KaleKouture - Guest Blog of the Month
It's that time again! Time to spotlight another beautiful babe inspiring others to find their balanced healthy lifestyle!
This month we're shining the light on Aubrey Howe, a blogger with a passion for all things balanced wellness. She's real, full of life and such a positive light on this world. I am so excited to introduce her to you all today!
+ If you could have lunch with anybody, who would it be and why?!
Michelle Obama. I'm sure that sounds so cliche these days, but that is my number one pick. I think I could go on for days as to why I would pick her, but to keep it short and sweet, she exudes class, grace, passion, confidence, and humility. She inspires me to be a better person.
+ Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where are you from, what is your favorite thing to do in your free time, and one random fact about you?!
I am 25 years old, and I'm from Overland Park, Kansas! I was lucky to be born and raised here and I wouldn't change it for the world! I'm a Kindergarten teacher and I absolutely love what I do. During my free time I love to travel. Traveling and experiencing new places is one the best parts of life. I would rather spend all my money on travel than anything else! I also love to be outside, spend time with friends, and be with my new puppy, Poppy! One random fact about me: I broke my first bone at age 25 while on vacation in Mexico this summer!
+ What got you into the health and wellness industry? I know you've gone through quite the journey yourself and so many women can relate. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
My wellness journey began back in high school. I wanted, like many girls, to be "skinny". Looking back, there was nothing wrong with how I looked, and quite honestly I was crazy to think I needed to be one pound less than I was at the time, but that's the mindset so many get sucked into in high school unfortunately.
In college, I would binge drink on the weekends, eat late night fast food, and then work my butt off in the gym all week long trying to work off every calorie I'd consumed over the weekend. I would restrict myself from any food I defined as 'bad' during the week, and then I would lose all willpower and end up binging those foods I never let myself have during the week on the weekend. That's when I realized my relationship with food was unhealthy. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder around this same time, and looking back, I definitely used food as a way of coping with that. No one knew at the time because I hid it so well, but I was struggling and I knew that something needed to change.
I learned about macros and more of a balanced approach to eating, toward the end of college. I started counting macros and fell in love with it. I loved being able to eat the foods I had restricted for so long, without feeling "guilty". Most importantly, macros taught me how to fuel my body in the right way. However, after a while the perfectionist in me kicked in, I took macros to the extreme, and got really got hung up on the numbers. I started to obsess over them. I would go to crazy lengths like using a food scale to measure out how much ketchup I was putting on my eggs in the morning. I started to realized this wasn't the answer either.
After college I started working on letting go of the perfectionist mindset, learned a more flexible approach to macros, and started my journey to what I would now for the most part call "intuitive eating", although I didn't really know it at the time. It took time, but I realized I was using macros as a crutch when I really didn't need it anymore. Counting macros had served its purpose in my life, but it wasn't serving me anymore. I let go of counting macros completely about 6 months ago and really haven't looked back. I'm so thankful for what it taught me but I'm proud of myself for letting go of what was such a security blanket for so many years.
+ What was the key component that helped you find your healthy lifestyle and a loving relationship with food and your body?
I truly feel like for me personally, counting macros was a key component and the first step in me being able to find a balanced and healthy lifestyle. It gave me the freedom that I had craved for so long. It taught me that my body not only needed protein, but carbs and fats too (two things that I had feared and restricted for a long time) in order to function properly. In the end, counting macros is what gave me the knowledge I needed which enabled me to eventually eat intuitively. Macros taught me how to intuitively eat with intention.
I would also say that age has helped me a lot in regard to having a loving relationship with my body. It didn't happen overnight; I'm still not 100% there and I am not afraid to admit that. I am not the most confident person you'll ever meet, and I still have days that I dwell on certain things about my body. But I wasted a lot of years worrying about food, my weight, my appearance, etc. I have realized that sacrificing food, memories, and my mental health is not worth being 5 pounds lighter. I can say that without question because I've been there, and I was less happy than I am now.
+ If you could share one thing to help other women looking to not only improve their health and fitness, but their self-love too, what would it be?
Self Love: be the best version of you, and don't compare your best to someone else's. When you find yourself having a rough day, think about this: 'what would your best friend say about you?', and believe that.
Health and Fitness: Find a workout you love, and do it! Barre, spin, HIIT, cardio, running, whatever it is you find the most joy in, do it. The same goes for your approach to eating. Do what makes you feel your best. Everyone's journey is different, so don't let someone else make you feel like you're wrong for doing whatever it is you choose to do. Find what makes you feel your best, and do it.
+ What is your favorite type of workout?
A combination of HIIT and cardio; Kayla Itsines BBG is my favorite right now!
+ If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
One thing is impossible. Dairy Queen s'mores blizzard, Dominos cheesy bread, coke zero.
I resonate so much with Aubrey on all of this. I think so many of us experience some sort of life challenge like this and we're afraid to admit it. But by admitting it, we finally gain the courage to seek healing and help, and truly start living life to its fullest.
Where to find her:
KaleKouture, Aubrey Howe
Blog: www.kalekouture.com
Instagram: @kalekouture