Sweat Diaries: The Amateur Boxer Who Eats the Same Thing Every Day Leading Up to Fights

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh coaches at Flywheel and manages a Blink Fitness location. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend a week 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:  Alyssa Anne Marsh (@alyssaannemarsh), 26, from South Philly

What I do: Senior manager at Blink Fitness (Wissinoming location), instructor at Flywheel Sports, and USA Boxing amateur boxer

What roll healthy living plays in my life: It is my life in full!

Health memberships: I pay $39 per month for Optimal Gym

Sunday

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh eats hard salami, eggs, and toast for breakfast. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

10 a.m. — Wake up. Sunday’s are generally a “get shit done” day for me, running errands and cleaning — and the occasional subbed Flywheel class! I intentionally break away from my routine meals on these days to reset for the week. I track all caloric intake as I am prepping for a fight on September 15 and need to constantly be in a caloric deficit this week so I come in the right weight class. Outside of fight camp, I am little more flexible. I keep it tight and clean Monday through Friday, and then I am more casual on the weekends. Might have drinks with friends, go out to dinner — normal 26-year-old stuff!

11 a.m. — I eat an Elevation chocolate protein bar from Aldi.

11:16 a.m. — Time for breakfast. I have two whole eggs and two egg whites scrambled with a splash of almond milk and a pinch of salt, a slice of whole wheat toast, and four slices of low-sodium hard salami.

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh takes her pup shopping at Aldi. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

12:30 p.m. — My weekly Aldi run for this week’s meal prep. I buy chicken breasts, eight bags of frozen broccoli, whole wheat bread, more Elevation chocolate protein bars, 100-calorie snack pack chocolate chip cookies, hard salami slices, eggs, low-fat cottage cheese, Gala apples, bananas, strawberries, sweet and sour chicken marinade, fudge popsicles, ground chicken, sweet potatoes, and dog food ($55). I spend $110 total, but my boyfriend and I live together and split everything! Best part about having a partner, everything is 50% off.

1:45 p.m. — I eat bran flakes with almond milk and a banana.

2 p.m. — I’m working on play lists for class.

2:50 p.m. — I drink a sugar-free Redbull.

3 p.m. —  I head out, driving from South Philly to Rittenhouse. I use the Meter Up app to find street parking ($6). LIFE SAVER!! I love the Meter Up app.

4 p.m. — I teach a Flywheel Method 45-minute class.

Honeygrow for dinner. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

5 p.m. — Honeygrow for me and my honey. My stir fry consists of mushrooms, broccoli, egg white noodles, chicken, pineapple, carrots, parsley, and sesame garlic sauce ($10.13 for my half of the bill).

7:45 p.m. — Back at home, I work on cleaning and doing laundry. Meanwhile, Zach is prepping both of our meal plans for the entire week. I aim for around 1700 to 1800 calories a day, with no less than 100 grams of protein.

10 p.m. — Before bed, I always check in on my water intake for the day to be sure I have hit my goal of no less than one gallon. My Hidrate Spark bottle keeps me on my track, the water intake helps to keep my weight low for this fight!

11:26 p.m. — Bedtime.

Daily total: $71.13

Monday

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh does her boxing training at Optimal Gym. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

4 a.m. — Alarm. I’ve gotta make sure my openers for my club are awake. We have a new opener starting today, and opening late is a big NO NO in the fitness industry. Both employees respond by 4:15 a.m. Back to bed.

5:45 a.m. — Second alarm. (I hit the snooze once.) Ten minutes later, I’m up and running for my 6:30 boxing at Optimal Gym with my coach. I say bye to Zach and head out — he’s leaving town for two days for work. I grab a banana for the road that I will devour before training (I’m hungry all the time), as well as a bag of clothes to change into and clean hand wraps from the laundry.

6:38 a.m. — One-mile warm-up run, followed by an hour and 15 minutes of conditioning and counter drills. After coach leaves, I do 100 core exercises and stretch. I take a quick shower at the gym and change into business casual attire. I’m headed to see my dietitian! I drink a protein shake on the way there. I pay for street parking via the Meter Up app when I get there ($3).

9 a.m. — I have an appointment with John Rickards at The Privat Gym in Rittenhouse ($35). We review my food journal, set new goals, make changes to my meal prep, and take body fat/weight measurements. Usually this is covered through insurance, however, I have used all of my yearly allowed visits.

10 a.m. — I am HUNGRY!!! Quick Starbucks stop on the way to my club. I get a cold brew with one shot, almond milk, and Stevia ($4).

10:20 a.m. — I arrive at my club and heat up and devour my breakfast. I have two whole eggs, four hard salami slices, and a pice of whole wheat toast.

11 a.m. — Lunch. I have chicken with steamed broccoli and sweet potatoes.
Corporate life. In between running to the break room to eat meals my job is very active, I’m on my feet all day.

3 p.m. — Second lunch: more chicken and broccoli, a La Croix, and an apple

4:45 p.m. — Snack! I have a cup of cottage cheese.

