Style Lullaby

Fitness & Food•Personal

A Recent Health Kick, Some Thoughts on Body Love & A Life Update!

November 14, 2018

Oh hello there! I promise I’m still alive – just took a little break from social media and the blog for a bit to recharge and focus on taking better care of myself the past month or so. As a content creator, it can be hard to not get caught up in work and not be on my phone 24/7. With that said, I really wanted to try putting my phone down and just live in the moment, something I hadn’t done in a long time. During my break, I checked Instagram minimally (this was hard at first but now that I’ve done it, I actually love not being glued to it), stressed about work less, worked on building face-to-face relationships, spent more quality time with my family, and got on a major health kick.

Part of why I decided to take this break was because I felt like my mental health was declining, and didn’t want it to get out of hand. Working in the digital world, it gets exhausting constantly planning what to create next, thinking about how to be a step up from everyone else, pleasing clients, and naturally comparing yourself to other people. I figured it was time to take some time off to wholeheartedly love myself, nourish my body, and actually take action rather than simply spurting out words. After all, words are just words until you make them a reality!If you haven’t read the book 52 Ways to Love Your Body by Kimber Simpkins, I highly recommend it. Earlier this year, David bought it for me and it’s been on my nightstand ever since. Occasionally, I like to flip through the short chapters (in no particular order). Simpkins provides eye-opening perspectives, simple exercises on body love, and a reminder of just how amazing our bodies are! They continue to push through and work hard for us even when we sometimes (or very often) criticize and neglect them. It recently dawned on me – the least I could do for my body is to cherish her more and treat her like my best friend.

Make yourself a priority once in a while. It’s not selfish; it’s necessary.

To start, I finally got a gym membership again. After moving into this new house, David and I had been slacking off with our fitness routines and I feel so darn good to be back at it. Our local gym turns out to be a lot better than we anticipated and offers AWESOME classes. I recently tried Body Pump for the first time and have been loving their abs, pilates, and barre classes too. I will admit that I’m not the best at keeping myself motivated and working the machines at the gym, so I’m ecstatic that there is such a wonderful variety of classes to challenge different parts of my body. I feel rejuvenated, motivated, and a whole lot less sluggish ever since making this small change for my health. My body feels & looks amazing, and I’m looking forward to seeing improved strength over time.

Eating better is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Growing up with an Asian background, carbs have always been a staple part of my diet and it will be hard to cut it down or out. Seriously guys, I LOVE my rice and noodles! I also don’t enjoy a lot of healthy foods, and all the unhealthy foods are my weakness. I always tell myself that I’m lucky I have a pretty awesome body for all the not-so-nutritious foods I eat, but am actively working on making healthier food choices now that I’m working out consistently again. If any of you know some delicious healthy recipes, please send them my way! I get hungry a lot more often now, so the more the merrier 😉

Anyways, I decided to pop in with this life update because I know some of you are wondering where I went! Special thanks to those who sent thoughtful messages checking in on me – love you all <3 Now, I want to end this with a reminder to take breaks often, love yourself, & prioritize your health first! Without a healthy & happy body, we wouldn’t be able to do our best, help others, and chase our dreams.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. You look beautiful!

    I have trouble motivating myself as well so that’s why I love my barre classes… but at $200/month, it’s definitely getting up there. I’m currently looking for a gym that has the weights and equipments, but also a variety of classes to keep me motivated when I get tired of looking at the weights.

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    • Thank you Claire! You’re so sweet! Haha it can definitely be tough to stay motivated, but investing in cute workout clothes always seems to help me 😛 LOL! But wow, $200 a month is quite up there for sure. I think if you can find a good local gym that offers classes and all the equipment, you’ll be golden, without needing to spend such a fortune. 🙂

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  3. Awww so glad you took your much-needed break! We all need them and sometimes don’t even realize it. It’s great that you’re prioritizing your health and staying active. I’ve missed your posts and am happy to see you’re back 🙂

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  4. Babe!! I’m so glad to hear that you are now doing this! We’ve talked about this before 🙂 so I’m so happy you are doing it now! Wish you lived closer, we could yoga together! Lol mental health is soooo important! I’ll text you soon! Promise! I’ve been soooooo distant with so much going on so let’s catch up soon! 🤗🤗

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  5. Sometimes you just have to take a bit of time off! I am so bad at working out but I just got engaged so I need to do a bit more if Im going to look the way I want in a dress! I am the opposit, I love healthy food, but sweets are for sure my downfall as I love them too!

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    • I couldn’t agree more! I used to hate working out but I think now that I’m getting into the groove I actually enjoy it 🙂 Lol! Who can turn down sweets, right? I guess everything in moderation 😉

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  13. I am barely having a hard time taking care of myself but after reading your article it helps me think and pushes me to love myself more that I love it before. Thank you for sharing this with us.

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  14. I’m glad you took some time to yourself. With social media it definitely gets addicting and hard but even when I take weekends off, I feel so free and love it. You look amazing and now that you are taking better care of yourself and exercising I am sure you feel even better inside! Your body rocks and seriously, so envious! I hope that you continue to take breaks here and there and definitely enjoy life!

    Christine | http://dailykongfidence.com/

    Reply

    • Thanks Christine! You’re so sweet <3 I am really glad too. It's been a rejuvenating experience and I am working on creating a healthy balance between work and personal life/self-care. I think taking weekends off is a great idea and I'm happy that you do that for yourself. I really like how I felt not being glued to my phone & computer too much so I will definitely be making it a priority to take frequent breaks. xx

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  15. I am working a lot nowadays and most of the time I tend to forget to take care of myself because of my busy schedules. I think like you I need to have a break from social world and start to learn love myself even more.

