Challenge Yourself to Be Better Today

When I began my fitness journey years ago, my main goal was to lose weight. Nothing groundbreaking about that one. How many of us are motivated by the idea of hitting a magic number on the scale? I definitely was.

When I took on weight lifting over a year ago, I had no idea how much I would grow to love it and embrace true physical strength. I moved past weight loss to hitting bigger numbers with a barbell. All I thought was, MORE.

But things changed, and more importantly, I changed.

I found myself on a plateau a few months ago. I made excuses to avoid working out and I didn’t get the same buzz from lifting. My diet changed too. There were fewer rainbows on my plate and it was more likely that I’d go for second helpings on french fries than spinach salad.

This needed to stop. I’d been exactly here before and I know what a slippery slope this can be. The upside is that the hard work I’d put in the last four years meant I was more in tune with my body.

Even though it was getting harder for me to stick to my healthier habits, I felt a strong desire to get past this hump and I had the tools and experience to get there.

My solution? Create new fitness goals.

Hitting a new RM at the gym not cutting it for me this week? That’s okay. Do something else. Find something that keeps you motivated and challenges you to tear down those limits. The trick is to keep experimenting until you figure out what works for you right now.

And so I did.

I’m not going to be a champion swimmer or break national records at a powerlifting meet. I might never get to balance in crow position or properly do a headstand. That’s not what’s important.

What’s become essential for me on this journey is this: my only goal is to be better than I was yesterday. My only competition is with my inner critic that fights hard to keep me saying, “no, I can’t.”

Between yoga, lifting, high intensity interval training, and now swimming, keeping my nutrition in check has become vital.

So, I’ve dusted off the shaker bottles (and gave them a good soak because yuck) and jumped at the chance to try Vega Sport’s Performance Protein.

It’s fair to say that I’ve tried a broad range of products in an effort to find something that I felt good about putting in my body. I’m a research-aholic which means I’ll spend a long time looking at things from every angle before I give it a green light.

A lot of the whey-based proteins I’ve tried were decent, but it drove me nuts how many of those products had tons of artificial sweeteners and additives.

Vega Sport Performance Protein is completely plant-based and is gluten & soy-free, which is a great alternative for vegans and those suffering from food allergies. It’s sweetened by Stevia, a healthier alternative to aspartame or other artificial sugars.

What really sold me was the added BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) to help boost muscle repair and recovery between workouts. This is usually a separate supplement, but Vega Sport saves time by adding this to their protein mix. Love it!

I’m more of a protein smoothie kind of gal, but I wouldn’t mind trying a mug cake or these strawberry protein waffles. Post-workout though, it’s straight to the blender for me.

It was after a swim plus HIIT workout that I got to give this a shot, and it was so worth it.

One word: YUMMO!

No need to add any sweeteners here as the banana and protein does that for you. I highly recommend kale for the added health benefits, but if you’re not the biggest fan of this hearty green, then go with spinach.

Kale Blueberry #FuelYourBetter Smoothie

• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• ½ cup of frozen blueberries
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 cup of fresh kale, stems removed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 packet of VegaSport Protein

Throw all ingredients into a blender and puree into smoothie perfection. Note: If you’re using fresh fruit, then be sure to add 4-5 ice cubes. That’ll make it nice and frothy.

You’ve made the choice to start leading a healthier life? Awesome! Keep in mind that this is all a work in progress and success won’t happen overnight. You have to put in the effort every single day.

Ask yourself what feels right to you and align your goals with that vision. Do this often.

What feels right to you today, may not work in a few months or a few years, and that’s alright. Just be honest with yourself.

No matter how I choose to move, it feels amazing to know that I’m getting better every day.

How do you stay motivated to stick to your fitness goals? 

Do you take any sports supplements?

How do you #fuelyourbetter?

Disclaimer: Please note that I was not financially compensated for this review by Vega Sport or any affiliate companies or organizations. My opinions are my own and do not represent an official endorsement of Vega Sport.