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Here we go!!!!

figurechamp

figurechamp

New member
Inspired by cutie, Cali, and Donna, here comes my log!!!!

Yesterday was day one for my first competition diet!!! I made it through the day and no one was harmed!!! Lol

Starting weight yesterday was 176 and I woke up today at 173?!? Wtf!!! I was in calorie deficit yesterday and I worked out and I eliminated some foods, but holy shit!!! Three pounds in one day??? I'm sure it's not typical and I shouldn't start celebrating just yet. But I was just surprised.

For those of you with more dieting experience-- help with this please: I went to bed hungry last night. That's normal, right? Or just coincidence? And I had some insomnia. Coincidence or "normal"? And a pounding headache that still has not gone away.

I did add some new supplements-- fish oil and vitamin e. I cut out milk from my diet to start. Macro split yesterday was something like 45 p/38 c/20-something f.

What say you? :)
 
I would say coincidental. But your bod could also be kind of doing a detox too, that would account for the headach and insomina.

Sent from my X10a using Tapatalk
 
Go, girl!!!! Yes! I'm subbing this shiiiit ;)

As for the 3 lb and the headache I have a couple thoughts, but it would help to know exactly what you ate. My suspicions are:

1. Dehydration
2. Sugar withdrawal
3. Not enough calories

Post up or feel free to PM.

Way to commit! Welcome to the results train! :D
 
Hey Fc thanks for the shout out!
Can't wait to follow your progress girl yet another dedicated lady on board EF's great.
Well the first thing I thought of was maybe dehydration don't know if that helps or not. It just a thought.

Anyway I'm following ya chic can't wait to see you progress.
 
It's not unusual for me to gain or lose up to five pounds in one day due to:
  • carb intake
  • hydration levels
  • amount of food ingested
strange but true. good luck on the progress
 
Try taking Passion Flour at night. I use it. It is a natural anti anxiety that is packed with anti oxidents. While your body is adjusting it will help it relax.
 
In gonna guess not enough calories. I drank water yesterday like it was my job. And I cut out a lot of sugar long ago and the only sugar I had yesterday came from some strawberries. But I did notice that I might have been too low on calories. After eating and burning calories at the gym, I think I was 400 some calories under my target caloric intake. This is assuming that the myfitday app or whatever it's called knows what it's talking about. :) and I only had two scoops of my protein yesterday instead of the usual four coz my order hasn't shipped yet. Boo.

Still have a bit of a headache now and I'm sleepy as hell, but I attribute that to not sleeping well last night.

In other news, I made it thru my first cardio sesh. Only 20 minutes, HIIT on stepmill, but it still managed to kick my ass. :)
 
jjtt said:
It's not unusual for me to gain or lose up to five pounds in one day due to:
  • carb intake
  • hydration levels
  • amount of food ingested
strange but true. good luck on the progress
Click to expand...

^^This!

What's your target calorie intake? how low are your carbs??

P.S. So great you started a log and I'll be cheering you on!!
 
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caligirl85 said:
^^This!

What's your target calorie intake? how low are your carbs??

P.S. So great you started a log and I'll be cheering you on!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Cali!! Target calorie is 1720, carbs aren't all that low yet. Today they ended up being 162. Still kinda hungry, still have a headache. I ate a shit ton of green beans to try to fill me up at dinner. They were oh so flavorful. Sarcasm. :)
 
figurechamp said:
Thanks Cali!! Target calorie is 1720, carbs aren't all that low yet. Today they ended up being 162. Still kinda hungry, still have a headache. I ate a shit ton of green beans to try to fill me up at dinner. They were oh so flavorful. Sarcasm. :)
Click to expand...

Hmm... Does fitday go off your lean body mass or just your weight? Keep in mind these calculations are based on the average woman and chances are you have more muscle than that.

If you're super hungry, legitimately hungry, add food to your plan.

Don't just freestyle eat, but planfully amp up your protein portion sizes, for example (real food not drink mix or bars!)

If you've gotta eat a pound of veggies to keep your hunger in check you probably need to tweak something -- feel free to pm me your plan if you want a second set of eyes.
 
