🎯 What This Post Is About
My journey into plant-based fitness didn’t start in the gym. It started on YouTube. I was inspired by strong, radiant vegan women like Chef Babette and Toni Mitchell. I didn’t just want to be healthy. I wanted to be fit, toned, and confident in my body. That’s what led me to search for a plant-based fitness routine that actually works; one that fits into the real life of a busy mom and delivers real results, combining fresh food and efficient workouts. In this post, I’m sharing exactly what that looks like.
1. How I Got Started: The “Do-It-Yourself” Way
Like many beginners, I started with YouTube workouts, picking whatever looked fun or had great music. I’d follow influencers based on their vibe, their body, or the results they promised, without really understanding and having a clear plan for myself. It felt exciting at first… but also a little all over the place.
I didn’t know:
- What muscle I was training and why,
- How to progress or measure my results,
- Whether my meals were actually supporting my workouts.
I’d do cardio one day, skip the next, lift some weights, then not move for a week. I was trying, but it lacked direction.
When I layered that with a typical vegan diet, think pasta, rice bowls, and oil-cooked meals, I noticed something wasn’t clicking. I didn’t feel stronger or leaner at all. It felt like I was eating “healthy,” but I wasn’t actually building the fit, energized body I wanted. I wasn’t fully stepping into my strength.
2. Finding Guidance That Actually Worked
Eventually, I realized I needed more than random workouts and guesswork. I needed a fitness plan designed for plant-based women. Something that offered:
- Real education on how strength training actually works,
- A clear, straightforward, structured approach (not just trendy workouts),
- Nourishing meals that didn’t leave me feeling heavy or bloated.
That’s when I found the Vegan SuperHero Academy. Enrolling in the program helped me get started; it gave me a solid foundation for understanding workout structure, macronutrients, and how to build more balanced plant-based meals. For that, I’m truly grateful.
But I also realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t fully aligned with what I needed.
While I appreciated the guidance, I found the $USD 4,750 cost for a year to be more than I was comfortable investing, especially considering what was included. The program emphasized protein powders and meat substitutes, which didn’t reflect the fresh, whole-food lifestyle I believe in. And even though the workouts were technically “personalized,” the routine just didn’t fit my world. Five sessions a week, each lasting 50 to 90 minutes, weren’t realistic for a full-time working mom, wife, and entrepreneur like me.
That’s when it clicked: I needed to design my own fitness routine, one that worked with my life, my values, and my vision for a strong, energized body.
3. Why Lifting Weights Works Better Than Just Running
Here’s what I learned from my own experience and digging into expert resources like Strength Training for Women and Bodybuilding & Weight Training:
- Strength training burns more fat long-term than cardio alone. After a workout, your metabolism stays elevated, and you burn calories, even while resting.
- Muscles shape your body. Cardio can help you lose weight, but strength training helps you re-sculpt it.
- Women won’t bulk up. We don’t have the testosterone for it. Instead, we get tighter, stronger, and more defined — especially in the waist, arms, legs, and glutes.
- Lifting builds confidence. Something shifts when you pick up weights. It’s not just your muscles that grow; your sense of power does too.
4. The Food Shift: From “Vegan-ish” to Fresh & Fueling
Alongside smarter workouts, I began refining my food. Less oil. Less “heavy vegan” meals. More:
- Fresh fruit (easy energy and digestion),
- Big salads with legumes, grains, and healthy fats post-training,
- Smoothies with raw greens, seeds, and protein-rich boosters,
- Light dinners that let my body recover (soups, steamed veggies, raw wraps).
I realized that plant-based food is most powerful when it’s fresh, colorful, and alive. Just like strength training, it works best when done with focus and intention.
5. My 10x Formula Today (And Why It Works)
Right now, I’m following Mindvalley’s 10x Fitness program, and honestly, it’s the first approach that has truly clicked for my busy, full-life schedule.
This method is built around a smarter, science-backed way to train: just 2–3 strength-focused workouts per week, each designed to stimulate muscle growth, support fat burn, and improve overall strength in less time. Most workouts are under 30 minutes and target the entire body, using strategic reps, slow resistance movements, and short rest periods to get the most out of every session.
I’m currently on Week 7 of the program, and I’ve already noticed:
- More muscle tone in my legs and arms,
- Stronger posture and core activation,
- Better energy during the day, even without long cardio,
- More success: I finally completed all my weekly workouts without being overwhelmed or burned out.
The 10x program is flexible enough to adapt to my full plate as a mom, wife, full-time professional, and entrepreneur, and that’s a huge win!
Soon, I’ll share more about the specific exercises I’ve found most effective and how I pair them with my plant-based meals. But if you’re curious and want to explore the program now, you can join me here:
👉 Discover the 10x Fitness Program by Mindvalley
💚 Final Word: Your Fitness Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated
If you’re feeling stuck, fatty, or frustrated with your body, you don’t need more time or willpower. You need a smarter, more straightforward approach that actually fits your life.
That starts with:
- Fresh food that fuels and nourishes your body,
- Strength training that builds confidence and real results,
- A real-life rhythm you can stick with, not one that burns you out.
You don’t have to change everything overnight. Just start small. Pick up a pair of weights. Check 10x fitness by Mindvalley. Add something raw and colorful to your plate. Move with focus and intention.
You’re stronger than you think, and your journey doesn’t have to look perfect to be powerful.
✨ Keep Reading:
➡️ 7 Warning Signs Your Body Is Screaming for Fresh Plant-Based Foods
➡️ Why I Took the Viome Gut Test (and What I Found)
