Hello!

My name is Ivy Yahnke, a 21-year-old college student from San Diego, CA.

I am currently studying Journalism with a minor in Nutrition at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

I’ve always been an athlete, having played volleyball for the past twelve years of my life. My family is made up of runners and rugby players as well, so we’re an active bunch who lives a healthy lifestyle.

Although this lifestyle has kept me fit, I’ve felt insecure in my own skin for as long as I can remember. Other than sand and indoor volleyball practices, which sometimes included team workout sessions, I dabbled here and there with at-home workout programs to try and get in better shape. These were excellent for keeping me “volleyball fit,” as they were quick, high intensity plyometric workouts.

But, in terms of developing overall body composition and muscle growth, they were pretty pointless – especially when I did them with a half-ass attitude. Plus, nutrition was equally half-assed. I ate healthy food 80% of the time, but really had no idea what I was doing in terms of portion control, calorie control, or macronutrient knowledge.

It wasn’t until the summer of 2018 after my freshman year of college that I dove deep into the worlds of fitness and nutrition. I began lifting heavily in the gym and educating myself about the importance of eating to achieve different goals in body recomposition. I learned about macro and micronutrients, tracking my food intake, calorie deficits, calorie surpluses, flexible dieting, bulking, cutting, maintaining, etc. I began putting these practices to work consistently, and developed a burning passion for this new lifestyle that has changed who I am today completely – both physically and mentally.

I am now pursuing a minor in Nutrition, so along with the information I’m learning on my own through research and social media apps like Youtube and Instagram, I’m receiving a formal education on the subject too. As I mentioned on my home page, an interest in fitness and nutrition in popular culture is growing rapidly. This is exciting, but it’s also worrisome, as there is now more false information out there than ever before, promising quick fixes and bullshit regimens.

My goal with this blog is to bust through the bullshit. I promise to write with honesty in order to share true information about fitness and nutrition. These industries are fascinating and there is always more to learn, but they can be confusing. They can be misleading. And they can be scary…

I want to take the knowledge I’ve learned through my research, my education, and my own experiences to a) try and simplify the messy stuff as best I can, and b) not beat around the bush like so many other fitness accounts and “experts” do.

With that being said, I am not an expert on either of these subjects. I will do my best to pursue the truth, back up my blog posts with evidence, and complete sound research before sharing. But I will also offer my opinion. And I will also make mistakes. I advise readers to both challenge my opinion pieces and keep an open mind, to fact check the knowledge I share and tell me when I’m wrong, and to never be afraid to take my posts with a grain of salt.

The knowledge I’ve gained from other fitness accounts who are “doing it right,” or in other words, keeping it real, has impacted my life immensely. With this blog, I hope to have a similar impact on aspiring fitness junkies to hopefully make at least one reader’s journey a little easier. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, and I hope you find what you’re looking for!

With love,

Ivy ❤