Everyone loves Kayla Itsines. From magazine articles to Instagram; her healthy eating habits and exercise routines are dominating the media.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, Kayla Itsines is a fitness guru turned fitness superstar overnight. She received her claim to fame from Instagram, where the Australian-born 24-year-old posts pictures and videos of her colorful, wholesome meals and her killer workouts.
And boy are they killer.
I would consider myself a pretty fit person. I try my best to make it to the gym 3-4 times a week, and I pay attention to what I eat (most of the time). However, while living like Kayla, I made sure to make it to gym every day. I took time out of each day to do a Kayla workout. I also made sure to walk everywhere so I could stay as active as possible.
I got the workouts from the Internet, because they’re there for free. I had the option of downloading an app Kayla recently came out with called “Sweat with Kayla”. However, I opted out of getting the app because 1.) I had to pay after my “trial period” was over, and 2.) I heard the app was called disappointing by a lot of users. That being said, using Pinterest and Kayla’s website and social media were my best options of getting her exercise plans for FREE!
Here are some of the workouts I did throughout the week:
Overall, I felt my abs and legs getting tighter as the week went on. I didn’t do a weigh-in or anything before doing her workouts because I believed it was important that I based my experiences on how I felt and looked, not by how much I weighed.
Another one of Kayla’s mantras is healthy relationships with food and body positivity. She encourages her followers not to deprive themselves, and she says she eats a piece of chocolate when she wants to “before her cravings get the best of her.” She’s also all about eating wholesome, real food. She doesn’t believe in diets and cutting out bread or a certain food group. She eats a lot of protein and filling foods.
According to her website, here’s what a day in her life looks like in food:
I usually eat at home and cook my own meals, so that part was easy. I had to get creative with a few of my meals, but most of them were wholesome and filling, giving my energy to go all day. I used a lot of eggs and ingredients that were versatile and could be used for multiple meals, like kale, onions and sweet potatoes. I ate things like carrots and hummus or an apple for snacks.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t listen to Kayla and indulge myself. What’s a girl to do when her roommate comes home with a box of Hurt’s Donuts?
Here are some of the dishes and snacks I made during the week (I realized that a lot of them are breakfast-related, but who doesn’t love breakfast?):
Once again, with the meals, I had to set aside time to prepare and cook them. But it was worth it to save money and eat wholesome food to nourish my body.
Overall, after a week of eating wholesome meals and staying as active as possible, I felt amazing. I slept better at night, and I had more energy during the day. Making time for my body was crucial throughout the week, but it made me realize that I need to be more adamant about challenging myself and making small changes that will add up to make a hug difference in my everyday life. I know it sounds cliché, but if you treat your body like a temple, your body will thank you.