What Does Your SoulCycle Instructor Eat?

You should never feel guilty about idealizing your fitness instructor. Let's face it, he or she is paid to whip us into shape and inspire us to change, all while looking fierce and toned. This is no exception for Nabila Valentin, who joined the SoulCycle tribe in September.

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You are probably not surprised to know that Valentin keeps a clean diet. It would almost be impossible to eat junk food all the time and still have the energy to teach two (or even three) classes a day! Valentin also balances her life as an instructor with her other job working as a waitress and bottle server. Working late hours, then having to wake up to teach an early class has proven very difficult, but Valentin makes it work by taking care of her body through a clean diet and healthy lifestyle.

Despite her varied schedule that doesn't leave much room for a solid routine, she still is consistent with her diet and always makes time for sleep. If she could give one piece of advice to people who want to stay on the healthy path, it would be consistency. "Stick with it and maintain it," she said. "Diets are temporary. Create something long term. Seriously, the only thing that will help is just remaining consistent with your workouts and eating habits."

Something unique that Valentin does when January comes around is to detox for the month. By detox, this does not mean attempting a juice cleanse or only eating fruits and vegetables. It means moderation, low alcohol consumption, and fitting in healthy foods whenever possible. "This January, I decided to take a new approach on my detox month and am trying to create and really healthy eating lifestyle," she said. "I am not eliminating, but instead moderating. I will allow myself a cocktail only when it is appropriate to have one and I will allow myself something sweet and indulge at least once a week, while the rest of my eating choices will be made with healthy intentions."

Through SoulCycle, Valentin has found a way to establish a healthy lifestyle, which does not refer to eliminating all the food out there that is fattening, high in calories, or "bad" for you. "There's this battle with eliminating items completely and what's the point when you normally go right back to all of those bad habits right after any detox," she said. "So I'm making the conscious decision to start forming better habits now. Not that I didn't already have them, but I'll be more aware of it now."

The accompanying slideshow is provided by special contributor Will Budiaman.