I can't outwork my fork

When I finally realized that I couldn't out run.....out lift.....out step mill....out workout....my food and fork...

Everything finally clicked!

My husband....the fitness guru...had been telling me this for years....

I had had many trainers tell me this in the past including Dominic and Tarik...

But 

A. I didn't want t hear it

B. I didn't believe them

C. I didn't want to hear it 

What this means is I can't eat a whole pizza and then go run 5 miles the next day to negate the pizza calories.

I can't eat 1400 calories of jelly beans and then do the step mill for 90 minutes to try and burn off the jelly beans.

It just doesn't work this way.

That's why I have a cheat meal or treat once a week read more about that Here...so I don't feel deprived of my favorites.

It also allows me to workout and feel so much better. I don't have the sugar highs and bonks like I used to.

It's is such a simple concept with a huge meaning! 

Once it clicked with me everything started to fall into place. 

The Importance of Cheat Meals

To keep me sane I have one cheat meal a week. 

I do this not only during "show" prep but just life.

I eat healthy. Clean. Fresh. Organic. No soy. No gluten. Tons of veggies. Fruit. Fish only. Day in and day out 5x a day. 

But on either Friday or SaturdaysI have one cheat meal and/or treat. Occasionally both. 

I honestly would rather have a cheat "treat"....chocolate bar than a cheat "meal". 

Post show I had a full week where I had a chocolate bar or two every single night! 

Plus 2 cheat meals...one right after the show of chips and artichoke dip and one Pei Wei salt laden yummieness. 

I fully believe that once people reach their goal...whether it's a weight loss goal or a fitness goal....marathon ...whatever ....that you deserve a cheat meal or treat. 

Now that being said I don't think it should be a cheat day! 

A day is too much...it's too easy to go crazy...that's a whole days worth of calories...food...nutrition...fats...carbs...

I think that once you are where you want to be weight wise...that you should allow yourself a cheat meal/treat. 

I believe it helps you to 

A. Not go crazy

B. Reset your metabolism so that your body doesn't get used to eating the same thing day in and day out...

C. Gives you something to look forward to

D. Helps you to not feel deprived 

E. Did I mention not go crazy? 😉

Now I will say that during show prep I cut out all cheats 3 weeks prior to the show. 

So pick your day...pick your cheat meal and go for it! 

Then your next meal you should be right back on your regular schedule. 

Photo on left was 1 day before first show...weight 119.4

Right photo was after many cheats 3 wks post show...weight 122.

I took off 10 full days. 

Photo on right is after 1 week of working out again, 

I had no heels on and bikini is straight across making body appear wider. 

So waist wider. Abs not as tight. Legs a bit puffy.

Show ready photo was first thing in am.

Right was after 2 meals and 2 snacks. 

Overall not bad. 

Let's get Real about food!

So going into this show I knew that I wanted do it as healthy as I could being that I have such a horrible stomach...read more about that...Here I didn't want to do any crazy things that would mess up my metabolism. I didn't want to starve. I wanted to eat whole real food.

I also knew though that I needed to add more protein to my diet but how could I do that without eating beef, pork, chicken, or turkey...as I only eat fish. 

So let's go back in time to when I decided I wanted to do a NPC bikini show...

June of 2014 I tried many many many different kinds of protein powders to mix in with my daily smoothie....whey and vegan. All they did was blow my stomach up to where I looked 6 months pregnant. It would then take a week to get my stomach readjusted. It was awful!

I did the same with protein bars...tried vegan and whey versions and all they did was wreck my stomach. 

I also tried adding more food to my diet...more calories...but again it just messed me up. 

So after about 6 weeks of trial and error I just thought well I'm gonna do the best I can with my current diet and see where it takes me. 

I then just threw caution to the wind and decided to do it my own way. 

No beef.

No pork.

No chicken. 

No turkey.

No protein powders.

No protein bars. 

No extra food.

Nothing. 

Nada.

I did it my own way. 

My own food.

My own diet. 

So many of these competition diets/preps don't allow most of the foods that I ate and currently eat.

For example fruit...I ate it every single day thruout my entire prep time...even Peak Week! 

Here's an example of what I ate during my prep and what I currently eat.

Breakfast 

Food For Life Baking Organic Ezekiel 4:9 - Cinnamon Raisin Whole Grain Flourless Bread, 24 Ounce 

Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter

Mid morn snack

Banana

Enjoy Life Decadent Bars

Lunch

Tuna

Slice of horizon cheese

Cup of organic berries

Fage yogurt

Mid afternoon snack

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter

Food To Live ® Organic Cashews

Dinner

Two whole organic eggs 

Horizon cheese

Two cups of kale, spinach, arugula 

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