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  16. This is such a nice post and you help me think myself more than others. Starting today, I am going to give a one day full rest and relaxation for myself.

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  19. I guess since we blog which is tied up with social media I think it will be difficult to avoid it. Unless we give it up I guess. Adding an additional activity like gym is a good idea for putting up a gap too.

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    • It can be tough but I think there’s a way to create a balance! I’m still working on it but I think I’m making some progress haha. The gym definitely is a great way to disconnect even if it’s just for a little bit.

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  20. Totally can relate to this post and so glad you focused on yourself! I also obviously come from an Asian background so we love carbs and rice as well so it’s been a struggle but I value wellness and exercise!

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  22. Such a great post to read and it reminds me that I need to take care and give love on myself more rather that to my work.

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  23. I love Body Pump! I think it’s so great to take time away to recharge. Eating a more healthy diet can be challenging at first, but there are so many great foods out there. Pinterest has a ton of wonderful recipes.

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    • I am loving it too, although it is making my body soooo sore hahaha. But I guess that’s one way to know that it’s working, right? I will definitely have to take a gander at Pinterest for some recipe ideas. I need some inspiration for healthy food!

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  24. Good for you for taking the time to focus on yourself. Life gets so busy sometimes that we spend all our time taking care of work and everyone around us that we don’t get us enough time.

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  27. I need to get a new subscription at my local gym, after I moved cities. I love body pump, it’s such a high intensity class. You should try body combat as well, it is even more intense.

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    • I tried Body Combat at my last gym and I actually didn’t like it LOL but I haven’t tried it at the new one and think I will have to give it a shot – I may just love it like I do Body Pump! I hope you’re able to find a good gym you love in your new area soon 🙂 xx

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  28. I also practice social media detox from time to time as well to recharge my batteries and update my soul! Doing social media for work is definitely a lifestyle and sometimes it’s hard to separate work and play. A couple of few practices I’ve been doing is that I try to have at least one day of the week where I’m using my phone/capturing content.

    BLOG | YOUTUBE | INSTAGRAM

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    • I’m so glad to hear that you also practice social media detox from time to time. It’s so essential for our sanity especially in our field of work where it’s hard to disconnect fully haha. <3

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  29. I relate so hard—growing up Asian makes it so hard to cut out carbs now. Anyway, welcome back, and it’s great to hear that you’re taking time to take care of yourself! ♥

    Sockwun | ExtraExtravagant.com

    Reply

    • Thank you gorgeous! Haha yes, cutting out carbs or even reducing them has been a challenge for me. I suppose I should take baby steps and maybe opt for brown rice instead of white even though I much prefer white hahaha

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  30. I think that everyone should have their ‘me time’. I love running and it really uplifts my mood. Carbs are also one of the main staples of our Indian food but these days I try to eat everything in moderation!

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    • I wish I could say the same thing that I love running but I actually hate it! LOL! But I do love fitness classes and recently started Kayla Itsines’ BBG program which has worked out nicely too. As for food, moderation is definitely key and I’m glad to hear you practice that! xx

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  33. I love this. ..it’s my favorite post today! I had an epiphany not long ago when my IG account was taken down for a couple of weeks. I had no choice but to stay off of it. I realized. ..no one missed me as much as I thought. my “followers” didn’t even care haha. But my friends and family loved having me present.

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    • Awww thank you Ching! Glad you enjoyed this post. Sorry to hear that your IG account was taken down for a couple weeks. Sounds like a nightmare! 😮 I am sure that there are plenty who missed you! xx

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  35. That’s so awesome you’re hitting the gym again! I feel so gross when I don’t go at least once a week. And I’m so on the same boat as you about the Asian diet- I looove my rice, and also bread! I’m sure you can incorporate cheat days in there if you eat healthier the other days 🙂
    xo Samantha

    Reply

    • Thanks Samantha! LOL yes, I know that feeling now – I feel very sluggish as well if I don’t go to the gym at least 5x a week :O which is crazy because I used to be so lazy when it came to working out lol. I guess now I don’t feel as bad eating all the rice and noodles that I eat, but moderation is key for sure!

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  38. A regular digital detox is good for the mind, body and soul. It sounds like you are refreshed and ready to head into the festive season with all engines on full throttle.

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  39. I am kinda going through that phase right now where I just want to hide and not be seen by the world. Lol

    I can relate to you but sometimes a much-needed break is what we need to get back on track. Awesome to see you be an EOS member! EOS rocks!

    Reply

    • Awww! Sorry to hear that you’re feeling that way. Don’t be afraid to take a break when you need it and come back when you feel ready! We all have those days. Are you also an EOS member?! The one in Palm Springs sucks actually but I love the one in Palm Desert!

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  40. I’ve also been making better food choices and just eating less period. I think of it as a way to treat myself with care and be kind to my body, as it helps me stay healthy and look my best.

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    • I’m so happy to hear that you are also prioritizing your health and making good food choices! I also wholeheartedly believe in being kind to our bodies and treating them like our best friends. Ever since I adopted this outlook, I feel like I have a better connection with my body, which in turn has helped me feel/be healthier (and look that way too!).

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  42. Ahh I can so relate! I have to take social media breaks every now and then to refocus and take time for myself otherwise I get burned out! I’ve also recently starting working out (I’ve become obsessed with hot yoga!) and attempting to eat healthier but I feel you on cutting out those carbs having an Asian background myself!

    Reply

    • I’ve come to realize that breaks are so important and healthy for you – I’m glad that you take the time you need to refocus when you’re burnt out. I’ve never tried hot yoga and can’t really imagine enjoying it because living in the desert the heat can really take a toll on me, but I’ve been loving Body Pump lately! So fun!

      Reply

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