Six weeks into this deficit and I wanted to give you a little update.

Just tuning in? Check out my week 1 update and week 3 update first!

Week 4 of the calorie deficit was the first real challenge because I headed to Atlanta for the Fresh Air Retreat, a food blogger/creator retreat.

Before leaving, I was fully planning to stay focused and track everything, but once I saw the itinerary I decided it might be a good time to take a little break from the deficit. Because this is a food blogger retreat, food is a big focus with chef-created meals and lots of dining out. If you've ever tracked macros you will know that it's way harder to accurately track when you're eating out and/or eating meals that are prepared by someone else.

Of course, I still kept my goals in mind, focused on prioritizing protein and fiber at all my meals, daily movement and eating mindfully so I wasn't overstuffed.

The retreat wrapped up on a Friday and honestly it took a couple days after getting home to fully get back on track too, so in total I took about a 5-6 day break before jumping back into the deficit in week 5.

And that's okay. It's actually the whole point. Knowing when to pause intentionally and then come back is a skill, and it's a very different thing than just throwing caution to the wind and letting go of the progress I had already made. I maintained my weight after week 5 and went into week 6 ready to make more progress.

Meals Lately

Breakfast has still been on autopilot and I genuinely think it's one of the biggest reasons this has felt manageable. Same thing almost every morning: Trader Joe's protein pancakes with peanut butter and chia jam, egg whites with hot sauce, and an Applegate farms turkey sausage link. I've been hooked on this combo because it's so satisfying keeps me full for hours.

I did switch things up a couple days because I tested my s'mores overnight oats this week They are SO good. Recipe coming soon, but just know they're going to be a summer staple. We also went out to breakfast at First Watch one morning. Love that they have nutrition facts on their menu so it was super easy to choose an option that fit my goals. I ordered the Tri-Athlete omelet!

Lunch has mostly been grilled chicken salads and bowls, but the real standout this week was my chicken pesto pasta salad. I made this recipe 3 times in one week while developing it so I had it for lunch multiple days in a row. It's such a good meal prep option but also does double duty as a great cookout side. Pesto salad is usually quite heavy but this one has great macros because I make it with chickpea pasta and Greek yogurt for more protein.

For dinner this week I tested a couple recipes (coming soon), made my cottage cheese pasta (my kiddos love this one too), went out to dinner one night and I also prepped Lillie Eats and Tells' ground beef stir fry. I've made this one before and it's always a hit. Love her recipes for this kind of phase! This makes super generous portions which is nice when you're in a calorie deficit but still want a big bowl of food!

Yogurt bowls have been my mid-afternoon snack of choice, but lately I've been making new flavors to keep things fun. I've been making this almond joy version on repeat and it's such a good one.

🍫 Almond Joy Yogurt Bowl

• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 Tbsp Coconut flakes
• 1/2 Tbsp Chopped almonds
• a few mini chocolate chips

Mix the yogurt and protein powder together first, then pile everything on top. Tastes like dessert!

My banana pudding Creami has also been in heavy rotation when I want something sweet at night, but usually I have dinner, get the kids down and drink my Beam Dream. It's only 15 cals and tastes like hot cocoa so it's like a sweet treat and it helps me sleep. Win win. Use code BIRDFOOD if you want to try it.

Also still drinking my electrolytes daily, Beam Glow and/or Beam Biotic and at least one Spindrift a day (I'm hooked on the fuji apple right now).

Other things I've been doing for my body

After getting back from Atlanta I booked my first ever lymphatic drainage massage and wow.. I wish I had done this sooner. If you're not familiar, lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage technique that helps move fluid through your lymphatic system, which can reduce puffiness and bloating, support your immune system, and just generally make you feel less inflamed. I went in a little skeptical and came out completely converted. It felt like the perfect reset after a few days of eating and drinking more than usual, and I genuinely think it contributed to how good I felt jumping back into the deficit in week 5. Already booked my next one.

Updated progress photos:

The photo on the left is the day I started the deficit (April 6th) and the photo on the right is the start of week 6!

Scale Stuff + Weight Update

I've been weighing regularly with my Hume pod and something worth normalizing: there have been days where my weight jumped up or down a pound or two overnight for no real reason. The scale doesn't tell the full story. The trend over time is what matters, not any single day number. At the start of week 6 I was 134 lbs, down from 139.2 at the start!

What's Next

Two more weeks of the deficit for a full 8 weeks and then another planned diet break for a trip we have coming up to St. Barth’s. I'll keep sharing how it goes!

And as always, if you have questions about any of this, reply to this email. And if you want support doing this yourself, this is exactly what we work through together in my 6 week program and my next round starts June 15th!