I must admit that I know nothing about competition dieting. That being said I used to get wicked bad headaches when I went to bed hungry and had a heavy training routine. I would eat a small meal of just protein before bed and it did the trick.
I've always used valerian root for insomnia. Some people take melatonin but that never cut it for me. If you can get past the smell, valerian helps alot. I am really curious about the passion flour that slat mentioned, though. I would like to try something natural for anxiety.
 
figurechamp said:
Inspired by cutie, Cali, and Donna, here comes my log!!!!

Yesterday was day one for my first competition diet!!! I made it through the day and no one was harmed!!! Lol

Starting weight yesterday was 176 and I woke up today at 173?!? Wtf!!! I was in calorie deficit yesterday and I worked out and I eliminated some foods, but holy shit!!! Three pounds in one day??? I'm sure it's not typical and I shouldn't start celebrating just yet. But I was just surprised.

For those of you with more dieting experience-- help with this please: I went to bed hungry last night. That's normal, right? Or just coincidence? And I had some insomnia. Coincidence or "normal"? And a pounding headache that still has not gone away.

I did add some new supplements-- fish oil and vitamin e. I cut out milk from my diet to start. Macro split yesterday was something like 45 p/38 c/20-something f.

What say you? :)
Click to expand...

I'm gonna bombard you with questions!! LOL I was thinking about your post today, though, and thought I'd ask you a few more things.

How many weeks out are you? I'm sitting about 23 weeks, so I'm guessing you're around 19-20 weeks out?

Do you have a target stage weight? in other words...any idea how much you need to lose? I know we often underestimate what we will be for stage weight, although obviously muscle mass related. My first show, I started at 179 and was 135 for stage in 22 weeks but I had next to no muscle mass and still probably wasn't lean enough. The reason I ask, though, is to get a sense of how aggressively you need to diet.

Next one is...do you have someone doing your diet? I don't want to give you a bunch of ideas and go against what your coach is doing with you. There are always different ways to skin the cat so to speak...lol

Cycle is var right??

The hungry part! Good question!! I would say, initially it may feel that way because of the changes in diet but...at 20 weeks out, give or take, you should still have enough calories that you aren't losing sleep from hunger. It's better to start higher in calories and leave yourself room to move. I would save some of my daily calories to eat closer to bed time but that's my own personal preference because I can't sleep if I'm hungry either.

Sorry for all the questions!!
 
Cutiebolic said:
Hmm... Does fitday go off your lean body mass or just your weight? Keep in mind these calculations are based on the average woman and chances are you have more muscle than that.

If you're super hungry, legitimately hungry, add food to your plan.

Don't just freestyle eat, but planfully amp up your protein portion sizes, for example (real food not drink mix or bars!)

If you've gotta eat a pound of veggies to keep your hunger in check you probably need to tweak something -- feel free to pm me your plan if you want a second set of eyes.
Click to expand...

Thanks cutie!

I think fit day goes off my fatty weight :) coz I entered 176 as the starting point. I am probably screwing with my head by keeping track on fit day. I didn't do it while I was "off season" but thought maybe it'd be helpful now.

Cali asked some questions about what I'm eating, so I'm gonna post it below. Thank u soooo much for your reply!!!
 
caligirl85 said:
I'm gonna bombard you with questions!! LOL I was thinking about your post today, though, and thought I'd ask you a few more things.

How many weeks out are you? I'm sitting about 23 weeks, so I'm guessing you're around 19-20 weeks out?

Do you have a target stage weight? in other words...any idea how much you need to lose? I know we often underestimate what we will be for stage weight, although obviously muscle mass related. My first show, I started at 179 and was 135 for stage in 22 weeks but I had next to no muscle mass and still probably wasn't lean enough. The reason I ask, though, is to get a sense of how aggressively you need to diet.

Next one is...do you have someone doing your diet? I don't want to give you a bunch of ideas and go against what your coach is doing with you. There are always different ways to skin the cat so to speak...lol

Cycle is var right??

The hungry part! Good question!! I would say, initially it may feel that way because of the changes in diet but...at 20 weeks out, give or take, you should still have enough calories that you aren't losing sleep from hunger. It's better to start higher in calories and leave yourself room to move. I would save some of my daily calories to eat closer to bed time but that's my own personal preference because I can't sleep if I'm hungry either.

Sorry for all the questions!!
Click to expand...

Oh thank u for asking! I need all the help I can get coz I feel clueless sometimes! Lol!

