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5 min read<\/p>\n5 min read<\/p>\n
For the longest time, my family didn\u2019t have a great relationship with health or exercise. We didn\u2019t eat much nutrient-dense food or pay attention to fitness, and I followed suit. I ate very little fresh fruits and vegetables, and instead opted for easy-to-grab but processed snacks like pretzels and chips. And although I played soccer when I was a little kid, I wasn\u2019t exercising at all by the time I hit my teens.<\/p>\n
Everything changed during those teenage years, as my family\u2019s lifestyle began to have serious, life-ending consequences: one by one, type 2 diabetes<\/a> began taking down my loved ones. In one year alone, I lost five relatives from the disease, and it was heartbreaking.<\/p>\n When I went off to college, I started to get some movement in through being in the marching band, which most people don\u2019t realize is a very active activity. (During a single practice, I could get upwards of 30,000 steps!) <\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t enough: Around that time, I learned during a routine physical that I was at least 50 pounds overweight and at risk for developing type 2 diabetes myself. That was my wake-up call\u2014the moment I decided to take my health seriously. I was determined to evolve my lifestyle to keep myself and my family healthy, happy, and thriving for years to come. <\/p>\n At 20, I decided to switch to a vegan diet so I could focus on eating more plant- and fruit-forward.<\/p>\n At first, I started as a raw vegan<\/a>\u2014meaning everything I ate was uncooked\u2014but honestly, I found that approach boring. So, eventually I settled for a more balanced diet and began cooking delicious meals: I ate everything from saut\u00e9ed tofu and grilled vegan patties, to jackfruit quesadillas and vegan mac and cheese, which has been much more sustainable and satisfying. <\/p>\n Once I figured out how to make vegan food taste amazing, I started cooking for my family. They couldn\u2019t believe just how good the food could taste without meat, excessive amounts of salt, or sugar. Little by little, the vegetable-forward meals that I made helped them realize that eating well can be just as delicious as, well, fried and fast food. (Vegan quesadillas and burgers quickly became a household favorite.) <\/p>\n Around the same time, I began to strength train because my doctor told me it was the best way to support my health. <\/p>\n Initially, I didn\u2019t really know how to work out. But through trial and error\u2014and the advice from the kind, patient trainers at my college gym\u2014I eventually fell in love with lifting weights<\/a>. I learned how to split up training sessions up by muscle group, as well as what it felt like to work until fatigue, which helped me grow stronger. <\/p>\n When I started eating healthier and exercising regularly, I began losing weight and building muscle<\/a>, and my family started to take notice and ask me for advice. Before long, I was helping relatives across different states build workout plans and meal strategies tailored to their lives. I was even inspired to become an ISSA-certified personal trainer so I could give my family, and eventually others, the best guidance possible. <\/p>\n Within two years of eating better and becoming a regular at the weight room, I lost 50 pounds and was no longer flirting with diabetes. But more importantly, I\u2019ve gained the freedom to live my life: I can go on weekend hikes, chase my nieces and nephews around, and help my relatives pack up and move homes without thinking about it twice\u2014and that\u2019s beautiful. <\/p>\n Now, my workouts blend cardio and strength, and I\u2019m currently training for a bikini competition. <\/p>\n I lift weights five days per week by following a program that adheres to the progressive overload<\/a> principle, which is increasing the variables of my workouts over time so I can keep getting stronger. I\u2019m prepping for an upcoming bikini competition, so my workouts are usually 60 to 90 minutes long. <\/p>\n I start each session with 30 minutes of cardio on the StairMaster, then I get into lifting: I break my training sessions into traditional splits, rotating between an upper body push\/pull day<\/a>, a lower body press day, and a lower body pull day. The specific exercises vary, but at least once a week, my program has me do squats<\/a>, deadlifts<\/a>, hip thrusts<\/a>, shoulder presses, and bench presses<\/a>. <\/p>\n
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