I tried living like a Victoria’s Secret Model for a day

May 30, 2018 — by Sandhya Sundaram

Reporter tries to emulate the lifestyle of a model for a day.

After googling the daily routine of a Victoria’s Secret model and reading PopSugar’s article on the their diet, I immediately regretted my decision to attempt to copy their lifestyle. As soon as I saw the words “detox tea” and “green salad,” I gave up mentally because I enjoy indulging myself in unhealthy and tasty foods.

I decided to attempt the lifestyle of Swedish model Britt Maren on a Tuesday over spring break. I started off my morning by drinking warm water infused with lemon juice, a health secret for supposedly clearing the digestive system that Gwyneth Paltrow and Miranda Kerr also swear by.

After her morning drink, Maren goes to a Pure Barre workout class, which is a ballet-like workout using your bodyweight to build muscle and flexibility. I was relieved to see that my local YMCA had a barre class, where we did movements involving toe raises, and a lot of calf workouts. Unfortunately, flexibility is really not my strength. I quit gymnastics in fourth grade after trying it for a few months and only winning participation medals because I wasn’t good enough to actually place.

The class felt pretty low impact, but in the following days, I could definitely tell that my calves were sore from the toe raises  and that I had been stretched beyond my ability.

I made myself a breakfast of avocado toast and fresh fruit — a meal I tend to eat a lot anyway — and then got ready for my photoshoot.

I invited my sister to take photos of me and we went to the Gardener Park to shoot. I really didn’t want to model lingerie like the Victoria’s Secret Angels so I just went with a casual outfit.

I tried to not look awkward but that was a struggle, so I wound up taking pretty goofy pictures of me hanging on the monkey bars instead.

For lunch, I made myself a Trader Joe’s Southwestern salad and I ate a veggie burger patty for protein. This is very similar to a typical meal for me, so there was no problem.

Later on, I took a break from the model life and studied for AP Computer Science. Soon I got hungry and wanted a snack.

Healthy snacking wasn’t a problem since my parents rarely buy junk food. I ate some of Trader Joe’s Snapea Crisps, which I always enjoy, as well as some goji berry cacao bites, which I was very disappointed with since they were way too sweet.

Finally I ended my day with a dinner of a Buddha bowl, which contained wild rice, avocado, tofu and mixed veggies. I’m sure it was as healthy as Maren’s homemade pizza dinner because whatever my mom makes is healthy anyway. I also hesitantly tried drinking Kombucha after having gagged the previous time I had it.

Kombucha is a detox drink that improves digestion, helps the immune system, prevents arthritis and cancer and helps with weight loss, according to Wide Open Eats.

When I drank it, I kept sneezing, so I stopped after a few sips. Even if it’s healthy, it definitely was not worth the periodic nose tickling sensations and uncomfortable sneezes that followed. I then googled my kombucha symptoms and noticed that kombucha can have side effects like sneezing and congestion. I will not drink this stuff again.

Overall, my experience as a model was not too crazy because the diet consisted of meals that I would eat anyway. The problem is that getting myself to go to the gym everyday is impossible. I will always come up with excuses such as, “I have a test tomorrow” or “I’m too sleep deprived” or “I’m too busy eating.” Being a model for a day doesn’t seem very difficult but it definitely takes a lot of motivation and dedication to live this lifestyle consistently.

 
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