I'm 18-20 weeks out, depending on which show I do.

Since I'll be doing either BB or physique, I was guessing I'd wanna drop from 176 to 155-159. But that's totally a guess. I have no idea if that's too low or too high.

No one is doing my diet. I just made it up on my own after posting on here for some critiques and researching.

And yes, cycle is var.

Here's what I eat:

Meal one:
3 eggs
1/2 c oatmeal, skim milk
1/2 c strawberries
Sugar free maple syrup (bc oatmeal tastes like ASS!!! Lol)
Crystal lite rasp ice

Snack
1/4 c almonds

Lunch
2c romaine lettuce
6oz turkey breast
1tbsp wonton strips
2tbsp fat free poppy seed dressing (there's a teeny amt of sugar in dressing. Been considering switching to balsalmic vin)
Green tea

Pre WO
2 scoops myofusion
rice cake w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter

Post WO
2 scoops myofusion

Dinner (varies)
Chicken
Brown rice
Broccoli
Low sodium soy sauce

Night snack
3 hard boiled eggs, whites only

Then there's all my supplements. I've become a supplement whore. Lol :) I read an article about one and think "oh I should probably add that. " haha! So with breakfast, I take:

Bcaa
Fish oil
Vitamin e 400 iu
Multivitamin
Caffeine 250mg
5ish mg var (I'm splitting a 25mg var tab in quarters, so it's probably more like 6ish).

Then with lunch:
Fish oil

Pre WO:
Bcaa
Glutamine
Caffeine
5ish mg var

Post WO:
Bcaa
Glutamine

That's it, I think. :) one side note: the diet listed above is pretty much what I've been eating pre-prep too. But there are subtle differences. Pre-prep, all my shakes were made with skim milk. I also would drink a glass of skim milk at dinner. The idea was finding an easy-- and palatable-- way of increasing calories and protein. Now all i drink is water (and the exceptions listed above). And if I wanted a cookie or a handful of Fritos, I'd eat them. :) and if I was hungry, I'd eat a bagel or some other carb source with peanut butter or I'd eat a bowl of kashi cereal. Now, I don't eat carbs after 9:00 pm and I've eliminated milk (except in my oatmeal) and no cookies or Fritos. Boo!!! Lol!

Btw-- I slept fine last night. Woke up a few times but think that's coz I was just hot and needed to throw off a few covers. Headache is still kinda there. I did take some Nuprin last night and that helped. So maybe I am dehydrated. Good lord, I feel like I'm already peeing rivers!!! I guess it's not enough until you're peeing oceans!!! Hahaha!!!

Thanks for all the responses!!! I don't know what I'd do without all the feedback!!!
 
Still having headaches. Sleeping ok. I wake up more than I normally do but I'm able to fall back to sleep. But I've made it through another day. :)
 
I think your diet looks pretty good. :) If you are still finding yourself hungry, you could probably increase calories a little bit, even for a couple of weeks. See how you feel and how your body is feeling in the gym. The other option is to include some type of structured refeed, especially if you start to plateau. You don't want to drop calories too quickly in the process or it can bite you in those final weeks.

Another thought...just to keep in mind as you go....for the first show, it's often quite eye opening to realize how low you have to go weight wise for stage condition, especially for bb or physique. Obviously, it depends on how much muscle mass you have but I'd say that is a very common experience for the first time competitors (especially if you have to really drop any type of weight in the double digits). I'd take your target and add on 10 lbs just to be safe. Again, all individual but something to keep in mind as you go. :)
 
caligirl85 said:
I think your diet looks pretty good. :) If you are still finding yourself hungry, you could probably increase calories a little bit, even for a couple of weeks. See how you feel and how your body is feeling in the gym. The other option is to include some type of structured refeed, especially if you start to plateau. You don't want to drop calories too quickly in the process or it can bite you in those final weeks.

Another thought...just to keep in mind as you go....for the first show, it's often quite eye opening to realize how low you have to go weight wise for stage condition, especially for bb or physique. Obviously, it depends on how much muscle mass you have but I'd say that is a very common experience for the first time competitors (especially if you have to really drop any type of weight in the double digits). I'd take your target and add on 10 lbs just to be safe. Again, all individual but something to keep in mind as you go. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Cali. I'm rewarding my first week's efforts with a controversial cheat meal on Sunday. I want-- and will have :) -- a grilled turkey and cheese sandwich and an ice cream cone from dairy queen. I. Cannot. Wait. Lol.

