How I Got in the Best Shape of My Life
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Rebecca, how did you do it??!?! You look So GOOD, tell me the secret. And then, I open my mouth, begin to say a laundry list of what I did/do to get into top shape, and their eyes glaze over. No one wants to know the sheer amount of things I did to get into the best shape of my life. I guess we are all still looking for the magic pill and while GLP1s can be helpful and change the game (yes, that is part of this), they’re NOT THE SOLE or even remote way that I got into shape and got back my pre-baby bod. (Except for some marks that were left as a memory of having carried 4 babies).
So, in today’s article, I will lay it all out, and hopefully, this will kick-start you into being a healthier human.
In January of this year, knowing there was a high potential for me being part of the upcoming season of RHONY (if ya didn’t know, now ya do), I decided THIS had to be the time I would get into the best shape of my life. I had said this before: I did my 2-mile daily runs, ate clean and paleo, and nothing would change. So I decided the insane thing to do would be to KEEP DOING THAT.
When looking back at my old photos, I realized the best I felt was when I was working with a trainer. So, I hawked over some cash for 3 months worth of private training and tried not to vomit but kept telling myself this was the best investment I could make. Right away, my trainer told me to start logging food. What I hated was the logging, but what was great about it was that it helped me see where I was eating too much and too often. It allowed me to eat to a goal (1400) calories per day and YES you can still eat great hearty meals on that low of a deficit! I will be doing a Substack later of my meal plans for this as well. So the goal was 2x weekly privates and then I decided to come 1-2 times more a week and get in what I could. After every session, I cold plunged and did a red light sauna for 20 minutes. I immediately began to have more energy and was less snacky in the day after lunch. I also took a pilates class 1x per week to keep the muscles long and lean. So you would think that January would be a stellar month, right? In which I saw results? Well, I saw almost NONE, except one whole pound. I have to admit, I was devastated. But my trainer kept telling me IT WILL PAY OFF. So I kept going because I know my old habits didn’t work either.
February was the month that I also decided to get my hormones checked. I felt off, had very little sex drive, and I would often feel bloated and like I was retaining a ton of water. Well when we began to analyze this, I had estrogen levels that were 30x HIGHER than what they should have been to be in range with my progesterone. The doc said I should have been acting like a lunatic for how high it was. Now here is the thing with hormones-it’s not like once you take them, they begin to work and you feel it; it can take up to six months before they kick in. And mine didn’t do that ‘til about month four. But it’s key especially for women who are 35+. While you dont want to know or admit it, women can begin perimenopause at 35 and have no clue what is going on. Well, if you suspect ANYTHING get a blood and urine test to figure this out and get a doc who knows and understands how complicated hormones are!
As I did this, I continued to take Perfect Amino to get in an extra 30 grams of protein per day. I did this because it was hard for me to eat that much protein and keep my calories low, but also because I wanted to to ensure that with all my weight lifting, I was still getting plenty of protein to support my body. So what did we lose in February? Two pounds, but upon seeing this, I at least had hope for the first time!
Next on the list: a fast. I was a bit hesitant to try this and be working out, and in the past I have HATED fasts, but this gives you around 800-1000 calories per day and lasts five days. I figured I can do anything for five days. It’s even easier when I can still have my coffee. So with that, in March, I kicked-off a fasting-mimicking program called Prolon. March kicked into high gear with over six pounds lost. And the best part is, when I got off Prolon, I DIDN’T gain it back! I felt clean, energized, and focused.
April was the month that I decided to try a GLP1 to see what might happen and also get a dose of B Vitamins call MIC Ultra Burn that are supposed to help burn fat and help support lean muscle. I KEPT all of the other things going: training, cold plunge, high protein, calorie deficit, etc., etc. What’s key here is that this was a slow layering process and I didn’t want to change anything because things were starting to work. I am not going to lie, taking these peptides was scary and I had two events where the side effects were a bit Derak Blasberg-like, but thankfully I was in my shower and not Gwyneth’s bedroom. :) I began to see not a ton of weight loss here, but I did notice that the muscle definition was drastically different. April closed out at another two pounds lighter.
May was a favorite month because I finally felt my hormones kick in. It was like I was flooded with a sensation that I had been missing: calmer, less bloated, and happier, even though prior I didn’t think of myself as unhappy. I decided to take a test that tells you your resting base metabolic rate so that you know anything over that during the day is a bonus. My number came in around 1275, so I knew that by targeting 1400 calories, I would inevitably be in a deficit and keep losing.
May was five pounds lost, and I think after taking and balancing my hormones, I lost a lot of weight and water I had been holding onto. I have more or less kept the weight off and continue to try and optimize my health. I have also allowed myself to cheat a bit more, have the occasional drink, or eat the ice cream. Life sucks if you are living in punishment and with what I ate, I never felt like I was punishing myself.
No doubt this requires hard work, $$ spent, and lots of time and effort. But you can begin this just by starting easy: go for a walk after dinner, or carve out 30 minutes a day to go online and do a free workout, there are PLENTY of options! And begin to look at what you consume and what it’s made of. If you were to only focus on single-ingredient foods, I bet you would see differences in weeks.
So upon reading this novel, now you know why people’s eyes glaze over and why they want ONE tip, but it’s never that easy, or we would all be supermodels.
I hope this helps and inspires you to get to your personal best too!
xxRM