It’s been a while between personal posts. And not for any reason- there’s been plenty of stuff happening (you know I love sharing over on my social media channels) that I could easily write about, but I just didn’t feel called to share it.
On my snapchat (vegieheadadele) this morning I asked my wonderful community what they’d like me to blog about.
And I had a great question from Melissa. She video snapped me (love it!) and asked to share my workouts and what I eat before and afterwards for energy. Working out on a vegan diet isn’t hard- and it can be done easily, simply and healthily!
Now, as snapchat is very much a fast moving platform, I often feel called to share things there that I don’t on my more professional and business pages and profiles.
So a bit of background is needed.
When we lived in QLD I had a personal trainer come to my house 3 days a week.
Prior to moving to the Sunny Coast I had a trainer come here to my home in Melbourne 3 days a week, and supplemented that with Crossfit (which I’ve spoken about before – Crossfit +me = extremely depleted adrenals).
I’ve always loved working out (once I’m past the initial “I hate this and I’m going to die” phase) and even before all of that, I’d go to my local YMCA twice a day, in the morning and the night. Being someone who is naturally high energy, it helps me balance out, and sleep well at night.
But when Charlie died I struggled to even think about getting out of bed, let alone exercising. I managed my regular daily walks with the pups, but I really let my strength go.
I’m 32 now. I’m not old, and I’m not super young. Age doesn’t matter to me, but I didn’t want to FEEL old. I was noticing that things were just getting a little bit harder. Sitting down for too long hurt my hips. Standing for too long strained my shoulders. My knees would wobble first thing in the morning.
And getting older in years doesn’t scare me…but this? This feeling of being old DID scare me.
So what did I do?
Hauled my ass back to the gym.
And I’ll be honest with you… I felt out of place. REALLY out of place. I’ve not been to a gym in so long (working out at home is totally different!) and felt like a fish out of water.
While confidence is definitely something I’m not lacking, it’s the fear of ridicule and judgement that stops me. What will people think? What will people say?
I though, love a challenge. I love embracing that feeling of fear and pushing through it. So, feeling like the whole entire gym was watching me, I got stuck into it. Just like I used to. And what I found, pretty quickly, was that no one was watching me. No one cared that I wasn’t running very fast, or using the heavy weights.
So I’ve been going almost daily since joining, and I already feel better. Instead of pains from sitting or standing, it’s more the feeling of ‘use’ and ‘strength’. Instead of knee wobbles from waking up and making that mad dash to the bathroom, it’s knee wobbles from exhaustion.
This is my main motivator for going to the gym and working out daily – and could it be the fountain of youth? Possibly!
Why am I sharing this?
I really wanted to showcase a few things.
-Everyone starts somewhere.
-You don’t always know how someone else is feeling (no matter how confident they appear).
-Working towards a goal or a dream is always powerful
-No one is really watching you!
So, if you’re reading this, and that’s you- I promise, getting started is THE HARDEST PART.
Now, to Melissa’s question.
Firstly:
My workouts.
A disclaimer- I’m not a pro, I’m not a PT, I purely work out this way as it suits me best.
I love 5 minute warm ups, then go straight into:
Arms (6 different exercises using dumbells)
OR
Legs (8 exercises using kettlebells, machine and weights)
OR
Abs (8 exercises – all floor core work)
And do 3-4 rounds of each. I aim for the rounds to be 30-50 seconds long, then move on to the next, then have a break.
Then, the cool down and stretches.
This style of working out- hard, fast, simple – is best for me right now. I’ve done the complex, the heavy, the exhausting, the super sweaty….and may go there again. But I like my workouts done in 30 minutes so I can get on with my day.
Then of course, I walk. Minimum 90 minutes each day with the pups.
And I feel great for it! But all of that working out would be useless without the right nutrition.
Food plays a major part in how we look and more importantly- feel. High protein on a plant based diet doesn’t need to be hard, either.
I make sure I add a combination of these foods into my diet each day:
Tempeh or Tofu
Quinoa
Chickpeas or Kidney beans
Lentils
Nuts
Seeds
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Spinach/Kale
Brown Rice
Vegan Protein Powder (I use Food Matters Protein Powder and I’ve found that it’s the only one that doesn’t upset my stomach. And yes, I’ve tried pretty much every vegan brand under the sun)
Here are some go-to recipes that I have:
Porridge for breakfast with tahini or almond butter, berries and banana or any other delicious topping
Lentil, vegetable and quinoa pasta soup (I make a huge pot of this and it lasts a few days)
Any of these snacks : Top 15 Sugar Free Vegan Snacks
And plenty of water, homemade lemon balm and peppermint tea, chai with almond milk and at least one smoothie a day (unless it’s too cold!).
My top 7 Plant Based Protein Foods
In this video I also talk about a fantastic supplement called Bio-Strath from my local health food store- and it’s been a revelation for my energy levels!
Working out is therapeutic as well – I always feel better, my head is clearer, and I can often zone out to a point where I’m just IN MY BODY, instead of in my mind.
Share with me below how you like to work out! I’d love to feel inspired by you.
Adele x
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