Meet Healthy LAdy: Amy Paffrath
Today I’d like to introduce you to a beautiful, strong, inspirational woman named Amy Paffrath.
After the positive feedback I received about the interview with my mom — a real woman leading a healthy lifestyle — I decided it would be cool to feature more normal women with advice to share, as opposed to just celebrities.
So welcome to the first edition of my Healthy “LA”dy series!
Every two weeks, I’ll feature a new L.A. woman whose healthy lifestyle I admire, and I hope you will too. These are women who — unlike the rich and famous — don’t have personal chefs and and teams of fitness professionals at their constant disposal. Women who likely have the same resources you do to motivate themselves to stay fit.
First up, my friend and host/actress, Amy Paffrath.
I met her when I first starting working at E! News over six years ago and found her positivity and warmth absolutely infectious.
Even as her career has grown, she’s still maintained her down-to-earth charm. So despite the fact that she’ll probably be an A-lister soon, for our purposes today, she’s just your “average” Healthy LAdy.
Amy has always been in great shape, but recently some pretty impressive pics began popping up in my Instagram feed, and I just had to know what she was doing to get so ripped.
Q&A w/ Healthy LAdy Amy Paffrath
Q: What’s your favorite way to sweat in L.A.?
It’s different every time. I like to take classes like kickboxing or bootcamp at the gym. I do heavy weights, circuit training and gymnastics moves. I also try to get at least one hot yoga class in each week at Earth’s Power Yoga.
Occasionally, I’ll take a spin class. I like Cycle House and Soul Cycle. And I go on lots of hikes with my dog.
When I eat at home, I’m super diligent.
If I workout first thing in the morning, I’ll make a bulletproof coffee and drink that on my way to the gym. It’s typically coffee with a tablespoon of coconut oil. It gives me a nice burst of energy to get through a tough workout.
When I get home, I like to make veggie omelets with red bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and avocado. Somedays, I’ll make sunny side up eggs with a couple slices of bacon. I go back and forth between the turkey variety and the real deal, though I make sure its nitrate-free.
For lunch, I’ll make a big salad with lots of veggies, and maybe chicken or turkey for protein. I always use vinegar and oil for dressing, or I’ll use salsa.
Try my 3-ingredient salad dressings >>
For dinner, I generally cook for my husband and I (Author’s note: Amy is married to cutie Drew Seeley).
I like to make broiled salmon and veggies, usually zucchini or broccoli. I got a copy of Fifty Shades of Chicken as a wedding gift, and there are some delicious recipes in there too.
I also try to keep healthy snacks on hand like celery and humus, raw nuts and low-fat cheese sticks. If I have popcorn in the house, I’ll eat it the whole bag in one sitting. Its a problem, LOL.
Q: Care to share your salmon recipe?!
It’s super simple.
I take wild Atlantic salmon, cover it in fresh lemon juice, capers, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Wrap it in foil and broil it on high for about 25 minutes. It’s so flavorful and doesn’t dry out since you cook it in its own juices. Delicious.
My dog loves the leftover skin too!
Q: What are your favorite healthy spots to eat in LA?
We love Murakami Sushi, Bossa Nova and M Cafe.
I did a 5-day macrobiotic cleanse at M Cafe and got hooked on their healthy dishes. One of my favorites is the miracle bowl with veggies and salmon. They use shirataki noodles so they have zero carbs and zero calories.
I also eat at Tender Greens a few times a week, since its close to work. I love their soups, kale salad and side of veggies. Simple, filling and very healthy.
Q: And when you’re feeling naughty?
I try my best to avoid carbs and sugar, so when I indulge, it’s usually one of those.
Franco on Melrose has amazing pasta dishes. I love the ravioli and lasagna. I also can’t get enough of the rock shrimp tempura at Izakaya on 3rd. For dessert, my favorite indulgence is the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwich at Carmela. So delicious, and worth every calorie.
Q: Favorite active wear brand?
My favorite leggings are Nina B Roze. They are functional and super stylish. Mine are bright red, which is super energizing for a high intensity workout.
It sounds silly, but its important for me to feel stylish, even when I’m working out. I get a lot of complements on them.
I don’t hold myself to anyones standards but my own. When I fall off track, I know it.
No one has ever pressured me to lose weight. I’ve put that pressure on myself though. After my honeymoon, I definitely put on a few pounds. But that’s a once in a lifetime experience that you should really and fully enjoy. When I got back, I got down to business and got back into my routine. It took a few weeks, but I was patient and gentle with myself and was back to my trim bod in no time.
I don’t believe in scales. I go off of how I feel and how my clothes fit. I don’t care what the number on the scale says.
Q: Who is your celebrity fitspo?
