It’s been a little while since we’ve done an Inspiring People Interview so I’ve contacted a couple of people who I think you will agree are inspiring in their own ways and luckily for us they agreed to answer a few questions for us!
Rhiana is an NZ based Health and Fitness Blogger (wahoo! There aren’t many of us who have actual blogs!) who tells it like it is and walks the talk.
Hi! I’m Rhiana and I run a tiny piece of the internet called Death to Cardio, where I blog about Health, Fitness and Mental Health! I used to be overweight and extremely unhappy in my life so I decided to put all my thoughts and experiences into a blog as a way to constructively deal with my issues with food and self confidence.
I’ve completely changed my entire life around in the space of a year, in all aspects and I love to share the things I have learnt along the way! I use my blog as a way to use real talk and no false advertising to share information about health and fitness with women all over the world.
Tell us about your lifestyle prior to taking on a healthy lifestyle…
I’ve always been a little bit obsessed with food. Cooking makes me happy and so does amazing, indulgent food! This mindset turned out to be completely terrible for my health as I stopped being able to control what was healthy or reasonable portion sizes and instead chose to eat as much as I liked – all day, every day! When I was flatting, all of us flatties would get take aways together and I was living with 3 boys – they eat a lot of junk! A regular meal for me would be a whole pepperoni pizza, a garlic bread and a 2.25ltr coke. This was at least a couple times per week!
Fizzy drinks were always my downfall, especially Red Bull and Coke – it was minimum one per day for about 2 years! (my poor teeth!) I was constantly tired and slept in at any chance I could get, was frequently ill and I also had fairly severe depression. Things were not great but I was in denial about being able to make a change.
And your lifestyle now…
Now I train 5 times a week and eat healthy 90% of the time! Now I try to stop associating food with happiness and try to see it as something I need to fuel my training and to keep myself healthy. Sure, I still get obsessive over my favourite foods but it’s no longer something I constantly think about. I also can’t eat huge portions anymore! I think the most I can get through is 4 slices of pizza – and that’s when I’m super starving!
My mental state has completely turned around and being healthy is what I attribute that change to. I no longer need to be on any medication, my energy levels are at the best level I’ve had in a long time and I find my outlook on life to be overall much better! My life revolves around me taking care of myself now and I definitely notice a slump in my moods and how my body feels if I skip workouts for a few days.
What was it that made you make a change?
I had one of those weird, clarifying moments where I ended up standing on the scales at the gym crying in front of a whole lot of people I didn’t know. I was so embarrassed and shocked to see that I had hit 71kg because I was in such denial about how much weight I had actually put on.
For someone my height (5’1) that is very much overweight and it was like a hard slap in the face. It was then I noticed how uncomfortable all my clothes were, how I hated warm weather because of the revealing clothes, how hard going up stairs was.
It then took me a couple of tries to get it right, going down to 67kg then back up to 75kg before I found something I loved and that actually helped me lose weight – weight training. Then I was able to lose a great amount of fatty mass!
What is your approach to balance and moderation in life and food?
Balance is super important in everything you do, go too hard in one section and burn yourself out – neglect another and you can lose things that are important to you.
I train fairly frequently – usually 5 times per week and it’s every evening after work. Training is really important to me but also acknowledging the fact that it shouldn’t take over the time I spend with my friends and family was important to realise. I will usually rearrange my training schedule (unless there’s a special class or event) if someone I love wants to hang out – you need to have time for fun!
In terms of food, I’m a big believer in moderation and balance – diets that completely cut out certain food groups make no sense to me, it’s usually totally unnecessary! I regularly eat things like bread, diet soda and burgers because I can fit them into my diet and also because the way I train needs me to eat carbs. Carbs are what your body uses for fuel!
You just need to be realistic and smart about the amounts you are having, I eat healthy 90% of the time so I can easily rationalise having a burger occasionally. If you are eating a burger or having some pizza a few times a week then you need to be honest with yourself and cut that down.
What is your most memorable moment on this journey?
I think my favourite was when I could do my first unassisted pull up! I had been training my arms like crazy so it was definitely a moment of triumph! Self five! [Amanda: Best feeling ever right?! It’s up there with a BW Squat, Bench or Deadlift!]
What is your favourite form of exercise to do?
Kettlebells! I am obsessed with them! You can do so many variations and different lifts with them, and they have improved my arm and shoulder strength immensely. KB snatch is my favourite. [Amanda: Mine too!!]
What is one thing that really grates you about the health and fitness scene?
I think my biggest problem is with all the quick fix diet supplements! There are no slimming teas, fat loss wraps, fat burners or ‘super foods’ that will magically make you lose weight! The diet industry is just out to make money, so don’t fall victim to false advertising and celebrities promoting expensive products!
What is your favourite healthy food/recipe?
I’m a HUGE fan of brunch foods! There are so many amazing healthy options! My favourite meal would be poached eggs, avocado, balsamic tomatoes, bacon and mushrooms on 5 grain toast. Great balance of fats, proteins and carbs!
What is your number one tip for those wanting to live a healthier life?
Consistency is the absolute key – not motivation. Commit yourself to a schedule or a plan and stick at it! The more you go back and forth stopping and starting, the harder it will be to get any real results. Motivation is fleeting, but make yourself proud and make consistent health a priority.
What are your favourite healthy living websites/blogs or tools?
I love My Fitness Pal for food – tracking calories was super important to me in the beginning. I also follow a bunch of inspiring people on instagram that help me with motivation and meal ideas!
- @ohilyssa
- @reviejane
- @catvanbe
Thanks so much for agreeing to be interviewed Rhiana! I love reading your blog as it’s such an honest view of health and fitness.
You can find Rhiana in the following places:
Death to Cardio Blog
Instagram
Twitter
If you want to read more of our inspiring people interviews click HERE!
What an awesome interview/blog. I love finding new people to add to the small collection of blogs that I regularly read.
🙂
I absolutely love Rhiana. She’s a freaking superstar and an absolutely amazing person to boot.
Awesome interview Amanda! Both you ladies are fantastic 🙂
xx