@Octavia Teo @Valerie Frey @Christy Bergstrom TODAY IS THE DAY, LADIES!!!!!!!!! 😁 Have a beautiful day everyone!

When you're over 30, going to Costco is like a trip to Chuck E. Cheese for a five year old but without the creepy ass animatronics. Today was my Costco day, and I happily strolled through the aisles in my leggings listening to an audiobook like the basic white girl I am. After making it through the sweet smell of the bakery section without face planting into a birthday cake, walking past the nice lady offering free samples of creamy crab dip, and ignoring the rude glare of the 700 calorie chocolate chip cookies at the cafe that were begging for my attention, I left feeling...hungry. Then, I was gifted a reminder of how special it is to be strong and healthy and capable. I was putting my cart back in the cart return like everyone should, and a mixture of my undiagnosed OCD and my pet peeve for people leaving their carts in parking spots or not pushing them in all the way so that the lineup of carts sticks out into the road unnecessarily kicked in full force. Next thing I knew, I was rearranging all the carts into nice tidy rows while a woman cheered me on, saying how strong I was and how I was helping people who couldn't do what I could do. Wow, she made me smile. She also made me realize I shouldn't be quick to judge others. Maybe they don't return their cart properly because they're physically hurting. I take for granted how blessed I am to have a healthy body. I never want to go back to not prioritizing being the best version of myself I can be. And on that note, I'm choosing to go home and eat the high protein, high fiber meal I planned for myself. 🖤

So for some context today I went for my morning walk that I do before work. It started out calm 😌 and collected. Nice pace you know not wanting to compete with anyone else on the track. But all that changed when this one couple joined. Every time they join they always keep passing me with an annoying little jog. But not today baby. Today my fighter spirit ignited and I didn’t stop. I started running 1/4 of the track walking 1/4 of the track running 1/4 of the track and walking 1/4 of the track. Over and over and over. I told myself they would not pass me today and they didn’t. I actually passed them and it was a good feeling lol. I’m sure they were not competing with me but I was in a way with myself. I was sure I would not be able to keep it up but to my surprise 😳 I did it for the full hour. I even sprinted the last run 🏃‍♀️ before I left. Just for fun. I’m amazed what I can do now.

Had my 1:1 during our 6-week challenge and my F45 coach asked me this: “If I told you that you can ONLY do THREE workouts per week — at F45 and/or 24 Hour — what’s your reaction?” My honest reply? “Three days is NOT enough. The gym is my outlet. It’s how I de-stress from work. It keeps me balanced.” And he calmly said… If you’re tired and you allow your body to truly recover, you’ll come back stronger — even with three workouts. More workouts with poor performance doesn’t equal better results. Recover well → perform better → build more → make smarter progress. Oof. That one sat with me. Because I love training. It’s my therapy. But he challenged me to think: Quality > quantity. Recovery is strategy — not weakness. Then he gave me homework: “What are your health pillars?” Here’s my F45 1:1 snapshot 👇 🏛️ Lena’s Health Pillars: 1️⃣ Recovery & Sleep (Now My #1) - I need 2 recovery days, not 1 - Sleep directly impacts performance - Working on phone hard stops + better wind-down - Listening to fatigue earlier Goal: Train hard, recover smarter. 2️⃣ Nutrition & Body Composition - High-protein anchor every meal - Fiber focused - Macro tracking (Premium MFP) - Meal prep even on tired days Goal: 35% → 20% body fat while maintaining muscle. (I might change my mind depending on how I look at 20% body fat) 3️⃣ Training & Strength - Strength 3x/week + HIIT 2x/week - Track PRs + progressive overload - Modify for back safety (2mm disc bulge) Goal: Build lean muscle + age strong. 4️⃣ Mindset - Adapt instead of spiral - Discipline over emotion - Use setbacks as data 5️⃣ Accountability & Support - Community driven - Partner accountability - Lead by example for my daughter 6️⃣ Longevity & Self-Respect - Back-safe training - Recovery without guilt - Night guard compliance (I grind my teeth when lifting heavy so the dentist encourages me to wear during lifting) - Thinking 60+, not just now 📍 Current focus:

Sharing this for anyone who thinks one social meal ruins progress. My numbers today in MFP: 🔥 Cut goal: 1,700 calories 🔥 Food eaten: 2,054 calories That puts me 354 calories over my cut target. BUT… My maintenance is around 2,200 calories. At 2,054 total intake, I am still about 146 calories BELOW maintenance. That means I am STILL in a small calorie deficit overall. No panic. No punishment cardio. No “I messed up” mindset. I enjoyed Korean BBQ with my family — guilt free ❤️ My approach moving forward: ✅ Add more steps tomorrow ✅ Trim 50–100 calories from my usual deficit ✅ Keep protein high ✅ Keep carbs controlled ✅ Stay consistent What I learned 📚👇🏽 Going over your CUT target does NOT automatically mean fat gain. Fat gain happens when you consistently eat ABOVE maintenance — not just above your deficit goal. There’s a difference between: • Going over your cut calories • Eating at maintenance • Eating in a surplus Tonight I went over my 1,700 cut target. But I did NOT go over my 2,200 maintenance. One higher-calorie meal does not equal body fat gain. Sustained surplus over time does. Knowledge removes panic. Consistency builds results. P.S. I brought my food scale and weighed my food. No shame I got goals to meet.