8 p.m. — I leave work and make a quick stop by ShopRite to grab Miracle Noodles, an adjustment John asked me to make in my prep for the week ($13).

9 p.m. — Home, and  there is a parking spot right outside of my South Philly loft.

9:15 p.m. — I take my rescue pup, Maci, and Zach’s mom’s dog Capi for .a walk.

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh is tracking her macros while prepping for her next fight. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

9:45 p.m. — Up to the roof deck to bag the trash and recycling, then I have to carry everything down three flights of stairs.

10 p.m. — Dinner! Chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes with a La Croix while watching the VMAs. I also do social media marketing and posts planning for the week.

11 p.m. — Playlisting for tomorrow’s Flywheel class.

12 a.m. — Bed.

Daily total: $55

Tuesday

Meal prep makes lunches easy. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

4 a.m. — I call the openers. They are good. I don’t take chances with new team members. Too risky. I will continue to call the new employees for a few days until their trust is earned. Back to bed.

6 a.m. — Alarm. Snooze.

6:37 a.m. — Finally up. Running behind. Brush teeth, get dressed, hydrate, eat banana.

6:52 a.m. — I go on a quick 30-minute run that I had to cut short since I woke up late!

7:30 a.m. — Back at my apartment, I take the dogs out. We go on a fast walk, once they do their business, we’re back to the house!

7:42 a.m. —  Shower and get dressed. Grab lunch box, bag of clothing for the day, pop breakfast container in the microwave (same as yesterday).

8:07 a.m. — In the car and headed to Blink! I devour my food while driving.

8:28 a.m. — Arrive at work. I’m pretty tired. I walk through of the club. It’s dirty, and we have a lot to do. I have 27 emails from the night prior from my boss. I’m a little overwhelmed, but I know that coffee will fix all.

9:12 a.m. — Dunkin’ run! I take down a list of coffee orders for my team. I get a medium cold brew with almond milk, two turbo shots, and stevia ($3.50). It’s a pretty normal day. Our area personal training manager is in for the day, so I spend a good three hours with him.

11 a.m. — Chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes for lunch.

12:30 p.m. — I eat a banana.

3 p.m. — More chicken and broccoli.

3:15 p.m. — I have a Nuun energy tablet.

4 p.m. — I have a cup of cottage cheese. I sip on La Croix sparkling water throughout the day.

4:20 p.m. — I grab my bag from my car to get changed into Flywheel gear. I’m super excited as this is my first week teaching my new time slot in Bryn Mawr!

4:30 p.m. — Headed out the door! I hate the drive to Bryn Mawr. The traffic is so unpredictable.

5:15 p.m. — Finallyyyy arrive.

5:35 p.m. — Studio doors are opened for the riders! It’s a great class: high energy and riders that are happy to be there. So excited to have this class every week! After class, I wash my face and take photos to stock up on for the ‘gram.

7:06 p.m. — Headed home.

8:15 p.m. — Home, I drop my things and take the dogs out for a 15-minute walk.

Finishing the day with a protein shake. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

9:30 p.m. — Shower and change into PJ’s, then gather my things for Wednesday. I need three outfits — for boxing, Flywheel, and business casual, plus my lunch box with all my meals. This takes me an hour to pack.

10:30 p.m. — Eat part of my chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato dinner. At this point I have lost my appetite, so I finish a protein shake and pick at my meal before giving up.

11:15 p.m. — Lights out.

Daily total: $3.50

Wednesday

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh finds time to teach five-plus classes a week at Flywheel. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

5:15 a.m. — Alarm. I roll out of bed, but I’m not feeling well rested.

5:22 a.m. — I let the dogs out, then brush teeth and slam back two glasses of water. I’ve got about 10 minutes before I have to head out, so I sit on the couch for a little while and rest just a bit longer with my puppy!

5:45 a.m. — Out the door by headed to Optimal Gym. I eat a banana on the way there while in the car.

6 a.m. — I arrive at the gym. Street parking is free! I do my warm-up run and boxing workout.

7:10 a.m. —  Done with my workout, I’m driving to Rittenhouse to teach my 45-minute Flywheel Method class.

7:20 a.m. — Parked car ($5.48).

7:30 a.m. — Change quickly into Fly gear, mic pack, playlist downloaded. Ready to go!

8:45 a.m. — Class is over! Love that group.

9 a.m. — I shower and change into business casual attire at the studio.

9:30 a.m. — I down a protein shake. I drop 75 cents into my parking meter, and run into the Starbucks around the corner for a grande cold brew, with Stevia and a splash of almond milk ($5).

10:30 a.m. — Arrive at my Blink club and check in with me team.

10:47 a.m. — Heat and devour my breakfast (same as yesterday). It’s a normal day at work, with a visit from the operations area manager. I also have some one-on-one meetings with my trainers to set goals for the month of September.

