So it’s Monday morning, the start of week 23 of bbg 2.0 and I thought a progress update was long overdue. As I have mentioned (moaned about) in previous posts I have found bbg 2.0 a real struggle but in hindsight I think that is a really good thing. My goal is to build more muscle and tone up and as they say ‘nothing worth having comes easy’. Plus the fact that I am seeing some progress in my Body is really helping me get motivated again and dare I say it I’m actually looking forward to Lower Body day today!
Booty gains!
Don’t get me wrong I don’t possess anywhere near the Beyoncé backside of my dreams, but considering that I thought I was doomed to be a pancake butt for life I’m starting to see some real improvements. I’ve been pushing myself more, not only doing the bbg lower body Workout but also getting in a lower body, Kettlebell HIIT workout of my own every week aswell. I’ve been doing LOADS of Kettlebell swings which I think have definitely helped ‘lift’ my bum a bit and I’ve been using a barbell and plates rather than a Kettlebell for my deadlifts so I can challenge myself a bit more. I am aware that to build real volume you do really need to lift heavy, and because I workout solely at home I don’t have the equipment, like a rack, to squat heavy. BUT I’m not going to be phased, I think you can still make good progress through home workouts, sometimes you just have to be a bit inventive with your exercises…for example I use a dining room chair for my weighted step ups.
Abs
Never in a million years did I think I would be happier with my abs after having a baby than a was before but I genuinely am and I credit this entirely to bbg. I’ve tried a lot of different workouts and classes (Bodypump, Legs, bums and tums, Tracy Anderson, just Kettlebell training and loads of running) and none of those have targeted my core in the way that bbg has. Inevitably I have more loose skin on my stomach, a tiny bit of separation and my belly button doesn’t look exactly the way it used to but my abs look more toned than they ever have. They probably would look better if I ate less pizza and chocolate and reduced my body fat admittedly!
Arms
My arms still look pretty puny…but yesterday I did 200 push-ups on my toes as part of my full body day!! And that’s not including the lay down ones! I may have struggled through them in groups of ten…and then as my arms got more fatigued fives, but who cares, I got them all done! I paused my timer and made sure I got them all done! At the start of my bbg journey I struggled to do one push-up on my toes! Sometimes our achievements cannot always be measured by what we see in the mirror, and in my opinion that the achievements we get in terms of growth of strength means so much more. Plus in ‘good’ lighting my arms look a little bit hulkish…okay who am I kidding they aren’t hulkish but there are definitely some muscles hiding away in there!
Appetite
My appetite has been huge whilst doing bbg 2.0. As I’ve mentioned a million times I don’t follow the diet plan and I am still breastfeeding so I eat A LOT…probably too much sometimes. I’ve had to really look at my eating while doing this programme, I needed a bigger breakfast or I found myself snacking loads before lunch so I’m now having protein pancakes every morning made with egg and oats rather than proats which fill me up better. I am also upping my protein intake having a shake after every workout. It’s essential I meal prep or I am setting myself up for failure when it comes to healthy eating but I’ve quit the turkey mince which I really wasn’t enjoying anymore, and I’m now having two Heck sausages with sweet potatoes and roasted veggies. I think it’s so important to find healthy meals that you actually enjoy eating otherwise you just won’t want to eat it and it will make you miserable. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to find the things that you like but healthy eating is so much easier when you do. I also highly recommend checking out the slimming world website for healthy dinner ideas. I don’t follow Slimming world myself but there are some really good meals on there that I have been trying the last week.
Weight gain
I have gained a couple of pounds while completing bbg 2.0 and I have to admit it’s hard to get out of the mentality of panicking when I see my weight has gone up. But luckily the scales I have are bio metric and so I can see that the gain is due to muscle growth. I would say if anybody is using normal scales to not be disheartened if your weight goes up, progress photos and measurements are a far better way to track progress anyway.
So almost done with my first round of bbg 2.0 and I am happy to say that my positivity is back and I am enjoying it again (most of the time). I think it’s natural to have days and even weeks when we lose our enthusiasm for exercise. Sometimes we just need to listen to our bodies and rest other times we need to try a different sort of exercise that maybe we would enjoy more. The most important thing is not to quit or let a bad workout get in the way of our overall goals! Let’s go into the new week strong!
Jess xox
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