If I’m going to cocoon, I’d better come out a butterfly!

Turning to self-care as I self-isolate due to the Coronavirus lockdown has ended up being the best decision ever. I realized I wanted to emerge from my quarantine cocoon looking fabulous. As the virus spread around the globe, so did awareness that staying home was the responsible thing to do. This is why we should treat quarantine like a cocoon, a place to work on ourselves to metamorphose into a more beautiful butterfly. How are you spending your quarantine days?

In the beginning, cocooning was all about the fun and coziness of retreating into your home, and unfortunately, this is how I gained my 10 pounds! And I know I’m not the only one, because COVID-19 has made cocooning a new global reality for many people just like me.

So when the government extended quarantine even longer, I knew I had to change the bad habits I’d developed when I thought it was only going to be a couple weeks!

Here were the three worst “offenders” among my bad habits:

• Eating chocolate late at night
• Drinking wine to relax
• Neglecting my workout schedule because I thought gyms would soon reopen

… can you relate to any of them? ;)

In order to drop a bad habit you must develop a new one in place of it, or your brain will struggle with the transition. That’s why I replaced those bad habits with the three good ones below:

• Munching on coconut flakes
• Limiting my wine intake and adding tea at nighttime to relax instead
• Holding live workouts every day with my followers and subscribers to keep us all mutually accountable!

The workouts I started were based on my Booty Guide, which I used as a blueprint for my daily schedule.

Also, because the shutdown meant all salons and spas were closed, I had to learn how to maintain myself at home using DIY self-care tips. Check out some of the at-home beauty hacks I learned from natural beauty expert Emily Dowe, PA-C!

And beauty starts on the inside in more ways than one–like what we put in our stomachs! Here’s what I had on my “beauty cocoon” menu today.

Today’s food and workout recap:

• Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1/2 avocado, 1 Medium grapefruit (393 cals)
• Workout: One hour Zoom fitness class (Burned about 250 cals)
• Snack: Lean Body Protein Shake (280 cals)
• 2nd Workout: 35 Mins Cardio Walk uphill, 20 Booty & Abs workout
• Lunch: Tender Greens Albacore tuna kale salad with dressing (475 cals)
• Snack: 1/2 protein bar (110 cals)
• Dinner: Lemon Pepper Tuna, 2 Tbsp peanut butter (280 cals)

Total food calories for today: 1,528 = 19% Carbohydrates, 49% Fat, 32% Protein.

Happy cocooning, friends!