peanutbutter

I have officially completed Kayla Itsine’s Bikini Body Guide two times through. That’s way more burpees, push-up, and ab combinations than I ever thought I would do in my life. Having completed the guide twice has made me realize how much I am capable of.

Before starting the BBG, I worked out a whole heck of a lot. I spent hours in the gym slogging away on the treadmill and the elliptical. I would occasionally do some arm exercises at the end and then a plank while my oatmeal cooked. I always thought I was strong and fit, but I had no idea what I was really capable of. My first round through the BBG was cathartic. I started seeing changes in everything I was doing. I could open jars more easily, run a little bit farther and a little bit faster, food was no longer an enemy and I started actually caring about what went in to my body.

When I lived alone, I was a frequent fan of cereal for dinner. And for breakfast. And for lunch if I wanted it. I knew carbs were good for runners and I was running upwards of 25-30 miles a week, so it seemed like it fit. As I started into my BBG journey, I started realizing I needed way more protein and more balance all around. Nowadays, my dinners look more like the picture above. Fresh foods. Vibrance. True fuel.

I swore off cereal one day last year. I replaced it with oatmeal which seemed to do the same. I’ve since started adding egg whites and a side of peanut butter to the mix to make sure I’m getting a well rounded amount of carbs, protein, and fats. I’ve seen a huge change in my progress because of these subtle changes.

This time through the BBG, however, I have seen a different kind of change that has taken some getting used to. I haven’t gained or lost a pound, but my body is changing. I have always been quite small (sometimes smaller than I’d like to be honest) and have had immense pride in my petiteness. So, as my arms began to grown and my legs and my bum, I wasn’t the happiest camper. Yes, I know this was all happening because I was getting stronger, but it was just hard to see happen. Pants didn’t fit the same and neither did some shirts, but I just keep reminding myself that this is for the good of me. The changes I’m seeing are going to help me now and in the future and you know what? I’m proud. I’m proud of growing and becoming a better me. I can get through exercises I never thought possible. I can be proud of being stronger and healthier than most people I know. I can know that I worked for this. I earned this, no matter what shape I am now or may become, it’s only for the best.

-sj

My nutrition has been all over the place these past couple of days. Don’t ask me why, but I’ve been a ravenous monster every evening. Quest bars have often been my go to at night, but they’re really expensive and have a lot of mystery ingredients that I don’t always feel the greatest about eating. So, when I was perusing instagram and stumbled upon a recipe for homemade protein bars with ingredients I had in my pantry, I just had to make them.

Homemade 5 Ingredient Protein Bars!

2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
4 TBSP peanut butter
2 TSP honey or agave syrup
1 TSP or so chocolate chips
4 TBSP water

Mix the first three ingredients together in a bowl with a spoon or spatula. Add water one TBSP at a time until the desired consistency is reached (you may not need all of it). Shape them into bars & put them the fridge for 30-45 minutes and voila! If you want, you can add some extra coconut flour to thicken up the batter.

Nutrition (4 servings): 155 calories, 10 carbs, 9g of fat, and 10g of protein.

This weekends workouts, unlike my nutrition, were on point. I have been trying to tone down my running a little bit because of some knee pain I had been experiencing, but I still decided (for no reason in particular) that it would be a good idea to run anyway on Saturday.

My run was surprisingly enjoyable. I felt no pain at all and felt weightless and in the zone. I can only hope every run is just like this one to be honest. I also began Week 11 of the Bikini Body Guide today and it was just as enjoyable as when I did the Leg session in Week 9. I’m feeling so much stronger these days and I am really just soaking up these last two weeks. I have decided that after I finish the guide, I will be taking a week off from any and all exercise. This will be a challenge, but I need a reset for my body and this will be the perfect time. After my brief hiatus, I will restart the guide again and I can’t wait to see how things have changed when I do the same circuits after building up all of this new strength and endurance.

If you give the protein bars a try, let me know what you think down in the comments!

-sj

Love & Lunge

12 more weeks crossed off the list.

homemade protein bars. 5 ingredients. let’s do this.