This is a round-up of frequently asked questions surrounding fitness, nutrition, product recommendations, and lifestyle questions.
Today’s post is a little out of the usual – I’m posting the most frequently asked questions I get across the interwebs, and am compiling them into one post.
I LOVE getting responses from readers to things I post, and for the past six months or so, Instagram has been the place I’ve seen the most interaction from my audience. As much as I love getting responses and hearing directly from you all I’ll be honest, it gets really overwhelming.
Obviously, I love being a resource for other women. I love showing people how simple and achievable wellness can be, and most importantly, I’m proud to be adding some much-needed diversity to the online wellness space #realtalk.
But hot damn, people ask a lot of questions. Sometimes they are great questions. And sometimes they are not-so-great questions (sorry, keeping it 💯). Nonetheless, I do my best to answer as much and as quickly as I can. Over time I realized I’ve started getting a lot of the same questions over and over, so I figured I would put the good questions in one place to make them easier to find and accessible for all.
I’m going to answer the most common questions I get in the following categories:
- Fitness
- Nutrition/Grocery Shopping
- Favorite Products
- Blogging/Social Media
FITNESS
Q: Do you have any tips for getting started with home workouts?
A: Nike said it best – just do it. The amazing thing about at-home workouts is you can completely pick whatever routine works for you. You can easily select a routine based off of exactly how much time you have, and what equipment you have on hand. I recommend subscribing to a few fitness channels on YouTube – Tone it Up, Yoga with Adriene and Love Sweat Fitness are a few I like – (ps: I have more workout videos coming soon so don’t forget to subscribe to my channel too!) or start a Pinterest board pinning routines from reputable sources. Then pencil it into your calendar, select a routine from your favorite channel or from your board and get to moving. Don’t overthink it. You don’t need a full home gym to start working out at home. Just move!
Q: Do you have any tips for getting more comfortable on the stairmill? I’m nervous about falling off!
A: The stairmill can definitely be intimidating! As long as you’re being mindful, you should be just fine. Avoid being on your phone while on the stairmill (too easy to miss a step), and stay upright so you have greater control of your movements. Please please please don’t hunch over the machine. Doing so is horrible for your posture, makes it harder for you to catch yourself if you do trip, and offsets the cardiovascular benefits of the exercise. It’s better to go slower, stand upright, and step mindfully.
Related: Check out this post for my favorite stairmill routine.
Q: I eat clean and workout regularly. I feel like I’m doing all the “right” things but am not seeing results. Help!/Any tips?
A: First off, I would take a hard look at what results you’re looking for. Weight loss is such a small piece of the puzzle. If you do want to see changes in your body, body composition may be a better goal to shoot for i.e. building more lean muscle. I’m usually asked this question by women who are already at a healthy weight for their height, but want to be/feel more “toned.” Please know that “toned” is the term marketed to women instead of “strong.” Tone = muscle.
Now that we have a more clear goal, let’s look at how this could be achieved. To build muscle, you need to be strength training – in fact, I believe all women need to be regularly strength training but that’s for a different post. If you’re only taking spin classes and doing the occasional HIIT, that’s not going to do anything to improve body composition and strength. For most women, 3 days of strength training and 1-2 HIIT/cardio workouts per week is a good balance to see improvement.
NUTRITION/FOOD/GROCERY SHOPPING
Q: What do you put in your coffee?
A: Because I like to workout in the morning, my coffee serves as my pre-workout “meal.” I don’t like feeling a bunch of food in my stomach while I workout, so I add protein fat to my coffee as a source of calories before a workout. And the caffeine helps me feel more awake 😬. Most mornings, I like adding 1 Tablespoon of Hemp Seeds, 1 Tablespoon of Grassfed Butter OR Cream OR Cacao Butter (I like to switch it up), and 1 Tablespoon of Collagen Peptides to my coffee. I blend the hemp seeds and butter first until smooth, then add the collagen and blend for a few more seconds. Then I top with cinnamon and take it to go on my way to the gym.
Q: Can I have the recipe for XYZ?
A: Usually, yes! Right here on the blog. I have hundreds of recipes posted here over the years, and will always disclose if something is on the blog, with a link. If it is a recipe that is exclusively part of my coaching program, I will be upfront about that as well.
Q: How much do you usually spend on groceries?
A: Honestly, it depends on the week and on how much I want to prep myself or how much I buy pre-chopped and prepped, etc. Most of the time, I end up spending $40-$60 per week on groceries. I will note, I eat homemade food 98% of the time and rarely go out to eat, so that number accounts for all of my food.
Q: What kind of blender do you use?
A: I have a Nutribullet that I’ve been using daily for three years and love it!
BLOGGING/SOCIAL MEDIA
Q: Who designed your blog?
A: At the time I’m writing this (February 2018), my current blog design is actually from a theme I bought on Creative Market and customized a bit. I’m really wanting some professional touches/customization though, so I’m hoping to get things updated this year!
Q: How did you make your Instagram story highlight covers?
A: I have surprisingly been getting this question a LOT. To create the highlight covers on my Instagram story, I searched for icons I liked on this website and placed them over solid color images on Canva.
PERSONAL/MISC.
Q: What was your experience like working at lululemon?
A: I loved it! But really, what’s not to love about wearing yoga pants all day 😉 I had a great experience working at lululemon. I learned a ton, made some great friends, and was pushed outside of my comfort zone every day. Plus, working on my feet full-time had me in darn good shape. Financially, it just wasn’t doable for the long term – retail just doesn’t pay enough if you’re living on your own in an expensive city like Seattle – but I am really grateful for my time there.
Q: Where are your favorite places to eat in Seattle?
A: I’m going to have a blog post about my favorite places to eat and workout at soon! I honestly don’t have a TON of restaurant recommendations because like I said, I eat at home 98% of the time. But a few places I do like to go when I do go out to eat include: Portage Bay Cafe (brunch), Jujubeet (juices/smoothies), Bounty Kitchen (brunch/lunch), Frankie & Joe’s (dairy-free ice cream), Plum Bistro (lunch/dinner/vegan), Heartbeet Kitchen (lunch – get the Buddha Bowl).
I plan on exploring this more, and reporting back with new favorites!
And there you have it – a round-up of the most commonly asked questions I receive. There are actually a lot more, but this post was getting long enough as it is. Don’t be afraid to reach out to me via the comments below or on Instagram with other questions you have!