Achieving a physique that looks good in a bikini requires finding the right balance of training and nutrition. A diet that would help a person achieve this goal would be one full of healthy foods that help with toning and shaping the body.
Working out and eating healthy together can help you achieve amazing results. Bikini models are proof of this.
Most models have great genes, which gives them a natural advantage when it comes to shaping their bodies. However, the models who are the most successful understand that the food they eat can have a big impact. Because, after all, hard work is usually more important than what you're born with.
What they are saying is that each person needs to find their own balance of what they are eating, depending on their body type and lifestyle. Some people may need to be stricter with themselves than others when it comes to their diet.
This article covers how some of the most successful and influential models like to eat. It discusses what ingredients they typically put on their plate, how they manage to fit meals in around their busy workout schedules, and whether they ever allow themselves to indulge in tasty treats. By the end of the article, you should have a better understanding of how these models maintain their physiques and how you might be able to do the same.
Niki Zager, a highly influential model and competitor, knows how important it is to eat for her body goals. She maintains her flawless physique by building her meals based on lean proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats, such as avocado and occasionally salmon.
Niki, a certified personal trainer, is the leader of Boss Workouts Shape & Burn program. She is helping others achieve their dream figure by providing online workout and diet guides.
Niki emphasizes the importance of a balanced diet, saying that what you eat has a direct effect on how you feel. She also takes this philosophy into account when developing individualized nutrition plans for her clients.
Niki believes that we should all see food as fuel in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, just as she does.
So when it is competition season, her typical breakfast will include healthy foods such as egg whites, lean beef, oatmeal, and greens. In fact, both egg whites and oatmeal are common ingredients found in the first daily meal of many bikini models.
Niki's healthy diet provides her with the nutrients she needs to power her workouts and makes it less likely that she'll store excess calories as body fat.
A proper balance of macronutrients and micronutrients is essential for a healthy body and an enviable physique.
Barbara Palvin is a Hungarian mode with a swimsuit body that is stunning. She was named the Sports Illustrated “Rookie of the Year” in 2016 and has been on the cover of Vogue magazine.
Instead of recommending an expensive or difficult-to-find diet, she says that eating every 2-3 hours is the key to maintaining a great physique.
Eating this way provides Barbara with a gradual release of energy throughout the day, keeping her hunger satisfied and mood elevated, and preventing sugary cravings.
This text is saying that it is better for figure athletes to have regular meals instead of sparse meals. This is because regular meals are better for protein metabolism. This means that having regular meals is ideal for supporting the lean and toned musculature of a great bikini body.
The model doesn't try to avoid her favorite foods. She still eats them, but she tries to offset the effect by working out more.
A typical lunch for Barbara would include a chicken Caesar salad and cheese, or a few portions of sushi.
The key point is that small, regular meals are scientifically proven to be the best way to develop a toned and sculpted body.
Bikini competitors and models go to the gym to make their muscles sleek and defined, and to burn excess body fat. With each repetition, they create tiny micro tears within the muscle, which, if recovered properly, will grow back stronger and bigger.
Bikini models are known to consume lean protein to help stay satiated and repair muscles after training.
IFBB Pro Jessica Arevalo is a leading example of how to optimize protein intake for a flawless physique. Her daily diet is as follows:
- Meal 1: ½ cup Oats, Fruit & 6 Egg Whites
- Meal 2: 6 oz. Red Meat, 4 oz. Yams, ½ cup of Vegetables
- Meal 3: Whey Protein, 1 Banana & 1 scoop of Cashew Butter
- Meal 4: 6 oz. Chicken or Fish, ½ cup of Brown Rice, ½ cup of Vegetables (Asparagus/Broccoli)
- Meal 5: 5 oz. Chicken & 4 oz. Yams
- Meal 6: 6 Egg Whites or Whey Protein
Every meal that Jessica has contains the ideal amount of protein that is necessary for building muscle. Instead of eating sugary snacks or junk food, Jessica always chooses an option with protein.
The main point is that Jessica takes every opportunity to eat lean protein. This is a method that many bikini models use because it is very effective and easier on the stomach.
Studies show protein consumption is relative to body composition
When compared to a high-carbohydrate diet, a protein-rich diet is more effective in reducing body fat, which is especially true for women, according to scientists. This is good news for Jessica and other top models who benefit greatly from eating this way.
Studies have shown that bikini models should consume 1.4-2.0g of protein per kg of body weight, split into 5-6 daily servings, to allow for optimal muscle growth and maintenance.
Protein is a key nutrient for maintaining and building lean muscle.
Models can have a slow release of energy throughout the day and a lower risk of unused blood sugar being stored as body fat by replacing short-chain saccharides and sugar with complex versions.
An example of someone who understood the importance of complex carbs is Amanda Latona, also known as ‘The Booty Queen'. As a successful IFBB Bikini Pro, bikini model, and TV host, she kept a moderate level of complex carbs in her diet to perform at a high level during competition.
