So much better now...

 After switching back to low carb I am where I want to be in this next round of competition prep.  I will be honest, if I feel I am not ready to compete in five weeks then I won't.  The Emerald Cup is the biggest competition in the northwest and I want to represent on stage.  If I don't look better then last time then I won't do it.

Here's my current typical day of eating:

8:00am
1 cup of cantaloupe
1 scoop of whey protein

11:00am
1 can of tuna mixed with 2 tablespoons of light mayo
1 red bell pepper

1:30pm
Oh Yeah protein drink (I love these!)

5:30pm
6 ounces of pork or chicken
1 cup stir fried veggies (mostly cabbage)

8:30pm
6 ounces steak
Mixed salad greens with oil and vinegar dressing

1,540/207/30
This is a lower calorie day for me.  I range between 1,500-1,800 on a regular basis.  The protein is high, I know.  I just work better that way.  You may work better with more carbs.  I have been occasionally eating a little brown rice and I stir fry my veggies in oil.  When I crave a little something extra I eat an Adkins bar.  They are calculated by net carbs (total carbs - fiber - sugar alcohols, all which don't impact blood sugar) although it worries me because I never count impact carbs, I count ALL the carbs.

Still lifting heavy.  Some programs want you to change to lighter weights and higher reps for the last four weeks but I don't think I'll do that.  I need the shoulder mass, which isn't very much now and counts for a lot when competing.

Back To Low Carb

So the higher carb diet was not working.  I switched back to low carb and lost 3 lbs.  It's not really about weight loss, it's about fat loss, but weight loss is a good indicator that you are going in the right direction.  The higher carb diet was definitely not a high carb diet.  It was around 70-100 grams of carbs a day but my body just does not work well with even that amount.  I need to diet on 50 grams or less.  Competition prep is tough, especially the first time out.  I made a lot of mistakes my first round of competition prep 20 years ago.  You have to be willing to experiment to see what works.

The traditional weight lifting program is working really well.  Strength has increased every other week so I am staying strong (not losing any muscle mass).  That was one of my mistakes last time toward the end of competition prep.  I didn't eat enough and I doubled my cardio which was not smart.  As I mentioned a few posts back I was afraid that I was not going to be able to lose the weight like I did 20 years ago....because I am now 20 years older and statistically it is harder to lose weight the older you are.  I was wrong.  As long as you stay properly hydrated, get enough rest between workouts and eat enough protein you won't sacrifice hard earned muscle in order to lose weight.  Again, it's about fat loss, not weight loss.  I needed to really track how much weight I was lifting every workout and do the traditional three or four exercises per body part during one workout.  When I shed a couple more pounds then I can make an assessment but I think my shoulders already look better then they did last competition.



Here's a look at the diet I was doing a couple of weeks ago:

1/3 cup oatmeal
1 scoop whey protein

3 ounces chicken breast
1 cup cantaloupe

3 ounces chicken breast
1/2 cup brown rice

3 ounces steak
2 cups lettuce with 2 tablespoon oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 red bell pepper

3 ounces steak
1/2 cup sweet potatoes

3 ounces chicken breast
2 cups sauteed kale

3 ounces steak
2 cups lettuce with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 red bell pepper

Basically eating every two hours, which is very hard to do.


What I am eating now:

1/3 cup oatmeal
1 scoop whey protein

6 ounces steak

5-6 ounces chicken
2 cups lettuce with 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing
1/2 red bell pepper

1 small can albacore tuna
2 tablespoons light mayo
1/2 red bell pepper

6 ounces steak
2 cups chard


I shoot for 175-200 grams of protein a day, 50 or less of carbs and I don't count fat grams.  Again, you have to find out what works for you.  You may be just fine with a higher carb diet but over the years I have found that the majority of women have a hard time losing weight unless they cut the amount of carbs that they eat.

Contest Prep- New Plan

I am now solidly into contest prep/round 2.2.  I am doing a slightly different route this time.  Instead of just keeping my carbohydrates low I am also eating 6-7 meals a day.  Those meals consist of 3-4 ounces of protein plus either a carb or vegies.  The first three meals of the day are protein/carb and the last four are protein/vegie.  My carb choices are 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1/3 cup of oatmeal or 3 ounces sweet potato.  Veggies are pretty much anything that is green and are essentially unlimited.  It has been going very well. 

My pre-competition training routine is different this time around as well.  I have returned to my old bodybuilding ways (just like with the diet) and am doing a four day split.  Biceps/triceps, chest/shoulders, back/hamstrings, shoulders/quads (abs every workout).  Same exercises for each workout making sure I increase the weight (or at least attempt to increase the weight) every other workout.  For example for chest I am doing bench press 3X10, one arm incline DB chest press 3X10 and flat bench flyes 3X10.  Every third time I do that workout I add weight to the bar and/or pick up heavier dumbbells.  I am also changing my cardio.  5 days a week of lower end cardio 30-45mins.  That is SO old school bodybuilder but it works as long as you lift heavy.  Oh, and no 2-a-days.  At my first gym there were three pieces of cardio equipment - one bike, one treadmill and one elliptical.  That gym was in a basement with no windows. We had a couple of cable machines, a couple squat racks, benches, etc and a ton of weights.  It was a great place.  You don't need anything fancy to get the job done.

Now I am going to go prep my food for the next few days.  I have purchased a lot of little food storage containers so that I can divide everything up and just grab it and go.  Seven meals a day, two containers per meal means I have to stack up 14 containers.  My frig looks ridiculous.