This post is everything all TSC readers want more & more of. The details, the specifics, the nitty gritty, on how Naomie from Southern Charm tightened up with intermittent fasting, blender bombs, & mindset. Everyone is after her diet plan, strength training regime and wants to know how they can lose weight too. If you haven’t met Helen from last week’s post, let me reintroduce her.
We ran into Helen at a tiny hotel called Zero George Street Hotel. We sipped on skinny margs & talked about Naomie Olindo from Southern Charm & how she completely transformed her body through Blender Bombs & an intermittent fasting eating schedule. Helen told me that she also changed her life through intermittent fasting after she gained the ‘freshman 20.’ So I figured I HAD TO ask her to come on TSC to talk SPECIFICALLY about how her & Naomie tightened up. Fun fact: Helen and Naomie came on for fab episode on the HIM & HER Show.
Helen is the badass behind Blender Bombs. She’s really tapped into her entrepreneurial spirit through her passion of health & wellness. If you missed Helen’s post on intermittent fasting, stalk this link.
I have to tell you, I’m so exited for this post. I’m a huge Southern Charm fan. Did you know Patricia was on the podcast? You’re missing out on life if you haven’t listened to it yet.
Naomie has always been a thin, tight, toned girl, but recently she’s really taken her fitness to the next level. Helen is her really good friend & helped guide her through this journey, so I wanted to pick Helen’s brain on the transformation.
In this post you’re going to learn about cardio & how sometimes less is more, the beauty of balanced eating ( hello 80×20 rule ) & intermittent fasting ( Naomie does the 16/8 version ).
Without further ado, let’s welcome Helen who is sharing Naomie’s journey with us.
Naomie Olindo’s Weight Loss Story
Naomie Olindo is the shit, but if you watch her on Bravo every Wednesday night, you probably already knew that.
I’ve been lucky enough to take a front row seat to her physical and mental transformation, and I can confidently say Naomie is one of those ridiculously amazing humans who’s just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Her healthy lifestyle journey is a testament to health being so much more than just a number on the scale, but rather an overall mindset and feeling. It’s crazy how extricating yourself from toxic situations can do wonders for your health, #amiright?
HOT DAMN
Most recently, people have been taking major notice of Naomie’s incredible weight loss. Between 2017 and 2018, the Bravo star lost over 25 pounds, and she did so by doing it the right way — slowly. We all know that long term weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, even though we hate accepting that fact. I mean, if you haven’t fallen for a 30-day detox, you’re a four leaf clover. Can I have your discipline, please? Every person is going to have a different story when it comes to weight loss, but Naomie crushed her goals by developing five very simple, yet very effective habits.
THE LONG STORY, SHORT
Just like your average girl, Chick-Fil-A and sugary cereal were staples in Naomie’s diet before, during, and after college. But, in February 2017, she decided enough was enough and it was time to get her shit together by putting her health first. The ONLY way she was able to implement and maintain this new routine was to take teeny tiny steps, one at a time. It’s not like body fat melted off overnight.
First, she mastered her workout routine. Next, she looked to my instagram to guide her toward healthier eating habits. Once she felt good about her fitness and diet, her mindset inevitably started to shift, and she began pursuing personal development, self care, and mindfulness techniques to round it all out.
♡ #1: WORKOUTS
They say the hardest part of working out is actually getting to the gym, and they’re not wrong. You just have to start, no matter what “starting” looks like. In Naomie’s case, she eased into her fitness journey with 30-minute workouts twice a week. Half of the workout was cardio on both the treadmill and the rower, and the other half was weight-lifting. She became stronger week by week until she was ready to up her weekly dose of cardio from twice a week to four times a week.
But, as luck would have it, a few weeks into her new found cardio-heavy routine, Naomie broke her foot ( longboarding accident LOL ) making cardio off-limits for the next few months.
AND YOU’LL NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENED. This cardio sabbatical is what changed Naomie’s body the most, in a beautiful way. The stubborn weight started falling off when she focused on eating well and doing cardio less. I’ve been saying this for as long as I can remember to whoever will listen, but when it comes to cardio, sometimes less is more. I repeat: LESS is MORE. Back in 2015, I was what some would refer to as a “gym rat.” I was convinced that the more minutes spent at the gym doing cardio, the more weight I would lose. Spoiler alert: I was very wrong. As soon as I began focusing less on my time at the gym and more on my happiness, getting better sleep, and eating a more plant-based diet, the stubborn fat literally began to melt off, and this is exactly what happened to Naomie.
Now, you can find Naomie in the gym 3ish mornings a week, focusing on half cardio and half weights. Through trial and error ( damn longboards ), Naomie was able to find exactly what works for her body and, more importantly, what kind of exercise she enjoys, which is truly 90% of the battle. It’s so important to play around with different styles and lengths of workouts, different weekly routines, instructors, locations, and equipment to figure out what feels best for your body and gets you pumped to workout. In other words, LFG.
♡ #2: FOOD
We’ve all heard it: “Abs are made in the kitchen.” It’s a hard-to-grasp, but insane truth that you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.
Buttttt… social media can make that hard to believe. During the summer, Instagram is overcrowded with pictures of people in bikinis, eating pizza, drinking sugary drinks, and seemingly living their best lives. Is it staged? Is it Photoshop? Is it a top-secret, incredible exercise routine? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just good freakin’ genes. Some people are blessed and have won the gene lottery, but most people ( myself, Naomie, and 95% of the world included ) have to be diligent with our healthy habits to maintain a certain physique.
I am ALL about living a balanced lifestyle, but let’s be really real here for a second: a diet consisting of fake, dead, processed, refined junk food isn’t going to beautify our insides, so what makes us think it’ll beautify our outside?
