Gabrielle Reece | Mindset, Body Image & Nutrition From a Volleyball Legend

Written By Kristel Bauer

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Whether you're a stay-at-home mom feeling left behind or someone tired of trying to fit into society's beauty standards, you're gonna gain a lot of value from this podcast. Gabrielle Reece shares how she navigated the challenges of being under the public eye and the mindset that helped her overcome struggles with body image. Listen in to learn the importance of embracing motherhood and why listening to your body is critical when following a diet.

Key Takeaways From This Episode

  • 4 tips to stay grounded despite criticism

  • The key to overcoming body image struggles

  • How to prevent feeling empty after achieving a goal

  • An experiment to identify the foods your body needs

  • Why breathing correctly is critical when exercising

Disclaimer: All information and views shared on the Live Greatly podcast & the Live greatly website are purely the opinions of the authors, and are not intended to provide medical advice or treatment recommendations. The contents of this podcast & website are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified health professional when you have any questions regarding your specific health, changes to diet and exercise, or any medical conditions.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

 

About Gabrielle Reece

Gabrielle Reece is not only a volleyball legend, but an inspirational leader, New York Times bestselling author, wife, and mother. With the release of her new podcast The Gabby Reece Show, Gabby gets leading health, wellness, sport, psychology, and business experts to share their most valuable and actionable information to her audience. In 1994 Gabby became Nike’s first female athlete to design a shoe, and Nike’s first-ever female cross-training spokesperson. 

Elle named Gabby “One of The Five Most Beautiful Women in The World”.  She has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated for Women, Travel & Leisure Golf, Women’s Sports & Fitness, Outside, Elle, Shape, Self, Harpers’ Bazaar, Volleyball, Fitness, Life, Vogue, Experience Life and People.

As co-founder and co-innovator of Laird Superfood, she has been able to take her nutrition expertise and help create delicious, plant-based better-for-you food products that are accessible to all. Partnering with her husband, big wave surfer Laird Hamilton, Gabby helped create Extreme Performance Training (XPT). XPT is a unique and powerful fitness training and lifestyle program featuring their unique water workouts, trademarked performance breathing, recovery methods, high-intensity and endurance training for people of all fitness levels and backgrounds. 

Connect with Gabrielle

 

About Vegamour

Vegamour is the sponsor for this podcast episode. Vegamour is a holistic approach to hair wellness that incorporates clinically tested plant-based ingredients that work in tandem to promote healthy, beautiful hair naturally, without using harmful chemicals or short-term ‘fixes’ that can lead to long-term problems. They study the power of nature through the lens of science to bring you the ultimate in total hair wellness & beauty for a lifetime of happiness.

Vegamour simply models nature’s holistic approach to healthy growth & function by combining bioavailable plant-based actives, enzymes, and proteins in a 360, inside/out approach to create the optimal ecosystem for hair wellness.

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In return, they take care of the land and the people who help them bring this true love to you and your hair.

Connect with Vegamour

To obtain 20% off from Vegamour, visit their website at www.vegamour.com and use promo code GREATLY20.

 

Kristel Bauer, the Founder of Live Greatly, is on a mission to help people thrive personally and professionally. She is a corporate wellness expert, Integrative Medicine Fellow, Keynote Speaker, TEDx speaker & Physician Assistant experienced in Integrative Psychiatry and Functional Medicine. 

Follow her on:

To Book Kristel as a speaker for your next event, click here.

Episode Transcript

Gabriel (Teaser)

Probably more vegetables and less protein and then try more protein and less vegetables for a week each time. See how you feel. Do you feel tired? You feel energized. How's your elimination, how's your sleep. People can tune into themselves. And by the way, we all know this changes. 

Kristel (Guest Intro)

Today's episode is number 101, and I have an absolutely amazing guest for you today to empower you and inspire you.

We have Gabrielle Reece here today. Gabby is a volleyball legend, a former Olympic athlete. She's also the co-founder of Laird superfoods, married to Waterman, Laird Hamilton. She is the first female athlete to have designed a shoe for Nike. Also, she was on the cover of tons of magazines, like sports illustrated for women, Owl, Shape, Vogue.

So she's been in the limelight as a model, as a pro athlete. And she's going to be talking about how she navigated that, how she stayed grounded. We're going to be talking about body image, how to love yourself. Gabby is six, three and 170 to 180 pounds. And she owns that and she is so incredibly awesome.

