NPC Bikini Contest Prep | 11 Week Out Recap & New Short Hair

Thank you so much for your supportive comments on my Bikini Contest Prep | Here We Go Again post.  I’m excited that you want to follow along and read my updates here.  It encourages me hearing about your journeys and knowing that we are getting in shape together.  I’ll be doing a weekly recap and since I’m currently 10 weeks out from my NPC bikini contest, I’ll be recapping the previous two weeks.
But first, can I show you my new chopped hair?! I’ve been growing out a bad cut where the front was about shoulder length and the back was seven inches longer and the two couldn’t really be blended in a stylish way so I figured, let’s just cut it all off.  Kinda drastic I know, but I was hardly ever styling my hair each day because I never liked how it looked anyway.  If you look at most of my pics from our girls’ weekend, you’ll see I had my hair up in a high ponytail most of the time.  My hairdresser did a slight angle so the front is a couple inches longer than the back and added in some layers for volume.  My front bangs are still shorter than the length, so she angled those around my face.
short hair-long bob-women summer hairstyle

It’s only been a couple days, but already I feel like my hairstyling life is so much easier!  I love long hair and mine grows fast, so we’ll see how long I keep it short.  Throughout the summer for sure!  But, I warn you, a cut this length only makes a short little low ponytail.  I’m definitely not used to that when top knots were a former staple for me.
Oh, and as for the color, my hairdresser does partial foil highlights, but this time she did my whole head.  We alternate adding in light and dark blonde to keep it multidimensional.
fun colorful Nike workout clothes
sports bra (I’m 34D and wear size medium in Nike sports bras- they give me enough support to workout and run in) | Pro Dri-Fit tank | Pro Dri-Fit capris
fun colorful Nike workout clothes
Pro Dri-Fit capris  | training shoes (these shoes are for weight lifting or runners who like a barefoot feel; you might not like them if you prefer a very cushioned runner)
These bright pink, yellow and black capris are my current fave.  I don’t know why, but I used to always wear blue or black to workout in, but now that I’m finding all these bright colors, I’m digging them!  If you’re going to be in workout clothes all the time, you might as well wear ones you look and feel good in.
I find with Nike though, that one size up from what I normally wear works best.  For example, I’m usually an XS in tanks and capris, but I’m wearing the small in both of these.  The tank is not my absolute favorite style of Nike tank- something about the material makes me a little self conscious, but that’s why I got one size up.  But, the hot pink and yellow swish goes so perfectly with these pants, I couldn’t resist.  Plus, I keep telling myself, in a few weeks, you’ll really like how you look in this tank.  I really like the Nike Pro Hypercool 2.0 dri-fit tank for fit and feel.
fun colorful Nike workout clothes
BIKINI PREP RECAP
At 12 weeks out, I was about 23% body fat with a goal to get down 1% a week until the competition.   Ideally, I’d compete at 10%, but I’m not sure I can get there in time.  My trainer will measure my body fat every week with a 9-point caliper test and I’ll do the In-Body Analyzer body fat test once a month.  The In-Body is the most accurate, but it costs $40 at my gym, so I’m only doing that one monthly.  Here are my results so far:
April 17, 2015 (In-Body Analyzer) = 107.1 pounds & 22.5% body fat
April 22, 2015 (Caliper Test) = 108.6 pounds & 23.5% body fat
I’m 5’1.
I have last year’s competition to compare my results against, and last year at 10 weeks out, my trainer measured me at 21% body fat.  This shows I’m close to where I was last year, but we’re tweaking a few things to make this contest prep better.
Week 11 (this last week) was harder since my grandma was visiting and so I didn’t workout 6 days and my food wasn’t as consistent as it needs to be.  (I’ll share my bikini contest meal plan tomorrow.)  I remember that it takes a couple weeks to get into a good groove with the food, and I’m nervous that I haven’t lost body fat in the last couple weeks because my diet hasn’t been on point.  It’s really hard to consistently lose body fat while maintaining (or building) muscle, but it can be done if your diet and workouts are perfect.

 

Bikini Contest Prep- 12 Weeks Out
sports bra (this color sold out, available in grey) and this style) | (old shorts)

 

Bikini Contest Prep- 11 Weeks Out
WORKOUTS – 11 WEEKS OUT
 
I’ll be training with my trainer three days a week, but this week he went out of town for a competition his client was in, so we only did 2 and he wrote out the third workout for me (which I will do on Monday since I didn’t get to it this week). Then, he wants me doing 6 days of cardio, 40 minutes each.  On the days we train together, I do 10-15 minutes of cardio before we train, then 25-30 minutes right after.  I use my heart rate monitor to make sure I’m keeping my heart rate up while I exercise. On the three other days, I do my cardio right after I drop my son off at school.  I should have one day to rest, usually Sundays.
 
