184. The 4 Lifestyle Changes I Made This Year That Have Helped Me Feel My Best

I've worked out my whole adult life and eaten healthy for years, and I always thought that was enough. This year I learned the difference between being generally healthy and actually getting specific about what my body needs. Today I'm breaking down the 4 changes that made me feel (and look!) my best this year, what I was doing before, and what actually made a noticeable difference.

In this episode, I'm covering:

👉🏻 Why I switched from random workouts to a structured, progressive weightlifting program

👉🏻 Why "eating healthy" wasn't enough, and how I figured out my actual protein needs as a vegetarian

👉🏻 How I finally fixed my sleep by treating my wind-down as a process, not the last 10 minutes before bed

👉🏻 Why I started tailoring my everyday clothes instead of buying a whole new wardrobe

Referenced in this episode:

👉🏻 How to Become a Morning Person | 6 Tips to Make Your Mornings Better That Actually Stick — https://youtu.be/dIzj2kb9wy4

👉🏻 Your Morning Starts The Night Before | My 2026 Full Nighttime Routine as an Early Riser — https://youtu.be/PcbYQ7hTrrY

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 — Why "eating healthy and working out" wasn't the same as actually training

06:00 — Why I swapped pilates for a structured heavy-lifting program

13:00 — Why having a system I don't have to plan myself made the biggest difference

18:00 — Why "eating healthy" as a vegetarian didn't mean I was eating enough protein

23:00 — How I found my protein target by tracking for a month, without turning it into an obsession

28:00 — Why I started shopping locally and ordering heirloom beans as part of the food shift

30:00 — Why fixing my sleep required treating the whole evening as a wind-down, not just the last 10 minutes

37:00 — Why my mattress and sheets were the best money I've spent on my health

40:00 — Why I started tailoring my T-shirts and jeans instead of buying a whole new wardrobe

45:00 — Getting fitted for a bra at 31 and why it changed how every shirt sits on my body