Knowlege is power...

 Oh my god.  This time around is SO much harder then the last time.  New competition date is June 22nd and it is going slowly.  Ounce by ounce and a lot more tired.  Not sure what's going on but it's been super frustrating.  I bought an Escali  Scale that measures weight, fat and body water. Bio-impedance measuring is just one of the many ways to test body fat and there is a margin for error of 2% either side of the reading but you can do it at home and the cost is very low compared to other methods.  You should use it at the same time every day, which your probably already doing if you are monitoring your weight (obviously essential when prepping for a contest).  It measures hydration as well so if you use it every morning your hydration would pretty much be the same every day.  Testing in the evening would be a little tougher because hydration levels are more likely to change on a regular basis.  Really the main reason to use a scale with bio-impedance capabilities is that it gives you another way to monitor and, as the title of this post says, knowledge is power.  The more you know the better you can plan your competition prep.

The other thing I bought is an Orbi Tape.  It is a measuring tape that lets you measure yourself.  I don't know why but I think this is the coolest thing ever.  It makes it so you don't have to fumble to get a good reading on your own body.  Ready  more about it at the link above.  It's super cheap too.

People ask me about supplements all the time too.  I use straight forward whey protein that mixes easily.  I do not like to spend a lot of money on anything so I don't want all the wonder stuff that some companies add.  It should have a high protein/low carb count per serving.  I also take calcium, vitamin D, fish oil, flax seed capsules and a muti vitamin but I have to confess that I am not very good about taking them every day.

Simple rules to follow whether your preparing for a competition or not.  Protein, veggies and monitor, monitor, monitor in every way you can - weight, body fat and measuring.