What's "normal" to feel while dieting? I still have a headache and after cardio today, I felt like a beat dog. Even after a protein shake post cardio, I was tired. I go back to the gym this afternoon to do arms. Hopefully I will get something out of it.
 
FC do yourself a favor and get your BP checked just for peace of mind.

Thank you :)
 
Is the caffeine new? Sometimes too much caffeine gives me bad headaches...I'm just brainstorming here but usually the answer lies in the diet. Dammit! lol
 
caligirl85 said:
Is the caffeine new? Sometimes too much caffeine gives me bad headaches...I'm just brainstorming here but usually the answer lies in the diet. Dammit! lol
Click to expand...

I'm with Cali here... Diet changed right before the headaches, right?

I was thinking in the opposite direction, though. If you cut back on caffeine too abruptly (or nicotine or alcohol) you can get nasty headaches.

Same with if you're dehydrated (which might be relatively so if you're taking more supplements).

Also, I can't remember if you mentioned it or not but are you taking Clen or anything other than the Anavar?

Stevia sometimes gives me headaches as do some of the other artificial sweeteners. Sorry to go all Matlock on you but sometimes the only way to sleuth it out is trial and error.

Finally, Radar brings up an interesting point... Definitely get your blood pressure checked. You can do this for free at many pharmacies and it takes 60 seconds. Kinda silly not to.

Other thoughts... I (and a lot of women) get horrible migraines. I went to neurologists, had MRIs and CT scans and still about every other month would wind up with an ER visit for a headache and vomiting that would turn out to be another migraine (hot, I know).

In the end, it turns out that what triggers my migraines is muscle spasms in the nape of my neck and the small muscles at the base of my skull. I'm especially vulnerable to straining these when I'm starting a new program and have to stay cognizant of not tensing my neck (lol... This can even happen, um, in bed... Sorry Mom). This is easy to test for by feeling the back of your neck for "knots"... Tension even in the traps and shoulders can generate this too.

Just thoughts... Obviously if you haven't figured it out soon it might make sense to see a doc.

Hope you feel better soon!

xo
 
Yeah Iv'e suffered the same thing my docs said it was a tension head ache I tried everything for it but nothing worked until I was was prescribed syndol if I remember rightly this was ibuprofen paracetamol and caffeine or something long those lines the was they worked is they relaxed the muscles which were tight and took it straight away, Im not sure if you guys have them over the pond but might be a good idea to try...........
 
dmk777 said:
Yeah Iv'e suffered the same thing my docs said it was a tension head ache I tried everything for it but nothing worked until I was was prescribed syndol if I remember rightly this was ibuprofen paracetamol and caffeine or something long those lines the was they worked is they relaxed the muscles which were tight and took it straight away, Im not sure if you guys have them over the pond but might be a good idea to try...........
Click to expand...

Our pond is a big hole to row
 
The headaches finally stopped!!! Thank you for all the suggestions. I'm still not sure what it was. Maybe it was just tension headaches coz I stress out so much about whether I'm doing this dieting thing "right" or not. I've got to stop obsessing!!!

Yesterday was shoulder day. It's usually my favorite workout of the week. But I just wasn't feelin it. I had very little motivation. I pushed through it, but I just wanted to go home.

And the eating thing was particularly rough last night. I really wanted to binge. Not even so much. "binge" as just eat whatever I want and not feel ashamed about it. I really would have rather had a bowl of cereal late last night instead of the protein source. And I really wanted to wash it down with a cookie. :) So I felt kinda depressed last night, which is weird coz I've never felt that way over food. I've never even thought about food as much as I do now. I guess it's because now that I can't have certain things, that's all I think about.

This week will hopefully be better. For one, today (Sunday) is my refeed day. Carbs will be my best friend today. :) And I go back to work this week. I've been off for the last month. I work at a major university and we've been on semester break. So I've had lots of free time to just think. It's annoying. I'm hoping that getting back into the regular work groove will make dieting easier.