Monday:  Train Legs + 40 minutes cardio on treadmill

Tuesday:  Train Shoulders & Arms + 40 minutes cardio on treadmill

Wednesday:  0 (Grandma in town)

Thursday:   0 (Grandma in town)

Friday:  Cardio (run 3 miles at park) 30 minutes

Saturday: Cardio (run neighborhood) 45 minutes

Sunday:   Cardio (run neighborhood) 25 minutes

Like I mentioned above, I didn’t do 100% on my food this week.  Twice I had Starbucks (iced tall two-pump mocha), went to Zoe’s kitchen once (shrimp kabobs), ate fajita beef from El Tiempo, hummus, and put sun-dried tomato pesto (with canola oil) from Sprouts on my chicken several times.
I can rationalize how I wanted to take my Grandma to those restaurants and stopping into Starbuck’s was a fun treat while we were out, but while on bikini prep, those kinds of things will only keep you from reaching your goal.  You have to be super strict with your food to see the results in 12 weeks.
CHANGES FROM 1ST BIKINI PREP
I have last year’s competition to compare my results against, and last year at 10 weeks out my trainer measured me at 21% body fat.  This shows I’m close to where I was last year, but we’re tweaking a few things to make this contest prep better.
cardio | training

 

Last Year : I didn’t up my cardio until about 6 weeks out, and then I was doing it 4-5 days a week, 45 minutes each.
This Year:  I’m doing cardio 6 days a week, 40 minutes each starting 12 weeks out.  We are changing this because last year, at 6 weeks out, I was still at 19% body fat and I needed to lose more and I had only lost .75% from Week 7 to Week 6 due to my “cheats”.
Last Year:  Two of the things that kept me from placing higher last year were: 1) I needed to be leaner (less body fat) and 2) my booty needed to be more muscular and tighter.
This Year:  We’ve been doing a ton of glute training to focus on that area.
diet 
 
Last Year:  I was eating cheerios at night for a few weeks and not drinking my protein shake for my last meal.  I also don’t think I drank enough water.
This Year:  I don’t even keep cereal in the house, and I love my Chocolate Muscle Egg (chocolate egg whites) that tastes just like a cup of chocolate milk, so I have no trouble drinking that as my last meal before bed.  I still need to ask my trainer exactly how much water a day I should be drinking. I think it’s a gallon.  I easily drink 48 ounces during my workout/cardio session.
sleep 
Last Year:  I learned quickly last year that if I didn’t get a good night’s sleep (7-8 hours), I was a mess at the gym the next day.  I would be fatigued and the workouts were killer.
This Year:   I aim to get in bed about 9:30 – 10 p.m., since I wake up at 5 or 6 a.m. most mornings.  I don’t drink coffee after 2 p.m. since it will keep me awake at night, even if I’m exhausted.
10 WEEKS OUT
I’m already nervous because I feel like I looked more toned in the 12 week photo than I do in this 10 week photo from yesterday (May 3, 2015).  But, I’m determined to stick to my meals this week and get my workouts in since I get my body fat measured again on Thursday (May 7, 2015). I’ll report back on my 10 Weeks Out update next week.

 

Bikini Contest Prep- 10 Weeks Out
Bikini Contest Prep- 10 Weeks Out
I realized I never showed many back progress shots last prep, so here’s one.  Just barely starting to see some definition.  Hair is cute though;)
Bikini Contest Prep- 10 Weeks Out
sports bra | Elastika Dri-fit tank (super lightweight and great for sweaty workouts) (similar to this twist back tank) | dri-fit capri pants
Check back tomorrow if you’re interested in my bikini prep meal plan!Or go here to see my recap of favorite Nike shoes for running and training.

You can also check out some of my favorite running workout clothes here and here and workout clothes that you can wear beyond the gym.

 

tanks | sports bras

 

                                            shorts | capris

 

shoes

__________________
keep in touch! 

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affiliate links used 
Thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post and helping us look cute while getting in shape. 

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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!

33 Comments

  1. Love your new hair cut!! Love the last year/this year too; you look fantastic and I look forward to seeing more on this! Question… what do you do for your 40 minutes on the treadmill? Are you running? What level? Are you doing the same cardio all six days? I need to be doing the same thing (OK, maybe not 6 days! ha!) and I just need a plan. Thanks!! 🙂

    1. Thanks Corbie! Great question on cardio. I either: 1) run 3 miles in the park outside, alternating with jogging, sprints/walking; 2) walk on the treadmill at incline 15 and speed 2.5-3.5 (usually I do this on the days I workout with my trainer) 3) ride the bike with my heart rate monitor and keep my heart rate between 75-85%.

