Hi friends! In this post and video, I’m opening up more about my injury, how I’ve been managing it, and how I’m not going to let it slow me down any more! It’s time for a comeback. In the spirit of past challenges (Project Hydrate, Project Think Positive, etc.), I’m calling it Project Comeback. I was hoping my comeback would have not only been a lot sooner and swift but that it would be more victorious. Like hey…I was injured, and now I’m not. But, the truth is that I’m still in recovery mode. Though I am getting stronger every day. So maybe sometimes your comeback doesn’t look like you thought it would. Maybe the comeback isn’t the announcement of a completion of recovery so much as tackling the recovery head on? Less destination. More journey? So cheesy, but true. Anywho, the latter is how I’m going to move forward. No more waiting. The time is now!
I’ve thought a lot about comebacks since being injured. In March, I shared one of my favorite quotes (click here for graphic) that I’ve discovered this year:
The comeback is always stronger than the setback.
Also, I love that one of my favorite YouTubers, Sarah’s Day, has done many Project Comebacks. It’s inspiring to see you’re not the only one wanting to make a comeback.
And while I don’t have my triumphant return to the fitness levels I was doing before, I do hope to get there soon. Wish me luck!
Ab Challenge: See below for details on the ab challenge.
What I Eat in a Day
For breakfast, I had a grab-and-go combo: Kite Hill almond milk yogurt, Whole Foods granola, and fresh blueberries and raspberries.
For lunch I hit up Chopt and got the Chicken Tinga Quinoa Bowl. As I mentioned in my video, I consider this the salad for those who don’t like salads. This was my gateway salad to liking Chopt. The base is kale with more goodies mixed in: avocado, purple cabbage, black beans, cheese. I think even green onions. Oh and tortilla chips! On top, you get warm quinoa and chicken with a delicious and savory sauce. I opt for the non-spicy goddess dressing to keep it from being too spicy for me. It’s really good!
Sadly, on this day I discovered something in my salad that prevented me from finishing it. Just keeping it real with you guys because I normally wouldn’t have another meal bar in the afternoon but I did on this day since I was still a little hungry.
Good thing I had some bars stashed in my desk.
I opted for this Coconut Granola bar by Go Macro because it was one of the lower in sugar options, and I thought the ingredients would make the best fuel for my workout later that day.
Returning to Zumba!
Since things went so well with Zumba Convention, I decided it may be good to start easing back into dance fitness classes. Since I’m familiar with the base rhythm moves and class structure, I find it easy to take things at my own intensity and modify where needed.
This was my second Zumba class since ZinCon, and I actually picked it because I met the instructor, Will, at the 2016 ZinCon. I was on the same plane as him and some of his friends. His class was SO FUN! I can’t wait to go back!
For “dessert”, I had a green smoothie bowl. In the smoothie: frozen kale, frozen papaya, banana, and cashew milk. Plus a scoop of Amazing Grass. For the toppings: Whole Foods granola, Let’s Do Organic unsweetened coconut flakes, fresh raspberries, and white chia seeds.
It’s been a long time since I’ve put Amazing Grass in my smoothies. But it was on sale at Whole Foods recently, and I’ve been wanting to boost up the nutrition of my smoothies and smoothie bowls anyway. This seemed like an easy way. It was much more grassy than I remember it tasting. So, I guess the product is aptly named. Hehe.
Also, I noticed that Amazing Grass “helps alkalize” according to the package. You guys know I’m all about the anti-inflammatories because I think it helps with my injury recovery.
Okay, let’s talk about the ab challenge…
30 Day No Crunch Ab Challenge Details
I’ll be practicing intuitive exercise with this challenge. So rather than setting out a schedule, I’ll see what my body needs that day. The plan is to do a mix of the following:
- Cardio: Zumba, walking around NYC, etc.
- TA Activations
- Planks
- Plank Variations
- Any other exercises I may stumble upon – I’ve been keeping an ear out for new ones that may be good for me
It may sound odd to do cardio as part of an ab challenge, but my dream goal is better ab definition. If I want that, I’ll need to trim down a bit.
I remember when I was in college, I so desperately wanted my abs to look like Britney Spears’s abs. Despite the hundreds of crunches I was doing, they never did. I was still dealing with my freshman 15+, and what I didn’t know at the time was that you can’t really lose weight in a specific area by working that area. I needed something that would help me all over, like cardio.
Also with my clothes fitting a bit snug, I wouldn’t mind a wee bit of overall trimming down. I’m saying “trimming down” rather than “weight loss” because I don’t even know how much I weigh. I measure my health by other factors, like how I feel and how my clothes fit. PS Does anyone remember “size healthy” that Oh She Glows did back in the day?
VIDEO: Project Comeback | Ab Challenge | What I Eat in a Day
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Thanks for reading and watching! Let me know if you’re interested in doing an ab challenge too, and I’ll look into setting something up!
In the meantime, you can sign up for my next free healthy eating challenge, Cleanish, by visiting this site: cleanish.co
Cheers!