and physically exhausted at the end (and sometimes in the middle) of the day & I was definitely getting "skinnier," but I didn't like the way I looked. I was SO dead set on wearing a bathing suit (for the first time in public in 8 years!!!) over spring break, but when it came down to it I couldn't bring myself to take my t-shirt off. It was pretty disheartening. I felt like I had worked so, so hard and that I would never look better than I did that week. It kinda just felt like, why bother anymore? I'm hungry and tired & I just need to accept that I'm never going to feel comfortable enough to wear a bathing suit in public. I used to describe myself as "not my type" - of course I had seen other girls that looked like me or were bigger or smaller that looked objectively great in a bathing suit - but whether or not I could be seen as objectively attractive (one of my boyfriend's college teammates called me a fucking 7 once so I could've at least gone out there feeling like a water bottle left in a car on a moderately hot day on the sexy scale) I didn't feel like I looked good enough to wear a bathing suit.
I KNOWWWW I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW - I KNOW EVERY BODY IS A BIKINI BODY! I GET IT - EVERY ONE EXCEPT MINE OK HARD PASS ON MINE, I HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS. My primary points I'm getting at here are 1) If you're doing the wrong workout for your body type, you're not going to get results that look the way you want them to. Workouts are not one size fits all & it's incredibly discouraging to be forcing your body to look one way when it's not what your built for and 2) Punishing your body by employing extreme calorie restrictions and/or relentless workouts isn't going to make you feel any more confident. It's just going to be that much worse when you're operating at 20% energy all the time and plateauing at a point you're not comfortable with. I'd like to reiterate that I really do believe anyone and everyone should be able to feel confident with their body and wear a bathing suit as they please, but if your workout routine is making you feel worse about yourself or, like me, you just cannot harness that confidence unless you feel like you're at your best - I completely commiserate and I'm happy to share with you what has helped me both physically and mentally in my desperate attempt to wear a bathing suit for the first time in years at age 23.
The tips I'm posting today are pretty much just to build a strong foundation or optimize your current workout routine - I'll make more detailed/comprehensive posts going forward! It really is the little things like this that make a world of difference, so I figured I'd hit on them first rather than posting an overwhelming amount of information. I also want to make it very clear that everyone wants something different from their body & what I want to look like could be entirely different from your own goals so take everything as a suggestion that can be applied to help your own goals! I'm not here to set goals for you!
MY WORKOUT ROUTINE/TIPS TO OPTIMIZE YOUR WORKOUT/ACHIEVE YOUR FITNESS GOALS
1. Identify your body type and be honest with yourself!
You're not a fruit or a shape & identifying yourself as a fruit or a shape is completely useless. Typically when a program has you identify your body as such, the routine isn't actually going to be the best for your body type, i.e, if you say "i'm pear shaped" they'll give you workouts that focus on making your lower body smaller and not much else. "Target areas" can be used in strength training, but as far as fat loss and toning goes - you need to be doing workouts that engage your entire body. That being said - a lot of workout routines/programs have an end goal of one particular body type that a lot of people aren't built to support - thin, toned arms and legs, toned butt, abs, and moderately visible collar/chest/rib bones. I have followed an endless amount of workouts that promised they would make me look like that & all I ever got from it was skinny-fat, no butt, and absolutely jacked arms. Look at the picture I am using for this. I am yoked. That was not the end goal, people. In case its not evident by every picture of me ever, I'm not exactly wanting for much more mass on my upper body. When you're a triple D cup with massive arms - I don't even know, I felt like an Eastern European powerlifter in that picture. Mind you I also lost most of my butt and leg muscles so I just looked like some sort of Dr. Seuss character. Super skinny on the bottom, no waist definition, and hulk-like shoulders. When I said I wanted to be thicc I didn't mean my neck.
Fortunately, I recently decided to change up my workout completely and start looking at what's actually best for my body instead of fighting what nature gave me. I think its a healthy form of acceptance, both mentally and physically, to really understand the body you were born with and what you can do to be at your best, rather than killing yourself to look a way your body can't healthily support.
