Fridays with Celia

Weeks 4 & 5 of my 60 Day Body Composition Journey: Fitness snacks on the road + the benefits of sprint intervals for fat loss

Me vs the assault bike. It’s a love/hate relationship but sprint interval training is super effective for burning fat during (peri)menopause. See below for the routine.

Welcome to Fridays with Celia!

I’ve been pushing hard since October 4th, training intensely and sharing my journey. But last Friday, I couldn’t manage to publish an update. Let’s just call it the lost week.

It wasn’t for lack of effort. Two days of prepping for a colonoscopy meant an extended bathroom lockdown. IYKYK. And before I could get back to my routine, I was off to the Eudemonia Summit in Florida — an amazing but all-consuming experience. Highlights from the conference [here]

Staying consistent with diet, exercise, and sleep is one of the biggest hurdles we all face. Life just... happens.

With only three weeks left in this program, I’m determined to move the needle on fat loss, muscle gain and bone density.

While I’ve successfully coached clients and taught students how to get this result, I’m always finding ways to optimize body composition and experimenting on myself.

If you want to be lean and strong, but don’t know where to start — read below as I share my progress, setbacks, and insights.

Ready to change your body now? work with me.

xCelia

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Last week, I missed a few workouts and skipped some meals, which may have set me back on my body composition goals. But I connected with incredible thought leaders and made great strides for my health optimization company.

We all lose our rhythm sometimes. The key is knowing how to get back on track. A great way to stay committed is by reminding yourself of your goals:

• Lose 5% body fat

• Add 5 pounds of muscle

Having specific metrics helps track progress, but my ultimate goal is about quality of life. I want to be vibrant, strong, and independent at 80. This mission keeps me grounded and focused — even through the setbacks. I’m reminded of this sobering statistic.

“The mortality from a hip or femur fracture is staggering once you hit…sixty-five. It varies by study, but ranges from 15 to 36 percent in one year—meaning that up to one-third of people over sixty-five who fracture their hip are dead within a year.”

— Peter Attia, MD (Outlive)

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Week 4 & 5 Learnings

• Make Workouts Non-Negotiable

  If it’s not in my calendar, it doesn’t happen. I schedule workouts like essential meetings: two sessions with my trainer, two solo. Even during “the lost week,” I found ways to stay active around immovable events like my procedure and flights, opting for fitness snacks instead of giving up.

• Fitness Snacks: Fit in Small Wins

  A conference can trap you in an air-conditioned room for hours, but as fitness expert JJ Virgin says, everyone can find 1–5 minutes for quick movement bursts. These “snacks” keep energy up, counter fatigue, and burn glucose:

  • Walking lunges in the hall / airport

  • 20 jump squats

  • Stair sprints

  • 40-second plank with 20-second shoulder taps

• Make Cardio Efficient

  Resistance training is reshaping my body, but my goal is to shed the stubborn fat around my midsection. Sprint interval training (SIT) is my go-to for effective calorie burn and fat loss, especially good for (peri)menopause. By sprinting, I mean going all-out — running, biking, rowing, or using battle ropes —for 30 seconds, followed by up to 2 minutes of rest. Repeat 3-4 times. If it feels easy, you’re not pushing hard enough.

• Celebrate Progress

  I’m already seeing muscle definition in my legs, arms, and abs — and hello, booty gains! Lifting heavy quickly transforms large muscles, and now I can lift my 50-pound carry-on overhead with ease.

Next week my focus will be on dialing in my nutrition. I’ll share exactly what I’m eating to fuel properly for training while maintaining a slight caloric deficit designed to burn fat. It’s tricky to get this part right!

Additionally, I’ll be transitioning from the injectable Sermorelin to the troche version to see if it makes a difference on my energy and recovery. Insights on this peptide [here].

Leave questions in the comments or share with someone who might benefit from this information. Thank you for reading!

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All writing is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.