Athlete Elevation

How often do people view calories as something scary, something that needs to be restrictive or obsessed over, something that leads to gaining weight, something unhealthy, something daunting? Wayyyy too often is the answer.

But HELLO! None of those words, phrases, or other negative correlations to calories is correct.

A calorie is something that fuels our body, gives us energy, and not only is necessary to survive, but it is also what gives us the ability to live our best lives.

And THIS is the mindset we should have when it comes to thinking about calories. It's easier said than done, but remind yourself of this next time a negative thought towards calories pops into your head.

Also thought I should throw this in here for some entertainment... On merrium-webster for the definition of a calorie, I KID YOU NOT, this was the VERY FIRST example of using calorie in a sentence is:
"White Claw has become conspicuously gender-neutral, an accessory proudly touted equally by the day-partying frat bro and the CALORIE-conscious woman."
So next time you're going for a White Claw, rather than grabbing one for the minimal calories, grab one for your genuine love for them.

I personally believe that mental health is one of the most important things in life. If you're physically healthy but mentally struggling, it is hard to have an overall sense of wellbeing.

Athletes' lives are impacted so much by mental health - sport can lead to positive emotions such as confidence, joy, and gratitude and also more challenging feelings like stress, anxiety, lack of confidence, etc.

Therefore, retiring from sport can lead to many other different mental health experiences. Some positive feelings can be relief, gratitude, and joy, while difficult emotions frequently occur too - lack of confidence, self-doubt, depression, anxiety, grief, and more.

Some athletes leave sport in a great mental state, which if that is you, GOOD FOR YOU! I'm jealous...

However, it is far too common that athletes face mental health challenges after sport, whether it be towards the end of their athletic career, immediately after, or sometimes even years later. And while a majority of athletes experience this, it is something that isn't talked about as much as it should be.

First of all, it is OKAY to feel these emotions! Never ever beat yourself up or invalidate how you feel. It is completely logical that leaving this huge part of your life behind is going to take a huge toll on your emotions. Allow yourself to have space to feel your feelings and grieve. The more these feelings are suppressed, the more they will build up and stay with you.

And it is so important to know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Society has been progressing on normalizing general mental health conversation, and we need to be doing the same in the world of retired athletes too.

SMOOTHIE SUNDAY IS BACK!!!! 😋

Sweet and simple but we love a good blueberry banana smoothie:
1 banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
Handful of spinach
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp flax seeds
1 Tbsp h**p seeds
1/3 cup water

I love being creative with smoothies, and if you want some ideas too, I have a smoothie guide available with all different kinds of ideas and examples of how to be creative with your own smoothies!
Link in my bio 😋

One of the most common things that athletes struggle with when retiring from sport is their identity as an athlete. Their whole life has been identified as being an athlete - but now without sport, there is the question of "who am I?".

Firstly, YOU ARE STILL AN ATHLETE! Losing your sport does not mean you have to lose this big part of who you are.

And secondly, this is why it is so important to recognize the other ways to identify yourself. What else do you value in life? What is important to you? What are you good at?

While it is okay to consider yourself an athlete after retiring from sport, you need to recognize that you are SO much more than JUST an athlete.

(Even if you still play your sport, these are things to think about now... Sport can be a big part of your world, but if it IS your world, that is not sustainable).