I’m a Bartender Who Eats Paleo and Loves CrossFit. Here’s What I Spend on Food and Fitness.
This week's Sweat Diary.
Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money it takes to pursue a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend five days tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email ccunningham@phillymag.com with details.
Who I am: Kourtni Guzanowski (@doitallforthecookies), 30
What I do for a living: A certified nutrition coach, a full-time psychology student, and a bartender at Frankford Hall
What role health and fitness plays in my life: Health and fitness have always been a huge part of my life. I was a state medalist and varsity athlete in track and field, cross country, and field hockey. When I got to college and was no longer active, I inevitably gained weight as I had been able to eat anything I wanted up until that point. It lead to an eating disorder that I struggled with for years. Weightlifting is my number one love, as it got me back into my body rather than dissociating from it because I was not comfortable in it. I also am an avid hiker (one of my 2018 goals is to hike 365 miles this year!) and I shoot bow. As I also deal with depression and anxiety, these are both my more calming, meditative practices to get out in nature and unplug.
Health memberships: I pay $80/month for the City Fitness premiere membership (it includes the Logan Square location and the hydromassage beds). I just started working with CrossFit Rittenhouse, so my membership there is free.
Monday
10 a.m. — I sleep in because I did an “accidental” nine-mile ruck yesterday in the Wiss with my friend, Ash, and that fresh air really tired me out! I ALWAYS make my bed, then I start my air infuser with eucalyptus, put on classical music, read my daily stoic excerpt, and I do ten slow draws on my bow. I haven’t been able to get outside to shoot, so this at least keeps those muscles alive and well. I always start my nutritional intake with inositol for liver detoxification, tea of some sort, probiotics, a multi-vitamin (only in the winter), a homemade kombucha, and also (only in the winter) Lexapro.
11:30 a.m. — I go to the Northern Liberties City Fitness to tan. (Yes, I know the cons, but I weighed them against the pros — which is that is really helps with seasonal depression. I also only go once a week.) Then I do a half hour in the sauna.
12:20 p.m. — I’m back at my apartment. I take advantage of the sauna opening my pores and do a face mask. While I let that set, I clean my apartment.
1:10 p.m. — I take a shower, and then grab my laundry and head to the laundromat. I leave it there and run home to make my grocery list.
2 p.m. — I run back to the laundromat to throw my clothes in the dryer and read some nutritional research articles while I wait.
Riverwards’ grocery haul. Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
3 p.m. — I head to Riverwards Produce. I can’t rave about this place enough. I geek out on trying new foods and I’m in luck! I find kumquats! I get myself flowers and go ham buying 11 avocados because they were cheap ($83.55).
3:45 p.m. — I put away the first haul of food and leave for Whole Foods.
4:30 p.m. — I get to Whole Foods, and as always, spend way too much time perusing. I check for beef bones for my weekly homemade bone broth, and have a small internal freak out as Riverwards didn’t have any either. I ask at the meat counter if they have any they didn’t put out. I see a lady with coconut milk and seaweed in her hands looking very confused. I find out she’s doing Whole30. I’ve done three strict rounds of Whole30 and eat that way 95 percent of the time, so she ends up asking me a bunch of questions. I LOVE talking about food and nutrition, so I’m happy to talk at length with her. I get to the checkout and the butcher hands me a two-pound pack of beef bones! ($150.59, including meat I buy in bulk and freeze.)
Before and after grocery shopping shots of Guzanowski’s fridge. Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
6:30 p.m. — I put all my food away from Whole Foods and make my first meal. Yes, I do eat! I practice intermittent fasting in varying capacities throughout a week with no strict routine. As I eat strict paleo, my fridge is completely empty (except my frozen proteins) before I go grocery shopping. I make ground venison with tomato sauce and garlic.
7:20 p.m. — I head to CrossFit Rittenhouse.
8 p.m. — The workout of the day (WOD) is a bunch of thrusters and C2B’s (chest to bar).
9:30 p.m. — Back at my apartment. I heat up the oven and roast my bones and veggies for the week. I have a client come over to give a kitchen tour and go over some kitchen basics.
10:10 p.m. — All my veggies are done, and I throw the beef bones in a pot with some onion, carrots, and celery for my homemade bone broth. Then I eat the other half of the meal from earlier.
11:15 p.m. — I try to not have my laptop in the bedroom (looking out for that sleep hygiene!), so I’m in bed with a book. One of my goals for the year is to read 52 books, so I try to get an hour every night.
Daily total: $234.14
Tuesday
Venison and butternut squash. Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
5:45 a.m. — I’m up. However, I can’t say I’m very bright-eyed or bushy-tailed. I tell everyone I hate yoga, but I try to keep an open-mind, so I do go from time to time. Plus, Stacia is like a yoga-hater whisperer, and always knows how to draw me back in.
6:15 a.m. — I get to Amrita for Stacia’s flow class and fall asleep before class even begins ($17).
6:30 a.m. — I wake up with one of those abrupt startles that kind of sound like a snore/cough. I almost feign embarrassment, but honestly, it’s too early for me to care.