She's also one of the creators of extreme performance training. So we're going to be talking about fitness and about nutrition. We're also going to be chatting about relationships and Gabby's a mother, we're also going be navigating that. So she's doing all sorts of really cool stuff. She's now the host of the Gabby Reece show.

I'm really, really excited about this episode. Can't wait to share it with you. So let's jump right into it and welcome Gabrielle Reece to the show. 

Gabriel:

Well, hopefully I, up to that 100%. 

Kristel:

Well, I want to start just by talking a little bit about, when you were playing volleyball and at that time in your life, because you're such an inspiration to so many people.

And I would love to just hear how things have kind of shifted and developed from that time in your life, to where you are now, you're doing so many incredible, cool things. 

Gabrielle:

I think because I played a sport that was very small. It doesn't even matter. Of course it matters, but it doesn't ultimately matter in some ways how well you perform in a sport like beach volleyball.

You sort of have the reality that you'll probably be doing other things as well. And so actually, even at the beginning of my professional career, I was always doing other things like TV or writing or things like that. And so I attribute that to making the transitions easier because I sort of had many hats.

Then I used to say, I did those other things to support my love and passion and want to play professional sports. And, um, so the transition was probably easier because it wasn't just like a hard stop on now what am I going to do? And I always paid attention that it was, it would be happening. And so from there, I, uh, Started a family.

And they're sort of more quiet years during that time, especially when your children are small. And I did that in my early and to late thirties. And, and then simultaneously I was always kind of working. 'cause I was still training. My husband is also an athlete in our house that was sort of like training at a very high level.

It was just sort of part of our every day. And so I think that kept me, you know, kinda my pulse on things where we have the good fortune of knowing a ton of really smart people who are in that movement space or nutrition space. So we get to learn from them. And, um, so you're sort of getting that injection of constant information.

Which can be really helpful just to sort of change things up or grow. And then we created, again, sort of spontaneously. I have created other businesses that didn't work and ones that flopped along. And so we had XPT, which is our fitness arm of our life. And then also my mid forties kind of accidentally, we had Laird superfood.

So those take up quite a bit of time. Kids are getting bigger. I have a podcast. And so I think it’s just honestly a progression of like, who am I today? And the, maybe the most helpful thing was taking the things like the discipline or working hard at taking care of myself from sport, but not being defined by that.

And also not overly looking for a new identity instead, just going to the places and spaces that interests me naturally, without that pressure of like, what am I going to do next? Because I think then we make weird moves versus the ones that organically reflect who we are and who we are becoming.

Kristel:

I love that.

And I talked with a lot of athletes who have struggled with that transition because when you're really in the middle of it, there's rush that comes with that. And it seems like it can be hard on people's mental health when they get out of the limelight. And it's like, what's next. 

So for you, you sound to me like you are really grounded throughout all of this, and I'm curious, like, why do you think, or what do you think contributed to that?

I know you spent a lot of time growing up on an island. I'm like, do you think it maybe was just like ingrained in you to have to be putting value in different things? Or I would just love some insights into that. 

Gabrielle:

I think in a way, I, I, for whatever reason, I naturally had a perspective of the game of. You know, it's like when you have a public job, let's say your currency.The only reason I would do things to get attention. 

And I say that in quotes, or they use words like exposure. That's my favorite word of all time. This'll be good exposure. You know, I'm like, I'm going to grab someone's neck when they tell me that. But you understand it's a chess board you're playing because if you get sort of enough of this positive attention, it creates opportunity.

So whether it's opportunity to work with somebody that you desire that you can call, take up a new project, things like that. So I think for me, again, one not buying into. The weirdness of getting attention. I never, it never landed on me very much. And so I wasn't sort of attached to it. And also I think again, if I, maybe it was a great tennis player, so the volume on everything would be higher, right.

The money you'd be making would be more, the level of attention would be more. Maybe that would have been harder. So it's easy for me to say from a place of moderate attention and tiny sport. And that the hustle that I learned, uh, sort of as an entrepreneur and stuff, and somebody who just wanted to do new things came early.

And remember, I used to simultaneously when I was in college, lived in New York was in fashion. So I saw that weirdness too. So I saw the weirdness in a few places. And so I learned really early, like, Hey, that's, it's an illusion. And, you know, and also my husband is public. And when we were first together, I was more recognized more often.

And I would say that has switched over the years that he has become sort of more recognized than me. So it's, you know, I haven't in all dimensions on how to navigate it. So sometimes, you know, it's like I'm there to amplify him or support them or tuck in behind. What does that feel like? I have practice in that.

