What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Wellness Journey

I opened this blog’s dashboard the other day and got a little nervous … it’s just been a long time since I’ve posted anything from the heart. It’s a struggle to know just how much life (personal) and how much leggings (health and fitness content) to share on this corner of the Internet called Life In Leggings.

And since it’s been awhile and I’m not sure how long you’ve been around to know my story, I figured a good place to start would be somewhere in the middle by creating a post that shares some health and wellness tips with my personal journey intertwined.

It’s fair to say I started my wellness journey when I was consistently mindful about what I was eating and doing for exercise while my job was dancing professionally for the NBA around 2007. Back then, I thought health meant eating perfectly, working out every day and pushing harder no matter what. After fifteen plus years of navigating the world of healthy living and writing about it, I’ve learned a lot about what actually works and what doesn’t.

Through moves, career shifts, motherhood, and plenty of trial and error — here are some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned.

I could write an entire course on my lessons (which is currently the goal and work in progress), so this is more like a little preview of what to expect down the road!

Reflecting on Past Approaches

My most impactful lightbulb moments come from looking back on strategies and approaches I’ve tried and mostly failed at. Heather as a professional dancer (and healthy living blogger!) truly didn’t know what a balanced, healthy lifestyle looked or felt like. But she also didn’t realize that she didn’t know. I would have told you that everything I was doing was spot on, at least for that season of my life.

Today (and several certifications later), I’m proud to publicly acknowledge that I was wrong and would never see long-term results from my short-term solutions. I’ve gone back and learned the science over those “popular trends,” and I’ve evolved immensely. Now I’m here to share some of those lessons and hopefully help steer the industry to an authentic healthier place as a whole.

Again, this list is cumbersome and includes way more than this post covers, but here’s a start:

• Overtraining: I used to think more was always better — more workouts, more intensity, more minutes in the gym. If I could go back, I’d give myself permission to rest and recover.
• Extreme Dieting: I spent too much time in all-or-nothing cycles — clean eating one week, falling “off track” the next. I’d tell myself to focus on adding nourishing foods, not cutting everything out.
• Perfectionism: I thought healthy habits had to look a certain way to count. Now I know that small, imperfect actions done consistently matter way more … and that perfect isn’t actually attainable.

Advice to my younger self would coach structured workouts with a plan that makes sense. I would aim for three to four days of strength training mixed with low impact formats like Pilates, and a few short cardio sessions per week either stacked with the strength or done separately. But definitely not intense and long cardio sessions daily.

As far as nutrition goes, I would change the mindset of taking away what I didn’t think I could or should have and focus on adding extra protein, fiber and colors to my plates. Just like carbohydrates provide energy (especially for workouts!), filling your plates with nutrient-dense foods *first* does, too. Lean meat, a sweet potato and a big serving of vegetables will take you much further than an apple and a protein bar for dinner. It will definitely keep you feeling fuller, longer.

And finally, perfection isn’t realistic. We set such high expectations on ourselves, which can easily turn into overwhelm and spiral us into disconnecting from our goals completely. Instead of former Heather beating herself up for missing a workout or scheduling 1 hour + workout sessions at a time, present Heather congratulates herself on staying consistent with a more ideal and realistic movement schedule like 30-45 minute strength workouts 3-4x per week. And hey, if some days only allow 20 minutes? It all still counts and still pushes me further towards my goals.

Celebrating the Wins

• Consistency Over Time: Even through seasons of chaos and endless unknowns, I have found small ways to move my body and prioritize health — and that consistency has paid off.
• Mindset Shifts: I’ve learned to stop punishing myself for missing a workout or enjoying dessert, and it’s been freeing to truly connect to the present and life’s experiences.
• Listening to My Body: I’ve learned to notice when my body is asking for rest, more protein, more water, or just a slow morning. And I try to listen as much as possible.

Today, I am proud of the accomplishments I have made throughout some of the hardest seasons. At the time, I was very down on myself and played the comparison game, stuck on thinking that what I was doing didn’t measure up to everyone else. (But aren’t we all still working on this sometimes?)

I’ve learned to look back in reflection and appreciate the needle moving forward in any way. I’ve patted myself on the back for showing up for everything I have, even on the days were I didn’t think it was possible. Some of the wins you think are the smallest can actually make the biggest impact and keep you motivated.

I have fully embraced the 80/20 lifestyle, which is a strategy to stay consistent and on track eighty percent of the time. This then allows you to embrace the vacations, sick days, and being present in the events and opportunities in front of you during the other twenty percent. This goal ratio helps you find an overall balance that is sustainable and enables flexibility.

While I am a good ten-fifteen pounds heavier than I was when (I thought) I was at my peak as a professional dancer, I have grown more emotionally and mentally than physically. I’m not aiming for that former weight and have embraced the body and size that I am today … one that includes much more wiggle room for grace, treats, travels, and living my life.

Practical Takeaways For You

If you wanted to start living healthier today, the first small steps I’d recommend are:

• Choose Progress, Not Perfection: focus on 1-2 small, doable habits you can easily incorporate into your routine, rather than overhauling everything, all at once.
• Prioritize Recovery: take at least one recovery day per week without a structured workout and add in habits like stretching, foam rolling and prioritizing sleep into your routine.
• Celebrate Small Wins: notice and name weekly wins for yourself like cooking dinners at home, drinking enough water, or getting more steps in.
• Mindset Reminder: your health is a lifelong journey – falling “off track” isn’t failure, it’s feedback.

And that leads us into where we are today … still Heather, still haven’t figured it all out, but we’re making progress and enjoying the journey along the way. A real, sometimes messy journey at that.

We’re taking the grey for what it is and giving grace towards still feeling in the middle sometimes.

I hope this post has given you some insight and that you can take away several tidbits to help you in your own health and wellness journey. Above all, I’m encouraging you to give yourself permission to rest more, let go of any guilt you acquire from imperfections and to stop chasing extremes. You don’t need them.

---

Also, please remember that your health journey is just that … *your* health journey. It doesn’t have to look like mine, or anyone else’s for that matter. And it shouldn’t. It’s yours and isn’t always linear.

I hope these lessons help you take your next step with confidence, and know that I’m always cheering for you. Thank you for reading, and I’d love to hear from you with one of your own lessons in the comments.

---

xo, Heather