As this blog shifts to a higher volume of fitness-related posts, I want to really dig into aspects of my own fitness journey. Right now, I’m really in a phase of “getting back on track” – and as someone who’s trying to preach a “healthy lifestyle,” sometimes it feels uncomfortable to admit that I ever got off-track in the first place.
But the reality of life is that I did. I was in another country for a month, I was going out to eat with new friends on a regular basis, and I was fully embracing the place that I was in (which… just so happened to be South African wine country, haha). So you know what? I don’t regret a moment of it. Living a healthy lifestyle shouldn’t mean that you’re restricting yourself from enjoying life – and enjoying life was exactly what I was doing in South Africa.
Now that I’m back in the States, however, I’m really getting back into working out regularly and tracking my macros. And let me tell you, I’m loving it. Being healthy shouldn’t feel like a chore (if it does, keep experimenting until you find things you enjoy), so coming back to regular workouts and macro tracking feels a bit like coming home.
Below are the daily calorie counts and workout splits I’m working with.
- Monday: 1800 calories, push (chest/shoulders/triceps) + HIIT
- Tuesday: 1600 calories, pull (back/biceps) + LISS
- Wednesday: 2000 calories, high rep/low weight legs + HIIT
- Thursday: 1800 calories, cardio
- Friday: 1400 calories, rest
- Saturday: 2100 calories, low rep/high weight legs + abs
- Sunday: 1800 calories, cardio
The fluctuating calorie goals are something I’ve found works way better for me than keeping a steady goal every day. I’m the type of person that starts to feel like I’m stuck in a rut if I’m sticking to the same calorie count each day, so this program allows a bit more flexibility and lets me stick some cheat meals in without feeling guilty about it.
I’m also doing way more cardio than I was in the past few months – for two reasons. One, my goal right now is weight loss, and cardio is obviously really good for that, and two, I straight-up missed it. There’s just something about a post-cardio endorphin rush that’s totally different from a post-weightlifting rush.
Here’s a little physique update on what the past two weeks of this have done for me. Obviously the fake tan helps a little, but no amount of St. Tropez can fake the fact that my abs are starting to show through again (aka fat loss is happening). If this is what two weeks does, I’ve got a real good feeling about the rest of the summer. (Also yes, my room is a disaster, that’s just what happens when you’re in the middle of preparing to move everything you own to a new city.)
All this to say: if you’re doing what you love (and there’s at least some science behind it), the rest will fall into place.
xo, Taylor
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