Over the years, I’ve tried so many different workouts and trainers, but there’s only one person who I continuously go back to—Harley Pasternak. And if I’m being honest, I think it’s because his exercises aren’t stressful on the body and I can’t do anything to trigger my borderline thyroid issues. For a while, I swore by CrossFit, but that’s not an easy workout to keep up with. Harley’s the king of the quote, “It’s not a marathon, it’s a lifestyle.” And he feels that way about nutrition as well.
He got me moving again by walking instead of focusing on running or cycling. I returned to him six months after having Jupiter, and like every new mom, I felt like I had plateaued with my weight—but I wasn’t hard on myself about it. I’d been spinning three times a week to get into the groove of working out again (and was busting my ass), but it just wasn’t cutting it.
Harley gave me a Fitbit fitness tracker and suggested I walk 14,000 steps per day, and in just two weeks, my body changed. I also realized how good walking is for my mental health as well. There’s something about walking in the morning that just gets you going! Harley’s workouts are low-impact strength training, and I’ve learned that these methods are more effective instead of putting my body through HIIT. And I have to say, the best part about his workouts is that they’re easy enough to do in hotel rooms when I’m traveling.
While I haven’t mastered his recipes yet, I’m excited to dive deeper into them. He always says, “you can’t out-walk a bad diet,” and I’m trying to live by that too. In the past, I practiced yo-yo dieting that wasn’t sustainable instead of focusing on making lifestyle changes. That’s ultimately the opposite of Harley’s methods. He emphasizes the importance of fueling the body with food rather than depriving it of certain foods. My entire point is that while it’s easy to get caught up in wanting fast results from your diet and exercise regimen, it’s not a healthy mindset to have. It’s not a race; it’s a lifestyle, so I’m sure the more I do it, the better I’ll get at it.