Last summer, I could only squeeze into one pair of shorts from my (very impressive) collection. I lived in flowy, waistless dresses and panic-bought oversized cotton pants to get by. Physically and mentally, I wasn’t in a good place. I was dealing with Epstein-Barr Virus and some pretty debilitating anxiety. In short… I was a mess.
Then January hit. With six months to go until my 40th birthday, I had what I can only describe as a mini midlife crisis. I decided it was time to make some real changes, starting from the inside out.
My goals?
- Fit into my shorts by summer
- Stop having anxious chest pains
- Feel strong, vibrant, and healthy
- Make better choices for my body and mind
I started a self-imposed wellness journey that led to:
- Losing 8 pounds (my goal was 10, but I gained a ton of muscle and feel great about that)
- Clearer skin
- Better digestion
- More energy
- Less anxiety
The best part? Anyone can do what I did. The catch? It’s not a quick fix. It takes time, effort, and consistency. But for me it has been absolutely worth it!
Meals:
The three biggest changes I made with meals were:
- Cutting out afternoon sugar binges
- Doubling my protein intake
- Being intentional with every bite
I’m not naturally drawn to protein. I’m not a big meat eater and can’t tolerate much dairy, so carbs have always been my default. And they still are! I just started adding protein to balance things out.
I used an app to track protein, fiber, and calories, not to restrict, but to understand my habits. I hate the name of the app, but it’s worked really well for me and I still use it to this day.
Snacks:
The first thing that had to go was my after-lunch candy crushes. I stocked up on high-protein snacks and made a rule: eat a protein snack first, then have the treat if I still wanted it. Spoiler alert: 9.5 times out of 10, I didn’t. And now that habit is broken and I don’t even think about it anymore. Pretty cool!
Some of my go-to protein snacks:
- Chomps meat sticks
- Hummus + Simple Mills almond flour crackers
- Deli turkey or salami
- Nuts
- Protein bars (I love Aloha and GoMacro)
- Biena crunchy chickpeas
Food Timing:
I try not to eat after 7:30 PM. Even for date nights, I book the earliest reservation I can. Of course, life happens, but that’s the general rule.
My mornings look like this:
- Wake up and drink 8 oz of water with mineral salt + lemon
- AG1
- Tea
- School drop-off
- Breakfast
Spacing it out this way keeps me full until lunch and helps with energy throughout the day.
Sugar:
Giving up sugar in the afternoons was hard. My body craved sweets after lunch like clockwork. Doubling my protein at lunch helped a bit, but the real game-changer was swapping candy for Gruns (green gummy vitamins). They trick my brain just enough to move on from the sugar spiral.
Note: My Gruns link gets you up to 52% off. I have an Instagram partnership with this brand but including it in my blog post isn’t a part of that partnership.
Alcohol:
This one hurts, I know. But reducing alcohol made a huge difference. When I drink less, I:
- Make better choices at dinnertime
- Snack less the next day
- Sleep better (like way better)
- Have more energy to walk and work out the next day
These days, I aim to drink no more than two nights a week with no more than two drinks per night (still a stretch, tbh). If I feel overwhelmed or want to unwind, I’ll reach for a Jeng (CBD + a microdose of THC) or a Kava tea instead.
Exercise:
Fun fact about me: I hate working out. I’d rather read a book than go to a fitness class any day of the week. But I knew I needed to move more, especially as I creep into my 40s.
I was already doing:
- One weekly heavy-lifting session at Countdown
- One weekly hour of tennis
It wasn’t cutting it anymore, so I made one sustainable shift: I started walking more.
Now I aim for at least 45 minutes of brisk walking a day. Sometimes with a friend, sometimes with my dog, sometimes with a podcast, and sometimes just with my thoughts.
I track my walks (and workouts) on my Apple Watch, which syncs with the app I mentioned earlier and keeps me motivated.
Mental Health:
Alongside all the physical stuff, I focused hard on my mental health too. That included:
- Weekly therapy and a few couples therapy sessions
- Upping my SSRI dosage (onlyslightly but it made a huge difference)
- Trying to meditate a few times a week (using the Open app)
- Cutting back on screen time
All of that helped ease my anxiety and supported the other changes I was making.
TL;DR:
This journey wasn’t just about getting a six-pack or fitting into a specific size. It was about showing up for myself, prioritizing my wellness, and entering a new decade feeling strong. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
I still have hard days, and I still eat sweet treats. But I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I hope this inspires you to make one small change for yourself today. We all deserve to feel good in our bodies, whatever that looks like!
