Week 3 was the start of a roller coaster. I felt so strong and motivated to keep upping my weights and getting stronger in the program. I knew that on Saturday I would be flying to Ireland and facing some challenges of getting my workouts in at my Air Bnb and staying on track with my nutrition in a country that is known for its alcohol and hearty foods. Since I knew I was going away, this made me focus on my nutrition and workouts even more for Week 3. I finally felt like I was in a routine with the timed nutrition and really feeling good about the workouts. Hear all about it here in my Week 3 vlog. My visible physical progress feels as if it plateaued a bit BUT visible physical progress is not the goal here. It’s a side effect. I’m still showing you my photos to hold myself accountable. 

Unfortunately I knew that disorder was on the horizon. First would be my 4 day holiday to Ireland and then a week long trip to NYC. I will share more about those in my Week 4 blog, but I want to focus on Week 3. On Saturday I woke up early and got in my cardio routine before we headed to the airport. My boyfriend meal prepped our food for the plane so we had healthy lunch and snacks. When we arrived in Dublin we took the bus to our Air Bnb only to find out that apparently heat wasn’t in the cards and it was freezing in that house. Not letting it get us down we walked over to the local vegetable market and butcher and picked up some essentials for dinner Saturday night and meal prep for all of Sunday because we had a 12 hour tour booked to the Cliffs of Moher and Galway on the other side of Ireland.

I promised my boyfriend I would have one pint of Guinness with him in Ireland. I made a conscious choice to choose fun over the rules of the program. And I didn’t feel guilty about it. I literally only had ONE the whole trip. I call that a win. These programs are designed to help you find a routine and discipline that works for you and your body. But the most amazing part is, you make the rules. The amount of times you vere off plan will directly affect your results but guess what, you’re in charge!

Sunday was our rest day in the program and  one of the most magical adventure days my boyfriend and I have ever had. It ended up being quite an active rest day because we were hiking around the Cliffs of Moher and exploring the various locations around Ireland on our tour.

Meal wise I was so happy we meal prepped. We only stopped at a rest stop with donuts, muffins, and fast food options. I ate oatmeal before I left. We had lunch prepped so we could eat as soon as we got to the Cliffs of Moher  looking at the view and not waste our precious time in the cafe. I felt empowered that even though we were in a whole new place, being dictated by the tour, we still managed to stay healthy and stick to our goals. Was it 100% on timed nutrition? No. But did I eat everything within my meal plan for the day? Yes. That’s a huge win.

Reflecting on Week 3– I am so proud of my efforts before leaving England. I knew I was leaving my comfort zone and new routine. I dialed in to my workouts and nutrition and made it the best possible week I could have. I don’t think that my progress photos reflect the changes in body. But I’m posting them here anyway to hold myself accountable and to remind you that sometimes we plateau or don’t see much change from week to week but the beauty is in the process. It’s not about seeing massive changes or gains each week. It’s about doing your best with YOUR JOURNEY and feeling proud of that. Even if that means sneaking in one Guinness on your first trip to Ireland. OWN THAT. Guilt is a waste of time and your mental health will greatly benefit from you loving yourself through the process instead of beating yourself up. Be proud of all the effort you have put in instead of focusing on your mistakes. I definitely feel proud of myself today.