Team USA & ESPY Winner Ilona Maher Poses On The Beach In A Bikini
Ilona Maher has done a lot of exciting things. Last night, she was honored with an ESPY Award. She won a medal for rugby with Team USA. And this year, she got to appear in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. After doing that, Ilona has been sharing a lot of bikini photos on Instagram. Recently, she shared one of herself on the beach in a gray snakeskin patterened suit. Ilona captioned it, “It ain’t up for discussion.” Here are 5 of Ilona Maher’s wellness tips.
She Doesn’t Shame Herself
https://www.instagram.com/ilonamaher/p/DLqCm4Gy6Vw/
When it comes to her diet, Ilona doesn’t believe in restricting herself or shaming herself. “I don’t feel bad about eating,” she says to MindBodyGreen. “I’ve been training my mind and training myself to [get to that mindset]. Even being a professional athlete—but I think all women experience this—we deal with eating and our bodies.”
She Loves Eggs
Ilona makes sure to eat a healthy breakfast. She tells EatingWell that she likes to start her day with eggs. “Starting with breakfast, eggs are so great with the amount of protein they have so I’m always eating eggs. I love bacon—it gives me joy—so I’ll eat some bacon with it and a piece of toast or some other carb, whether it’s oatmeal or potatoes.”
She Loves Protein Packed Snacks
A big part of Ilona’s diet is having enough protein. She tells EatingWell that she eats snacks that have a lot of protein in them. “I snack a little more than I used to. I love having a protein source in that snack, whether that’s an apple with peanut butter, beef jerky, cold-cut meat, but I don’t really like protein bars. I try to drink water, but I do love a Powerade when it’s a hot training day.”
She’s Appreciative Of Her Body
Ilona has become an advocate for body-positivity. She tells EatingWell that she focuses on appreciating her body. “One thing I always tell people that’s helped me is, it’s not so much loving your body—which is what I got wrong when I was young. I wanted to love my body, but it was so hard because that’s not what I’m seeing everyday [online]. Even now I don’t love my body all the time, but I appreciate my body. So as a young girl, I think I wish I could’ve told myself to appreciate it more, and that it’s less about looks and more about what your body is capable of. That will make you have a different perspective on your body. It’s not just there for the human eye to look at.”
She Has Balance
While rugby is a big part of Ilona’s life, she makes sure to take breaks from it. “It’s interesting because I try not to let rugby control my mind the whole time,” she tells MindBodyGreen. “When people are like, ‘Oh, how do you do social media with the rugby?’ But it’s actually about finding that balance because if I was thinking about rugby all the time, it would be a lot. I think sometimes it can be a nice escape.”
