"I've always believed that if you put in the work, the results will come." - Michael Jordan
Everyone wants quantifiable progress, even if just a little. We want to actually see results for the hard work we are putting in. All too often, however, we can get frustrated when we seem to stay constant, or worse, take a step back.
Saturday marked 15 weeks out from my show. Now, I could have very easily focused on the negatives of my check in. I didn't lose any weight in comparison to last week. In fact, I gained 1 lb (gasp!) and my measurements didn't drop. Let this be a reminder for all of the ladies - don't get caught up in temporary weight gain. It was that time of the month when I was retaining water, feeling bloated and just overall not feeling lean and tight.
Putting in the Work
Rather than get upset and frustrated with the fact that I didn't have any progress in my weight and measurements, I chose to look at the positives. I worked REALLY hard this week. Every day I gave it 100%. In fact, there were multiple times I could have gotten thrown off course, but instead I was focused and stayed on track.
Tuesday, I had a meeting after work for a professional organization I'm a member of. The meeting was from 6-8pm, the same time slot I normally go to the gym. Instead of skipping my workout, I planned ahead and went into work a bit earlier that day, shifted my workout from 4-6pm, and still made it in time for the meeting.
Friday, I had our Halloween Party at work that I helped organize. We had a really fun lunch catered for the occasion and I didn't want to totally exclude myself. I planned ahead and brought veggies and some lean protein with me to pair with some of the dishes served at lunch. I enjoyed smaller portions of the party food while also making sure I met my macros for the day with the food I supplemented.
Results Will Come
I know that I put in the work and that results will come as long as I stay consistent. I had a great week of workouts. I pushed myself hard every day and enjoyed every minute of it. I lifted with my barbell team twice this week. It is such a fun environment to be in and that really makes training fun.
Since I'm currently not training for a weightlifting meet, I'm able to have fun and focus on my technique with my Olympic lifts. This has been such a good compliment to my normal training and I know this will help me with achieving my ultimate goal with this prep. I worked up to 40 kg in my snatch drills this past week.
Whether you are currently working towards a weight loss goal or training for a performance-based competition, don't get discouraged if you aren't seeing results each week. Just because the weight on the bar doesn't increase or the number on the scale doesn't decrease, that doesn't mean you aren't progressing.
Nutrition
This week I loved my meals! Here is a recap of what I ate.
For lunches this week I had Rosemary Balsamic Pork Roast and Faux-tato and Leek Soup. This was super tasty AND filling.
Dinners for lifting days were Mexican inspired with a low fat quesadilla, chili lime chicken and white rice. Dessert on my lifting days this week was my bomb-diggity Pumpkin Bread. Seriously, this stuff is the best. Do yourself a favor and and make a loaf, you will not regret it.
Progress
Alright, now for my progress. Like I said, I was retaining water but I'm pushing through this week and focusing on putting in the work.
Measurements - 15 Weeks:
- Weight [lbs] - 151.8
- Waist [in] - 28
- Abdomen [in] - 30.5
- Hips [in] - 39
- Thighs [in] - 22.5
- Upper Arm [in] - 11.5
- Bust [in] - 33.5
Measurements - 17 Weeks:
- Weight [lbs] - 150
- Waist [in] - 28
- Abdomen [in] - 31
- Hips [in] - 39.25
- Thighs [in] - 22.75
- Upper Arm [in] - 11.5
- Bust [in] - 33.5
Non-training Day Macros:
- 1562 Calories
- 160 g Protein
- 55 g Carbohydrates
- 78 g Fat
Training Day Macros:
- 1845 Calories
- 155 g Protein
- 178 g Carbohydrates
- 57 g Fat
I am adjusting my macros slightly for this next week and decreasing my numbers for fat and carbs. I plan on taking this process nice and slow over the next 15 weeks. No sense in dropping my macros too low, too soon! That's all for this week - stay tuned for next!
Have you missed the previous posts within this series? No problem, read them here!
