2 weeks to Bikini Ready!

July 10, 2013

mariakang_bikini

I’m not a fan of fad diets, but if I had to be in a swimsuit in two weeks here is what I would do:

1.       1. Perform more intense cardio. High-Intensity-Interval-Training (HIIT) burns more calories and increases your metabolism hours after your workout because it challenges your heart and muscles. There is no exact formula for performing a HIIT workout. The key is to not be on a monotonous cardio machine  for 45 minutes without changes in its intensity. I usually sprint for 1 minute and jog for 30-45 seconds. Sometimes I will perform inclines or take a spin class that has a lot of ‘tabata training’ (similar to HIIT).

2.      2.  Cut out the cheat days. Usually I like to splurge at least weekly. However, if I need to look and feel my best in two weeks, I cut out all the heavy dinners and desserts I typically enjoy on a weekend.

3.      3.  Limit simple carbohydrates – this includes fruit. I love fruit, but to maximize my fat burning potential I try to limit my banana and apples to just the morning time.

4.      4.  Limit carbohydrates after 4pm. 80% of the time I eat carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, brown rice or wheat tortilla for dinner (and still lose weight). However, if I want to get a little leaner, I cut that out – for just a short period of time – so that my body utilizes stored fat (instead of carbs) for energy and fat loss when I decrease my activity level and head to bed.

5.     5.   Replace carbohydrates with healthy fats like nuts and avocado. Remember, you don’t want your body to starve, you just want your body to replace what it uses for fuel. By limiting your carbs (which is the main macro used for energy) your body uses your stored fat for energy.

6.      6.  Perform cardio on an empty stomach in the mornings. Everyone is different so see if you can tolerate training without eating. I usually have to jump on my treadmill or put on a DVD within 30 minutes of waking before my stomach begins growling. I’ve read many studies on fasted cardio – and for me personally, I found it to work.

7.     7.   Keep your reps higher when strength training. Normally I train at a 8-15 rep range. When trying to lean down I stay within a 12-18 rep range, focusing on high intensity, super-setting  and drop-setting.

8.       8. Drink lots of water with lemon to help detoxify my body. I don’t typically drink anything outside of water except for tea. I don’t drink much alcohol either – and will try to cut back on my 1-2 glasses of red wine before my 2 week goal, but sometimes I will give in to just 1 🙂

9.      9.  Eliminate foods that causes bloating and inflammation. Everyone is different but you should know what bloats you. For me it’s consuming a lot of sugar, artificial sugars, lactose, certain fruits, protein shakes, etc.

10.   10. Days leading up to my two week goal I may get a spray tan to enhance my muscles and purchase a swimsuit that supports my physique. (I am wearing Roxy in this photo)

3 Comments

  • Reply Yi Vang July 10, 2013 at 4:29 pm

    Hi Maria, my name is Yi Vang. I am 24 years old. I also have kids like you but I have 5. After having kids, I bloated. My husband called me fat. He don’t support me on losing weight. He doesn’t really care how I look like, but I want to have that nice body where he can actually look at. I’m a shy person. Even I’d my husband don’t look at me that way I want to be able to show him that I want to look good and tone my body up just for him. Please help me.

    • Reply Maria Kang July 25, 2013 at 6:56 am

      I am so sorry your husband is so rude! My first advice is to be healthy and fit for you. My second is to read my No Excuse Program on this website – look under the categories section. It has all the info you need. Good Luck and God Bless you!

  • Reply Adriana Barrios November 5, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    Hello Maria ..

    Thank you so much for your information , advices , everything had help me to keep going in this journey. Im doing the swimsuit calendar challenge im so excited to be part of this project.

    You are so inspirational!!!

  • Leave a Reply to Maria Kang Cancel Reply