12:45 p.m. — I eat my chicken, broccoli, and sweet potato lunch.

3 p.m. — More chicken and broccoli.

4:30 p.m. — I have a cup of cottage cheese with a banana.

8 p.m. — Headed home.

8:27 p.m. — After a long search for parking, I’m finally in the house. Zach is home from his work trip! He takes my lunch box off my hands and re-packs my food for Thursday while I get my clothes together for the next day and change into pajamas. Dogs have already been walked. I’m so thankful for my extremely supportive boyfriend.

9:30 p.m. — Dinner of chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

10:37 p.m. — Lights out.

Daily total: $11.23

Thursday

Amateur boxer Alyssa Anne Marsh is prepping for a fight on September 15. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

5:15 a.m. — Alarm. I hit the snooze button quite a few times. Feeling really tired today.

5:30 a.m. — Finally up and moving. Brush teeth and  throw back two glasses of water.

5:47 a.m. — Out the door with all my food and outfit changes for the day.

6:07 a.m. — Morning boxing at Optimal Gym. I’m wearing a sauna suit today.

7:30 a.m. — Done with workout, I pack up my boxing bag, shower, and change workout clothes.

8:30 a.m. — I am a little ahead of schedule, so I give Zach a quick call to see if he wants a ride to work and Starbucks.

8:47 a.m. — I pick up Zach, stop by Starbucks (mobile order for two $9.17), then drop him off at work. He’s running a little behind after waiting for me, but for the two of us it is worth it as we are both very busy with little free time.

9:37 a.m. — Clock in at Blink.

10:30 a.m. — Eat my same breakfast of eggs, hard salami, and whole wheat toast.

12 p.m. — Lunch of chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

1 p.m. — I eat a banana.

1:15 p.m. — I load my car for  a back to school event I am working with another manager at a local middle school.

Alyssa Anne Marsh works a back-to-school event for Blink Fitness. Photograph courtesy Alyssa Anne Marsh.

2 p.m. — Event starts. We set up a table with Blink school gear for the kids and a raffle of two free memberships for parents.

3 p.m. — The event planners have health food for vendors! Yay!! I have  a turkey and cheese wrap with lettuce on pita bread and an apple.

4 p.m. — The event is over. We break down our set up and head back to the club.

5:30 p.m. — I’m leaving Blink to head out to Flywheel Bryn Mawr.

6:23 p.m. — Arrive at Flywheel, I change quickly and get ready to teach at 6:45 p.m.

7:55 p.m. — Class is over, and I’m headed out.

8:40 p.m. — Home, Zach meets me at the stairs to help me carry all of my things and takes my lunch box off my hands so that he can re-prep my food. He’s really great with counting macros and making sure I have the correct amount of protein. While he’s doing this, I shower and change.

9:30 p.m. — I can’t seem to force myself to eat a prepped meal today, so I have breakfast for dinner — eggs, whole wheat toast, hard salami slices, almond milk, and a protein shake.

11:15 p.m. — Head to bed after we watch some of the Jersey Shore Vegas episode while I also work on social media marketing.

Daily total: $9.17

Friday

6 a.m. — Alarm. Change, brush teeth, hydrate, and grab stuff. I eat a banana on the way to work and stop at Starbucks for three grande iced coffees for my opening team ($12.98).

7 a.m. — Arrive at my club for work for the day. The company likes for club managers to attempt to get in early at least once a week to be present for the morning hours.

8 a.m. — Eat same breakfast as yesterday.

11 a.m. — Eat lunch of chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

12:30 p.m. — Eat a banana.

2:20 p.m. — I leave work at 2 p.m. and make a quick stop at Five Below: I  I need a new phone case!

2:45 p.m. — I find street parking near Flywheel ($5.78).

3 p.m. — Get ready to teach my 45-minute Flywheel Method class.

4:45 p.m. — Great class! I heat up chicken and broccoli meal after class  and eat in the car while headed to FedEx to pick up my new phone.

6 p.m. — Arrive at the FedEx warehouse. No phone yet. FedEx team says it’s best to come back at 7:45 p.m., so I choose to leave.

6:45 p.m. — Home, I shower, change, eat a cup of cottage cheese. I still have a long day head of me. Zach arrives home at the same time as me. He takes the dogs out while I task and start to get my stuff together for Saturday.

7:30 p.m. — I heat up dinner (broccoli, chicken, sweet potatoes) and the two of us grab Maci and head out to FedEx.

7:52 p.m. — Phone is there! Headed to Aldi next to get groceries out of the way.

8:20 p.m. — Pick a similar assortment of food as we did on Sunday. ($97 total, $48.50 for my half).

9:23 p.m. — Home and unloading groceries.

9:45 p.m. — Dinner of chicken, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.

11 p.m. — Bed.

Daily total: $67.26

Weekly Totals

Money spent: $217.29

Classes taught: 5

Boxing workouts done: 3

Protein shakes: 4

Cups of coffee: 5

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