Weekly Recap

I was on point with nutrition last week! After being disappointed with my progress last week and worrying about not being stage ready, I realized that the only person responsible for my success is me. I’ve done every single strength workout my coaches have given me for the last 4 months and completed all the weekly cardio, but I hadn’t been 100% with my nutrition.

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I had taken a few liberties changing things up (even if they did fit within my daily macronutrients), indulged in a few glasses of wine, and few slip-ups along the way giving into some clearly off-limits food. All of these things add up! The nibble here and there of my family’s desserts, tasting the cookie dough when baking (I once forgot to add sugar to banana bread 5 years ago so I ALWAYS taste to make sure I don’t forget a crucial ingredient!), even eating slightly larger portions of healthy foods, they all add up to calories and sugars not on my meal plan. So I finally put a stop to it this week!

Even though my calories decreased a little this week, I barely noticed it and never felt deprived. I also stayed busier than usual at work so there wasn’t any time to even think about snacking and straying from my meal plan.

For the last few years, I’ve made really yummy Oreo mint brownies with white chocolate and mint marshmallow buttercream. Of course, they’re delicious because there isn’t a single thing in it that is even remotely healthy! One of my colleagues (not realizing at the time that I was in training) asked me if I would make them for St. Patrick’s Day this year. I love baking so I said yes, but I knew it would be a challenge to avoid eating them. I got off work a little early on Wednesday, and because I’d already completed my workouts that morning, I asked my 3-year-old if she wanted to help me bake them (and be in charge of all the tasting!). I successfully avoided eating any of the batter, frosting, and Oreos. I didn’t even lick my fingers (which I usually would have done automatically). I’m so glad my colleagues enjoyed them but I did put one in the freezer for me to enjoy later 😉

Last week was also Nut Butter Cup Week over at FitFoodieFinds.com. She’s a yoga sculpt instructor, recipe developer, and blogger near my hometown in Minnesota. She makes some of the most amazing healthy recipes and takes beautiful drool-worthy pictures! A few months ago, she had a recipe for healthy peanut butter cups. We made a half batch with peanut butter and a half batch with cashew butter for George and they were sooo good! Well, I guess they must have been extremely popular because she devoted an entire week to nut butter cup recipes. When I was scrolling through Instagram and saw her Healthy Oreo Cashew Butter Cups, I knew George would love them (for the record, those were his 2 bites in the picture)! I stashed a few of those away in the freezer too;)

I’m not sure what it is about Saturday’s progress pictures, but they really make me doubt myself. Last time I weaned from breastfeeding, I gained about 5 pounds in a month, so I keep worrying that even though my calories have decreased, my body’s caloric needs may be decreasing more. And having never transformed my body in this way, so I don’t really know where I should be each step of the way and I keep feeling like I’m behind. I didn’t see much change at first in my progress video I sent my coaches and asked them if I should decrease calories more because I wasn’t really uncomfortable or hungry this week (like they said I might be). Once again, they reassured me that I’m right on track and even look a little better than one of their other competitors that took 1st place at her first bikini competition. They pointed out a few key changes in my physique like my more visible glute-hamstring tie-in and sculpted calves.

I feel like I still have way too much fat on my hips hiding my glutes, but they said a lot of that is subcutaneous water that I’ll shed in the week before the competition. I knew these last few weeks would be a mental challenge, but I didn’t think I’d be constantly second-guessing whether I’m ready or not because I don’t want to embarrass myself!

Because I’ll be in a tiny bikini in front of a LOT of people in just a few short weeks, I’m trying to get more comfortable with the idea of showing more skin. So on Tuesday, I put on my little Nike shorts for my workout. I was a little self-conscious at first, but there were hardly any people there. Also, I felt like a badass that knew exactly what she was doing with these pink weightlifting gloves LOL!

I’m not sure what it is about Saturday’s progress pictures, but they really make me doubt myself. Last time I weaned from breastfeeding, I gained about 5 pounds in a month, so I keep worrying that even though my calories have decreased, my body’s caloric needs may be decreasing more. And having never transformed my body in this way, I don’t really know where I should be each step of the way and I keep feeling like I’m behind. I didn’t see much change at first in my progress video I sent my coaches and asked them if I should decrease calories more because I wasn’t really uncomfortable or hungry this week (like they said I might be). Once again, they reassured me that I’m right on track and even look a little better than one of their other competitors that took 1st place at her first bikini competition. They pointed out a few key changes in my physique like my more visible glute-hamstring tie-in and sculpted calves.

Progress

Even though it’s super unflattering, I always try to remember to take a straight on/no posing picture. This angle doesn’t hide any flaws (which is exactly why it’s not a bikini pose) but I feel like it gives me the most accurate representation of my progress. I’ve always had very thick thighs that I’ve always been very self-conscious of any time I wear shorts or a bathing suit. I thought I might be able to diminish them during this training process, but I’m starting to think they’re here to stay. And you know what? I’m starting to be ok with that!

When I practice my posing in the group exercise room, I try to remember to take a video with my phone propped up on the floor. Because the judges will be sitting below me while I’m up on the stage, this is the angle they will see, not straight on like when I look in the mirror.

Bikini Training Program

Strength x 5 days (mostly 3-4 sets x 15-20 reps)
Cardio x 5 (35 minutes) + 45 minute weekend run

Strength Training

Monday: AM Legs/Abs

Tuesday: PM Shoulders/Abs

Wednesday: AM Back/Abs

Thursday: PM Shoulders/Legs/Abs

Friday: PM Biceps/Triceps/Glutes/Abs

Saturday: Stroller Strides

Sunday: none

Cardio

Monday: 32 minutes treadmill walk/run Aaptiv Uphill, Downhill, On Beat (after strength)

Tuesday: 32 minutes treadmill run Aaptiv Progression Play (AM fasted)

Wednesday: 25 minutes treadmill run Aaptiv Let the Rhythm Guide You + 10 minutes incline walk 10% (after strength)

Thursday: 33 minutes treadmill run Aaptiv Betty Whoosh (AM fasted)

Friday: 21 minutes treadmill run Aaptiv Two Minute Progressions + 14 minutes incline walk 8-10%

Saturday: run to/from Stroller Strides 16 minutes Aaptiv Chase the Beat + 16 minutes Aaptiv Oops…I Sprinted Again

Meal Plan

A little cut is starting this week. Nothing too major, but my calories are dropping about 200 calories. I LOVE having the banana in my oatmeal and I really look forward to my Fit Crunch protein bar at the end of the day, but I was told to enjoy them because they’ll be gone after this week 🙁

Here’s what a typical day of eating looks like for me (please keep in mind that this meal plan customized for MY specific dietary needs for my height, weight, workout intensity, AND my caloric needs for breastfeeding). This may not be appropriate for you.