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Full Disclosure: My Body After 2 Weeks Holiday (Eeek!)

I don’t know about you, but I’m sometimes amazed at how easy it can be to undo months of hard work and effort. 3 weeks ago I measured in happily at 13.6%. Not quite as lean as my December 10.9%, but not bad considering my key focus right now is gaining muscle rather than getting leaner.


(If you care about details, that’s my Biosig report). Measurements aside, and most importantly I felt good. Lean, strong, and in control. I love feeling of being in control, don’t you?

me before the USA food fight

I don’t have too many photos of myself from the past 6 months actually, but here is one from maybe 6 weeks ago (I’m showing you this for comparison sake for when you see the damage just below).

But that feeling you get after 2 weeks of over-eating, not sleeping enough, taking 7 planes back and forth around the world, and training like your average gym member rather than seriously smashing it out? (Yes exactly that feeling ;)). That I don’t love so much.

I’m talking about feeling bloated, stuffed and out of control. And I know you’ve been there at least once in our life, so I know you’ll agree it’s not so fun.

So. I am now going to do something I have NEVER done before on any of my blogs. I’m going to show you pics of me in my underwear, as taken last night after 30+ hours straight travel and, as mentioned, after 2 weeks well off my A-game.

And then I’m going to tell you what I’ll be doing about.

You can follow my journey if you like – I’m setting myself a 4-week challenge of serious clean eating, supported detoxification, value-based living, and hardcore training. And I’m going to document it all as I go. What I’d love even more? If you’d join me by setting yourself some kind of (at least mildly scary) challenge for the next 4 weeks. Let’s do it together!

But for now, without further ado, my pics:

My husband had passed out on the couch hence the poor image quality, but I wanted to have official ‘day one’ photos for this challenge!

Over the next 4 weeks, you can expect an increase in posts from me as I share my journey with you. I want to give you as many details as I can on what I do to whip myself into supreme shape, so I hope you’ll forgive me for that! I plan to make some of the posts video based just to save us all a little time and effort πŸ™‚

I won’t be having my measurements taken again until Thursday next week, but my guess is that these photos show me at around 17%, so I’d say I’ve gone up 3-4% while away. And this is important for you to know: it’s not as though I was eating junk while in the US. In fact, I don’t even think it’s true that you can’t stay in shape while in the US (as many of us Aussies seem to think) – last year I traveled for 6 weeks and came back leaner!

No, these photos are not based on 2 weeks of carbing it up. The key things were that I simply ate WAY too much. Mainly protein and veg/salads etc but just serious quantity. Couple that with the fact that it’s restaurant food, I often went to bed stuffed-full, I drank wine every night, I was on and off planes and suffered major sleep loss, my training was hotel-gym based and I just didn’t put as much effort or time in, and yes (let’s be honest) I did sneak little mouthfuls of dessert or chocolate pretty much every day.

plan of attack!

This post has gone on long enough for a Friday morning, but stay tuned over the coming days as I share what I’m doing (and follow up photos). Part 1 of my challenge: I am now officially 18 hours into my 7-day Charles Poliquin nutritional cleanse. Whoo! This is something I’ve wanted to do since learning about it, but I’ve been breastfeeding (officially finished yesterday) and unable to try any of the protocols that work so well for my clients! So a big part of this challenge is me finally testing out all that I’ve been learning while pregnant and breastfeeding. I am seriously beyond excited about this!

Okay, that’s it from me, except to say this –

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31 responses to “Full Disclosure: My Body After 2 Weeks Holiday (Eeek!)”

  1. Amy Ling says:

    Just a thought, I use to have my BF take pictures for me so what I do now is set it on the br counter or something high enough (at least to my belly) and if your camera has the 10second auto shoot that would work. Just set up your stage, hit the button, run to your destination and strike a pose! =D lol.

  2. Karyn Joel says:

    Can you provide some more details on a nutritional cleanse and how this could be achieved and how it relates to energy levels? I have also been away for two weeks which interrupted my training and eating. Unfortunately through stress and feeling exhausted my diet and exercise and have gotten worse and worse since coming home and I am now even further off track (serious over eating and no excercise). What would recommend for getting back on track?

