You Need To Know The 'Little Health Hack' This Peloton Instructor Swears By
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Peloton instructors were welcomed into our homes last year through computer screens and equipment more than ever before. At a time when it was harder to socialize, Peloton instructors became our friends. Regardless, there's hard work behind-the-scenes that helps them show up for us and our workouts. In order to do well in training they have to make smart decisions in the kitchen and instructor Tunde Oyeneyin credits her eating choices for her performance.
Tunde is a cycling instructor for Peloton, where she plans and hosts live and on-demand workout classes. She's in charge of hosting several workouts per week so she makes it a point to fuel her body in the best way possible. To find out how she stays in such great mental and physical shape, we spoke with Tunde about her eating habits on training days, recovery days, and every day in between.
For starters, her mornings begin with two glasses of water to get her system running. On days when she's working out, she starts with a Bulletproof coffee. On other days, she'll pair the coffee with some fruits and veggies. [Ed. note: Tunde's partnership with Bulletproof, a supplement brand, was the launching point for this interview.]
Besides Bulletproof's coffee, collagen bars, and MCT oil (which she adds into smoothies), Tunde opts for variety in her diet as much as she can while still hitting major food groups. "I try to have vegetables at every meal, some fruit, and then some lean protein [like] shrimp, chicken, nuts. Nuts are a huge part of my diet," she told Delish.
As for her post-cycling class routine? "Saying a prayer and saying thank you to God that I survived...That was a joke," she said: "Directly after a class, lots of hydrating. And then as quickly [as possible] after my workout, I try to fuel up on protein."
Believe it or not, though, her diet doesn't consist of any strict rules or preferences. While she may adjust her eating to be more specific leading up to a big training event, typically it's all about intuitive eating and figuring out what feels best to her in the moment. "I look at food as fuel and I [ask] what is my tank saying that it needs? And sometimes my tank says it needs a burger. Most of the time it doesn't, but sometimes it does."
Although clean eating is more engrained in her routine than anything, Tunde said she definitely has a sweet tooth. When she was younger, her mom would make a special "ice cream salad" made with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and crushed up Lays potato chips—specifically the ones that aren't ruffled.
"I swear to you, I thought ice cream salad was a real thing. I didn't realize it was something that we only ate at my house," she said. "If my body is saying it wants the ice cream, sometimes I'll just give it the ice cream. But on a day-to-day I have these little health hacks that help to suppress that craving. If I can survive three minutes without actually reaching for the thing, usually the craving will die. And then if it's still there after 30 minutes, I'm like, 'OK, let's do it.'"
For people who aren't professional trainers, it can be challenging to take the first step toward a new diet or a lifestyle change. When it comes to making the first move Tunde explained how giving yourself grace is the best thing you can do: "You have to love your body where it is to fully appreciate and honor where your body is going. So my advice would be: As you are training your body, don't forget to train the mind as well."
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