Naomie’s diet throughout high school and college was pretty standard: sugary cereals for breakfast, pizza and Doritos for afternoon snacks, and A LOT of late night junk food at house parties. Her first attempt at eating “healthily” didn’t move the needle very much because she was still eating refined sugary foods as snacks and processed foods for dinner. But then, something magical happened. Naomie started swapping out her Taco Bell lunch for a homemade Blender Bomb Smoothie instead. Specifically, 2 Blender Bombs + ½ cup spinach + ¼ cup mango + ¼ cup strawberries + water and ice. Check out this PDF for smoothie recipes.
At first, Naomie hoped that having one BB smoothie a day would cancel out the three beers, processed dinner, and wine or dessert she consumed later. You can’t blame her—breaking habits is super hard!
ENTER Intermittent Fasting. I introduced Naomie to the 16/8 version of intermittent fasting ( 16 hours “not eating,” 8 hours “eating” ), and she gave it a try. She would only eat between the hours of 12pm and 8pm. At 12 she would break her fast with a BB Smoothie, then she would have a snack a few hours later if she was hungry, and for dinner she would enjoy a planted-based or pescatarian dinner ( plus a glass of wine, duh ). Check out this PDF for plant-based meal recipes.
Naomie started out following this intermittent fasting routine 5-7 days a week. But don’t fret! When she reached her goal weight a few months later, she was able to drop her intermittent fasting routine to 3-4 days a week. Intermittent fasting is insanely beneficial not only for your health, but also for your wallet! When you eat at scheduled times, you’re never overeating, snacking just to snack, or spending empty money on food that may go to waste. For some ( like Naomie ), IMF means eating between 12pm and 8pm. For others, it could be between 9am and 5pm. Regardless of the schedule you choose, the main key is to break your fast with a BB smoothie so your body absorbs the crap out of all those delicious nutrients on an empty stomach.
OH! And don’t worry — having a cup of coffee in the morning is permissible and doesn’t count against your fast. So, even though you’re not eating, at least you’ve had your coffee so you can be a somewhat functioning human being.
♡ #3: MINDSET
It’s hard to see and feel success via these lifestyle changes until your head is in the right place. Your mindset is a big ( if not the biggest ) part of your health transformation. To see changes on the outside you’ve got to do the work to make changes on the inside first. Intentional acts of self care, personal development, self love, and mindfulness ( being more present ) help calm your nervous system and allow you to relax. In a larger sense, getting yourself out of toxic situations, toxic relationships, and anything that isn’t serving you in a positive way will cater to your subconscious mind and lead you toward a happier life.
Specifically for Naomie, she found that inner peace by reading personal development books, removing herself from toxic situations and relationships, meditating here and there, and started going to counseling. The subconscious mind is a POWERFUL thing. Whether you realize it or not, who you spend your time with and what you spend your time doing will impact your energy levels in countless ways. So, as important as it is to get a hold of your eating and exercise habits, it’s arguably more important to work on personal development, self care, and mindfulness first.
THE END, ALL WRAPPED UP
Naomie made both a physical and mental transformation by taking these small steps that turned into one, giant leap.
- Replacing one meal a day with a Blender Bomb Smoothie.
- Eating a plant-based/pescatarian diet.
- Exercising 3ish times a week ( mostly weights, a little cardio ).
- Intermittent fasting 5ish days a week.
- Practicing self care, mindfulness, personal development.
- Reading
- Removing yourself from toxic situations/relationships
- Occasional meditation
All of this is just an outline. It’s encouraged to put your own magical spin on these steps to see what works best for you! Tweaking them to best fit your lifestyle is imperative as no one has the same body type, metabolism, mindset, likes, dislikes, financial situations, work schedules, etc. Just make sure to ALWAYS consult your doctor about intermittent fasting or switching to a new diet pattern before diving in head first.
TEENY TINY STEPS
If all of this seems too overwhelming, start by taking it one month at a time ( slow and steady always wins the race, right? )
For example:
MONTH ONE: Replace one meal a day with a Blender Bomb Smoothie. Check out this PDF for smoothie recipes.
MONTH TWO: Begin transitioning to a more plant-based/pescatarian diet. Check out this PDF for meal recipes.
MONTH THREE: Exercise 3ish times a week ( mostly weights, a little cardio ).
MONTH FOUR: Try 16/8 Intermittent Fasting 5ish days a week.
For self care, mindfulness, and personal development practices:
MONTH FIVE: Purchase some personal development books to read.
MONTH SIX: Remove yourself from toxic situations/relationships.
MONTH SEVEN: Incorporate occasional meditation into your daily routine.
Eventually, all of these small changes will add up, and you’ll be thanking yourself for doing the work. It took Naomie about three months to notice a change, and after the initial 3 month “hump,” weight loss, mindful eating, and self care became easier and easier.
NAOMIE NOW
Naomie is currently very happy with where she is physically and mentally, which has provided her more wiggle room in her routine. Some weeks she might eat 60×40, some 70×30, but most weeks she sticks to 80×20. Some weeks she works out four times, other weeks she only works out twice. Some weeks she intermittent fasts three mornings, and other weeks she intermittent fasts for five mornings.
The bottom line: Do what works best for you, and perfect isn’t best. Naomie still indulges in the occasional Taco Bell run or meat and cheese board, and you can, too. That’s the beauty of 80×20. You just have to start.
Phewwww, that was informative. I hope you guys got so many tips & tricks out of this post. Get excited because Helen will be back next week to share how she gained the ‘Freshman 30’ & regained her health with intermittent fasting & finding her passion.
& you gotta try Blender Bombs. The acai flavor is insane.
For more on how I started intermittent fasting, check out this post.
x, lauryn
+ scope Helen’s first guest post all about intermittent fasting.
++ for more posts on wellness, check out this page.
SHOP THE POST
