To celebrate women’s month, we’ll profile a different #strongwoman every week in August.
#Strongwoman Maxine Schuiling is a Chem graduate, founder and CEO of Macro Mixes, and an evidence-based health blogger on Sugarfree Sundays. She shares content on her website, through her podcast as well as on Instagram. She shared a little about her journey with health and fitness.
What has been some of your challenges and triumphs throughout your journey? How did you discover your passion for healthy living and how did your fitness journey start?
I have pretty much always exercised as I played sports and loved running at school. But I went through some of those lame phases of following soul-destroying workout programs I dreaded the whole way though before really discovering my passion for weight training. It was such an empowering feeling to realise exercise existed that could make me strong, fast, and that I didn’t have to do 104 jump squats to get fit if I didn’t want to. Newbie gains are real and I feel like that is the time my fitness journey really solidified. Much has changed since then. I have dabbled in other sports I never thought I’d enjoy, like cycling and swimming, and I have developed a whole new appreciation for exercise and my body.
Injury is probably the biggest challenge! I throw myself into whatever I do but unfortunately your mind can adapt to something much quicker than your ligaments, tendons and muscles. And with some sports, especially ones like running, injury is par for the course if you aren’t very well adapted, strict with rehab exercises and slow to increase volume. My triumphs are, ironically, all the fun races I have taken part in. I did my first marathon last year (the Cape Town Marathon), and it was one of the best and most invigorating days of my life!
What are your views on exercise and nutrition as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle?
My views are probably the most genuinely balanced they have ever been. I don’t rely on exercise for anything because I know what it feels like to have it taken away. Too often people rely on controlling their exercise and nutrition to give them an illusion of control over their entire lives. This can mask underlying emotional work that needs to be done in order to ensure any exercise and nutrition choices they make are truly healthy and in their best interest. So while they are both imperative to a balanced and fulfilled life, they need to be kept within the correct context and not used as a crutch. Fulfil yourself first. Let being mindful in the present moment be enough. Then you’ll see what an awesome cherry on top of your already full cake life exercise and nutrition can be.
How do you find motivation and the energy to pursue your passions and your business and still stay active and healthy?
They all feed one another! Moving my body makes me feel good and empowered, and this in turn makes me want to go and smash out my work for the day. And vice versa. Focusing and getting work done motivates me and puts me in the mood to work out. Honestly, it sounds lame, but doing the basics to take care of yourself allows you to fire on all cylinders and that is the best feeling. Forward momentum is everything. Get enough sleep, eat enough food (and a varied diet, too!), move your body (not too much either!), call a friend, meditate, drink water and spend some time outside in nature. Inside out, that’s what keeps you going.
Why do you think it is important to have balance?
Without it nothing is sustainable. You go, go, go until something breaks. And something always breaks. Don’t let it get to that point. “Take a break before you break,” is one of my favourite quotes.
Take us through a day in your life.
I wake up early, without an alarm, usually because getting enough sleep is extremely important to me and I inevitably wake up earlier than I’d like to anyway. I grab a cup of coffee and a lil’ snack and climb back into bed and savour those first few moments of the day when I can hear all the birds waking up and the sun starts to peek through my shutters. I then journal and do a mindfulness mediation. I might skip the journalling if I am in a rush and keep the mediation short, but I aim for consistency in those habits over perfect execution. I also write my to-do list for the day at this point so that I remember to prioritise my needs and make choices that align with my values.
My days are all completely different depending on what is going on. So I have zero routine apart from that, which is why I value it so highly, I think. It really sets me up to face whatever my day holds. I head into the Macro Mixes office most days. My mornings usually involve emails, admin, and perhaps a meeting. At midday, I like to take a couple minutes breather and sit in the sun or do a short refocusing of my day just to touch base with myself. Afternoons are really a continuation of the morning and inevitably everything is not yet done. I try to focus on one or two particular areas of the company that need attention when I can. This can involve anything from researching, website things, finances, content-related things or meetings. But I literally have the most diverse job so no two days are alike, and my tasks are varied and ever changing! As evening nears, I try to sort out a post for Sugarfree Sundays. I love it so much but struggle to find the time to dedicate to it that I’d like.
If I didn’t exercise in the morning I will get that done in the evening. Once this is done, it usually around 8 pm, so I quickly make some dinner and shower, or, if I am lucky, I will grab dinner at my family or Norman (my boyf) will have cooked for us. Then I usually work until bed time, which is around 10:30 pm for me. I do want to change this when circumstances allow, but for now that’s how we roll. In my ideal life there is zero tech, work related or not, after 8 pm.
What does your diet look like?
It varies. I eat a high-protein diet in general but my eating changes a lot based on what I am up to, and how busy I am. This doesn’t bother me as the fundamentals of a wholesome diet are lots of fruits and veg with an adequate fibre intake and sufficient protein. And if you are eating enough food overall and from a variety of sources, you should be good with this! And I most definitely do.
What does your training look like? What kind of training do you believe in and why?
I think the best training is the one that gets you out the door. So enjoyment and sustainability are the most important factors. I wouldn’t push a single modality of exercise as it won’t work for everyone and the beauty of it is when you find what both suits your lifestyle and brings you joy. That being said, I would say, especially to women, to try and include some kind of resistance training somewhere if you can. You don’t have to pant and jump up and down to get an effective workout. In fact, there are a variety of health-related reasons we should lift some weights!
How do you stay mentally healthy and strong?
I think it is very important to do the uncomfortable inner work that comes through therapy, or just journaling and being introspective. And then maintaining that with strong boundaries, mindfulness practice and taking care of yourself overall. Surrounding yourself with solid people helps a lot as well. I think people underestimate the impact the company they hold has on them.
What message do you aim to portray to your followers? How do you aim to inspire them?
Just that life is so short! Getting overly wrapped up with how you look or every morsel of food you put into your mouth is a shame and a waste. Yet it is also so understandable given the society we live in. The truth is that health-promoting choices are easier made from a place of self compassion. So take your one life by the horns, be kind to yourself and disassociate from things that make you focus too much on what is completely unimportant (ie your appearance).
Who or what inspires you?
Fearless women. Women who live loudly and boldy and don’t bend to satisfy norms that don’t serve them.
What is your favourite #strongwomen quote?
“Empowered women empower women.”
Who inspires you to be a strong woman?
Probably my mom! She lives loudly, speaks her mind and teaches me over and over again that it really is none of my business what other people think about me.
Do you have a #strongwoman moment to share with us?
Gosh. Every single day at work hahaha. I feel like I have to give myself a little strong woman pep talk in the mirror hourly. I’m joking. To be honest, I think my strong woman moments are subtle and soft. They appear as weakness, but truthfully they require the most strength. And these are moments when I decide to close my laptop and leave some stuff to be solved the following day. Or the moments when I say no to something I want to say yes to, but doing so would be compromising my wellbeing. Or when I stick to my small commitments to myself, like meditating and drinking enough water. In those small daily moments, when I make the choice that best serves my long term self, I’m being a strong woman.
Author: Logan Leigh Rix
Logan blends her passion and profession by working as a digital and social media marketer and content creator in the fitness, health and wellness industry. She’s also a personal trainer, former Face of Fitness finalist and Fitness Magazine featured athlete.
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