"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit" - Aristotle
6 weeks. Shit is about to get real.
I'm back home after 2 weeks and man, does it feel good to be home. Don't get me wrong, I loved my time away and seeing my family, but I am a creature of habit. I LOVE my daily routine and with now less than 6 weeks until my show, everyday counts.
The past 6 weeks have been a delicate balance of enjoying life while also keeping my end goal in mind. I've had to navigate around Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas parties, travel, Christmas, dining out and New Year's. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but I was confident I could still stay on track. This Saturday, January 2nd, marked the end of a true test. I must say that I even surprised myself a bit with the results!
Progress
The last check-in prior to the holiday madness was Saturday, November 21st (the weekend before Thanksgiving) and also marked 12 weeks out from my show.
12 Weeks:
- Weight [lbs] - 149
- Waist [in] - 27.75
- Abdomen [in] - 29.5
- Hips [in] - 39
- Thighs [in] - 22.5
- Upper Arm [in] - 11.5
- Bust [in] - 33.5
Checking in on Saturday I was so pleased to find my measurements were the same as what they were before I left for Christmas vacation (8 Weeks Out). This may be the first time in my adult life that I've survived the holidays without gaining any weight - all while still enjoying the delicious food and drink!
6 Weeks:
- Weight [lbs] - 145.2
- Waist [in] - 27.25
- Abdomen [in] - 29
- Hips [in] - 38.5
- Thighs [in] - 22
- Upper Arm [in] - 11.25
- Bust [in] - 33.25
I had set a goal to stay consistent over the Christmas - New Year's time frame and I did just that. Could I have been better about my diet while I was home? Of course. I definitely "splurged" more times than I should have. In fact, the most surprising part about this is I believe I only had 1 or 2 days where I accurately tracked my macros! Most days I simply ate sensibly and kept in mind if it was a high carb or low carb day (depending on my workouts). It was a nice break in my prep to not obsess over food. I still made smart choices, but I wasn't refusing to eat something that hasn't been accurately weighed and measured.
2016 will be a great year in terms of moderation and nutrition. I was reassured that I will be able to make smart choices after my show is done and I'm back living in "real life".
Nutrition
This past week was definitely a good week of eating! On Monday I threw a Monday Night Football party in Cincinnati for the Bengals game. I made a whole slew of MEN original recipes including Guacamole, Bison Sliders, BBQ Chicken Nachos (simply swapped BBQ sauce for the Frank's Hot Sauce!) and my newest creation, Spinach Artichoke Pizza with Cauliflower Crust.
Tuesday and Wednesday were my best days of eating while I was home, in terms of macros tracking. I made lunches of chicken, turkey pepperonis, fat-free cheese and celery and for dinner Tuesday night I made homemade pizza with my fam!
To close out the week, I had the most amazing final meal of 2015 with my parents in Cincinnati! We started the night with THE BEST Oysters Rockefeller at a restaurant nearby, then went to Metropole and had their 4-course NYE dinner.
After all this decadent eating, I am happy to be home and eating easy and simple meals. My macros for this week are as follows:
Non-Lifting Day Macros:
- 1,432 Calories
- 155 g Protein
- 50 g Carbohydrates
- 68 g Fat
Lifting Day Macros:
- 1,750 Calories
- 150 g Protein
- 175 g Carbohydrates
- 50 g Fat
Workouts
Are you still with me?
Last but not least, my workouts over the past week were awesome. I made sure to get to the gym to lift Tuesday - Thursday, took an off day Friday for travel and then went snowboarding Saturday for a really great cardio workout. Looking back on the last 4 weeks, I've been a bit more relaxed with my cardio/plyo regimen. As much as I love lifting, I know I need to begin incorporating HIIT and plyos to achieve the results I want for my show.
Moving forward, I plan on doing 2 days of Olympic weightlifting, 2 days of 'performance' lifting (following the Cressey program and doing 2 days of lifting in one), and 2 days of HIIT and plyometrics. That leaves one day for recovery each week. Also making a point to be more diligent with my stretching and mobilizing.
Ready to CRUSH these next 6 Weeks!!