So I think all of those things together was really helpful

Kristel:

Well, I'm curious too, when you're in the public eye, you're, everybody's going to have an opinion and everybody has an opinion anyways, but you know, if you're in the limelight, there's going to be a lot of that. So how did you navigate that without I guess taking on other people's opinions of you, because this is something it's not even just a problem when people are in the limelight. 

It's also a problem now with social media, because everybody is looking to everyone else to define who they are. And I'm curious, like, did you, was it the people you surrounded yourself with or did you have any practices to help you stay like grounded in yourself and your personal mission and who you really were throughout this whole, all the different things you've gone through.

Gabrielle:

I think it's really important to identify though that I got to be fully formed, whatever that means without that mega input of social media. I just got bashed if I did on television, on the rare occasion or in newspapers, but not on like a grand every day, all day long scale. And whoever did have a criticism of me had to put their names.

And it was a well thought out article or constructed. So there was like, and that, that only happened a few times. I really did try to keep my head down. I'll be honest. Nobody really wants to. I mean, maybe now, cause I'm a little older, but I wasn't so built for like inviting a lot of opinion. I was just trying to do my job and like, but inevitably I still got criticized, you know, when I got a shoe at Nike, some, a woman from the Washington post who I actually called was like, oh, it's because she is attractive that she gets a shoe and I was like, you and I have the same goals. 

I can't control timing. So I think I understood it. And also what I was criticized for also benefited me times 10. So you can't be a crybaby, like you've got to grow up and be like, that's ultimately working in your benefit. So first I got to form fully, which is helpful.

And then you have to be truthful with yourself. How's my conduct. What are my intentions, what's motivating me. And if you're locked in pretty good with that, I think it gives you the fortitude to be like, I'm have a sense of myself. And then again, to have people around you that don't yes you to death, that would call you on your bad behavior.

If you had it. You know, I've been with my husband for almost 26 years. So I have a built-in gauge because my husband is very beyond grounded person. And so if, if anyone got a little full of themselves or weird, conversely, he's a person who doesn't ultimately respond to what people think. And so he's a good gauge to look at.

Here's a guy who's on a path. I'm doing my thing. I believe in my mission. I care about the people close to me what they think and feel about me and everyone else doesn't matter. But I think if you were young and growing up in that, I think it would be so impossible because you're just, you haven't even put your stake in the ground yet.

And now everyone's like put it here and I'll put it there, represent this be that that'd be very, very difficult.

Kristel:

So you, when did you meet Larry? How old are you guys when you got married? I met her when I was 25 and I'm married there when I was 27. You know, the other thing I want to say too, about the opinion thing for people when they're forming is sometimes to take yourself serious.

So that you're trying to do a good job and kind of show up in your life, but also not to take yourself serious at all, or your problems. What you think are your problems, I think is also helpful because it's that continuous ability to have rack focus, like to be super-intense and grind out on a goal. I think sports helped me with that, but then to be like, is this really a bi deal.

And Kansas city is not putting their name on a car. They're saying bad things about me. Okay. I think I can survive that. So I think it's also, when you talk about health, adaptability is always the thing we're striving for because that's genuine health, flexibility, adaptability. And so I think that that is also a part of having that mechanism.

Kristel:

Yeah, no, that's great insight. And this is a good segue, I think, into talking about body image, because also, you know, when people are growing up and even when adult women and men, people struggle with this, and then plus then you add in like the changes that come with aging and everything else. This is like a universal struggle of loving yourself and, and embracing your body.

So you, I feel like have been such powerful in this arena. With like owning who you are. And I love that you are 63 and that you're like I'm 63. And on your site, you know, it's like 170 pounds and you're in amazing shape. And you kind of broke out of that model. I remember when I was younger of like this like skinny, skinny legs, skinny body, and I was always an athlete.

I'm five, just about five 11. I was muscular. I had muscular legs and. I was a little bit uncomfortable with that growing up because I didn't feel like that was the image of what everybody else wanted. So I would just love your, your take on this and like how you were able to navigate this from such an empowering place.

Gabrielle:

I love to pretend that it was so from my healthy, strong perspective, but the fact is, and actually right now I'm actually closer to 180.

When you're six foot three growing up when you're six feet at 12, I think if you are paying attention and again, these are some innate qualities I was probably born with. So it's not something I, I really would love to say I cultivated. Of course I did after. You really release. One thing I have naturally is like looking at things for what they really are.

