Bikini Contest Prep Recap | 3 Weeks Out

Hallefreakinglujah!  I’m seriously feeling like I’m starting to lose steam and I’m so happy we’re almost done with this bikini prep.  If it were up to me, I’d compete now and be done with it!  It’s the timing more than anything that’s throwing me off.  My son is out of school for the summer and didn’t like the camp we had him signed up for for these next few weeks, so I cancelled it and he’s home with me now.  I’m totally fine with that and only signed him up at camp because I thought he’d enjoy it.  So, since he’d rather be home, that’s what we’re doing.  

I’m fortunate that I can take him with me to the gym where I train with my trainer and he’ll occupy himself quietly with some small toys or his iPad.  I can’t help but gush on him that he is so well-behaved at the gym.  I really appreciate that!  But, after my hour workout, I’m supposed to do 45 minutes of cardio and I feel like that’s a long time to keep James at the gym with me.  I’ve been able to do some cardio with him there while he played nearby, but it’s not ideal.  

And, we just finished two weeks straight of swim lessons and since he’s getting the hang of it, but not quite there, I signed him up for two more weeks of daily lessons.  This time they are at 11am though. So, we go to the gym at 8:30 am, then have to get to swim by 11.  And I have to make sure I have a meal in between the two or I’ll be completely starving and wiped by the time we get home.  

Which brings me to all the things we have to pack into the car before we head out in the morning- gym bag with gym towel and water bottle with BCAA, Meal #2 in a small insulated bag with fork and napkin, towel to shower off with/soap/shampoo/etc., change of clothes including flip flops, James’ backpack with iPad and toys, and swim bag.  I’m sure some of you can relate to trying to get out the door with 15 bags!

It’s just a lot for these next two weeks, but after that, he’ll be done with swim lessons (probably) and I’ll be done with prep and we can really enjoy the last weeks of summer!  My hubby and I booked a short family road trip to San Antonio towards the end of July that I’m really looking forward to!  

After I wrote this intro on Monday evening, I downloaded a bunch of new songs onto my iPhone so I’d have new music to listen to while I do my cardio.  I think it’s going to give me that little push I need to finish this prep strong!  

I don’t want to be a whiner or complain about how hard this prep is because no one made me do it and it’s not like I’m curing cancer or something, but I try to give you a realistic picture of what it’s like to train for something like this.  I had been feeling so grumpy and tired and sore. Attitude is so important and so is sleep! I went to bed at 9pm last night and woke up a new woman!  

3 WEEKS OUT 
Below is my 3 Weeks Out picture on Sunday, June 21, 2015.  We measured my body fat via calipers on June 24 and it only went down from 19.5% to 19.2%.  My trainer is always quick to tell me to judge my progress by the mirror instead of the numbers and said he was surprised that my body fat percentage reads that high for as lean as I’m looking.  He also advised me to do more cardio at a lower heart rate instead of running outside as much, which could be getting my heart rate too high and then eating away the muscle.   I have to admit, I still get confused as to exactly how all this physics/science works- especially regarding cardio because there is so much conflicting info.  It does seem that most agree that higher intensity cardio burns more calories, so if you’re going for weight loss, you do need to use a good bit of effort/intensity.  Get to sweatin’ ladies!

WORKOUTS 



Monday:  Cardio (45 minutes- run neighborhood)

Tuesday: Train Legs + Cardio (20 minutes on treadmill at incline and slower pace)

Wednesday: Train Biceps & Triceps + Cardio (40 minutes on treadmill at incline and slower pace)

Thursday:  Train Back & Chest + Cardio (30 min: 20 minutes of sprints at 4.0 for 1 min 20 seconds, then run at 8.5 for 40 seconds)

Friday:  0

Saturday: Cardio (45 minutes on treadmill at incline and slower pace)

Sunday:   Cardio (30 minutes – brisk walk with my girlfriend)

FOOD
You won’t believe it! A week without any cheats!  Well . . .  I did eat whole eggs a couple times and I’m supposed to only eat the whites and I did have a couple cappuccinos.  And two protein bars.  
We went out to a restaurant a couple times this week and I resisted!  On Friday night, we went to see Garth Brooks in concert downtown and went to an Italian restaurant before the show.  My husband ordered a caprese salad and a scallop pasta dish, and I ate before we went and just ordered a cappuccino.  Then, I ate again when we got back home.
We were waaaay the heck up there for Garth, but I didn’t care- I loved the show!  The man is just so talented and you can tell how much he loves performing and see how much joy he gets from his fans. I was a hot mess through half of it though because so many songs reminded me of high school and living at home with my family and Dad and tears were streaming down my face.  So much for putting on makeup that night!
On Sunday, we went to Grub Burger with family and instead of the burgers and fries, I ordered the ahi tuna salad with dressing on the side.  Delish!  
Because it’s been so hard for me to stay stick on my diet, I’ll post a couple of the foods that were right in front of my face that I didn’t touch this week.  Celebrate those victories!! 😉  I mean cheese fries?!  
For my own meals at home, I started adding wasabi (you can buy it in a tube at the regular grocery store in the Asian aisle) and low sodium soy sauce to my fish for a new flavor, and for my burgers (96/4%), I stuffed a piece of nonfat cheese and some diced pickled jalepenos inside.  I grilled the burgers on the stove for a few minutes on each side. 
My Meal Plan is basically still the same as when I started out.  I’m pretty sure we’ll start cutting sodium soon to help me lean out as much as possible in the next two weeks. 
2 WEEKS OUT 
I haven’t snapped a 2 Weeks Out picture yet, but I can tell I’m leaning out, especially in my abs.  I ordered a RED bikini that should be here soon and I can’t wait!  I’ll show you as soon as it arrives! I’ve also put on my heels and started posing practice.  I remember how difficult it was now- makes me sweat trying to hold those poses and still smile at the same time.  
Thank you so much for your encouragement over the last couple months! It means so much to me and helps keep me going!

MORE BIKINI PREP POSTS

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And check out my FITNESS tab for all health & fitness related posts.
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keep in touch! 

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

5 Comments

  1. You look great Megan! It takes so much dedication and hard work to compete. But it definitely shows what working out and eating a consistent clean diet can do for your body. Good luck! You are almost there!!!

  2. Keep it up, Megan! You're in the home stretch now 🙂 Hugs to you for crying during the Garth concert. I would have done the same thing because it would have reminded me of high school and friends I've lost. And, yum on the burgers with cheese and jalapeños- I'll have to try that!

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