8 a.m. — Back at my apartment and ready for some real cooking! I make a frittata with shrimp, scallions, and homemade pesto. I practice mindful eating, so I eat pretty slow. I save half for tomorrow.
8:45 a.m. — I crawl back into bed and do some studying. I have my CPT (certified personal trainer) exam and my CF-1 (CrossFit Level 1) seminar coming up.
11:30 a.m. — My appetite is insatiable, so I make meal number two for the day: ground venison (Mexican style) over sweet potatoes and butternut squash, with avocado, tomato, and hot sauce.
12 p.m. — I go back to studying…and napping.
3 p.m. — I cook some Moroccan chicken with Swiss chard, so it’s ready for after the WOD.
3:30 p.m. — I head to Rittenhouse for a meeting of the minds with Ash (my friend, but also owner of CrossFit Rittenhouse) and Lindsay who runs the nutrition program for our sister gyms in New York.
Guzanowski, pictured left. Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
5 p.m. — I do the WOD with box jump-overs, wall balls, burpees, and more. I nearly die. I spent the whole winter focusing on weightlifting and bulking and this cardio HAD ME!
7 p.m. — Thanking my past self for having the insight to cook the Moroccan chicken earlier so I could (not so mindfully) devour it as soon as I get home.
7:30 p.m. — Some psychology studying.
9:30 p.m. — Dessert! I heat up a banana with coconut manna, cacao butter, and cinnamon.
10 p.m. — Reading and bed.
Daily total: $17
Wednesday
Homemade pho. Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
6:30 a.m. — I wake up, do my morning routine, and eat the second half of my frittata.
8 a.m. — I get into the zone, building a library of PDF handouts and assessments for my nutrition clients.
10:30 a.m. — I have a nutrition consultation call with a new client.
12:30 p.m. — My bone broth is finally done after simmering for nearly two days. I make homemade pho. One of the benefits of cooking so much is that it really does build confidence. Two years ago I cooked, but could never have imagined I could learn to cook off the top of my head from scratch.
1:30 p.m. — I get a text that I don’t have to come into work later because of the snow. Also, all the gyms are preemptively closed. So, I throw myself back into my business development knowing I’ll be inside all day.
4 p.m. — I come up for air and do a few handstand holds to break myself away for a few minutes.
7 p.m. — My eyes and brain are fried, and it’s time to eat! I make green shrimp curry with butternut squash.
7:30 p.m. — I can’t think about business anymore, so I get out my paints and put on some music!
9:15 p.m. — I make my banana dessert and then I’m in bed with my book.
Daily total: $0
Thursday
Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
8 a.m. — Morning routine and a simple breakfast of eggs over bacon fat Brussels sprouts and fried plantains.
9:15 a.m. — I put on some music and curl my hair. This actually is quite the undertaking so I feel it must be mentioned.
10 a.m. — I spend a few hours engaging on social media. My first priority is always the support group I started for Binge-Eating and Bulimia. Having a history with eating disorders, this is very near and dear to my heart. I am in the process of building a curriculum for them to build skills I have myself learned, through therapy and self analysis, in order for them to start distancing themselves from their EDs. It is still an early project, but so far I have been getting a lot of positive feedback.
1:30 p.m. — Leftover Mexican venison and squash.
2 p.m. — I head to Go Vertical to boulder and run some laps on the auto-belay.
4:15 p.m. — I hop on the train for CrossFit Rittenhouse.
Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
5 p.m. — The WOD is 250, 500, and 1000-meter rows.
6:30 p.m. — Back at my apartment, I eat my leftover curry and get ready for work.
8 p.m. — My bread and butter: bartending at Frankford Hall. When I go through a depressive bout, my head is entirely consuming and it shows all over my face. When this happens, dealing with drunk people is the last thing on my mind. It can be very mentally taxing. That being said, I am so incredibly grateful for the people I work with. I can not even begin to explain how supportive they are.
2:45 a.m. — Finally done. This was our first busy day of the year, which means our busy season has begun!
3:45 a.m. — At home, I have some papaya and then lights out!
Daily total: $0
Friday
Photograph courtesy Kourtni Guzanowski
11 p.m. — Morning routine and garlic kale with eggs and kumquats.
12:15 p.m. — Studying.
2 p.m. — I head to Go Vertical for a quick hour of bouldering and auto-belay repeats.
3 p.m. — I head to the Philadelphia School of Massage & Bodywork for the student clinic. I ask Laura to focus on my forearms, as they are really sore from climbing ($60 for the massage, including tip).
4:45 p.m. — Back at my apartment, I make some sweet potato hash with pesto and pork loin, then get ready for work at Frankford Hall.
5:30 p.m. — There is a huge 400-person fundraising event, so we are swamped! I love working when it is this fast-paced. Time flies by.
1:15 a.m. — Done with work.
2 a.m. — Leftover curry and then in bed to get ready to work from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow!
Daily total: $60
Weekly Totals
Money spent: $311.14
CrossFit sessions: 3
Yoga classes: 1
Climbing sessions: 2
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