T-1 Week: The Final Prep

engagement

If you’ve been following along, I’ve taken a departure from my somewhat standard neutral voice to talk about a theme in my personal life – my wedding day. I’ve been working hard for the last month in the kitchen and in the gym to feel my best on our big day. Here it is, one week away and it’s crunch time. Here’s how I’ll be finishing my last week as a “single” woman off strong.

1. Meals, Timing and Sizes

It’s been said time and time again that we should be eating small meals throughout the day. By increasing meal frequency you’ll banish hunger and never let your eyes get bigger than your stomach. When you’re so close to a goal it’s easy to let your progress kill your appetite but that could cause more damage than good, leading to binging. Eat every 2-3 hours with meals filled with green veggies (these are your carbohydrates), healthy fats and protein. Each portion should be smaller than your fist (4-6 ounces) and fats should be limited to a small handful (solid) or one tablespoon (liquid). I practice intermittent fasting so I consume all of my calories in an 8 hour window for ultimate digestion. I workout in the morning so this also ensures when I wake up and workout I’m immediately burning my fat stores. Read more about intermittent fasting here.

Salad Recipe

2. Hydrate, then Hydrate Some More

Basically, plan to spend 20% of your work day in the bathroom. If you have a large water bottle with you you’ll be more inclined to drink it, so buy a water bottle that is 40+ ounces to you don’t have to refill as often and make a goal to drink 3-4 of them throughout the day. If you’re like me, drinking all that water turns your stomach, I just can’t do it! Infusing water with fruit, mint or veggies is a great way to spruce up boring H2O and tastes great. I’m into a lemon and grapefruit combo.

Water

3. Take a Hiatus from Sugar, Including Most Fruit

Sugar consumption is a sure fire way to slow down fat loss. Duh. But that also includes fruit. Bananas, grapes, mangos and other fruity favorites have A LOT of natural sugar. While it’s unprocessed sugar, and there for can be considered healthy, it still adds to fat storage. I cut out most fruit entirely for the final week of prep, but if you need ’em in your diet to stay sane keep your consumption limited to 1-2 hours prior to your workout so you burn the carbs right away. Oh. My. God. I can’t wait for that first bite of wedding cake.

4. In the Gym

I repurpose my typical workouts for longer reps, less sets and lighter weight. Not because I don’t want to get big, but because I don’t want to be sore. I want to recovery quickly and stay long and loose as opposed to tight and super tender like I typically would be 2-3 days post a reaaallllly hard workout. I’ll be sticking to one leg day, two total body days, two pilates/yoga days and one HIIT cardio day. Obvi, my big day will start with a workout –  at SOULCYCLE – with a dear friend leading our pack. A FUN workout, killer music, and my favorite people. I don’t think it’ll get much better than that.

An example of what I’m talking about:

This:

Four rounds and 12-15 reps of these five drills. 

  • Deadlifts
  • Bulgarian Split Squats
  • Goblet Sumo Squats
  • Kettlebell Swings
  • Squat Jumps

Becomes this:

Three rounds and 25-30 reps of these five drills at 50-60% of the weight I’d use ordinarily. 

  • Deadlifts
  • Bulgarian Split Squats
  • Goblet Sumo Squats
  • Kettlebell Swings
  • Squat Jumps

5. Get a Tan

If you’ve ever seen a figure or bodybuilding competition one of the first things you notice (other than insane bodies) is how tan the athletes are. While that’s an extreme example, they apply that thick dark lacquer to enhance muscle tonality. A spray tan or tinted moisturizer/lotion will help your muscles pop and give you a nice bronzy glow that will make you feel straight off of vacation. Disclaimer: be smart about your skin health. Skin cancer is no joke. Wear sunscreen if you choose to layout poolside. I will always opt for a spray tan. It’s safe, and let’s be honest, no one has time to lay around for hours on end. Get in, get out, look good. 

6. Be Happy

When you’re working hard to reach a goal it’s easy to put yourself under a microscope. I would be lying if I said I didn’t have moments when nothing felt good enough. I’ve definitely had to force myself to walk away from the mirror and banish thoughts of inadequacy, disappointment or dissatisfaction in my progress. In the end, you’re working hard for an occasion that will become a beautiful memory and that should be your focus. In my case, I’m getting ready to spend a weekend with my closest friends and family and commit myself to the greatest man I’ve ever met and that’s the best part.

engagement

But…wedding cake is a close second. WINK!

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  1. First of all, I came here via Hallie’s blog and was INSTANTLY enamoured with your pic on the sidebar. You are SO FIT, I love it! It’s motivating to see a girl, like yourself, looking so good. It made me want to read more.

    I love these tips and am going on to read about your workouts 1 month before the big day.

    Hope you had a wonderful wedding!

    1. Thank you so much for the kind comment!! That picture was taken after many strict weeks, ha! That’s not always how it goes. Moderation, always. A wonderful wedding weekend, it was! Thank you for following, and I will see you over at Hallie’s! 😉