In the end, I've found that keeping the same eat-clean mentality I stuck to during contest, but allowing myself just a biiiiiit more keeps the balance in check. Also, it's all about listening to your body. If I know I'm hungry, I'll eat something. What shall I eat? Well, it depends on the time of day and what my macros are at at that point (e.g. if it's late at night, don't eat too many carbs, or if it's postworkout, don't spring for items with high fat content). Balance is key. So is dedication. So is moderation. It's not always easy, but if it were easy everyone would be doing it!
Anywhos, back to my original thought. The past. One of the questions I've been asked most is "Why did you start doing this?" Honestly? I was bored! I've been pretty avid with working out for the past two years, starting with cardio for weight loss, then incorporating BodyPump (low weight/high rep strength training). Life on the ship could get pretty dull since we really didn't have much work to do during the day, especially if we didn't have a show and thusly no mid-day rehearsal, so I needed something more that would both a) take up some of my time and b) give my mind something to focus on.
Below are pictures from late January 2013, a little over a month before I began clean eating
I had seen friends posting on FB and Pinterest about these intense workouts and women with crazy-fit bodies, defined abs and all. I wondered if I could ever get myself to achieve that type of physique. I wasn't overweight, but I wasn't super happy with my appearance. Even though I generally ate pretty healthy, I was indulging more than I usually would have (one of the biggest challenges on a ship is avoiding the cookies/desserts/ice cream bar that is open ALL. DAY.) It was like I knew I could be better, I just needed the right information to utilize in order to get there. I wanted to push myself further than I'd ever pushed before.
I knew from doing BodyPump that I enjoyed lifting, and it also gave me a good arsenal of key moves for each muscle group and taught me good form as well. I decided to basically start doing my BodyPump moves, but do them for shorter amounts of time with heavier weights. Then I started reading about split sets and started using that method, along with the occasional full body workout. I also kept up with cardio at least 2-3 times a week, ranging from moderate running to HIIT to Insanity workouts.
As I was developing new workout routines, I finally found a key diet plan to help get my nutrition on track in Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle." I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking to burn fat, whether you're trying to drop a lot of weight or just lean out. I quickly found what foods on the ship worked for me, and I pretty much stuck to the same items since the amount of "healthy" food available was pretty limited. Luckily, breakfast and dinner had certain staples that were always available, so it was nice to have that to depend on. A typical day consisted of:
Breakfast: Egg white omelet loaded with veggies (squeezing all of the oil out of it, of course)
Mid-Morning: A piece of fruit
Lunch: Rotisserie chicken breast with romaine lettuce and fresh veggies from the salad bar (no croutons or dressing)
Post-workout: Protein powder with 1 cup fat-free milk (would occasionally have fat-free Greek yogurt with honey instead)
Dinner: Fish with sauteed veggies (unfortunately the only veggies available were sauteed, which is not ideal, but trust me, the dinner salad bar sucked!)
Other general snacks: Reduced-fat cheese sticks, almond or hazelnut crackers, celery & PB, edamame
-I was fortunate enough to have a mini-fridge in my room, so I could stock up on milk cartons, veggies and cheese fairly easily.
Also, I found it funny that it got to the point where the Lido servers (the place we ate our meals) for breakfast and lunch ALWAYS knew what I would get. Jaime would start making my omelet order at breakfast without even asking, and Teresa would start cutting out the chicken breast when I reached the front of the line at lunch lol! Even the ship security people in San Diego would comment whenever I came up with my bags of Ralph's groceries, saying things like "Oh, here she comes with her healthy food!" or "Girl, you need to get some chocolate next time...and share it with us!" So did I become predictable? Yes. But hey, it worked!
Below are pictures from early April 2013, about a month into my clean eating regimen.
Looking back at the way I dieted and exercised on the ship, I am a little amazed at the progress I was able to make. It also reminds me that no matter how hard it may seem now to stick to good nutrition, I just tell myself that if I can do it on the Zaandam, I can do it anywhere! lol! And I felt SO much better when the contract was ending (although I knew I still had a little ways to go to REALLY reach my goals), which was by far the biggest payoff I could have asked for.
Below are pictures from the end of April - the last pics I took before the end of the contract!
I am, in a way, reverting back to some of the mentality I had on the ship, at least in regards to working out. While I was there, my exercises were a "grand experiment" of sorts. I just wanted to try different things to see if I liked them, and how well they worked. Although I am a little addicted to split sets - I love being able to isolate muscle groups and make sure they get the attention they need - I also try to mix it up a little bit. FitnessRx has some GREAT workout routines from the pros on their website, and I've tried a couple of them and have really enjoyed them, so I may turn there for a few more. Now that I don't have to feel quite so pressured by competition to do a super-strict regimen, I'm really enjoying the freedom to do the workouts I WANT to do, and now rekindled the feeling of doing split sets because I WANT to, as well.
Although looking back over the past 6 months can often leave me feeling exhausted when I think of all the time and energy it took to start achieving my goals, I know that there is no other way I would've wanted it. And although I have days now where it seems like too much, like I just want to "be more normal," I have come to the point where I ultimately find solace in clean eating. I know my body will feel and perform better when I do, and that's the most addicting feeling ever! So even though I have my occasional ice cream or candy bar, in the end I choose to eat clean because it provides both my mind and body with the utmost peace and power.
Eat clean, train mean, stay lean!
I always feel better when I eat better. And the longer I eat better, the more I want to continue eating that way. It's an amazing thing.
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