And as I was reading Cali's log, I liked her idea of mini goals and her four week goal and then a reassessment. I'm copying. :) I've decided to plug away with this until the end of January. If I'm not seeing any noticeable improvements or if I find that the discipline it takes to do this is too much for me, I might stop the diet and perhaps give up the idea of competing.

But that's not til the end of the month!!! So in the meantime, I'll keep training hard and eating right. Thank god today includes a cheat meal!!!!!!!
 
Hey Fc that's great that them head aches are gone, I sometimes feel the same bout needing to binge but what helps me is I know that if I just give in a eat something I'm craving that doesn't take away the craving or even make it any easier so it's pointless giving once,
Cheat days for me is always a Sunday when I eat a beef roast and sometimes even a desert after but ATM that's not too bad for me as I'm needing as many cals as poss for 5x5 my true dedication will be tested when I cut for summer I think I'm guna find it hard so I guess what I'm saying is the building is easy it's the diet that takes true dedication.
 
I'm having a better day today. I'm down 4lbs for one. For only 8 days of dieting and only 3 days of cardio per week just yet, I'll take it.

I'm feeling pretty good too. I've had several days that I just wanted to quit. And I was worried I'd feel the same way after my cardio session this morning. Afterwards, I felt like shit. I don't understand all these folks that claim they feel like a million bucks after cardio; that they somehow feel "refreshed." I call bullshit on that one. I can honestly say that I've NEVER felt refreshed after a cardio session. Never in my life. It has always made me wanna go right back to bed. Of course, I don't, but I know that if I were to sit for too long (like more than 15 minutes), I'd fall right to sleep afterwards. :)

But I had to go to work afterwards today. Dammit. :)

My workout then this afternoon was awesome!!!! Today was chest day. I rotate workouts and today I returned to the flat bench press after not doing that exercise for about six weeks. Opened up with a warm up set of 12 @ 135lbs. It was super easy. I was surprised. My last set ended up being 185 for 8. I've never done that. Usually can only pop out 5 or 6. My max bp is around 225 for a double but I didn't wanna push the heavy shit today since I've taken so much time off from flat bench. But holy shit! 185 for 8 is awesome!

Moved on to dumbbell presses, three sets of the 70s for 10!

Then I pussed out on flies and this other thing I do (don't know the name of it!lol) coz I was beat.

Then I cranked out some abs and whooped myself even further.

Now I can't sleep. It's almost 5 am and I gotta get up in about 2 hours. Awesome! ;)
 
Yeah it's strange that one chic normal the chemical release during cardio makes people feel good but to tell you the truth immediately after I feel crap then after a good rest and after food I seem to feel refreshed Spose all of us different this just proves that! ,
Great workout there huni well done for pushing through the hard times I'm sure you should soon start feeling the benefits , and how you couldn't sleep after that I don't know lol , hope today isn't too much of a battle for you no sleep to me = one helliver mood lol.
 
dmk777 said:
Yeah it's strange that one chic normal the chemical release during cardio makes people feel good but to tell you the truth immediately after I feel crap then after a good rest and after food I seem to feel refreshed Spose all of us different this just proves that! ,
Great workout there huni well done for pushing through the hard times I'm sure you should soon start feeling the benefits , and how you couldn't sleep after that I don't know lol , hope today isn't too much of a battle for you no sleep to me = one helliver mood lol.
Click to expand...


Your gals need some N2KTS when on the days your feeling sluggish!
 
dmk777 said:
Yeah it's strange that one chic normal the chemical release during cardio makes people feel good but to tell you the truth immediately after I feel crap then after a good rest and after food I seem to feel refreshed Spose all of us different this just proves that! ,
Great workout there huni well done for pushing through the hard times I'm sure you should soon start feeling the benefits , and how you couldn't sleep after that I don't know lol , hope today isn't too much of a battle for you no sleep to me = one helliver mood lol.
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I'm glad to hear that cardio doesn't make u feel too much like superwoman either!!! :)

It's 7:30 and I'm up. This will be interesting today. Full day of work followed by a killer leg day this afternoon. I hope I don't fall asleep while standing! :)

Going to go weigh myself in a few minutes. That scale better say I dropped another pound!!!! :)
 
figurechamp said:
Can it be bought by the case?!?! :) I'll need a bottle per day! ;)
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A tablespoon in water (grape flavored) gets me going and i don't wanna stop, you can get around 30 serings out of a tub ,if not more.

