Forget New Years! Spring is the Real MVP for Crushing Goals
Why Spring is the Perfect Time to Crush Your Goals
+ The Habits That Helped me Crush Mine!
If you’ve been following my journey, you know that back in November I had major surgery on my ankle. I’m happy to report that I’m now 95% healed! This recovery process gave me the opportunity to set fitness and body composition goals, build a strong routine and most importantly, stick to a set of six key habits that helped me reach those goals.
At first, the motivation that came from regaining my movement was powerful, but as time went on, I felt that drive start to fade. Then as if on cue, Spring began to show its face. And with it, a natural energy that reignited my focus and determination.
Now, as the season of renewal takes hold, I feel a strong pull to double down on what’s working and use this fresh burst of energy to tackle my next round of fitness, personal and business goals. If you’re feeling like you fell off track with your New Year’s resolutions, or if you’re ready to hit reset, trust your instincts . . .
Spring is the real MVP for fresh starts because it aligns with nature’s natural rhythm of renewal and growth.
SPRING
& the season’s 3 MVP’s for goals and growth
Natural Energy Surge: As the days get longer and the weather warms up, you naturally feel more energized and motivated. It’s easier to dive into new goals and projects when you're energized by the season. And let’s be honest . . . we want to feel amazing in all our cute summer fits!!
Seasonal Shift: It might sound like a worn out concept, but it still slaps - Spring is a time of rebirth! Flowers bloom and everything around us feels fresh and new. This makes it a powerful moment to hit the reset button on our own goals. More day light, more energy, more joy. It’s a time to plant new beginnings, both in the soil and in your life. Set intentions and solidify habits that will help you grow like the flowers in bloom. It’s cheesy but it works!
Aligned with Personal Growth + Seasonal Inspiration: Spring is all about growth - it’s a perfect metaphor for goal-setting: you’re planting intentions that can grow and develop over time. It’s a season full of possibilities, giving you both the inspiration and the energy to set meaningful, achievable goals. Let this be your sign to re-look at the goals you have set for the year, explore what is working and what isn’t, and then get to work!
In the midst of my injury, when my lack of ability to exercise was playing a real mind f@!k on my mental health, I hired a hormone coach - assuming I must feel like crap cause my hormones were outta whack. I had my blood tests, hair and tissue tests all done. I was hoping to hear there was something out of balance I could fix, and then feel better. But when I got the tests back and reviewed them with a professional, she told me she has never in her career seen such good numbers.
I was the “healthiest” human she has ever helped! And was I happy? No! I wanted an easy solution to fix why I felt so crappy!!
But the good news is that there was an “easy” solution. Once I healed from surgery, I got really active and it was the miracle vitamin I was looking for.
Movement really is medicine. If you have a body capable of movement, then girrrrrrlll - get your ass to the gym!
Along with just feeling better emotionally and mentally, I also wanted my pre-injury body back. (Over the 3 years of my injury I had lost a lot of muscle and gained some fat). Although I consider myself a pro when it comes to being healthy, knowing how to be healthy and knowing how to increase lean mass and reduce fat mass are not the same thing. I spent my rehab doing research and educating myself on what I needed to know to hit the ground running.
6 Habits that Helped me Drop Fat and Gain Muscle.
PROTEIN – Getting 30g of protein per meal. You gotta get enough protein if you want to build muscle. Simple. I recommend having a handful of go-to meals on rotation. Having protein prepped for a few lunches at a time really helps as well.
HIGH FIBRE DIET - I personally love carbs - they’re our natural energy source and I just feel great when I eat them. Healthy Carbs also helps us hit the recommended 25-30 grams of fibre per day. Furthermore, 2-3 colours of veg on my plate ensures I am getting the spectrum of nutrition to help my body thrive. A variety of colourful fruit and veg complimented by whole grain english muffins or wraps, quinoa, brown rice, lentils, beans and sweet potatoes keep me energized, nourished and balanced.
PLAN MEALS – Getting in the right levels of protein and fibre that support muscle building and fat loss takes planning. The great news? You only need a few go-to meals for each breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also rely on Good Life’s Kale Me Crazy Salad, Lentil Stew, Tofu Salad Snack and our new protein offerings of Hard Boiled Eggs and Marinated Tofu. We only use the highest quality, cleanest ingredient without any added sugars, fats or unnecessary oils so I can trust it’s fuelling my body healthfully.
DAILY STEPS – Thinking of it as a weekly average is super useful. I aim for an average of 10K steps, but have a baseline minimum of 7,500K. Besides helping me change my body composition, honouring my new ankle and avoiding injury, walking is great for my mental health, and it's often the time I use to connect with friends.
STRENGTH TRAINING – A structured plan to hit all your muscle groups, keeping tracking of what you are lifting on your phone or in a note book, and ensuring progressive overload will lead to results. To avoid injury give yourself adequate rest between sets, exercises and when you work muscle groups. (See my note below for the plan I followed)
DAILY JUICE – This habit isn’t new, but I credit it for amazing gut health, optimized digestion, great skin and those awesome health stats mentioned above. I don’t think I could have increased my protein intake while maintaining a high-fibre diet without it. Both of of those can be hard on digestion, but this long-time habit has set me up for success. My go-to is either Roots Remedy before a workout or Classic Greens or Detox Greens in the afternoon. They’re hydrating, alkalizing, low in calories and incredibly energizing.
NOTE: One of my favourite reads during my rehab time that educated me most on nutrition needs and how to build a work out plan was: Thinner, Leaner, Stronger : The Simple Science of Building the Ultimate Female Body by Michael Mathews. I gained all the knowledge I needed and have be following (and loving) the strength training plan ever since.Here’s to a goal crushing, feel good Spring!
XO, Andrea