So even as. Person at 12 or 13, I knew very quickly, like you're not going to fit. You're not going to be this standard, whatever it is. So why am I going to keep drilling my head against the wall or torturing myself for something that I just simply can't change or control and certainly being six, three, it is what it is, right?

So I think that started early. Because I grew up in the Caribbean, there's more of a hodgepodge of people, a more of a mixture, more eclectic. So maybe there was more room for me to be weird or big or different because everyone was just a little more, there's just more diversity there. Right. I didn't grow up in a little town or matching where everybody's the same.

Um, also then when I got heavily involved in athletics, my junior year of high school, then it becomes sellable. So then all you took, you just have to get through the time. And then all of a sudden, it's this asset. Then when I got into fashion at 18, that could have been the thing that took me down because everywhere I wanted to fashion, everyone complained about how big I was.

I didn't fit into anything. My feet didn't fit into anything. No dresses fit. They were clamping. They were synching. They were doing all this stuff and I'd have like these incredibly talented editors being like, you know, European women, who've never seen, you know, unless you're Scandinavian, it was like, oh, you're so big.You're so big. 

But I had sport right on the other side. And the whole idea was you had to be big and strong if you were not going to get mowed over. So I had a lot of reinforcement, but I think, again, this goes back to, we take ourselves and our, our situation so seriously, instead of like there's almost 8 billion people on the planet right now, how many other people are going through this exact experience?

You're having probably quite a few. And so what do you want to do? What do you want to do? How do you want to express yourself? This is your life. And what's interesting is whatever people only see what you project. And so if I project, Hey, I feel good. I'm strong. I feel powerful. I'm still working on a ton of things.

People are like, oh, that's cool. And that's the thing is I experienced that in real time. I went from like, you're a weirdo to, within an 24 month being the same person, people, all of a sudden being like, oh, you're amazing. You're fabulous. So I was like, oh, this is all BS. This is a construct based on which side of the opinion you're on.

So forget it. So I think that really helped me because I think it's, I always tell people, you know, like you have high cards and low cards, like you, we all have ACEs and what are those? Get in touch with those, not the low cards, but I think I had freedom to discover that.

Kristel:

Yeah, that's really, really great insight.

And I want to like dive a little bit deeper into this topic of trying to not attach your self-worth to achievements. And this is something that people who are high achievers can struggle with. And I've talked with like tons of entrepreneurs, CEOs, athletes, where’s like you have this goal and you're like attached to it and then you achieve it.

And you're like, and then what it's like, it's like a tying that sense of feeling good to those achievements. So how have you navigated that with your journey and try to stay happy amid all of these goals and like the different things that you've been working towards.

Gabrielle:

Well, I'm a grinder. So I really like the grind.

And what I have learned is not to sit too long in the light. So let's say you achieve something. I'm not a person who's like, oh my goodness. I, you know, this is the best moment of my life. It's sort of like, yes, this is a representation that the work and the strategy was correct because it let's say you're a quarterback in the NFL and you win the super bowl on a Sunday night.

Well, Monday morning, I hate to say it, but it's over already, right? Like then there'll be like, can they repeat it? It's all that, that, no, you know, the hamster wheel that it's like, I just I've always avoided that whether it was, you know, the winning or the losing. And I think that that makes it better. Now having said that it's a weird mixture of, of, uh, trying to enjoy things too.

So you don't want to just blow through everything. However, where I get the richest from is in, I have real relationships. I have very deep friendships. I have a deep connection with my husband. I fo you know, my children. So I think for me, it was like always understanding. This is the thing. And so whether I'm older or have wrinkles or I'm losing, or I don't have that fancy job title anymore, or the money's higher or lower in the bank account, whatever that is.

Again, I think I was really clear that you can't win that construct. It's not sustainable. So how do you want to play it?

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Kristel:

And investing in the things that really matter to in the big picture, like you said, the connection and the relationships, it's like keeping that perspective, whatever goals you're going after.

I keep that perspective of what matters in the big picture and staying true to yourself. You know, it sounds like you've done a really good job of that. And this, I would love to segue a little bit into how you have navigated being a mom, having all these goals, you know, doing Laird superfoods and everything else.

Like what tips do you have for women out there who want to be, have that motherly role? And maybe they want to be able to like cook dinner every night and do all that homemaker stuff, but they also have big aspirations and goals for their career and for their lives. 

Gabrielle:

It's always personal, right? Like what are we good?