    • Kat says:

      HI Karyn, as I mentioned on the post I’ll be detailing everything as I go πŸ™‚

  3. Fiona Caddies says:

    I love what you’re about to do Kat! I’m looking forward to following your progress and also being motivated and inspired by your dedication and drive!
    I’m feeling exactly the same! I just returned from Bali after 2 weeks living a very similar lifestyle (maybe a little worse with my food however). I now am not only wobblier and fatter but I have laryngitis and a cold too! I’m certainly keen to challenge myself for 4 weeks as soon as I am well enough to train!

  4. Kathy Payne says:

    Kat I love this post and will join with you on the challenge! I’m a long way from where i would like to be in leaness and health so my journey starts tomorrow with a revist and restart up of my biosignature program..assessment (you know the feeling of simultaneous dread and excitement???). The last 10 months have been a weight nightmare mainly due to stress/not sleeping, then hypertension and the medical merry go round you end up on there….can’t wait to get measured, get started and feel good! I’m fortunate to be house sitting in Cairns for 10 days from beginning of July..in a resort!!!! OMG they have equipped gym, pools the works, how lucky am I!!!!! So I’m getting started now and continuing unimpeded in Cairns. Will anxiously watch for your blogs until then and catchup when I return home. Enjoy the challenge Kat.

    • Kat says:

      Wow, that sounds amazing Kathy! Enjoy πŸ™‚ – great to have you on the challenge!

  5. David says:

    Exciting stuff, Kat. Enjoy your trip. Six Senses Sanctuary is closing down, so I maybe I will see you in another exotic location soon. Good luck with the challenge, how do I join in?

    • Kat says:

      Well it is a Woman Incredible challenge Dave πŸ™‚ but you are welcome to join in; you just post your challenge in the comments!

  6. Rachel Guy says:

    Kat, AWESOME and EXCEPTIONALLY brave of you!! Well done! I should do something similar after my UK trips! Every year i come home 3kilos of fat heavier and spend 6 weeks in Jan and Feb whipping my ass back into shape! hehe
    Good luck especially over the next 3-5 days where your body will be craving everything in sight! x

    • Kat says:

      Thanks Rach, nice to have your support πŸ™‚ yesterday evening was a little bit of hell as I my mind wandered from cheese toast, to peppermint chocolate, to meat meat MEAT (I’m doing Poliquin’s 7-day cleanse which is non-meat), and even to Red Rooster when I drove by! But this morning I feel good, and proud of myself for holding out.

  7. Jessie says:

    This is excellent! I’m with you. I have been making excellent progress since the start of the year – I’ve lost weight, my body shape has changed but more importantly I’ve enjoyed eating healthy, living healthy and feeling healthy. In the lead up to exam period I started to slip up and then just plain fell off the wagon – failing to prepare meals and keep up my exercise routines. Now exams are over, I feel bloated, tired, sluggish and unhealthy. It’s time to get back into it! I can’t wait to get back into shape and start feeling awesome again! Challenge excepted. I’m going to take photos tonight and then it’s off to the market in the morning. I’m excited!!

    • Kat says:

      Well done taking photos Jessie! Awesome to have you involved; make sure you keep commenting with your progress!

  8. Amanda says:

    Hey Kat great idea, I won’t be far behind you. I also feel my work leading up to my wedding is drifting out the window. I guess you can only do the best you can when you are traveling, it is good to know I am not the only one.
    I will be doing 8 weeks intense training and clean eating when I am back and so looking forward to it.
    See you soon. Good luck πŸ™‚

    • Kat says:

      Excellent plan. Well, you do have to live it up a little while traveling and you definitely achieved your wedding goal so I think you deserve to relax for a bit now! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

  9. Nancy says:

    Your post couldn’t have come at a better time for me. For the past two months I have been having serious knee problems (my right knee swells up like a watermelon and the docs can’t figure out why). I am finally able to walk without a limp (sad, I know!) and bend it full range of motion without pain. The entire time I was “injured” I should have been more careful to watch what I was eating, and I could have at least kept up the strength training up in my upper body, but I was in so much pain and so depressed about my condition that it was hard to stick with it. But, now that I have read your post, I’m making my come-back! Thanks for the motivation!

