My body still needs a lot of work, I know. But this one is worth sharing because it proves that hard work and discipline do pay off!
Hello fellow Steemians! Sharing to you my 3-month preparation for a Beach Body Competition.
Imagine skipping a lot of night-outs, parties, and lots of your favorite food and drinks. Uhh. I'm crying inside just thinking about it. But, I knew I had to do something about my body. And, I actually wanted to win the cash prize, of course, lose weight too. :) The gym where I workout annually hosts a beach body contest they call "Body Fit for Summer Heat". Winners will take home cash prizes, free gym passes, sponsors' freebies, and the so-called "Summer-ready Body". Hmm Sounds hard to achieve. But, I did it, so here's how.
The photo on the left was taken last January 25, while the other two, April 11.
Here are some of the things I had to discipline myself with. It worked out for my body, I hope it will for you, as well. ๐
I prefer preparing my own food instead of buying salad meals in stores. That way, i can be sure that my food is clean and I get the nutrients I need.
1. Eat Right
It depends on how you want to do it, though but hereโs what I did
- No rice, white bread and pasta
- No junkfood and carbonated drinks
- No fastfood and sweets (but I ate dark chocolates ๐ )
- Less fried food
- Eat your vegetables and fruits on a daily basis
- Have steamed/baked chicken and a boiled eggโs egg white
- No instant coffee and other sugary drinks
- No alcoholic drinks
- Drink lots of water, better if it's lemon-infused ๐
2. Exercise Regularly
*If you want to do it everyday, much better. But, if your schedule is quite hectic, you can have it every other day, 30 minutes to 3 hours of exercise will do, depending on the intensity of your program for the day. *
Make it a habit to visit the gym, jog in the park, or work out at home. Your workout routine will depend on your body type and the shape you want to achieve. You might want to consider getting a professional gym instructor to assist you and give you the right program, to make sure you're doing it right. Remember, form is far more important than repetitions.
Here are some workout points to remember:
- know which parts of your body need work
- warm up and do some stretching before working out
- wear appropriate clothes and shoes
- form is far more important than repetitions
- make sure your posture is correct while doing the routine
- do not lift weights you can't handle
- perform 3 or more sets of a certain workout
- when toning your muscles, do the routine slowly, that makes it more effective
- don't forget to work on your abs ๐
- work on that booty, there are other exercise you can perform aside from doing squats
- but, squats are truly effective when done right ๐
- always wear protective gear when necessary
- drink lots of water throughout the day
These pictures were taken last April 11, behind the scenes if our photoshoot.
This is me, few days before the finals night for the competition.
You may have a coach, or workout buddy, but the result will always depend on you. You have to discipline yourself if you want to achieve a certain body shape. Right now, I may not be too sexy and my body still needs a loooot of work, but I'm happy with it. I can say I'm physically fit already. But I still workout regularly, even up to this day. ๐
Thanks for reading and if you have questions about the diet or workout, let me know. :)
With Love,
Arielle โค
Thank you for the #ulog initiative. Itโs nice of you to think of other ways to encourage us to keep writing with good content. Very inspiring!