  2. The hair cut is super flattering on you! I could imagine that it is challenging not being able to put your up in a full pony, but hair grows! I am excite to follow you on yet another Bikini Contest! Best of luck!
    Michelyn Cynthia
    brainsbeautybymichelyn.blogspot.com

  3. I'm so excited to watch your journey! I am 21 weeks out from my first competition, and am also 5'1" 🙂 Its terrifying but exciting all at once! I start with my coach in 2 weeks. The hardest part for me is the diet. I get bored easily and hate dry chicken. I prep all my meals (except breakfast) on Sundays and reheat throughout the week, so chicken gets drier and drier. But it's worth it. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!!!! I'm excited to see your journey again!!! (I followed your last one as well.)

    1. Yay for you! PLEASE keep me posted! Are you blogging your journey? My husband cooks our chicken on the grill and it stays moist for a couple days. I'll do a post about it so you can see. Or if I'm afraid of reheating it for fear of drying it out, I'll chop it up and use it in a salad. Kick but girlie! You can do it!

  4. Your hair is perfect! And you're my inspiration to get in shape. No bikini for me, but feeling comfortable in a bathing suit would be huge for me. Thanks for sharing with us

    1. Thanks Kimm! You are too sweet! Don't we all want to be comfortable in a bathing suit?! Better to just enjoy the pool and sunshine instead of fretting over how we look. Summer's coming soon so that's why we gotta start now. 🙂

  5. You look great! I have read your blog for many years, but this is the first time I have commented. I love these posts. I will be turning forty in a year and I am determined to be in the best shape of my life by then. I just recently started weight training. I started out with really light weights but high reps because I wanted to ease my body into it and not hurt myself at first, but I am finally starting to feel stronger, and capable of doing heavier weights. My problem, I hate cardio! Good Luck!

    1. Thank you so much for being such a long time reader! We are close to the same age- but I'm older! I don't really lift super heavy weights. I do a weight I can lift about 12-15 times, but not more reps than that. The only way I get through cardio is with my headphones. 🙂 Thanks again for leaving a comment to let me know you're out there! 🙂

  6. You look so good already…..but I remember last year you were a rock star! Good luck 🙂

  7. I love the hair! I actually have the same cut (except mine isn't angled). It's my go-to haircut these days since styling is easy. I am excited to see your progress this time around! I was pregnant last year while you were doing this and got very inspired to workout more, then I got put on bedrest and had an emergency c-section. Things just went downhill. This year, I'm not pregnant and am ready to do this! I have to say, I think you look awesome now.

  8. Love reading all the workout posts. It gets me motivated. And I LOVE the new hair style/length. Super cute on you!

  9. It's hard to believe your body could actually get any better!! But I know it will…and I ADORE the hair!! It looks perfect and so you…and you look 25. Not even kidding. xoxo

  10. Super, SUPER cut hair!!! Love it! I'm gearing up to get 20" cut off this Wednesday. Can't wait to follow you on this journey again. You are an inspiration and I really need motivation! 30lbs need to come off.

  11. Whoooohoooo! Love this and can't wait for you to post your meal plans. I am going to do this with you….minus the trainer and the gym. I'll do cardio and my own workouts that I do now and see what happens! Been following both your blogs for so long and you're still my no. 1 fav! Loving your hair, etc. Thanks so much for allowing us to be part of this experience AND to allow us to do this on our own. I love the No Excuse Moms site on FB and am currently in a team challenge where we photo our food each day to show accountability that we hit so many veggies, fruits, proteins, carbs, etc. It's been a blast, but I can't wait to see what happens if I follow your bikini diet. I'm 48, so it's a bit tougher at my age. Thanks so much again! xo-M.

  12. Love your hair! Thank you for inspiring us! How long are your training workouts with the trainer? Are you running on treadmill for 40 mins and at what pace? Can't wait to see meal planning posts (hardest part for me!) 😉

  13. Love your hair! I just got mine cut last week and she cut it WAY too short so I am your brunette hair twin, lol. It will grow back, right? But it is really cute no complaints. Can't believe you are doing another bikini contest! I wish I had time to do something like that. I will have to follow along and set a 10 week goal so I can follow along your journey while seeing results of my own. Saw you posted a pic of your protein pancake, I still eat one EVERYDAY with the polaner and Molly McButter, love them.Good luck in the next 10 weeks!

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