Last week I posted the photo above of myself and spoke to the importance of building muscle through heavy lifting and eating protein and carbs to recover..
In the past I have struggled with eating. When I was prepping for bikini competitions I had such severe cravings I would binge eat then hate myself for it. Before that I would practice crazy calorie restriction and do tons of cardio because I thought that was the answer. After my shows I still felt weird about eating certain foods because they weren’t on the show-prep plan so I still was convinced they needed to be off limits. I also continued to try to keep up with doing an hour of circuit training and or an hour of cardio every day. Sure, I would see abs on occasion but I see the error in my ways.
I wasn’t fueling my body with the right amount or the right kind of food. I was still doing so much cardio that my joints couldn’t keep up. I think everything happens for a reason and after a half marathon, my knee and my shoulder rebelled – I ended up with tendinitis in my shoulder and a ruptured cyst in my knee.
Now I lift heavy, do HIIT cardio, practice yoga, go for the occasional run and listen to my body. Circuit training with heavy weights and HIIT are the keys to getting lean in regards to the exercise portion.
But nutrition… that’s KEY!!! You won’t get the visible abs we all desire by spending your weekends eating Mexican food, margaritas and pizza. Similarly you won’t get visible abs by going home from your killer gym sesh and not eating anything until breakfast because you didn’t get home until 8:30pm. THERE IS NO TIME THAT IS “TOO LATE” TO EAT. JUST BECAUSE YOU FALL ASLEEP DOES NOT MEAN YOUR BODY SHUTS DOWN. YOUR BODY WILL DIGEST FOOD WHILE YOU ARE ASLEEP.
At breakfast for the last two or three years every day, I eat a banana with nut butter and Mushroom coffee (mix protein powder with my coffee.) I do this because I love it and abs or no abs, I will eat this daily without fail. Luckily the fat sustains me for a while, the protein helps me build muscle and the banana is really there for taste, but the sugar in it is healthy and gives me energy to start my day.
I work from home so I generally spend the morning hours at my desk, working, so it takes me a little while to get hungry.. maybe around 12 or 1, I want food, at which point I usually have eggs.
I love me some whole eggs. Ever since last spring I realized that egg whites are for the birds – whole eggs keep me full longer and are way more delicious. I also throw some broccoli or spinach or whatever veggie I have because they are good for us. I cook all of this in coconut oil to give me more healthy fat, so this meal is really just about fat and protein to fuel me and my brain for work.
A couple hours later, heading to the gym, is when I start adding in my carbs. At this point I’ll have a protein pancake from About Time or one of their meal replacement bars (use the code KWF for 25% off.) The carbs get my body ready to go workout. Or if I got a late start and didn’t have time for breakfast and those eggs, or if I head to the gym earlier, I will add starch to my eggs, like some rice or potato.
After my workout I like to use the time to enjoy some serious carbs. I’m talking Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pop Tarts, cheesecake, cookies.. you name it. Ultimately there are less sugary carbs that are better for you here, and for someone who has a difficult time keeping foods in moderation this probably isn’t the best decision. But like my breakfast, there are no abs in the world that would make me want to give this up. I love my once a day post workout carb fest. I make sure I also do an About Time whey protein shake too for fast digesting carbs.
For dinner I’ll always make something like bison burgers, coconut and macadamia encrusted chicken, or meatzza. I eat a larger serving at dinner because it works for me and then I don’t have to worry about eating again later. I usually add in more starchy carbs here like potato or rice because I have found this plays a huge role in me getting those abs.
The way I see it is that I love my food but I also hate cooking. This is why when I do eat a meal like the eggs with veggies and rice or my burger, salad and potato at night, I do larger servings. I also limit dairy because that is what I’ve determined works best for me.
If I dine out I search for sushi near me to eat healthy foods like steak, salad, sushi.. I don’t just eat this way because I feel like I have to, I like how it tastes and makes me feel. I also enjoy some adult beverages on Saturdays, but they never carry over into Sundays. Sundays are the day I allow my body to recover 100% so I can go hard on my workout again Monday.
This is how I’m capable of having abs year ’round – I don’t need to be doing bikini competitions, I don’t need hours upon hours of cardio. I just found a way I could truly enjoy my healthy food and keep indulgences in moderation.
If I can do this, so can you which is why I created the Lean Body Cookbook & Meal Planning Guide
You can learn to eat in a way that will help you get your visible abs too!
Get your copy here today: KyraWilliamsFitness.com/leanbodycookbook
Your Coach, Kyra