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Shenai needed a jumpstart. After gaining weight during quarantine this year, she challenged herself to correct course with the F45 45-day challenge and Trifecta’s vegan meal plan. We spoke with Shenai about her success and advice for others looking to jumpstart their own health journey.
Meet Shenai
Shenai has always been an active athlete. Her passion for sports and the outdoors has made it easy for her to stay active throughout her life.
“My fitness journey started during my childhood years. During that period, I was involved in various extracurricular activities such as being a member of an all-star cheerleading team and dance team. When I wasn’t practicing, I would exercise in my living room doing Tae Bo.
“I also enjoyed being physically active outdoors swimming and cycling. As an adult, my fitness journey continued, not only for the physical aspect but also for overall health. I strive to be healthy not only externally, but internally as well.”
Feeling Stuck
When COVID-19 slammed life as we know it to a halt, my exercise routine stopped too. I wasn’t used to a sedentary lifestyle and when I started gaining weight, my mood and attitude changed too.
“Although I attempted to do at-home workouts, I wasn’t consistent nor motivated. The pounds gained just kept accumulating and I became discouraged. I wanted to get back into the habit of regularly exercising and eating right.”
Plan of Action
Like many of us, losing my routines left ripple effects in my life. I had a busy life, to begin with, but with the world out of whack, I needed a solution to find more time during the day.
“Before Trifecta, I cooked my own meals. I became interested because the meals were convenient for my busy lifestyle. The vegan option appealed to me most and every meal plan was F45 Challenge approved.”
F45's diet guideline recommends lean meats and plant-based proteins, lots of veggies, whole grains, and healthy fats. Trifecta partners with F45 to offer convenient solutions to sticking to their approved diet.
Challenge Accepted
The F45 Challenge is a 45-day challenge with 4 phases focusing on proper nutrition and F45’s functional workouts. I had a clear goal going into the event.
“My goal for going into the 45-day challenge was to lose the weight I gained being stuck at home.”
Being active throughout my life, I had expectations for the weight I wanted to lose during the challenge. What I didn’t expect was how much of that weight was fat.
“I was surprised by how much weight I lost that was pure fat. Since I see myself every day, I somewhat noticed a difference, but seeing the numbers was astonishing.”
My body fat percentage went from 28.1% to 20.98%. That’s a total of 13.7 lbs of fat mass lost! With the combination of F45’s workouts and Trifecta’s macro-dialed meal plans, my body started responding almost immediately.
Not only was the diet working, but it was also enjoyable. Finding a diet you like is crucial to avoiding the yo-yo effect many dieters experiences.
Want to get paired with your perfect diet? Take this simple 5-min quiz to get matched with your ideal meal plan.
“My experience with Trifecta has been wonderful. I love the variety in meals and the flexibility to personalize the meal plan.”
What Shenai Eats:
“I follow a vegan, low-carb meal plan and drink 1-2 gallons of water per day. I also refrain from drinking during challenges.”
"Since I work full-time and I am a graduate student, I eat Trifecta meals for lunch and dinner except on weekends. For breakfast, I like to grab-n-go with items such as overnight oats or a protein shake.
"I measure out all ingredients using a food scale and pay attention to my daily macros. I usually get recipe inspiration for breakfast and my weekend meals from either the challenge app or Trifecta.
"For my vegan low-carb diet, I refrain from all animal products and restrict processed foods. I mainly eat produce (lots of vegetables and fruit), limited grains, and legumes. I also eat meals containing tofu."
Working Out IRL
Getting proper nutrition delivered directly to my door, I had both the energy and the time to take the challenge head-on.
“I work out daily, sometimes twice a day at F45."
My workouts include functional high-intensity training that utilizes stretching, cardio and weights to improve mobility, strength, energy, and endurance.
Shenai's Workout:
"I do cardio on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, strength training on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and a hybrid class on Saturdays."
Advice to Others
Through this experience, I was able to show what one can accomplish in 45 short days. But I advise that others should not focus on fast results as much as establishing lifelong health.
“Journey means a rather long trip and it takes time to achieve long-term, sustainable health goals. Focus on overall health and not solely on the instant gratification of their outward appearance."
“Don’t view the journey as difficult, rather be optimistic. The journey should be seen as an adoption of a healthy lifestyle working towards a healthier you. Consistency is key, but the journey doesn’t have to be perfect.
“Lastly, avoid being too hard on yourself."
"You should always be your own motivator and not your worst critic."
Shenai's Healthy Habits
Shenai prioritizes making healthy habits for long-term sustainable health, here are some of her top habits for better health:
- Weigh me once a week as a progress check and alter my macros as needed
- Drink a gallon of water per day
- Be consistent with my workouts
- Get an adequate amount of sleep.
To kickstart your lifelong journey like Shenai, learn more about how Trifecta's meal plans can help you create habits and wellness that last.
