When I started my fitness journey 12 years ago, I knew very little about what a truly healthy lifestyle actually looked like.
At the time, I simply had one goal: I wanted to get in better shape.
Growing up, my parents were very flexible when it came to food. We had a lot of freedom in choosing what we wanted to eat, which, as a kid, felt like a dream. I can still remember coming home and frying French fries in the middle of the day just because I felt like it.
And honestly… that says a lot.
In Caribbean households, the standard plate often looks something like 70% carbs, 29% protein, and 1% greens, usually topped off with delicious sugary sauces and rich flavors. And let me be clear: I loved my childhood, I love my parents, and I love the culture I come from. That way of eating was simply the norm, and they were doing what they knew.
But over time, I learned that a balanced plate looks very different.
Today, my meals usually look more like this:
- 50% vegetables
- 25% protein
- 25% carbohydrates
That shift didn’t happen overnight.
How my fitness journey started
When I first started getting into fitness, I did what most girls do: I started Googling and searching Instagram for “healthy meals” and “how to lose weight.”
That’s when I discovered things like:
- eating more vegetables
- eating more lean protein like chicken
- working out consistently
And while that was technically the beginning of my fitness journey, it was far from balanced.
At the time, my routine was mostly cardio. I was basically starving myself by eating plain boiled chicken and vegetables all day, and then at night I’d end up ravenous because, of course, that wasn’t enough food.
So what would I do?
I’d binge on rice cakes and peanut butter.
I avoided carbs at all costs because I genuinely believed they were the problem.
And yes I lost weight quickly. I dropped down to 54 kg (119 lbs) in no time.
But my relationship with food?
Completely unhealthy.
That lifestyle was never going to be sustainable, and it didn’t take long before I swung to the other extreme. I started snacking on everything around me, eating emotionally and impulsively, and before I knew it, I was right back at my old weight.
Still, I wasn’t starting from zero.
Even during that unhealthy phase, I had learned a few things that stayed with me:
- how important drinking water is
- how important vegetables are
- how much I genuinely loved working out
I had always been active growing up, but fitness as a lifestyle was something entirely new to me.
Learning what balance actually means
For the next few years, I was still figuring things out.
I mostly ate “low carb,” although looking back, it was really just normal portions of carbs compared to how I grew up eating. That way of eating generally made me feel good, so I stuck with it. I kept exercising and eventually added strength training into my routine.
But even then, the balance still wasn’t there.
Because a truly healthy fitness lifestyle doesn’t stop at:
- working out
- eating healthy
- looking fit
There’s so much more to it than that.
Pregnancy changed my relationship with my Body
Fast forward to about five years ago, when I became pregnant with my daughter.
That was a major turning point for me.
I decided to stop drinking alcohol.
I had always enjoyed drinking socially, but deep down, I could feel that alcohol was no longer serving me. My body didn’t respond to it well anymore, and I knew it was keeping me away from the kind of lifestyle I really wanted for myself.
Pregnancy gave me the perfect opportunity to fully let it go.
And over time, quitting alcohol brought so much more peace to both my body and my mind.
After pregnancy, I still had the occasional cocktail here and there, but today I honestly have no desire for it at all. I simply don’t drink anymore and I feel so much better because of it.
Fitness taught me to respect my body, not punish it
During my pregnancy with my son, I kept working out whenever I could — and rested whenever I needed to.
That experience gave me such a healthier relationship with my body.
Because for the first time, I truly understood two things at once:
- My body is capable of a lot
- That doesn’t mean I should force it through everything
That lesson stayed with me.
Now, the way I train feels much more natural and intuitive.
On the days when I feel more tired, more drained, or I’m in a phase of my cycle where everything feels heavier, I still go to the gym but I adjust. I lift lighter weights, I focus on maintenance, and I allow myself to move without pressure.
On the days when I feel energized, strong, and more motivated, I push harder. That’s when I focus more on progressive overload, challenging myself in the gym, and balancing strength training with cardio.
That, to me, is real balance.
It’s not about doing the exact same thing every day.
It’s about staying consistent, listening to your body, and trusting that small steps over time create lasting results.
Understanding nutrition changed everything
Another thing that completely changed my lifestyle was learning more about macronutrients and micronutrients.
Once I understood how food actually fuels the body, everything started to make more sense.
I learned that:
- not eating enough can lead to cravings
- missing certain nutrients can trigger overeating
- balanced meals help regulate energy, mood, and hunger
And once I started eating in a way that truly supported my body, something surprising happened:
my cravings almost disappeared.
Not because I suddenly had more “discipline,” but because my body was finally getting what it needed.
Strength training made me feel more feminine, not less
One of the biggest myths I used to believe was that lifting weights would make me look “too muscular” or masculine.
But what I’ve learned is the complete opposite.
Strength training didn’t make me feel less feminine it made me feel more powerful, more confident, and more grounded in myself as a woman.
It helped me build not just physical strength, but also mental strength.
And that confidence carries over into every area of life.
What “Gym Girl Balance” means to me now
Today, my lifestyle looks very different from where I started.
Most of the week, I eat balanced, whole, nourishing foods. And when I want something more processed or more indulgent, I eat it without guilt.
Because I now understand that one meal, one snack, or one craving doesn’t undo the results of years of consistency.
That’s the beauty of balance.
Being a “gym girl” is not just about going to the gym or eating clean.
It’s about creating a lifestyle that supports your body, your mind, your peace, and your goals all at the same time.
For me, being a gym girl means:
- showing up for myself with discipline
- taking small, consistent steps toward my goals
- enjoying the process instead of obsessing over perfection
- not labeling foods as “bad”
- resting without guilt
- understanding that recovery is just as important as training
- creating routines that make me feel good
- prioritizing myself in every season of life
- loving myself enough to choose what’s best for me
And most importantly:
it means building a life where fitness supports me not controls me.
A healthy lifestyle is about balance
If there’s one thing my fitness journey has taught me, it’s this:
A healthy lifestyle is not built through extremes. It’s built through balance.
Not punishment.
Not restriction.
Not perfection.
Just consistency, self-respect, discipline, grace, and learning to work with your body instead of against it.
And honestly?
I love being a gym girl.
