It is easy to know what you should be doing to live a healthier lifestyle, but it is only sometimes so easy to actually do it. The basics of more movement and a wholesome diet are well documented but sometimes an extra hit of motivation is needed to help put healthy habits into place. In steps Autumn Calabrese, fitness and nutrition expert and BODi Super Trainer.
With her 21 Day Fix available through BODi, Calabrese is helping people across the world with the motivation and information they need to create the lifestyle that makes them feel great. The program blends fitness and nutrition to create a supportive environment that has inspired positive changes in millions of lives.
Passionate about these topics, Calabrese embodies the philosophy of balance and awareness, modeling to clients that a healthy life is not about deprivation or calories. Moderation and portion control (using color-coded containers for ease) are key ingredients in her programs.
“I want to support people wherever they’re at and whatever their goal is,” she says. “Whether you want to lose weight and get a six-pack or if you could care less about that and just want to feel good, I can help you do that. All of my programs have a well-rounded approach because I design them to recognize and celebrate that all our goals and abilities are different.”
Understanding the importance of mindset when it comes to living well, Calabrese gives inspiring and motivational support throughout all the workouts. “Your mind will give out long before your body will,” she says. “People convince themselves they haven’t got time to eat well or work out but it does not need to take that much time. It is more about overcoming the mental barriers.”
“We all get the same 24 hours each day and we can choose what we prioritize. If something is important to you, you will make time for it. So next time you sense that excuse coming up, tell yourself the reason you’re not doing it is because it’s not important to you. See how that sits in your body and you will soon find yourself making the time, even in very busy schedules.”
“You have to train your mind as much as you are training your body,” continues Calabrese. “Food that fuels you in a healthy sustainable way doesn’t have to be boring. There are a million ways to use color and variety to make interesting, tasty meals. Working with my brother who is a world-class chef is eye-opening!”
When Calabrese first challenged her brother Bobby to make a meal that followed the principles of her program, he was skeptical. “He said it was impossible to have good taste without all the things he was used to cooking with like white flour and sugar,” she discusses. “That first day, my kitchen looked like a bomb had exploded but he did it, and we haven’t looked back.” Having developed hundreds of recipes and published two cookbooks, the sibling duo also created and co-hosted FIXATE, an online cooking show.
Calabrese is keen to take the value system out of food, where it’s described as good or bad and guilt must follow eating bad food. “On my program, you can enjoy dessert, you can have a cocktail out with your friends,” she smiles. “It is all about moderation, portion control, gut health and macronutrients. I call it commonsense nutrition.”
It has taken a long time for Calabrese to reach the pinnacle of success she is at now. “I believe the only true failure is if you give up,” she says. “There are always setbacks and redirects but they take you to the place you’re meant to go, that you couldn’t have imagined before. What looks like a failure to you is just leading you down a different path that is a better direction for you.”
To discover the 21 Day Fix or explore Autumn Calabrese’s other transformational programs, check out her website and BODi.com. You can also follow Autumn Calabrese for inspiration and guidance on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.
