With the recording of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show being just days away, I decided to see what training to be an Angel is actually about…and I absolutely loved it. I searched for a while trying to find the perfect plan to follow, and after hours of weeding through, I finally decided on one that many seemed to follow and have success with.
The meal plan went a little something like this:
- Protein breakfast shake at 8 a.m.
- Half of a protein bar at 11 a.m.
- Vegetables at 12:30 p.m.
- Snack shake/smoothie at 2 p.m.
- The second half of the protein bar at 5 p.m.
- Vegetables at 6:30 p.m.
Many plans followed a rigorous two-a-day workout schedule, but with midterms and projects, I settled for an hour to an hour and a half of cardio every day that I was on the plan.
Day 1
To be expected, the first day was a little more complicated than I had thought. I started off with the shake, but I was starving by the time I made it to my 9 a.m. I had to sit at lunch while friends around me had platefuls of Chick-fil-A and I had a salad with a light barely-there dressing. By the time 2 p.m. came around, I had already cheated and had a handful (or six) of toasted almonds. The rest of the day went about the same, but I managed to make it through without another “cheat.”
Days 2 and 3
The next few days went about the same. I noticed by the third day that it was definitely easier to make it through without wanting to gnaw my arm off as an afternoon snack. I also started increasing my water intake which helped a lot, but it also made for constant bathroom trips in the middle of classes and studying.
Day 4
I was super good with avoiding cheat meals…until now. I woke up late and only had time to eat half a pop tart for breakfast. I stuck with the diet for the rest of the day until dinner when I proudly ate a chicken bowl with extra corn salsa at Chipotle. And, of course, since I ate my entire body weight in chips and salsa, I was obviously not going to make it to my evening workout. Day 4 was a bust.
Day 5
I woke up feeling less in my “Friday feels” and more in my “I want to stay in bed with Netflix all day.” I didn’t realize how much my stress level would miss a day at the gym. I also didn’t realize how much I would miss my two meals of vegetables. I felt sluggish for most of the morning until I finally got going and had an earlier work out than I normally would, and by the time I left I was ready to take on the world…or my last class, I guess. I finished off the afternoon following the plan and felt more energized than when I had woken up.
I started this week counting down the seconds until I was able to sit down and have another “meal” but ended it with an entirely new outlook. I did make a few modifications (cheers to iron deficiencies), but I do plan on adopting this into my new daily routine. I noticed a change in overall energy and mindset, as well as the ability to stay focused on classes and get a better night’s sleep. Cheating also became something that I wanted to avoid at all costs—not something I was craving to do.
After 5 days of “training like an angel,” my respect (and absolute love) for the models has only gone up.