I’m about two and a half weeks removed from my first bikini competition and it seems like so long ago. Between my business trip to San Francisco and Thanksgiving in Atlanta, I’ve been all over the country since the show! That extra time has given me plenty of time to reflect and I’m ready to share my progress photos with you.
I’ve planned to share this since the start, but it’s still a little tough! I started in decent shape, but not close to comfortable to be strutting my stuff on a stage in a bikini. Even a month out, I still questioned if things would come together in time. To do this in a healthy way, leaning out is not as fast as I’d like it to be. But if you stick with it, it works! Get a good trainer, follow the nutrition & workout plan carefully, and you can do it!
A few of the lessons I learned along the way:
- Diet is KEY. I have trained for countless running races, 8 marathons, numerous triathlons, and an Ironman, I’ve never seen my body change like this and I’ve trained just as hard (and harder) before. The only difference was my nutrition. Have you seenmy meal planning template?
- What you wear and how you hold yourself has a big impact on how your body looks. Kirk had me switch to my stage bikini after my progress photos at the beginning of November and it made such a difference. Between the change in clothes and posing, I look so different and the timing is only 5 minutes apart.
The bathing suit bottoms I used for progress photos are SO unflattering, amazing the difference that makes!
- You can have fun and stick to a plan. If you’re going out with friends, decide early what your plan for the evening is. Cutting back on alcohol? Bring a water bottle or order sparkling water. Bring your own food or bring a scale with you.
- The model bodies you see on magazine covers and onstage at competitions – it’s just a snapshot! The difference in my body from Friday (day before the competition) to Saturday (day of the competition) was crazy! So be realistic in your goals and aim for healthy – not competition lean – for the everyday.
- Hard work pays off! Okay, I knew this one already, but it’s always good to have it reinforced. The photos above are from the second week of training (August) and the a week before my competition (November). All those hours of sweat and sticking to nutrition made such a big difference! My face, arms, stomach, thighs, and butt changed so much in 14 weeks!
- Boobs shrink with the rest of your body. Yep, there’s a downside. I like my boobs and I lost a full cup size through training. It’s a tradeoff! 🙂
- There’s always something you still want to improve. I am so proud of how far I have come and the way I looked onstage, but I’m not done yet! The trick is to recognize how awesome you ARE and not obsess over small things you are working on.
Training for this competition gave me more than a leaner, healthier body. It gave me a new perspective and more appreciation for what our bodies can do. I’m excited to see what more I can accomplish next year and to learn even more in the process!