Emily Gavino - Personal Training

bonus points because it gives me a reason to go to target 👀

THANK YOU PROTEIN PINTS

I spent a long time trying to avoid doing a calorie deficit.

I wanted to build muscle and focus on strength and just hope fat loss happened.

And while those things have their place, eventually I had to admit that my goal right now is fat loss.

So I stopped overcomplicating it and just did the dang calorie deficit.

No detoxes.
No cutting out entire food groups.
No hours of cardio.
No trying to survive on 1,200 calories.

Just consistency.

The funny thing is that doing a moderate deficit has actually made me feel more in control than constantly second-guessing myself.

This isn’t forever, though.

The goal isn’t to stay in a deficit as long as possible. The goal is to lose the fat I want to lose, then transition back into a recomp phase where I can focus on building muscle, getting stronger, and improve my overall body composition.

Fat loss is a season.
Muscle building is a season.

One more season closer to rebuilding.


Buffbunny Collection

The fitness industry loves before-and-afters.

I wish it showed more of the detours.

The migraines.
The flare days.
The appointments.
The weeks that don’t go according to plan.

Nobody talks enough about the grief that can come with chronic illness—not because you’re sick every day, but because you’re constantly adjusting expectations and learning to work with a body that doesn’t always cooperate.

I used to think success meant never missing a workout.

Now I think success is being able to miss one without spiraling.

Because progress isn’t ruined by the days you have to rest. Your body remembers the months and years of consistency far more than it remembers a missed workout.

Some days strength looks like pushing through a workout.

Some days strength looks like giving yourself permission not to.

Chronic illness has a way of teaching you things healthy people can spend a lifetime overlooking.

You learn that sleep isn’t a luxury.

Hydration isn’t optional.

Movement is medicine.

Strength matters.

Stress has consequences.

Nutrition impacts everything.

You become aware of your body in a way that most people never have to be.

Not because you’re obsessed with health.

Not because you’re trying to be perfect.

Because your body gives you immediate feedback when something is off.

There are days I wish I didn’t have to think about any of it. Days I wish I could take my health for granted the way I used to.

But there is also something beautiful about being forced to slow down and pay attention.

To learn what your body needs.

To respect its limits.

To celebrate what it can do instead of focusing only on what it can’t.

Living with hEDS and POTS hasn’t made me grateful for chronic illness. But it has made me grateful for every small thing that supports my health.

The water. The movement. The strength. The rest. The nourishment.

Things that seem ordinary until your body teaches you just how much they matter.

I’ve lived with migraine since 5-6 years old & just recently diagnosed with hEDS & POTS. This is why I fell in love with health and fitness as a teen.

only hit my step goal today but I had zero expectations for the holiday! it was all about trying to survive the heat 🫪🥵

Day 2 of romanticizing the recomp. Just my usual meals, Pilates, Back & Bi’s and another day of choosing consistency. See you tomorrow. 🫶

Using Ladder

Starting a little 30 day reset before our trip ✨🏰

Not chasing perfection, just showing up for myself again —

For the next 30 days I’m focusing on the things that make me feel my best:
✨ moving my body
✨ fueling with high-protein meals
✨ building strength
✨ taking care of myself in the little ways

Come along for the journey 🤍

Using | Fitness App