I highly reccommend it ,you won't be sorry ,and Use RADAR 15 for your code.

I won't train without it, now if i'm going for 45o -500 squats i take 200mg caffiene with it!
 
Cutiebolic said:
Hey FC! What ever happened w your headaches?
Click to expand...

They're gone!!!! I think I figured it out. Potassium/sodium imbalance. Prior to diet, my shakes were made with milk (lots of potassium) and I would salt my morning eggs. With the diet, I eliminated the milk but still kept salting the eggs. Maybe the rapid drop of milk along with the continued sodium intake screwed me up. So I cut out the salt. No headaches!!! Yay! Thanks for asking!! :)
 
RADAR said:
A tablespoon in water (grape flavored) gets me going and i don't wanna stop, you can get around 30 serings out of a tub ,if not more.

I highly reccommend it ,you won't be sorry ,and Use RADAR 15 for your code.

I won't train without it, now if i'm going for 45o -500 squats i take 200mg caffiene with it!
Click to expand...

Thanks radar! I'll have to wait til next pay. Bc I've become a supplement whore in recent weeks, I've shot my budget wad on sups for the month. Lol! :)

Will that grape flavor make for some graaaapppee draaaaank??? :)
 
figurechamp said:
Thanks radar! I'll have to wait til next pay. Bc I've become a supplement whore in recent weeks, I've shot my budget wad on sups for the month. Lol! :)

Will that grape flavor make for some graaaapppee draaaaank??? :)
Click to expand...

I love the grape but its easy to over do it,so be careful.
 
Yesterday was leg day. Big fail! My legs were so sore and tired from doing the elliptical the day before. I wanted to fall over for squats and leg presses were the weakest they've ever been. I wasn't "sleepy" tired, just my legs were beat. I finished up with some box jumps and jump rope and those I completed with no problem.

Today, I busted out on the elliptical again. My legs are begging me to stop. :) so I think I'm gonna catch a nap before heading back to the gym later to train my guns. Hehehe. :)

Frustrated scale wise. I've not lost any weight-- not a single ounce-- in 3 days. Total, I've lost 5 lbs in 12 days. Im currently 172.8. Does that sound about right?

By the end of January, I'd like to be around 167 (I started at 177). Does that seem reasonable or not drastic enough?
 
I'm sort of thinking out loud so if it doesn't make sense...just let me know. Some of this is general ideas becuase it's tough to say, for sure, without seeing pics or knowing bf% but...I'm thinking you must have some decent muscle mass, for your stats and seeing some seperation already and maybe that 155 lb goal will be realistic. So given that, you have 17-19 weeks to go with a target of 17.8 lbs to lose (again, it may be slightly higher).

That gives you a target of 1 lb or slightly more to lose per week, although most don't count that last week before show time, but you get the idea in how to look at it.

The one thing I'd really watch is your calorie level. If you're really carrying the muscle mass I think you are, I think you are starting out a little bit low at 1720. Especially if you find you're stalling early on and having energy issues. I know you've just gone back to work, some other stressors too and tough to say if it's all diet related. There is always some diet pain and low energy that comes with prep but it's quite a ways out to be feeling it already. The danger is you will have to lower calories further, energy levels continue to drop and you'll still have several weeks left and not a lot of room to move when you stall out.

There's a couple different thoughts on that. You can bump up the overall calories a couple hundred and take advantage of the time. You could structure at least 50% of your carb intake to fall around your lifting sessions, both before and after. That will help with energy there. The other thought is the structured refeed. Different than a cheat but a planned and measured increase in carbs once a week/ twice a week...timing again relates to bf and timelines. Some people do that over one meal, while others will do it over a day but find that it will keep things moving and helps with the energy levels too. I can give you more info on how to set those up too if you go that route.

Just a few thoughts to mull around for ya!! :)


I think you're in a decent position though and have the time to keep the diet reasonable vs that intense drastic cut. So keep working hard!! You're doing great!
 
caligirl85 said:
I'm sort of thinking out loud so if it doesn't make sense...just let me know. Some of this is general ideas becuase it's tough to say, for sure, without seeing pics or knowing bf% but...I'm thinking you must have some decent muscle mass, for your stats and seeing some seperation already and maybe that 155 lb goal will be realistic. So given that, you have 17-19 weeks to go with a target of 17.8 lbs to lose (again, it may be slightly higher).