Like, I'm good at cooking and being organized and certain other things that other people might be like, yo, I hate the kitchen. So this isn't about putting a temp, you know, some sort of template on another person. I think it's about knowing what you can, what you'd be willing in 25 years to really take a look at.

And so, for example, when I was a young kid from two to seven, my mom, she was very young. She opted because it was the better thing for me to be raised by. Family. And she came back at seven, but like, for me personally, I wouldn't be willing to look at that in 25 years. I wouldn't be. So I had to be really clear about what are the things that I can stand by in 25 years.

And so. I would say to people when your kids are really, really little, you've got to be kinder to yourself about, well, why am I not the CEO? Why is my startup not happening? And then they become older, more independent. You can put more energy in blocks onto the other side. If that's important to you. Now, there might be women out there who go, listen, I feel good about this.

I'm going to be the CEO. My kid's going to be six months old and we'll deal with it. And that can work for a lot of people. So I think it's more about what in the end you won't get back from time and what feels instinctively right for your family, your child, your partnership, and then go from there. But the idea of having it all is ridiculous.

You can have it all, whatever the hell that means, but not all at the same time phases and stages. So I just want to remind people that new moms feel like they're going to get left behind. They're like everyone else's life is moving on, including my partner. What about me? I think not to do that. I think the magic of having a small child be it hard is such a small moment that if you have the luxury or opportunity to enjoy it, and you feel inclined to do that, because then it's done, it's gone forever.

You're not going back on the boob. They're not going to be little, you know, it's done and just sort of not be apologetic, but don't do what you think you're supposed to do. And then regretted at 25 years. And then collectively for me, what really worked is I never gave up my sense of self. So I could be alerts wife and my kids mom, in the worst way, like literally like a stain on my shirt from, you know, nursing and like you're right in the middle of it.

And inside, I was like, that's how I use movement and exercise cause I was like, okay, I'm not going to completely disengage with who I am and I'll keep that. Be it small, just going a little bit. And as the kids get bigger, the fire got bigger back to bigger again and such. And now I believe that. So I just think it's and listen, it's hard.

I mean there's no other way to say it. Like people go, it's like, yeah, of course it's hard. That's what always amazes me is like, people want to talk about things and be like, it's so hard. It's like, You chose, you're having a kid like, or two or three it's hard. And so what do you want to do about it? And I think that's another thing we live in a time where everybody wants to talk about their feelings all the time.

And I'm like, okay, we got it. Get a strategy. What do you want to do? And start to figure it out. Not just be like some days it's just hard. It's like, yeah. Okay. Got it. So I think that that's another side of it. Like you got to great. It's hard. How can you navigate it? What are the pieces on the board? What do you mean?

Kristel:

Like how are you going to move forward with it? And I, for me, I always thought I was going to work at least part-time when we had kids. And then when I was pregnant with our first she's now. I was like, I don't want to, I want to be at home. I like had this like overwhelming desire. So I ended up being home with our kids for six years.

And then I was like, you know what things got sparked. I was like, I'm ready to go back. But it was interesting. Um, just like how things changed for me so dramatically. When I became a mom and I don't, and like you said, there's not a one size fits all. It's like, whatever works for you, your family dynamic, your desires, like go with it.

Gabrielle:

And I think it's important, but I think, you know, and also I will say this and a lot of people can agree or not agree. I don't expect my experience to be exactly the same as my husband's, especially when we have a newborn child, these are their biological responsibilities of life. And whether everyone's like wants everything to be the same and fair and all that.

And I think that is immature. I think it's an immature and unreasonable way to look at it. It's like I can do certain things, especially with a new baby that he can't, why do I need his experience to be the same? So that's the other thing is I don't think it's possible to go through life, trying to have everything fair or equal or whatever that means.

And also it switches, right? Like right now, weirdly my husband, in certain ways with driving my kids to school, he does that way more than me now, you know? So it's like, You know, it has an ebb and a flow and, and, and that's life that's business, right? There's times in business, you're working harder for less there's times that you work barely at all and things are happening, but it's just about again, strategy, keeping your head down and paying attention.

I think, just to paying attention to yourself, your feelings, how are you doing? How are you holding up? And checking in here and checking in a little bit out, out there ahead of you and your horizon and being like, what do I think I want this to look like and how do I organically not in a forced way. Sort of move this story in that direction.

Kristel:

I love that. I think let's segue a little bit into nutrition and fitness and the nutrition piece. I'm really curious what your day-to-day looks like. Like what you have for breakfast, if you've had breakfast. Cause I know you're into some fasting stuff and when I was practicing functional medicine and then throughout my training and integrative medicine, There are just so many different styles and diets out there.