Amanda's training regimen would typically involve going to the gym twice a day, five times per week. However, when she was training for a show, she would increase her preparation by adding an extra day consisting of two workouts.
Amanda Latona daily diet breakdown
Therefore, it was important that ‘The Booty Queen’ kept her diet in check, to help her power through all those workouts. A regular day of eating for Amanda typically looked like:
- 4 – 6 egg whites & spinach, oats & cinnamon.
- 115 grams chicken, brown rice, vegetables
- 115 grams chicken, sweet potato, vegetables
- Protein shake
- 115 grams salmon, avocado, vegetables
- Protein shake & peanut butter
This demonstrate of a 10x IFBB champion's daily dietary habits shows how top bikini competitors handle carbohydrates intelligently. Instead of cutting them out altogether, she included carbs sparingly yet healthily, so they provided precisely enough energy for her exercise needs.
Amanda chose the complex and highly fibrous brown rice over white rice. Like many other models, she also chooses sweet potato over white potato.
High-quality complex carbohydrates include:
- Brown rice
- Wild rice
- Sweet potato
- Quinoa
- Wholemeal pasta
- Oatmeal
- Rye
A key point to note is that complex carbohydrates provide a slower release of energy than low-GI simple sugars. This makes them more ideal for sustainable supply of energy for dieting bikini models and competitors throughout the day, since they won't experience as large of a sugar crash.
Brittany Perille Yobe is a megastar on social media for her highly developed glutes and overall stunning bikini body. The model says she is usually very strict with her food.
She maintains a high lean mass to body fat ratio by eating a Low FODMAPS diet, which means she stays away from all short-chain carbohydrates, including sugar, candy, and especially alcohol.
Strict = Success
The model has a very specific meal plan that she follows throughout the week, which is customized for her body type.
“I have a cheat day every week where I eat whatever I want. The rest of the time, I try to eat healthy.” When asked how she maintains her fit physique that has attracted over 1.1 million social media followers, Brittany said she has a cheat day every week where she allows herself to eat whatever she wants. The rest of the week, she tries to eat healthy.
I eat a Quest bar and take a multivitamin before I go to the gym in the morning. After my morning workout, I drink a whey protein shake with a banana. For lunch, I eat chicken with brown rice and bok choy. Before I go back to the gym, I’ll have some rice cakes with a little bit of peanut butter. After cardio, I drink a shake made with amino acids. For dinner, I’ll have more chicken, with sweet potatoes and bok choy. Then I’ll eat another protein bar or drink a whey protein shake. I also eat a low-digesting protein — usually Greek yogurt — right before bed (and sometimes in bed) to stop my body from going into starvation mode while I sleep so my body doesn’t start breaking down my muscles to fuel basic functions.
Brittany, like Jessica, focuses her diet around proteins, complex carbs, and fruits and veggies rich in vitamins. She also eats every 2-3 hours to maintain her workout regimen, as it burns calories rapidly.
The key point is that Brittany makes every calorie count by abstaining from low quality food sources like cakes and candy. This significantly lowers the risk of accidentally overfeeding on calorific snacks, leading to a more easily sustainable lean mass:body fat ratio.
Breaking the nutritious norm with a tasty treat
Yet, every now and then she breaks away from the norm and rewards her hard work with a treat meal”:
The physique professional confesses that they eat a treat meal more often than once a week, and that their go-to cheat food is pizza. They say that knowing they can have pizza makes the meal taste that much greater.
Images of bikini models often make dieters feel bad about their own eating habits. However, it's important to remember that even professional bikini models allow themselves cheat meals on occasion. While it's still important to eat mostly healthy foods, having a cheat meal once in a while can help to break up the monotony of a restrictive diet and help boost motivation levels.
Traditional dieting is known to trigger cravings, so by allowing herself to enjoy the unhealthy option every now and then, Brittany is able to satisfy her appetite and avoid any imbalances in her hormones.
By doing this, she is able to maintain control over them and not reverse all the progress she has made in achieving her goal of having a body like a bikini model. The key is to use treats like Brittany does, as an occasional meal rather than a constant consumption of unhealthy food.
Maintaining motivation can be difficult, especially when progress seems slow. However, rewarding yourself with a delicious meal after a hard workout can help to keep those hormones in balance and that motivation high.
Summary: Essential eating for a great bikini body
Bikini models make their bodies their career, so they are careful about what they eat and when they eat it.
The above examples all emphasize creating balance, consuming the right amounts of lean protein, healthy fats, moderate complex carbohydrates, and various fruits and vegetables.
Many models and competitors diet by eating several small meals throughout the day instead of fewer large ones. They believe this helps them control their hunger and achieve better results. There is no one standard for how many meals to eat in a day, but most people seem to eat either 5 or 6.
Bikini models are often rewarded with a special “treat” meal for their dedication and hard work. Though this might seem counterproductive, it's actually a smart way to maintain a healthy body weight and composition.