*** Identifying your ACTUAL body type***
Scientifically, & as nature will have it, you're either an ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph.That's it. No pears or apples or upside down triangles (though my body last year might indicate otherwise). An ectomorph (think Gwyneth Paltrow) is more or less what most female-directed workout programs have your end goal body as - lean and long. Ectomorph's have a high metabolism, difficulty building muscle, and is your body type if you're one to say "I have trouble gaining weight." If you say that in front of me, fuck you. A mesomorph (Madonna) tends to have a muscular build and no problem putting on muscle mass - if you describe your body type as "athletic" or you've just naturally had abs your whole life - this is probably you. An endomorph, because I lost the genetic lottery that scientists insist I won, tends to store fat more easily and can be described as "big boned." I know that sounds super negative, so I just want to point out that endomorphs are naturally #thicc and both Beyonce and Kim Kardashian are endomorphs so there is hope for me yet.
2. Figure out a diet that works best for you
Once you've identified for yourself HONESTLY what your body type is, then its important to base your diet on what's best for you. Don't fight your body type or think that even though you're inherently an endomorph you can force yourself into the build of an ectomorph - it's going to be a painful and fruitless ordeal, trust. You cannot calorie restrict yourself into another body type. I repeat - you CANNOT calorie restrict yourself into another body type. You need to eat. YOU **NEED** TO EAT. 1200-1300 calories a day while doing intense workouts its not enough food. Count your macros as opposed to counting calories if you feel the need to track at all, but you seriously, seriously need to eat or nothing is going to happen.
If you're an endomorph like me, I've found that limiting my carbohydrates (it's really upsetting, I know) in favor of protein & fat has been super helpful. I try to keep about 30% of what I eat a day carbs (and consume almost all of my carbs pre/immediately post workout) then 35% protein and 35% fat. I also try to limit my sugar intake (not from fruit, that's just too much for me) by opting for the higher fat option as low fat typically replaces the fat in the product with sugar or salt. A 170 calorie, 9% milk fat yogurt is probably better for an endomorph's diet than is a 120 calorie, 0% milk fat yogurt. I'm not losing mass where I want it (Legs/Butt/Chest) but my waist is more defined than it's ever been and I'm having an easier time losing fat in areas that I'm not doing as much strength training i.e no more hulk arms. When I'm working with extreme calorie deficits and low intensity workouts (taking my sweet ass time lifting things and then walking for an hour) I tend to lose fat/muscle in the areas I least want to lose them, BUT, when I'm eating enough, limiting my carbs, and doing a combination of HIIT and LISS training throughout the week, my butt stays on my body and I lose more fat where I actually want it gone. As someone who is "big boned" and the endomorph prototype (not to mention I have PCOS which is a whole other fitness issue that I'll eventually post about) I tend to bulk up very easily because while my body has a difficult time losing fat, I have a relatively easy time putting on muscle. When I'm not eating the right way or doing my best workouts, this effects my entire body and makes me feel like all of my hard work is for nothing. However, as is a benefit of being an endomorph, when I'm concentrating on building muscle in my lower body - butt looks sick and I don't look like the Terminator on top.
If you're an ectomorph or mesomorph trying to put on mass, this diet might not work the same for you. While it is 100% possible for both body types to achieve a strong lower body, it might take less cardio, more carbohydrates, more food in general - just depends on what you're going for! I have no experience with either because its simply not my body type, but I'm sure some research will get you to your best diet plan!
3. Find a workout plan that you don't dread doing.
I HATE CARDIO. No matter how many sports bras I wear it still hurts, I have asthma, my ankles are messed up from years of dance, and all excuses aside I just don't like it. I'd LOVE to be able to run the marathon someday, just to prove to myself I can, but my personal hell is running on a treadmill or elliptical for an hour. Up until a few months ago, I still forced myself to do it though! I would legitimately spend a half hour warming up for my workout, do my strength training half-assed and VERY slowly because I was still exhausted from the cardio session, and then DO ANOTHER CARDIO SESSION as a cool down. Stupid!! Did not work! Recently I sucked it up and started BBG (thinking "this might be easier than my normal workouts" lmaooooo) and it's completely changed the way I look at my workouts. In a week I'll do 2-3 sessions of HIIT circuit training, 2-3 of LISS (walking at 3.7 - 4.0 on the treadmill for about 35-45 minutes) 1-2 sessions of HIIT running (interval sprints) and added weight training, resistance bands, and stretching as works best for my goals. I have more energy than I did on any previous program & I can be at the gym for even just an hour and still feel like I got a great workout in. Whatever your ideal workout is, just make sure it gets you to the gym, hits your target areas, and gets you sweating. If you're enjoying it, you're more likely to do it consistently. Again, do some research and figure out which workouts are best for your body type and goals & work from there! If you're an endomorph, its really important that you stay consistent with your workouts because unfortunately, we're designed to put weight back on pretty quickly if we take a break. The good news is though, we gain muscle pretty quickly and have good endurance, meaning you probably don't have to be lifting crazy weight to see results - try a HIIT/LISS program like I'm on or any other type of low impact (impact, not intensity) workout that incorporates moderate strength training and cardio.