And in the beginning, when I was learning all this stuff and patients that will come in it is so incredibly overwhelming. And I've gotten to the place now where I really think that it's like an individualized thing with some big, just general statements limit in Flint, inflammatory foods, limit alcohol, eat more plants.

Those are were fiber, but then everything else. The gluten-free and dairy-free and all this stuff. I really feel like what I've learned now is it's going to depend on the person and not everybody needs so much restriction. So I'm curious what you think, how you guys eat. And also, if you could tell me if you have breakfast.

I haven't had breakfast, but I see what I do is I have coffee. I have, I started drinking, drinking coffee at like 45, 46 years old. I like caffeine, but I never drank coffee. But then when we had this business, there'd be like, try this, try that. So basically I start my day with a cup full of a lot of. And it sounds gross, but it's so good.

And there's like, you don't have coffee, you have hot chocolate with three shots of espresso, but that gets, that rides me through cause so I can train the caffeine for the energy and then the fat for the brain. But I will say this to your point. It's so personalized. Some people convert carbohydrates way better.

They actually can't convert animal protein that well, they feel lethargic. And so what I always say to people that I learned from a guy named Paul Chek take a week, Three weeks, one week, each time do a 50 50 plate. If you'd animal protein, where you have protein and carbs, and obviously you don't want to have a ton of like, are you pasta every night?

It's like real food I think is better. And if you lived in Italy and it had their weed, I'd say, okay, that's a different story, but we're at a different place. And then try like way more vegetables and less protein and then try more protein and less vegetables for a week each time. See how you feel. 

Do you feel tired? Do you feel energized? How's your elimination, how's your sleep so people can tune into themselves. And by the way, we all know this changes at my age. You actually don't want to do a ton of long fasting. It's not great for your hormones. So when you were a younger female, maybe that benefits you. So that's the other thing is we change.

I think you tweak, this goes back to paying attention. To checking in to noticing how do I feel? Do I feel stiff? Do I recover? Do I, am I going to the bathroom? Whatever these things are. So for me personally, I just try to eat real food. I do eat highly sourced, equality sourced animal protein and vegetables. I try to eat only when I'm hungry.

I try to recognize when I’mnacking like weird snacking. It might not getting enough calories because women have different needs throughout their cycle month where you actually need about 250 more calories per day, sort of maybe 10 days prior to your cycle. So these things are real. You're like, why am I hungry thing?

And I do a little bit of supplementing. I take omega. I take a multi right now. Of course I take vitamin D like probably everybody quercitin zinc and vitamin C just to keep my immune system strong. Um, and occasionally I might splash in something fancy, like a NAD, like a true, true nitrogen or some or things like that, but I try to get it from real food, but I just try to really pay attention.

There can be something you're eating. I don't drink alcohol, but you can have like a three-day patch, Rigo. I did something weird. And so whatever that is, I should figure that out because it's probably not best for me. And, and to your point, like what you said. I find that what I've heard over and over and over and over again is let's avoid chronic inflammation, not inflammation all together and make sure we keep a handle on insulin resistance and things like that.

Like, you don't want to get into that cycle. So I think, um, I keep it simple if I really want something like truly. But I, I mean, it's my eating pretty boring. I mean, Americans drink 20% of their calories. So I would remind people to really pay attention to what they're drinking. If you could put those calories into another category, just to make it easier on yourself.

And then, you know this because you combine the two. I believe, especially after training with thousands of people, if somebody is really doing systematically, like they've done their blood work, they kind of know what's going on under the hood. They're eating pretty good. They're moving enough and they're still not losing and it's not hormones and it's not something.

Then it's time to talk to somebody and it's time to get into it and be like, okay, what's really going on with me. What am I holding onto? So I see that more often actually in self-care. Where it's like an unspoken, something that needs to get released and communicated. And I sometimes think we don't honor ourselves enough to sort of say, I'm allowed.

I deserve to figure out how to undo this thing and move on from whatever thing is hurting me. That's keeping me from the progress. And I think sometimes people just think I'm doomed to be 10 or 20 pounds overweight, always overweight. Oh, I'm this age now. It's like, that's not a sentence,

Kristel:

Like change that story. And another angle to that I've learned a lot about, and it's like more and more research has just coming out about the gut microbiome.

And that's so fascinating to me how that contributes to obesity and so many different things. So I, that's also like an angle. I think people can start to look into if they are like doing all these other things and it's like, huh, it's just not clicking. 

