The Plan - Losing The Pregnancy Weight

If you read my post from yesterday, you know that I have three goals to attain in the next year.

#1...Drop the last of the baby weight and get back in my pre-prego clothes.

#2...Train for and run my first half marathon {aiming for the Charleston Half Marathon in January 2015}.

#3...Compete in an NPC Bikini Competition. 

So first comes first, taking off this last 25-30 lbs of pregnancy weight. I'd like to reach this goal by or before the end of this year. In reading a lot about NPC Bikini Competition training diets, I've decided that the best thing to do is for me to eat very clean, as if I am already training for competition. I'm essentially working toward this goal anyway, so it never hurts to get started early. I've got a good bit of weight to lose and this is going to be what makes the most difference.

Here is how I will ensure a clean diet each week:

On Sundays and likely Wednesdays too, I will prepare many of my meals for the week. Mostly getting the chicken grilled and cut up into 4 oz. portions {I will have three 4 oz portions per day} and getting the veggies roasted and separated into portions for throwing on top of fresh greens such as spinach and kale, along with the chicken to make salads. Here is a sample day of the diet I am putting myself on to give you an idea:

• Morning: 500–1,000 mg fish oil and a multivitamin/mineral

• Meal 1: 4 egg whites, 1⁄3 cup steel cut oats topped with blueberries
• Meal 2: Protein shake with: 1⁄2 avocado, 15 g of protein powder, 1⁄3 cup blueberries and 1 cup kale and cinnamon to taste
• Meal 3: 4 oz chicken with 2 cups leafy green vegetables
• Meal 4: 1⁄4 cup nuts
• Meal 5: 4 oz chicken or tilapia with 2 cups green vegetables (your choice)
• Meal 6: 4 egg whites (at least 30 minutes before bed) or protein shake

Also:

• Take 500–1,000 mg of fish oil and multi-vitamin/mineral 12 hours after first dose
• Drink 5–6 liters of water per day
• Avoid alcohol
• Avoid table salt, but some sea salt is OK, but use sparingly (using spices is OK)
• Avoid sugar

It seems extreme, but I no longer want to waste time in losing the rest of this weight. Right now it is what is stopping me from getting where I want to be fitness-wise, so I want to 100% dedicate myself to this. Meal preparation is highly needed for success.

My workouts will consist of 30-45 min of cardio each morning, i.e. a run in the neighborhood. I will work one or two muscle groups per day with strength training in the gym or at home and do some HIIT each day for 20-30 minutes, i.e. a T25 or Insanity workout. I will rest one day a week, or do some hot yoga that day {Sundays}.

This is very similar to what training for the bikini competition will be like, so it will be good to get my feet wet and get a real dose of what it will be like. I can be a tad more lax in this phase of my goals than I can be once I begin officially training in January, but it's definitely not lax in comparison to what I'm doing now, so I know I'll see results if I keep with it...and I fully intend to.

As of this morning, these are my stats:

Weight: 173 lb {Height 5'7"}
R & L Bicep {unflexed}: 11.25"
L Thigh: 22.5"
R Thigh: 21.5"
Waist: 33"
Hips: 40.5"

Wish me luck in this phase, I will keep you posted on progress!