    • Kat says:

      Wow, Nancy that sounds like a horrible few weeks. Great to hear you are back! So what’s your 4-week challenge going to be?

      • Nancy says:

        My challenge will be to get back to eating properly (eating enough protein, veggies, etc), and to start lifting 4 times a week. Two months ago, I was having a hard time quitting the cardio, which I know you say is unnecessary and even counter-productive, so I am challenging myself to NOT do any cardio except one interval training session per week!

        I go to university during the day and work full-time in the evenings so when I get home I should go straight to bed. But over the past two months I have been staying up later and later and snacking before bed as well. I’m going to challenge myself to implement a bedtime routine that consists of brewing myself a cup of herbal tea, reading a few pages of whatever book I’m into, and then going to bed at a consistent time.

        Four weeks from now my husband and I will be going on a weekend getaway trip with four other couples and we will be in our swimsuits pretty much the entire weekend (this fact is definately giving me motivation!). Thanks for asking me to spell out my personal challenge, now the world knows so I am accountable!

  10. After thinking about it for a couple of days, I have decided how I will participate in the challenge. The time taken to make the decisions was not so much will I participate, but more a case of, what can I do this time that will be successful. I know I could easily say I’m not going to eat any wheat or sugar and just protein and veg, but I’ve tried committing myself to that on multiple occasions in the last 6-12 months (since starting my sessions with you) with various highly motivating events to supposedly motivate me and while I’ve had some small successes, they have been too easily reversed at even just the hint of the slightest stressful situation.
    Instead, I’m going to take a different path this time and focus more on relaxation & enjoyment of my life (to reduce stress). And I’m going to take it one week at a time and slowly rather than trying to fix everything all at once (this has been my downfall in the past).
    This week my focus is to be in bed by 10pm every night and work out how to make my bedroom pitch black, to start replenishing my sleep.
    While, logically I look at this and think it isn’t enough of a stretch, this one small thing will be the first step in reducing my stress levels – an important new direction for me to take.
    Thankyou Kat for providing the continual push to keep going πŸ™‚

  11. Rebecca says:

    Hi Kat,
    Are you going to detail which supplements etc you’re taking and when throughout the cleanse as I’m really keen to do it. I checked out Charles Poliquins two seven day cleanses and he used some different ones the second time. Not sure whether they’re all relevant, the quantities etc for a normal woman versus Charles etc!! Anyway, I’m itching to join in, but I want to make sure I’m doing it right and not losing lean muscle or taking supps for a man!
    Bec

  12. Kat says:

    Hi Kat,
    Great post & looking forward to reading/following your progress. I’ll be joining you for sure, just got back from a two week UK trip, 2kgs heavier from over eating the whole time (mainly large amounts of my Mum’s homemade Rocky Road). Started my pre Bikram Yoga Teacher Training 60 Day challenge today. I need to get in shape for the nine weeks of torture in September. Any tips on surviving both of these & what to eat to keep the energy flowing is most welcome!
    Thank you!

    • Kat says:

      Wow, homemade Rocky Road sounds like something to add to my cravings list! I would just to make sure you take some himalayan salt with you for electrolytes and keep your protein up before you go; don’t you get fed a vegetarian diet there?

      • Kat says:

        Thank you! Himalayan salt is top of my list. Sadly no food is provided at training, we have to fend for ourselves cooking in a hotel room with a shared bar sized fridge & any appliances we can sneak in. So I’ll be able to eat lots of cold meats and hopefully boil some eggs.

  13. Sarah says:

    Yes I’ll be following you and joining in. I’d like to find out about the cleanse to!

    • Kat says:

      If you go to the most popular post currently on the home page the 7-day cleanse is linked within there πŸ™‚

  14. Trish Pye says:

    I’m up for it. I want to compete soon, so I need to loose the extra five as well. HELP!!!

    • Kat says:

      Hi Trish! You’ve stumbled across an old post! But stay tuned on the Facebook page as I am setting up a 30-day challenge section soon!