Gabrielle:

They usually got there usually because of something.

Uh, emotional and what I will say. And I will say to, for moms, you know, moms eat a lot and I don't mean food. Like we're stoic for a lot of people for our kids. We don't flip our switch when we really want to, and like yell at everyone and, you know, say what we really deeply think and feel about everybody's behavior, whether they're two or whether they're our partner.

And so it's like, how are we being truthful to the best of our ability without blowing things up so that we aren't. Our feelings and we aren't holding everyone else up in the house all the time, not ourselves and not requiring the people around us. You know, it's like I have a, I do the same thing, but for example, I have a daughter who's very bright and really snotty.

She's 13. And sometimes she'll go just too far. And I think, huh? I don't think I let anyone talk to me like that. And then she's like, what are you doing? I go, oh, no, you don't understand. I love you. But I know nobody, no one is going to talk to me like that. I'm just not going to be around it. So when you can do it different than so it's, it's really, and our partners, like my husband sometimes will corral me and with the girls and be like, and I'm like, just so we're clear, like I'm not your daughter, I'm your partner.

So I think it's kind of trying to nip it all the time too, because I think that's what happens. Women do everything, moms, wives, they do everything for everybody else. And then they've wonder how they got here. And it's like, well, You're the only one who's going to guard that and you got to do it. 

Kristel:

Yeah. Yeah. That's such great advice. And being able to communicate that stand up for yourself.

Gabrielle:

And you don't have to be an emotional psychopath. Right? High pitchy voice means you're out of control. I think weirdly it's like you actually have to almost get masculine and go Hey, sorry, that's not going to work for me because I don't think actually they hear it any other way.

I think when we finally flip out and be like, if you respected me and blah, blah, blah, all the stuff, they don't actually hear that. 

Kristel:

Right. No, that's a really good point. Like you have to say it with conviction in a calm and assertive way. 

Gabrielle:

You gotta be, you have to be in charge and you're not flipping out. 

Kristel:

Right.That's such a great point. 

So I think at this point I would love to talk a little bit about fitness because you guys have an awesome program that I would love to just free to share a little bit about it. And I love that it incorporates breathing this XPT training. So you could just share a little bit about that on your website, by the way, is that you in the water with those weights?

That's an incredible picture. I was like, I just was looking at it. I'm like, oh my gosh. That looks amazing. But yeah, if you could share a little bit about the training, that would be great. 

Gabrielle:

Yeah, sure. So it's breathe, move and recover the kind of the pillars for XPT. So breathing it's free and we can do it anywhere, but most of us do it wrong.

And so, you know, you've had Patrick McKeown on your podcast, so people can go back and listen to that to get real specific juice from Patrick, he has great books out. Basically, unless we're sprinting and try to recover, you need to be breathing through your nose. And so that breathing is just, it's an essential part of life.

It's the tip of the level of priority. So I think that is why we have that move because we are the human animal we're meant to move. I mean, our bodies are a miracle and that's the other thing I think for me, I don't need to lose my health and I've been injured. To know what a gift your health is. And so just, and reminding people like, Hey, you don't have to kill yourself.

And it doesn't have to be a three hour stint, but you got to move around. You just do and then recover. So, you know, within the movement too, we have pool training and you, you alluded to that it's ballistic training. I already have an artificial knee. It's like, how do I keep working super hard as I, even as I get older, but I'm not crushing my joints and myself. 

So that was pool really created that there's some emotional things employed that are quite excellent to, to train the organism to work better because ultimately if we're training it, isn't like, Hey, what do you bench it's so that the organism functions better, wherever you put it on a track, whatever.

And then finally with recover. It's just this idea of participating in our recovery versus, oh, it's my day off. I'll sit on the couch. It's like, well, I could do breathing sessions. I could do sauna if I've accessed. So it's this idea of sort of participating in your recovery. And so that's really it. And the idea of XPT is it's a moving entity.

So that always new information is coming in. And that doesn't mean bounce around. Cause bouncing around. Doesn't really get you anywhere. But when you really see something new or different, that's correct, or better than the way you're doing it, that you bring that concept in and change. Cause I think we need to do that as people, right?

Like we've always done it this way. That's cool. But guess what? There's a sort of new really uncomfortable way. Cause it's different than the way you do it, but it's better. And I think that that perspective training life, life training, they need to together that way. 

Kristel:

I love that. And I ask you a personal question here, but I heard you say on another show, I think it was Jennifer Cohen that don't recommend running for a lot of people when they're over a certain age.