That gives you a target of 1 lb or slightly more to lose per week, although most don't count that last week before show time, but you get the idea in how to look at it.

The one thing I'd really watch is your calorie level. If you're really carrying the muscle mass I think you are, I think you are starting out a little bit low at 1720. Especially if you find you're stalling early on and having energy issues. I know you've just gone back to work, some other stressors too and tough to say if it's all diet related. There is always some diet pain and low energy that comes with prep but it's quite a ways out to be feeling it already. The danger is you will have to lower calories further, energy levels continue to drop and you'll still have several weeks left and not a lot of room to move when you stall out.

There's a couple different thoughts on that. You can bump up the overall calories a couple hundred and take advantage of the time. You could structure at least 50% of your carb intake to fall around your lifting sessions, both before and after. That will help with energy there. The other thought is the structured refeed. Different than a cheat but a planned and measured increase in carbs once a week/ twice a week...timing again relates to bf and timelines. Some people do that over one meal, while others will do it over a day but find that it will keep things moving and helps with the energy levels too. I can give you more info on how to set those up too if you go that route.

Just a few thoughts to mull around for ya!! :)


I think you're in a decent position though and have the time to keep the diet reasonable vs that intense drastic cut. So keep working hard!! You're doing great!
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I'll have to sit down and think about what to add and when. Thanks for the suggestions! Today, though, is that coveted cheat meal day so I expect to be in a food coma later this afternoon! I'm going to br having chocolate chip pancakes, real syrup, eggs (that are likely loaded with butter), and home fries ( again, loaded with butter) from the local breakfast joint. I cannot wait!!! :)
 
Shoulder day is my fave. That's Saturday's workout. Instead of striving for heavy weights yesterday, I went for maximum fatigue. Mixed in some dynamic moves to really try to emphasize the pump. Felt good! Even saw some veins popping on my shoulders-- that's always fun! :)

My energy levels were up yesterday and Friday (bicep day). I experimented a little, but was also a bit stupid in my experiment. I carbed up about an hour or so before the workout. Friday, I had some brown rice with my lunch and Saturday I had a bowl of oatmeal. I was hoping for some increased energy from that.

But I wasn't satisfied with that, so I added some preworkout that my husband has lying around. Decided to go balls to the wall and take a couple of scoops of that. Forget that warning that says you should assess your tolerance with only half or a whole scoop. Pssh! Lol.

Something worked. I was on fire at the gym! I didn't want to stop. :) only problem is, I don't know which was the benefitting factor coz I had to be dumb and do both carb up and take a pre-wo. Should've tried one. Then the other. Then both together if that didn't work. Now I've put myself in a position where I'll have to always do both bc I'll be afraid of a decrease in energy if I don't. I'm such a meathead. Lol. :)

Oh!!! And the scale finally moved. A whopping .2 ounces. 172.6 yesterday. I'll see what it is this morning once I drag myself outta bed.

Have a great day, everyone!!!!
 
Excellent work FC and I must say in your avatar you look I'm amazing shape!! Well done huni!!
 
figurechamp said:
Shoulder day is my fave. That's Saturday's workout. Instead of striving for heavy weights yesterday, I went for maximum fatigue. Mixed in some dynamic moves to really try to emphasize the pump. Felt good! Even saw some veins popping on my shoulders-- that's always fun! :)

My energy levels were up yesterday and Friday (bicep day). I experimented a little, but was also a bit stupid in my experiment. I carbed up about an hour or so before the workout. Friday, I had some brown rice with my lunch and Saturday I had a bowl of oatmeal. I was hoping for some increased energy from that.

But I wasn't satisfied with that, so I added some preworkout that my husband has lying around. Decided to go balls to the wall and take a couple of scoops of that. Forget that warning that says you should assess your tolerance with only half or a whole scoop. Pssh! Lol.

Something worked. I was on fire at the gym! I didn't want to stop. :) only problem is, I don't know which was the benefitting factor coz I had to be dumb and do both carb up and take a pre-wo. Should've tried one. Then the other. Then both together if that didn't work. Now I've put myself in a position where I'll have to always do both bc I'll be afraid of a decrease in energy if I don't. I'm such a meathead. Lol. :)

Oh!!! And the scale finally moved. A whopping .2 ounces. 172.6 yesterday. I'll see what it is this morning once I drag myself outta bed.

