Life Update + Mid-Covid Check-In

Hey guys!

I hope you’re doing well, staying safe in quarantine, and, just as importantly, you’re staying sane through all of this.

I know that being isolated and stuck inside is not easy and that it can definitely mess with you mentally and physically.

Because of that, and for a few different reasons, I have switched to wanting to re-open where it makes sense and with plenty of extra precautions.

I am concerned with the virus spreading but I also feel that we need to develop herd immunity and we can’t do that without being exposed to some degree.

But I also don’t think we can return to complete normalcy since that will certainly make the spread worse.

So I fall somewhere in between and feel that we should reopen with a strategic plan in place, different phases that I hope everyone can adhere to, and with some extra precautions in place to keep our most vulnerable protected.

But that’s not why I’m reaching out today.

Instead, I wanted to share what I’ve been doing to stay active in quarantine and a quick update of what I’m working on since being locked up.

If you don’t care what I’m doing, you can skip to the bottom of this article to see what I have in store for this website.

What I’ve Been Up to in Quarantine

I want to be brutally honest with you guys because I believe in transparency and giving you the real picture instead of a picture perfect social media highlight reel.

Quarantine has been interesting to say the least.

Some days I wake up, work out, and have productive days.

But that’s definitely not the majority of days.

I have plenty of days where I don’t work out until after 5 pm, if I even do that, and I struggle with working out and having motivation to get through the day.

It definitely comes in waves and I try to balance catering to how I feel versus pushing myself to not stay complacent and fall into a few too many lazy days — it’s been tough!

What My Workouts Look Like in Quarantine

I try to be active everyday even if that means just going for a walk.

To give you an idea, here’s how many steps I’ve been averaging each week in quarantine:

1. Week 1: 5,658 average daily steps (yikes!)
2. Week 2: 8,283 average steps
3. Week 3: 7,478 average steps
4. Week 4: 8,830 average steps
5. Week 5: 9,191 average steps
6. Week 6: 9,319 average steps 

My goal is to hit 10k steps each day and you can see that I’ve slowly gotten closer to this average the more I’ve been in quarantine.

Before quarantine, this is what my step averages looked like:

1. 1 week before quarantine: 9,546 average daily steps
2. 2 weeks before quarantine: 9,534
3. 3 weeks before quarantine: 9,566
4. 4 weeks before quarantine: 9,162

I have to say that since I’m not going to the gym, I’m definitely walking more — I’m averaging 10-15 miles of walking per week and about 10-14 miles bike riding — and have slimmed down my legs quite a bit. I even lost 5 unexpected pounds in quarantine.

Here’s what my cardio activity log looks like in quarantine:

This was my outdoor activity log before quarantine. Since I was working out 5-6 days a week at the gym, my outdoor time was seriously lacking:

But, the tradeoff is that, since I’m walking more, I’m practicing strength training far less (maybe 1-2 times per week, maybe) than I’d like to be, which stinks.

I 100% believe that strength training is a big part of the health equation.

It helps me mentally, physically, and emotionally.

I find that my shape is always better when I work out and overall I feel more confident and toned when I lift weights.

Unfortunately, since I Marie Kondo’ed my place, I gave away most of my weights (which I now regret) and am sooo limited with what I have to work with.

I’ve made the best of what I have and basically do bodyweight exercises at the house with some resistance bands and the random weights I do have.

I still break a sweat but I really wish I had a bit more resistance to work with. So I can’t wait to get back to the gym sometime soon.

Until then, I plan to keep up with the walking, add in more bike rides, and strength train at least 2-3 times per week, even if it’s just body weight work.

I’ve also tried to keep my creative juices flowing by coloring some zen mandela’s as another form of relaxation and meditation.

And every now and then, I spend 10 minutes meditating outdoors and I follow this up with a stretch.

Hearing the birds sing and the breeze and sun on my face reminds me to stay in the moment and enjoy the present, something I need every so often.

With that said, my days haven’t always been perfect, and I don’t want to “hide” that.

Where I’ve Slacked in Quarantine and Why I Have Zero Regrets About It

I’ve eaten my fair share of comfort food and junk food since being locked up. Probably more so than I normally would.

