Preparation For “Beach Season”

With Memorial Day, trips to the beach, and pool parties right around the corner, it’s time to get lean.  I’ve spent the last ~ 6 months trying to add a few lbs of muscle, even if it meant I added a little fat in the process.  But, my mind-set has shifted – now is the time to shed any extra body fat in attempt to let the muscles show through.  If you’ve been reading my work for any period of time, you know that I am the guy that has a VERY difficult time adding size, but can get lean relatively easily.  So I’ve only just had to make a few simple adjustments.  Simple as in; simple in theory, difficult in practice.   To get lean, all I have to do is decrease my calories a touch and maybe add in a little cardio (if I am strict enough with the nutrition, I really don’t need any cardio, unless I’m trying to get uber lean). 

But this is still difficult because like most any other human being out there, I’ll be craving pizza, desserts, beer, etc.  I find that I crave this stuff less when I can have it – like during the winter months when I’m trying to add a few pounds.  Don’t get me wrong, I still eat mostly clean in the winter, just not as clean.  But when I’m trying to get ripped and eating really clean, I seem to crave some of the foods that I mentioned above.  Like the song says: “You can’t always get what you want…” 

I’m no robot, so I will make sure to enjoy life and treat myself to a beer(s) and pepperoni pizza from time to time.  But I just have to “pick my spots,” making sure my “cheats” are few and far between.  After all, goals and behaviors must match, right!

As you can see in the picture above, my abs are showing, but I have a little excess flab to remove.  So, that is my goal right now: get as lean as possible without muscle loss.  It’s going to be extra challenging since our twins are about to enter the world.  Sounds like a good challenge though.  And who doesn’t like a good challenge!

Below is what my nutrition looked like yesterday…

-Oatmeal + Blueberries + Protein Powder + Almond Butter + 1 Fish Oil Capsule

-Ground Turkey + Sweet Potato (just a little bit) + Broccoli

-JayRobb Bar

-Beef + Sweet Potato + Broccoli + 1 tsp liquid fish oil (I’m currently using the orange flavored by Carlson)

-Beef/Chicken + Broccoli

-2 pieces bread (sprouted grain) + almond butter + chicken  + 1 scoop “Superfood” (a veggie/fruit powdered mix)

-Steak + Cauliflower

Oh yeah, a ton of water all day.

I try to make sure my beef is grass-fed as much as possible, and I buy organic fruits/veggies as much as possible as well.  And by the way, this was a non-training day.

I can get away with eating a decent amount of carbs/cals and still get pretty lean.  But as June approaches I will probably reduce them a touch.  And probably increase my cardio a bit.  You know, from once every 4 months to one every week or two.

That’s about it for now.  You all have a great day and go stock up that kitchen with healthy foods, as preparation may be the biggest key in getting that sexy beach body!

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