Is it time to cut back on the chocolate and wine? Photos / Supplied
Things are looking up as our Bikini Body Guide challengers push through from last week's battles.
While Tessa's thinking about her diet, Tina looks at how to keep up with workouts amid the temptations that come with being on holiday.
How much of getting a bikini body is based on what you're eating? I've always been told that the body you have is 20 per cent exercise, 80 per cent diet. I eat relatively well, as you can see from my average day below, but I certainly do indulge too.
I mean, at 20-years-old, if I am not doing it now then when can I really do it in the future?
I have to be careful, being half Italian, half Maori. My genetics are not forgiving when it comes to butts. My cousins and I live in constant fear of the BBP. This stands for the "Big Booty Problem". It's a trend we've noticed in our mothers, aunties and grandmother: as they age, their booties get bigger. So, we have to prepare ourselves now before it's too late and we fall victim to the dreaded BBP (don't hate me Mum).
• Double-shot small flat white, two pieces of very thin Vogel's with Marmite or Chia pudding and berries
• Whatever was for dinner the night before or a Pita Pit chicken salad
• Smoothie, carrot with hummus or a long black
Any of the following:
• Chicken, roast kumara, beans and broccoli
• Kale, chicken and quinoa
• Beetroot, feta, spinach and tofu
• Healthy nachos: Kidney beans, salsa, grilled whole meal wraps and guacamole
• Orzo pasta, home-made tomato sauce, chicken and zucchini
But then there are my guilty pleasures. Living in a flat with five other girls means that when one person suggests a dairy-run - a.k.a I need chocolate, ASAP - then it's pretty tempting.
If we all do this, one night each, that's six out of seven nights. So, I've put my foot down and am only indulging twice a week. Like I've said before, everything in moderation.
Fueling your body with the right stuff is important when you're coping with three sessions of Kayla's workouts, plus extra LISS sessions. I think about this during my skipping segments where I often get so bored I end up tripping up in front of everyone at Les Mills and looking like this:
How I'm feeling: Pretty good, stronger, leaner - better?
What I'm listening to: Jeremiah Impatient and anything that makes me skip faster
Least favourite exercise: Anything that makes me seem uncoordinated - so... everything
Favourite exercise: Skipping, oh how 3 minutes of skipping makes 7 minutes so much more bearable
After a rough Week 7 resulting in zero strength workouts, Week 8 is off to a stronger start and it feels... sore.
That good kind of sore, where you groan in a way that mixes the "ahhh" of something satisfying with the "owww" of sore muscles. Try it with me now:
"Aahhhhhhhooowwwwww". Feels good to say, all the way down to your core.
This week, I had the positive encouragement of my family in from overseas to keep me going with BBG. You know what is the best feeling in the world? When you meet your parents at the airport after not seeing them for seven months, and you're eating an Egg McMuffin when you meet them, and they still say you look good (because you kept up with BBG for at least six weeks).
During this trip, my parents were keen on "getting their steps in" in between wine tastings and barbeques and dinners out. We made up for a lack of steps over the weekend on Tuesday, when I brought them to Auckland's CBD for an afternoon of playing tourist.
The walk from Britomart up to the Civic is a good distance of a walk, and if you do that round-trip you're well on your way to getting your steps in.
On Wednesday, I squeezed in a leg workout as my parents relaxed in the backyard after their morning walk. I thought I would feel very self-conscious doing my strength workout while my parents had a drink and checked Facebook.
Instead, they just asked about BBG: How does it work? What exercises am I doing? Oh, and they threw in some good-natured ribbing to try to throw me off balance (as if it would be hard to do that. The amount of wobbling I do between jump lunges is embarrassing).
For the rest of this week, my folks and I are in Wellington. Since we're touristing, it should be easy to get the cardio - "the steps" - in by walking along the waterfront and spending the afternoon in Te Papa. If that's not possible, then we'll just make up the steps along the craggy coast outside our Airbnb.
I feel confident I'll be able to sneak away for half an hour to do my abs and arm workouts before the week is out. Maybe all I needed was a little bit of support to get back on the BBG schedule.
How I'm feeling: Sore yet satisfied
What I'm listening to: The Trouble with Us by Marcus Marr and Chet Faker
Least favourite exercise: Jump lunges
Favourite exercise: Any sort of squat
- nzherald.co.nz
The actor has become a poster girl for dressing well whatever your age.