This past week has been very eventful. I got offered and accepted my dream job. Had my parents see my home and meet my best friends and professors. I also closed the “academic” chapter of my life and graduated with my Masters degree in Communication Studies.
Amidst all of the festivities I am training for my first national NPC bikini competition. Staying on track with diet and training was very important these past few days while we were celebrating. Lucky for me I have a very supportive family and circle of friends who understand that competing is not just a hobby for me, but also a way of living.
Here are some tips for staying on track while you are celebrating or out of town. They can help you on a daily basis and also when you are needing a little extra motivation.
–Food Prep.I made sure my food was prepped before my family came into town. This allowed me to dedicate my time to entertaining them as much as I could. I also would eat my meal before we stepped out since I did not know when I would get my next meal in. This worked in my favor because we went to a graduation reception for a few hours and there was only cookies, brownies, and lemonade being offered. Tempting, but no thanks.
– Eating out with healthy options. I try to avoid eating out when I am training, but my family and friends took my diet into account this time. When we did eat out I made healthier options. One time I got a grilled chicken salad with onions and tomatoes, I made the chef hold the cheese and no dressing. At dinner last night I got a nice piece of fish with 2 sides of grilled asparagus and gave the fried cheese grit cake to my brother (he loves grits). This allowed me to stay on my diet while getting the opportunity to enjoy time with my friends and family. I am a firm believer in having fun while training. You should not be suffering and neglecting your social life. There are always ways to get around the unhealthy items on the menu. Just tell the server your special requests. I have never had anyone refuse to help me get a good and healthy meal. Asking to hold the cheese, dressings,sauces, and salt are easy to do when your food is cooked to order. You can always check the menu out before you go out to eat too!
–Train early. Since I knew I would be with my family the whole weekend, I made sure to get up earlier than usual so that I could get my training in and not feel guilty if I had no motivation at the end of the day. I always feel more accomplished after my workouts and I am ready to tackle the day. If you make excuses for your workouts and diets, you will begin to see that you will make excuses in your everyday life. Take control and stay motivated!
-Remember you are not alone in this journey. While you may not have friends who train like you do, there are others around the country that are training for the same show and have similar goals. Knowing that I will have the opportunity to meet others who live a similar lifestyle to me is always a bit of extra motivation to step it up and stay on track. It makes it worth it in the end.
Try to find others who accept and encourage your lifestyle choices. If you surround yourself with like minded people it always makes the journey more fun.
For me my family is such an extra sense of strength and motivation for me on a daily basis. My parents both live healthy and active lives. I am blessed to have such a great support system. For my parents to see where I live, where I train, and how I live my everyday life meant the world to me.
The bottom line is this.
” If you want it bad enough, you will not let anything get in your way”.
Keep up the great work! Thank you for reading.
Follow me on facebook for tips and updates on fitness, health, and motivation
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Angeles-Burke-NPC-Bikini-Competitor/222098191202918
and Twitter @angelesburke
Angeles Burke 