4. Make some small differences!
Adding resistance bands to my workouts has made a HUGE difference. You wouldn't think a tiny band could do so much, but they're great for activating your muscles (particularly your glutes) before you use them and add an extra level of intensity to easier workouts. Once a week I do a low intensity glute workout that I haven't felt the next morning in ages, but LORD did I feel it after the first time I did it with resistance bands. Resistance bands are also great for squats, wall sits, and LISS cardio sessions. Anything that is helping you to use a few more muscles & challenge them a bit more will make a difference! Stretching is also a HUGE help - its important to have good stretch sessions so as you can actually get your next workout in without having to drastically modify it.
Get yourself a cute water bottle that encourages you to actually drink. I'm currently trying to drink 1 ounce of water for every pound of my body weight - 64 oz usually isn't enough water for the day if you're doing intense workouts! I still drink coffee but I have green tea first in the morning & do apple cider vinegar with water 3 times a week. I'm just getting into supplements now so I'll make another post in the future about my favorites, but be careful with them & make sure what you're taking is natural!
5. Consistency is key - don't deprive yourself!
In college I would eat around 1200-1300 calories a day and then go the fucccc in on weekends. It was bad. I was more or less putting my body into starvation mode and then giving it a million calories to desperately hold on to the upcoming week. It was cyclical and I got very, very few results even though I was working out a lot and on a very strict diet. Don't deprive yourself during the week to the point that come friday night you're more excited to be coming home to drunk food than you are to go out (perhaps a poor example because I am almost ALWAYS more excited about food than socializing, but you get the point). I am a carb addict. It was HARD for me to give up oatmeal in the morning in favor of eggs but the one thing I absolutely refuse to give up during the week is popcorn. I love popcorn & I'll eat it plain but at least 2 nights a week I'm getting my popcorn in or I will go crazy. You don't have to eliminate cheese or salad dressing or carbs entirely like I sometimes would make myself do, but just make sure its in moderation and you include it in your macro count. I think people have a tendency to just throw away the "cheat" snack/meal as nothing more than a ~ mistake ~ but I think that puts you in a frame of mind where you end up "punishing" yourself via calorie restriction/excessive cardio instead of just enjoying the food and picking up where you left off. Be mindful of what you're putting into your body, but there's no need to be obsessive about it!
Put in the extra effort to make sure the workout you're doing is what's best for your body & focus on making healthy, sustainable decisions - you'll see results! Sometimes the process will be slow, but its better to be putting yourself in "lifestyle change" mode rather than in a "summer bod" frame of mind. If you get into a good rhythm and genuinely enjoy working out & it becomes your "thing" - that's awesome! Remember though that health and fitness don't have to be what your entire life revolves around if that's not for you. I enjoy it but I've never gotten to the point where its my number one favorite activity and I always have to remind myself that that's ok! It can be hard, especially as someone recovering from an ED, to constantly see fitness Instagrams and people with motivation to be in the gym twice a day - but that doesn't have to be your routine! It's perfectly good and healthy to do what's best for you, mentally and physically, without comparing yourself to others. If you want to become really into fitness, I encourage you to do so! But if its just not your thing - that's TOTALLY okay - fitness doesn't have to be your hobby in order for you to feel happy and healthy in your body.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with suggestions, for support, or anything like that! Having a good support system is super helpful and something I relay on a lot in order to get myself to stick to my routine. I hope some of my tips here were helpful to get you started or modify the parts of your current routine that aren't doing it for you! My biggest hope is that we can all be feelin' good about ourselves and confident enough to wear and do whatever we want this summer & moving forward. Every body is a bikini body but you should be able to feel great about yours.
:-) Ally