Today was our first TEAM FITBODY meeting of the Spring Season. It feels great to be back and getting ready for another full season. It felt great to see old teammates and meet the new ones. It felt strange missing the ones who are not competing this season. It feels ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE to be blessed with this opportunity!
Everything was going according to plan: good discussions, practice posing…and then she dropped the bombshell. NO CHEAT MEALS FOR THE NEXT 3 WEEKS. Did Julie really say that? Honestly when she said it, I wanted to say, WHAT?!?! I love my “cheat” meals which are granted every week as long as I have stayed on my nutrition and exercise plan. They range anywhere from Mellow Mushroom pizza and beer, to a glass of wine, or a scoop of ice cream with sprinkles. I cherish them. I sometimes even schedule them. But now, for the next 3 weeks, my cheat meals will be clean cheats. So, really just a few extra calories once a week of meal plan foods.
It’s amazing how fast your mind can spin when it hears something it wasn’t expecting. What was I going to do? Would I make it through? That is 21 days! And then, within 5 minutes, I had a new outlook. I am not where I want to be to show. Not even close. Cheat meals are great, but really, wine gives me a headache and it’s a bit chilly outside for ice cream. Therefore, I can do this. I absolutely love most of my clean meals, except for chicken. There are so many clean cheats I could choose from. So, if I need it, once a week I may throw in a crazy extra scoop or two of UMP with some oats. Oooh and maybe a strawberry or two on top to make it up into a mock parfait!
So Julie said 3 weeks. Well, I’m going to see her 3 weeks and raise her 7 for a grand total of 10. I am eating clean, 100% until Friday night, March 15, where I will indulge in a delicious cake dessert and a glass of red wine. This is technically not even a cheat, because it is on plan 🙂
Julie recommended we reward ourselves when we reach our goals with things such as manicures or pedicures, not food. I am reminded of a quote I saw posted on Facebook a while back, “Don’t reward yourself with food, you are not a dog.” I will do this. I am actually about to look online for a few special things I would like and when I reach my mini milestones, I’ll purchase them.
I put it all in perspective. Is the cheat meal really THAT important this CLOSE to show time? Nope! I am often just as happy with my UMP treats. I’m looking forward to this challenge, 68 days to be exact until I can indulge the night before the show in a mini-pump up snack. All the hard work in the weight room, the time spent measuring and preparing food, it will all be worth it. Decide what your priorities are, make the best decisions for you, and make sure when you reach your “end” you reach it knowing you did everything you could to be the best YOU could be!
KATIE CRAIG
Katie lives in Columbus, enjoying a career with Nationwide Insurance as an IT Education Coordinator. She worked in the Cincinnati gym industry for several years before moving back to her hometown of Columbus. There she gained an appreciation for clean eating and dynamic workouts. Upon turning 30, Katie decided she wanted to take it to the next level and train for the stage. It’s been an experience of a lifetime and she loves trying new recipes, gaining muscle and accomplishing personal bests in the gym. Seeing others mimic some of her healthy choices, well that’s just icing on the cake, UMP cake that is.
