Sophie's Fitgirlcode Guide Review- 4 week progress
The time has come! I am finally halfway through the Fitgirlcode Guide?. And I must say, there have been some ups and downs, but the results are most certainly there. The 2-week progress review, which I of course posted 2 weeks ago, feels like 4 months ago or something ?. Time is literally flying by as I do more of the Guide. Now, I won't keep you waiting much longer, here is my 4-week progress and my 4-week Fitgirlcode Guide review:
The transformation
So, first of all, let's not critique my photography or modelling skills as they are non-existent ?. Secondly, yes, I did get more tanned, and no, the Guide did not help with that (lol sorry). Now, let's talk about my progress. In the article about my 2-week progress I mentioned the changes that I had noticed, and how I felt about the Guide 2-weeks in. Quick summary: after 2 weeks I felt a lot less bloated and already quite a bit leaner as well as confident.
Throughout the first 2 weeks I really kept to the Guide's food schedule which luckily enough included a cheat meal per week. When I think about it, I didn't even "need" the cheat meal as all the food tastes good anyways (and there's definitely enough food, TRUST). I only really needed the cheat meal because I would go out to a restaurant with my friends or family and then it's quite handy to not constantly be thinking "omg I can't pick anything cause it's not in the Guide", the cheat meal allows you to think "it's okay to enjoy a nice meal, this will keep me motivated".
4 weeks... It's as if my whole body got stretched out in just 4 weeks! The most significant changes, to me, are my tummy and legs. Both of those got more toned and muscular. Thank the squats and leg raises!?The craziest thing?! I didn't really gain or lose any weight.? How come?! This is because I included quite a bit of weight training into my workouts. Meaning that the fat that I lost was then replaced by muscle, and muscle is a lot heavier than fat. So, even if I lose 5 kilos of fat, the muscle I gain (which tones my body) will weigh about the same.
How do I feel?
Damn... I FEEL GOOOOODDDD!! haha It's honestly amazing, even though I haven't reached my goal yet, I already feel so confident just knowing that my body is healthy and fit. As I mentioned, there were some ups and some downs. The occasional down often came after a long day or week where I felt tired and wouldn't be in the mood for whatever workout I had planned. In order to counter that down and still get in my workout I'd adapt the workout I had planned to whatever I was in the mood for. Normally, all my workouts start with about 15-20 minutes of cardio, but I don't really like cardio that much. So, when I'm feeling down I just think "okay I'm just going to do whatever I'm in the mood for", and then it brings me to the good feeling...
...the glorious ups! These are just the constant good vibes and feelings that you get after having done your workout or while you're eating that delicious healthy meal. Seeing your hard work pay off... Damn! That's the best feeling ever!
Favourite meals so far
4 weeks of snacks, dinners, lunches, and breakfasts... That's a whole lot of food! So, which meals will I most definitely keep in my life, even after the Guide? Yogurt bowls! Gaddamn I love yogurt bowls now. I used to not really like yogurt that much but the Guide has given me the most perfect yogurt recipe: low-fat yogurt + strawberries + blueberries + nuts + honey + cinnamon.?? Many of the other breakfast recipes also gained a place in my heart, for example, the banana mugcake and the buckwheat pancakes. In addition, the Guide introduced me to cream cheese (light). Cream cheese in pasta, on rice cakes, on bread... Cream cheese everywhere! My favourite cream cheese recipe is without doubt the creamy broccoli chicken pasta.? I absolutely love getting introduced to these new recipes, they most definitely help me create a healthier and tastier everyday life.
Last pieces of advice
As a student I can say to my fellow student Fit Girls: Don't be afraid to spend a little more on healthy food. In the beginning of the Guide I had to stock on some basic ingredients such as buckwheat flour, protein powder, raisins,... Just really random stuff that I didn't have before. This made my first week of groceries a bit more expensive. However, now that I'm 4 weeks into the Guide I'm spending a lot less money on groceries than I was in week 1.
Don't stop yourself from having fun on the weekend or at any other time! I admit, on the weekend it was harder to keep up the Guide's meal plan. This is because I would go out, have fun, enjoy the sunny weather. I wasn't prohibiting myself from having ice cream or a glass of wine. I simply made those occasions more special by not doing them during the week. It's all about balance in the end!
I'm in week 5 now and will make sure to keep you updated on my progress at the end of week 6 and finally after week 8 when I will have finished the whole Guide.
Are you ready to take on the Fitgirlcode Guide challenge? Get the Guide right away >
Are you curious about what my workouts look like? I describe my summer body workout here >
