Submitted to: Contest #306

Recipe for a Body Built from the Ground Up

Written in response to: "Write a story in the form of a recipe, menu, grocery list, or product description."

American Creative Nonfiction Inspirational

Recipe for a Body Built from the Ground Up

They’ll say it’s vanity.

They’ll call it a phase.

They’ll assume it’s about the mirror, the scale, the angles.

But you know better.

This is not about looking good in jeans. This is about peeling yourself off the bathroom floor after the breakdown and choosing—again—to try.

It’s about reclaiming your body from the stress, the kids, the comments, the trauma.

It’s about finally building a home you don’t want to escape from.

So here it is: not a meal plan, not a miracle.

Just a recipe—raw and real—for the woman who’s ready to rebuild.

**Ingredients:**

- 3 scoops of discipline (sifted daily)

This isn’t the kind that shows up with motivation.

This is the kind that makes you lace your shoes when your legs are still sore.

The kind that makes you meal prep on a Sunday night instead of scrolling.

You’ll need to sift it daily because it clumps easily—especially on bad days.

- 1 serving of customized macros

Not what the internet says. Not what worked for your friend.

Yours. Measured in grams, but forged in freedom.

The first time you hit your numbers without guilt, it’ll taste like peace.

- 1 gallon of water (non-negotiable)

Hydration is the quiet hero.

It doesn’t clap back or flex, but it’ll flush your cravings, brighten your skin,

and carry the weight of your effort through every cell.

- 5 cups of resistance training (heavy on the glutes)

There’s a reason they call it *resistance*.

It will fight you. So push back harder.

Lift the bar and all the weight of your past with it.

- 4 NEUBIE sessions per week (lightly pulsed)

It feels strange at first—like you’re waking up muscles that forgot your name.

But give it time. Neuromuscular reeducation means you’re not just moving;

you’re reconnecting.

- 1 sweaty sports bra

It’s not cute. It’s soaked. It’s proof.

You’ll want to burn it, but you won’t. You’ll wear it like armor.

- 2 protein shakes (AM + PM)

Chocolate. Vanilla. Doesn’t matter. It’s the consistency that counts.

These are your daily bookends—the quiet fuel of your becoming.

- ½ cup of sore muscles

Sprinkle generously. If it aches, it’s working. If it burns, you’re alive.

- 1 mirror you’re afraid to look into (yet)

Don’t rush this one.

When you do look—really look—it won’t just be your reflection staring back.

It’ll be a fighter. A finisher. A woman reborn.

- A pinch of rage (redirected)

Take every memory, every comment, every dismissal—grind it into fuel.

- 1 heaping spoon of self-respect

Hard-won. Non-negotiable. This is what you’ll protect when you start to see results.

- Supportive partner or coach (optional, but enhances flavor)

Someone who reminds you on the bad days that showing up is enough.

Someone who doesn’t flinch when you cry mid-set.

Optional. But powerful.

**Instructions:**

1. Wake early. Add discipline to your morning before the world can talk you out of it. Stir with purpose. Let silence be your pre-workout.

2. Mix macros with movement. Track, measure, tweak. This part is science, not guesswork. Some days you’ll get it wrong. That’s part of the learning.

3. Preheat your mindset. There will be days your fire won’t ignite—use habit as a backup flame. Light a candle. Say a mantra. Drink your water.

4. Alternate workouts and NEUBIE sessions. One to sculpt, one to rebuild. Recovery is a key ingredient. Overtraining ruins the batch.

5. Add water until overflowing. Hydration is not optional—it’s the sauce that binds everything. Bonus: it flushes self-doubt.

6. Knead out the self-doubt. Every rep is proof. Every drop of sweat, a silent “I can.” You’re not just building muscle—you’re building belief.

7. Let rest days rise. Give your body room to recover. She’ll thank you by showing up stronger tomorrow.

8. Bake under pressure. Watch as your strength doubles, your shape shifts, your mind quiets. Growth is loud in the body, silent in the soul.

9. Season with compliments you used to deflect. Accept them. They’re earned. Let them marinate.

10. Plate with pride. You built this—every curve, every ounce, every hard-earned rep. Serve it with gratitude and a little flex.

**Chef’s Tip:**

Transformation isn’t served cold. Keep it warm. Keep it consistent. Keep showing up hungry.

This recipe doesn’t end when the timer dings. It lives in the way you walk, the way you speak, the way you finally take up space without shrinking.

Because what you’re really cooking up here… is a life you’re proud to live inside.

**Bonus Serving Suggestions:**

- Pair with a playlist that makes you feel unstoppable. Music is seasoning for your spirit.

- Serve alongside small victories: zipping up the jeans, hitting a new PR, saying “no” when you used to fold.

- Garnish with a photo you almost deleted—because you thought you weren’t “there yet.” You were. You are.

- Share with others. Someone out there is still hungry for their first win. Be their recipe card.

Remember: You’re not just transforming your body. You’re rewriting the recipe you were handed—the one that said you weren’t enough, couldn’t commit, wouldn’t last. And look at you now.

Still stirring. Still rising. Still hungry.

**Final Reflection:**

There will be days when you forget the recipe. Days when the scale lies, the leggings feel tight, and your energy feels microwaved instead of fresh. That’s normal. You are not broken. You are in progress.

Your transformation isn’t just about fat lost or strength gained—it’s about the moments no one sees. Like when you chose the stairs instead of staying still. When you meal-prepped with one hand and wiped tears with the other. When you said, “I’m doing this for me,” and actually meant it.

You won’t always feel proud. But you’ll keep showing up. And that’s what separates those who try from those who become.

This is your reminder: You are not just cooking up abs or curves. You are simmering into someone who no longer apologizes for being powerful.

Keep going. Keep stirring. You’ve only just begun.

**Secret Ingredient (Optional but Game-Changing):**

Write yourself a letter on Day 1. Tell her how proud you are of her for starting.

Seal it. Hide it in your gym bag. Read it on Day 30, when the fire feels low and the mirror feels cruel.

She’ll need your voice more than your progress pics.

Posted Jun 10, 2025
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5 likes 2 comments

Chris Heritage
11:57 Jun 16, 2025

Hello Amanda,
This is obviously an amazing writeup. I can tell you've put a lot of efforts into this. Fantastic!
Have you been able publish any book?

Reply

Amanda Brown
18:08 Jun 16, 2025

Thank you so much! I loved writing this! I just published my first book on Amazon called “She Couldn’t—Do I Did: Breaking the Bloodline of Silence.

Reply

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