I like strong women like Jessica Biel and Cameron Diaz.
I want to be strong, not skinny. They have beautiful sculpted arms and strong cores. They aren’t scrawny or too thin. They are also women who have fun in life. It’s all about balance.
Q: What’s your best healthy living tip?
Do something physical everyday. Whether its a slow hike, some gentle yoga or a hardcore training session, get up and move.
I always take the stairs and fit in extra bursts of energy when I can. It all adds up. I love the saying, “If athletes waited until they were healed to play, they’d never get in the game.” Just because your sore or tired, its not an excuse to be stagnant. You’ll always be sore if you’re doing it right!
Q: What are your fitness goals this summer?
I’m in Panama filming VH1’s Dating Naked, so I’ve had to get creative with my workouts.
There is no gym at our resort, so I’m doing a lot of yoga. My goal is to make it a daily habit. I subscribed to YogaDownload.com and have done a different video every day since I’ve been here. Some days I want more cardio, so I’ll pick a bootcamp style video. Other days, I’ll do a gentle flow, or a sculpt class with weights.
I made some weights with sand and empty water bottles — told you I’m creative!
Q: What attribute are you most proud of physically, and what personality trait?
I’m so happy with my upper body. I feel strong and sleek and still very feminine. I’ve been practicing my walking handstands and handstand push ups. You don’t need any equipment and can do them anywhere.
Personality wise, I love encouraging others. I have a tattoo on my left arm that says “I don’t shine if you don’t shine.” To me, that means we have to lift each other up.
Q: What’s your healthy living motto?
Strong is sexy. Challenge yourself. Don’t be afraid to break a sweat.
But more importantly, love yourself and be gentle with yourself. Somedays you have more energy than others, or you go way off the rails and ruin your diet. That’s okay. Accept it and cut yourself some slack.
Tomorrow is always a new day.
A humongous thank you to Amy for being the first Healthy LAdy in this new series.
Keep checking in for more interviews with inspirational women and be sure to catch the premiere of Amy’s show Dating Naked on VH1, July 17th at 9 p.m.
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says:
Great interview! I especially love that she puts an emphasis on being strong rather than skinny, a good role model :)
Whitney English says:
Absolutely. When you focus on getting strong over losing weight, you’ll likely achieve both anyway, but in a healthy way!
Suzanne Gibson says:
Love your idea of interviewing your Mom and other non celebs.
Whitney English says:
Thanks Suzanne! Stay tuned for more!
Ellen says:
Nice! I like the “real woman” angle. And I agree, strong is more important than skinny!
Whitney English says:
I’ll raise a dumbbell to that :)
Jana @ Happy Wife Healthy Life says:
Love this idea for a series! As much as I enjoy reading about celebrity health and fitness tips, it is nice to hear from real women too! :)
Whitney English says:
Thanks Jana! While the celebrity interviews will continue, I figured it was time I tapped into the wealth of knowledge my real “fitnessistas” possess too!
GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth says:
Great Interview! I love that Amy goes by how she feels rather than the number on the scale. I’m a scale non-believer as well haha
Looking forward to ‘meeting’ the next LAdy :D
Whitney English says:
Thanks Giselle! Yeah, the scale is not my friend either. I go by how my pants fit!
Kim says:
Oh, I’m so excited you are making this a series!!!
Amy sounds like a great example of fitness for all of us – love her approach! And, I love that she made weights with sand and water bottles!!
Whitney English says:
I know, so creative right?! I’m always using random things around the house to workout with…candles, wine bottles, laundry detergent jugs, but the water bottles with sand sound a lot more practical!
Camille @ Challenge Mantra says:
This was a great interview. I loved which celebrities she chose as fitness role models.
Whitney English says:
Totally. Jessica Biel is a bada$$ :)
Rachel @ Betty LIVIN says:
I was so inspired by the quote “If athletes waited until they were healed to play, they’d never get in the game”! I have found if I take a rest day it turns into another then another and another. I prefer to do light yoga or an easy walk on the days after a hard workout.
Jeremy Joey says:
Amy Is totally Awesome!!! I love you Amy
Whitney English says:
I second that!
Jeannie says:
Such a great interview. Her tips were helpful and do-able! Thanks :)
Bethann Wagner says:
Bulletproof coffee is my pre-workout beverage too! She is gorgeous inside and out – loving her ‘ I don’t shine if you don’t shine.’ mantra. Thanks of sharing!
Brittany @ Barr & Table says:
What a beautiful lady. I love that you’re writing these posts. I think it’s so important to show everyone “real” people instead of everyone just seeing models all the time.
Whitney English says:
So glad you enjoyed it! There will be many more where this came from :)
Jamie says:
I love reading about strong women! Awesome interview and helpful to me!