I’ve had plenty of takeout, two McDonald’s runs, and one Taco Bell visit since being quarantined.

I’ve also snacked on Easter candy, plenty of potato chips and white cheddar popcorn, and some other goodies that seem to evade me at the moment.

I share this to say that I tried to keep my sanity in quarantine and sometimes that meant not cooking and enjoying a treat here and there.

This is definitely part of my 80/20 mindset — I don’t want to deprive myself of cravings, because that only makes me want them more, but I also don’t want to slip too far down the slope.

Because, let’s be honest, junk food doesn’t make you feel great. In the moment it does, but, overtime, it can lead to negative feelings, low energy, and sometimes side effects like bloating, fatigue, or even acne.

So I try to adopt a non-diet mentality where no foods are off limits but I practice mindfulness and not inhaling treats when I do have them.

I find that when foods are off-limits, I tend to binge when I get my hands on them or I can’t have them in the house because they don’t last more than a day.

I don’t have that problem anymore.

In fact I still have some Easter candy left because I don’t feel the need to inhale them.

And this is a food philosophy I plan to keep going with.

Another thing that I try to balance here is not eating more than one treat meal after another.

So instead of having a dessert every night, for example, I’ll take a break and space them out so I don’t rely on the routine and make it a bad habit.

I also try to follow up unhealthy meals, such as McDonalds or Taco Bell, with healthier options to keep things moving digestive-wise and so I don’t spiral in the other direction and away from my goals.

So if I have one of those not-so-healthy options for dinner, the next day I’m back on track with fiber and protein rich meals made from whole foods.

And I keep this going for as long as I can and before I decide to indulge again.

I do believe that balance and moderation are the keys to enjoying life.

I think that complete deprivation leads to binge cycles that are so unhealthy.

Life should be enjoyed with good food and good company. Hopefully we can get back to the latter shortly.

I also want to be honest that some days I didn’t workout or get nearly enough steps in the day — which is my averages are low some weeks. 

I’ve also had days where I stayed up late and slept in late because of it, which is not like me.

But quarantine is draining and exhausting both mentally and physically so I’m trying to go with the flow and not put too much pressure on trying to be perfect and productive.

I do try to get back on track as soon as I can so that I don’t fall into old habits.

With that quick check-in out of the way, that leads us to my last point in my update:

Where I Plan to Go Next (My Latest Update)

Being locked up has helped me turn inward and see what’s really important to me.

On top of missing my family and friends, I found that I really miss working with people one on one.

I found that that’s where I feel the most energized and helpful.

I’ve also realized that my passion for health and fitness is still there and very strong.

As a result, I’m planning to get recertified as a personal trainer so that I can offer affordable online workout programs for people at all different fitness levels.

I also plan to get a nutrition coaching certificate, which means I’ll be able to give better nutrition advice on this site.

I won’t have the full certification of a registered dietician, which means I’ll still have some limitations, but it also opens me up to be able to coach more.

And, along the way, since you’re my loyal reader right now, you’ll be able to benefit from all of the free advice that I’ll continue to share on this site.

By staying with me, you’ll have all of the tools you’ll need to succeed on your fitness journey.

And if you decide you want to take your fitness journey a step further, you’ll be able to do that with one of my many programs that I’ll be designing.

The programs that I plan to create are all going to be affordable, they can be done at home, and they’ll be a different range of options for every skill level.

I want everyone to feel like they can start wherever they are in their fitness journey without feeling excluded financially or physically.

So my programs will fit in most people’s budget and you’ll be able to pick a program that’s right for you.

And if you’re more advanced in your fitness journey, I’ll have more advanced programs for you too.

My programs also won’t have any crazy jumping moves and burpees because my goal is not to stress your joints and instead help support them so they’ll last you for the rest of your life.

I’m not trying to get you injured here, I just want you to feel great in your own skin.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made it to this point, I really appreciate it! THANK YOU!

I hope you’ll stay tuned for what’s to come and I’m so glad and grateful you’re here!

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Let me know how you’re staying busy in quarantine and what you plan to do once you get out.

I’d also love to hear if you’d be interested in learning more about the fitness programs I plan to create.

Until next time, thank you again for being here. And I want you to know that I am here for you!

Sending you lots of love until we “meet” again,

Devan