y’all, remember when I wrote a whole post about eating and the joys of eating and eatinggggg?

well, fast-forward to a summer of so much…eating and I’m trying to fit into a wardrobe that has about a quarter centimeter of wiggle room and not wake up every day feeling bloated. so as to not go fully off the deep-end into former overly restrictive ways, I am taking a more balanced approach with fitness and diet. a tightrope!

my top tips for getting the cozy, hygge bod of your dreams for fall/winter ‘24.

• accountability buddies— my dearest friend from NYC goes on a 4 mi walk with her mom every morning, so I’ve been jumping on their bandwagon from a few states away by doing something active and sending photographic proof. POIDH, as the kiddies say! it’s a great way to have a quick, daily chat with a bestie while also crushing my fitness goals.
• ok, so what’s on my weekly activity list?
  • spinning at least 1x/week. I drug myself to a 7am SoulCycle class during a work trip to Dallas, and ran smack dab into a v. v. HOT Troy Aikman. I see you, QB1!
  • 3+ miles/day, whether through a run or walk. I’ll throw on a podcast or TBM meditation and strut through my neighborhood.
  • club pilates is the best $$ I spend a month. even when I just want to stay.in.bed, the 7:30am class is usually my best decision of the day! it is such a wonderful compliment to my more hardcore workouts and aids gorgeously in active recovery.
  • this is less than weekly, but I try to get in a session with my trainer, who has adapted seamlessly to my new lo-fi workout game.
• water— I knowwww, so annoying, but so true. I try to get in as many ounces before coffee, and then continue to drink as many ounces as possible throughout the day. who cares if it’s a mason jar or Stanley, just open up that gullet!
• sweat it out! I am making like it’s 2010 and wrapping my midsection in anything that will force me to sweat profusely during my walks. heed my advice and DO NOT wear during a run. I almost met my maker a few weeks ago, and dear friend above from NYC wisely reminded me, “the last thing the world needs is one less bad bitch!”
• recover like a rockstar! I am perhaps too old for the amount of working out that I do. tbh, I was kinda too old a decade ago, when I was at the peak of my classpass psychosis. 7 classes a week?! I now prioritize recovery to the high heavens— massages, hot baths, foam rolling, heat therapy, and the trigger gun. hell, I was using my pool as a faux cold plunge before I closed it for the winter. the bigger lesson is to keep going no matter your age, because stopping and trying to start again only gets harder.
• speaking of recovery, I recently told my sister, “you have to be compressed within an inch of your life after a certain age,” and I meant that shit! I will not run without tightttt Nike leggings and a knee sleeve. athletic tape can also help, but don’t leave it on for too long or else it’s legitimately worse than a Brazilian to get off. tommie copper was my jam for years, even through the class action lawsuit! amazon also has good options if you need something quick.
• less meat, less carbs, less sugar. perhaps (definitely) worse than the water bullet point, but eating cleaner and more mindfully is the ultimate hack for me. my travel schedule forces me to eat out way too often, so I’ve had to create a system that helps me stay healthy on the go. my top tips—
  • unless I am actually starving, I don’t eat anything on the plane— water only. it helps me to cut down on bloating, inflammation and the duh duh duhhhh added sugar. I know it sounds a bit militant, but rarely is anything being served 40k miles in the air actually that delicious.
  • order vegetarian or pescatarian as much as possible. my digestive system has been rejecting red meat, so I am eating it less and less, and feeling better and better! it is not the most popular behavior, but when I’m dining with a group, I always ask to add an extra green veg. my sister at her breaking point in London— “I’m all straight on the side of broccoli.”
  • after a particularly taxing Mar/Apr, I took a break from alcohol and it just stuck. I now only drink 3-5x/month, so when I do, it’s something I really want like a fabulous, chilled red wine at my local Italian spot or a frosty cosmopolitan at Chiltern Firehouse. I’m sober curious, not sober judgmental.
  • a strong smoothie/juice bar roster — The Gem in Dallas, Southblock in DMV, most bodegas in NYC, I <3 Juice Bar & City Silo in Memphis and Vui’s Juice Cafe in Nashville
  • the first 2-3 days after a trip, I go all liquid all day and add something light/clean for dinner. obvi still eating my green goddess salad by the truckload. while it reads a bit pressed juicery liquid fast ca. 2014 (worst dietary experience EVER), the reset always helps me rebound quickly.

I am sharing my routine because it is critical to balance feeling and looking my best, while also accepting that I am not the same Amelia from a decade ago (work in progress). and guess what? that’s totally fine! share some of your favorite cozy, healthy body tips— I wanna hear them. Xx

Shopping P.S. the shades I am wearing in literally every pic above are my new izipizi shields purchased in London and worn into the ground since. I scoffed when the sales associate asked what sport level I needed, and have now worn them sportily every single day!