10 Sep Bikini Comp journey: Weeks 1-4 (meltdowns, diet changes + macros) – and the best plant based protein
Bikini Comp journey: Weeks 1-4 (meltdowns, diet changes + macros) – and the best plant based protein
Hi guys! So, I’m officially four weeks into my bikini comp prep now. It’s been an interesting journey so far. Read on for weeks 1-4.
I’ve had days where I feel like I’m rocking it; ‘I’m so on track – just look at me hitting my macros every damn day!’ Followed by… ‘OMG I’m starving I’ll just eat a little bit more food’, followed by ‘I look like a whale there is no way I am doing this.’
Yes, in other words prep messes with your head. But with that said despite my one or two moments (probably more like four or five) and my boyfriends ‘please pull it together’ looks, I’m actually finding this prep very pleasant.
DIET CHANGES
Weeks 1-3, I was 1800 calories on training days and 1650 on rest days. Still quite a lot of food, I added heavy weights into my routine and my metabolism shot up. I started working on improving my strength upping my deadlift weight and lowering the repetitions of my workouts to balance the higher weight. This new technique worked WONDERS for me – I was starving and my body starting getting tighter, harder and I saw a quick improvement in muscle mass.
Despite my one or two moments (probably more like four or five) and my boyfriends ‘please pull it together’ looks, I’m actually finding this prep very pleasant.
However the scales showed a different story. No weight reduction at all – not even 0.1kg. Uh-oh I thought initially am I on track?
Comparing weeks 1-3 I could definitely see the difference, but the reason I wasn’t losing was clearly due to the fact that my calories were at a maintenance stage. Sending a quick message to Lucy (my online coach) she assured me that I was on track but that my calories could now be lowered. Enter calories on 1500 – yes, much lower! All was going great hitting macros until… HOLIDAY TIME.
Vicky week 1 (left) and week 3 (right)
I’d had a trip to Spain booked for the past few weeks and having forgotten to bring scales to weigh my food it has been extremely hard to ‘guess-timate’ the amount of food I’ve been eating.
Another difficulty is the fact that for the past few weeks I’ve had a diet change. I’m trying to eat a mostly plant-based diet.
(My partner has also made this change and recently competed with the UBFF guess what – he won!)
Josh on stage at UKBFF won on a vegan diet
As I’m aware of nutrition I understand that vegans and vegetarians could be more deficient in certain supplements than meat eaters as well as struggle at hitting their protein goals as due to the fact that there is less protein in nuts, chickpeas and other vegan sources than fish and meat. Now, this doesn’t mean it’s not possible to hit your protein goals it just means it’s harder.
Next week I’ll chat about the food I’m eating so far as well as my tips to staying on track (as long as I manage too) whilst abroad. PLUS: stay tuned for my bikini and my T-walk practise.
ENSURE YOU'RE GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN ON A PLANT BASED DIET
Trick to hitting macros whilst abroad? Pack some protein powder for when you’re running low!
I asked Nutritionist, Cassandra Barns to break down just how easy it is to ensure you’re hitting the right amount of protein and what supplements you should be taking if you are doing it plant based…
‘When training hard we need more protein to help repair and strengthen our muscles. I tend to recommend getting around 1.5 grams of protein per kilo body weight per day – or even more, depending on the type of training.
As well as including plant proteins in every meal, I’d suggest adding in a couple of servings of a plant-based protein powder per day.Vegans are also more likely to fall short in vitamin B12 and iron, both of which are vital for energy. And the more energy they’re using up, the more of these nutrients they’ll need. I’d suggest that vegans and vegetarians who are training hard get their iron and vitamin B12 levels tested regularly by their doctor and take these nutrients in supplement form if necessary.
Vegan Protein Powders I LOVE which are low in carbohydrates and high in protein include:
Nature’s Plus’ Organic Pumpkin Seed Protein or Organic Almond Protein.
Missfits: Vanilla / Chocolate protein
MyProtein: Chocolate protein
Healthista.com Vegan protein powder
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