Fit, Fun and 21! Journal 2: Having Your Cake, and Eating Some Too
During my prep for Jr. Nationals, just 12 days before I was hitting the stage, I turned 21 years old. Needless to say I definitely traded dinner, bars, and ripping shots, for leg day, cardio, and an egg white soufflé. Many of the people I know were dumbfounded by this decision and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t let go for “just one day.” But as many of us are, we’re committed to what we do and we stick to it! BUT I want to focus right now on knowing when you can relax a bit and find a balance for yourself.
Just 5 days after earning my pro card at Jr. Nationals, my family boarded a plane to Amsterdam, Netherlands for my brother and sister to play in the European Lacrosse Championships. Everyone knows how hard post show can be, and how hard we work to keep our bodies where we like them, but I knew I wanted to take on Amsterdam FIT, FUN, AND 21! It was important for me to take a step back, realize the experience I was having, and let myself relax a bit with both my diet and workouts. Not only was this important for my experience, but for my family as well.
Waffles and pancakes are my favorite food, and trust me, Amsterdam has plenty of both! Eating six meals a day, on any sort of time schedule, or even sometimes following any sort of diet just wasn’t feasible with the different activities we were filling our days with. I was able to workout while I was there, but I also had to realize I was in Amsterdam and my workouts had to come second to the experience I was having with my family.
I also wanted to finally get to be 21 on this trip and let loose! And Amsterdam is definitely known as a bit of a party city! But I also made sure not to go overboard and end up too exhausted or sick. There’s a fine line between going out for a fun night and going to excess.
I was also able to find balance in
walking. We walked so much that even though my diet wasn’t perfect, I was walking enough each day to make up for it. But in Europeans cities walking is just the way to get around and it was exciting because of all the great things there were to see along the way.
It’s important to realize the experiences in your life for what they are and their importance. You have to teach yourself that different scenarios are going to come about where sticking to your diet and workout regiment are not always the main priority. Taking in the moments, enjoying the experiences, and truly being present for those once in a life time opportunities you have are the important things in life!
After almost 20 hours of travel today I’m happy to be home and getting back on track and get ready for my pro debut!
Stay fit and fun,
Darrian
IFBB Fitness Pro
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