the plan - june 2026
how I'm taking care of myself this month
Before we dive into this month’s plan, I’d love to hear from you. As I plan out this next chapter, I want your honest feedback and just 5 minutes of your time. You’re the best.
I’m nervous to say this, but I think we’ve turned a corner. May was my best month of the year so far, and I’m just grateful for it.
Here’s May, by the numbers:
23 meditations
18 journal entries
10 strength workouts
4 books read. There was simply too much TV that numbed my brain and made it difficult for me to focus on reading. I fear the same will happen in June, with Love Island USA starting up.
We Dance Upon Demons wasn’t just my top book of the month—it’s one of my top books of the entire year. Smart, subversive, and it felt essential for our current times. I’m still thinking about it.
May was a consequential month in that it gave me clarity on the big things that had been my biggest stressors, both personally and professionally. I feel like I’m in the final pages of a really tough chapter (something akin to the third act breakup in a romance novel, or a cliffhanger in a fantasy book), and things are hopefully about to get much better.
Something my friend Keren said at her book launch is “the person you want to be will cost you the person you are right now. And I want you to know that it’s about to get really good.” This past week, I’ve been journaling a lot on the old me vs. new me qualities—the things I tell myself, how I react and process now vs. before.
One habit I’ve fallen into is scrolling a lot more, and wasting the time I do have for myself. And it’s taken me some time to realize that it’s not so clear cut - I’m scrolling because I don’t respect my time, or I’m wasting my time right now. It’s simply what my brain and body needed to open the valve from the pressure cooker that is my brain right now. Awareness is the first step in building a new habit loop, and I’m trying to rely on these jump starts to do just that.
resetting my morning routine
I do a monthly performance review with my Claude coach, and she (I call her Claudia) pointed out that my morning routine slipped this month.
The numbers don’t lie. It’s also evidence that my current routine isn’t working for me, and we need to change it up.
I’m still waking up at an annoyingly early hour (my body is now used to it, and my husband still brings me coffee in bed). But rather than grabbing my phone and climbing back into bed, I need to do something different.
The phone is the linchpin in the scrolling/putzing habit loop I’m stuck in. I’m going to start charging it on my desk in the evening and using my iPad for my morning meditation and Claude morning briefing/brain dump.
The routine itself (meditation, journaling, reading) isn’t changing. It’s removing the distraction, and recognizing that just because my Threads algorithm is perfect doesn’t mean I have to give up my morning to enjoy it.
June’s workout plan
I’m really pleased with May’s workouts, and feel ready to start leveling things up. I’m replacing the Flash 15 with a lower body lift, and picked these workouts solely for the playlists (and in the glutes & legs strength class, for the deadlift block).
Selena’s 20 minute arms & shoulders strength (starting with 7 & 10 lb dumbbells)
I like to do a core workout in my warm up. This month, I’m alternating between this one and this one. I’m also doing the responsible thing of warming up and stretching before and after a lift. I love this upper body warm up and stretch, and this lower body warm up and stretch.
I’ve been an on-and-off again runner for my adult life, and would like to be on. I did Camila’s 30 minute pop punk run on June 2, and will try to do it once a week and improve on my pace each time.
Week 1: total distance of 2.9 miles, pace targets were a level 7. My recovery pace was 4 mph, and I did the first 5 intervals at 6.7 mph. Final interval started at 6.2 mph and I added 0.1 mph every minute, ending at 6.7 mph.
If you’d like to try Peloton, my link gives you a 60 day free trial.
I play tennis twice a week when I’m in PA, and am excited to get in the swing of things (no pun intended). I don’t get in nearly as many steps when I’m down there, so will be joining my parents on their daily walks to keep moving.
how I hit 100 g of protein in a day
I get this question a lot over on Instagram. And before I share how I hit this number, I also want to caution you to work up to this goal slowly. Start by adding 5 g of protein each day over a week or two, and then add another 5 grams for the next week or two. If you try to consume 100 grams of protein if you’re only getting in 50 or 60, it’s going to be painful (speaking from personal experience).
The same goes for fiber. I recommend tracking your macros (or just protein and fiber) for a few days to establish your baseline, and build on it from there.
Here’s how I do it most days:
I drink Arrae’s Clear Protein+ after my first cup of coffee (a habit I refuse to kick), which gives me 15 grams (and the electrolytes are really nice first thing in the morning).
I rotate between these breakfasts, and always with my post-workout shake:
The protein shake is key here. Even when I don’t work out, I make sure to drink it before lunchtime. I do 2 scoops of Orgain chocolate protein, and add in a scoop of AG1 and half a scoop of creatine.
savory yogurt bowl (nonfat Greek yogurt, 1 AFAR bar crumbled up, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds) - 49 g protein, 14 grams fiber
2 Beyond Meat breakfast sausage patties, bowl of Rice Krispies with regular milk - 41 grams protein, 9 grams fiber
Chobani less sugar strawberry yogurt with chia seeds - 35 grams of protein, 12 grams fiber).
I prep most of our meals over the weekend, and usually hit 25 grams of protein and 5-8 grams of fiber per serving. These make up our lunches and dinners.
Snacks: I try to get 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in my snacks:
my favorite chicken sticks - 6 g protein
dried edamame beans - 11 g protein, 5 g fiber
a chia water (soak 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes, then add lemon juice and a can of seltzer) - 2 g protein, 4 g fiber
Hey Hitha! Could you recommend an app for macro tracking? I aspire to 100g protein a day, and I think your advice for a 5g a day ramp up is awesome. What app(s) have you used before that have helped you get eyes on a baseline? Thanks in advance, & Go Birds!!