And for me running is my stress reliever and I work out a lot, like I'll do spin. I'll do some pit stuff. I'll do weights, I'll do classes, but I never have that same relaxation and endorphin release that from all that other stuff that I've had with running. So any tips for me, how can I match that?

Gabrielle:

No, I don't think, see, this is where it goes personal, right?

So maybe we get from running, but see that the inevitability of the pounding of seven times your body weight on your joints, unless you're specifically built for running, because there are those people. So then it goes to like you know, McDougall's book on, you know, born to run. What does that mean? Okay. I mean, in the right footwear, it doesn't mean smashing yourself on cement and everybody's always faster on concrete, so they love it because they're flying, but I would say to people, okay, can you get into different nvironment that's easier on your body. So that's grass.

If it's safe, if there aren't bottles or whatever in the grass. Cause the cement, even the soft track would be better with a minimal shoe would be better because at least you're minimizing the long-term pounding, but I, you know, certainly I would never steal from anyone that feeling and you talk to runners and they all say that same thing. 

So I think that that's essential. That's your gift that you know, who would say to you, oh, you have to stop doing that. You don't want to have to abruptly stop. 

Kristel:

And it's making it. Yeah. I probably should look into making it nicer to my joints before injuries occur.

Gabrielle:

And then they say, sorry, you just can't run it all. 

Kristel:

Yeah. So you want to avoid that for sure? 

Gabrielle:

I think so. It's more about looking what you're getting from it and going yet, so worth it, but how do I also play the long game? Where then I can keep doing it. 

Kristel:

Yeah, no great point. So we are coming towards the end Gabby.

And if you want to hear more about what Gabby has to say, because you are so fun to talk to check out her podcast, Gabby Reece show, and how else can people, like if they want more of your insights? You want to try your training? Just go to your website. 

Gabrielle:

Yes. Yeah. I mean, I always laugh. Like I might, you could learn everything I know, and probably 30 minutes.

So, you know, just if you listened to one podcast or something, I mean, that's pretty much it, I guess I would just encourage people, here's I always, I truly believe is it's sort of like your unique contribution to your world, to your family, to your business. And like, what is that contribution and how do you honor that?

And just squeeze it to death and try to remember that people respond to are, they really do respond to like our spirits as cheesy as that sounds and our energy and our sense of joy. And we have nothing to prove, right? Like we have nothing to prove. But what's your purpose and you can be 65 or 80 and be contributing.

And so we don't have to put this really finite limit on, um, the ways that we were here contributing, because I think it shows like, I think when you see a person that you're like, Hey, they have stuff going on, they look pretty excited about things. You're not thinking, but you know, they're not 35. They do have fine lines.

It's like, okay. You know, no, one's thinking that way only, we're thinking that. Yep. And, but it's important to, you know, as they say, what was it, Steve Martin, the jerk, like, what's your special purpose like, and that doesn't mean it's only shows up as a job or as a parent, it shows up so many ways. 

Kristel:

So true. I love that.

And to close up Gabby, I'm going to do a quick wellness lightening round with you. I'm just going to ask you a couple of fun questions. You're ready. The first one is if you were on a deserted island and you had to bring your own food, what would be three foods you would bring with you?

Gabrielle:

I would bring avocado.

I would be really good. I knew the cow steak and weirdly I think popcorn. 

Kristel:

Ooh, nice. What kind of popcorn? Oh, I make it myself and I either do it with coconut oil or olive oil, but I do put real butter on it. Okay. I can tell you, I put it in a paper bag and I put real salt and I shake everything, paper bags.

So it's evenly distributed if you want to get crazy, you can use nutritional yeast effect and that's good. 

Kristel:

Delicious. Okay. Last question, knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given to yourself from 10 years ago? 

Gabrielle:

I would say don't 10 years ago. I guess don't hold back because I knew that don't take it personal.

I learned that lesson a long time ago, but sometimes we do try to be less to make other people feel more comfortable. I think how other people respond to us is not our problem. And what we're responsible for is, Why are we doing things? How are we doing them? How hard are we willing to work? And just let all the chips fly after that?

Don't worry about it because you can't. Is that okay? And is everyone happy is never going to happen. So make sure you're honoring yourself, your mission, your code, your inner voice, and kick ass.

Kristel:

Great way to end. This has been fantastic. Thanks so much, Gabby. 

Gabrielle:

Of course.

Kristel Bauer
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