Have a great day, everyone!!!!
Click to expand...


Hello FC love your log, here are some things to ponder, Muscle Weighs more than Fat, so all that hard work really isn't wasted,and another thing That scale is worthless ,it will lie to you, you could be carrying around extra water or last night's steak dinner so don't get too dependent on it, but at least it does give you an idea where you're at,it's just not accurate.
 
RADAR said:
Hello FC love your log, here are some things to ponder, Muscle Weighs more than Fat, so all that hard work really isn't wasted,and another thing That scale is worthless ,it will lie to you, you could be carrying around extra water or last night's steak dinner so don't get too dependent on it, but at least it does give you an idea where you're at,it's just not accurate.
Click to expand...

Yea I know I probably shouldn't worry so much about it but it just really plays with my head. When it doesn't show that I've maybe even dropped a tenth of a pound, I worry. I wonder if I should change the diet, increase the cardio or what. I end up second guessing myself a LOT coz of that damn thing! :)
 
Goodness! I can't believe what a bowl of oatmeal can do!

My carb intake prior to hitting the gym was pretty low. The only real carb I was getting was the oatmeal at breakfast. Lunch is a salad and lettuce doesn't offer much energy. :) And my protein shake is also low carb.

So after bitching about my lack of energy, a bunch of ya offered some advice and I took it!!! I added another carb with lunch (another delicious bowl of oatmeal-- gross!) and my workouts have been great!!! There have even been days when I don't wanna leave the gym coz I wanna work out more!!!

The cardio thing still has me perplexed though. I am always whooped afterwards. Just wanna go to bed. I do my cardio seshs in the morning, to get it out of the way. I'm wondering if I should do it at night instead. It'd be a bigger pain in the ass, but it actually might help me sleep better.

Still kinda frustrated with the scale, especially after reading about Cali's 11 lb loss in 4 weeks! That's awesome! I'm still stuck at having lost only 5 lbs in 3 weeks. :( But... When I look in the mirror, I can see changes. My abs are starting to appear!!! And my arms were looking great at the gym yesterday. Legs aren't there yet. Not even close. But I know that's how it works for women--legs are always last. And I've been having my husband take weekly pics and those show some signs of progress. But that damn scale doesn't show shit!!! I get so mad!!! :)

I feel good. I've been behaving with my diet. Workouts are good. So why am I freaking out over the scale? Coz that's what I do. I'm a worrier by nature. :)

Btw... I've had a craving for a peanut butter sandwich. Odd right?!? Wtf! And I want it on one of those Thomas Bagel Thins. It's 110 calories, made of whole wheat, very low sugar (I think like 3 or something like that). Can I have it?!?! I picked the bagels up at the grocery store last night and then put em back down coz I was afraid. Thought I'd ask my EF friends first for "permission" before I go messing things up. :) Pleasssseeee, can I have it?!?! Lol!
 
figurechamp said:
Goodness! I can't believe what a bowl of oatmeal can do!

My carb intake prior to hitting the gym was pretty low. The only real carb I was getting was the oatmeal at breakfast. Lunch is a salad and lettuce doesn't offer much energy. :) And my protein shake is also low carb.

...

Btw... I've had a craving for a peanut butter sandwich. Odd right?!? Wtf! And I want it on one of those Thomas Bagel Thins. It's 110 calories, made of whole wheat, very low sugar (I think like 3 or something like that). Can I have it?!?! I picked the bagels up at the grocery store last night and then put em back down coz I was afraid. Thought I'd ask my EF friends first for "permission" before I go messing things up. :) Pleasssseeee, can I have it?!?! Lol!
Click to expand...

Not to knock Bagel Thins but I can definitely think of better sources for carbs.

That being said, I think the question I have is why are you asking? Generally the best predictor of how something will go is how it has gone in the past... How has purchasing Bagel-thin-type products gone for you historically? Are you someone who has just the one you told yourself you'd have or are you someone who eats the whole bag?

No shame in either... Just good to know yourself and set yourself up for success.

A couple other thoughts:
I don't love the pb sandwich cuz it's a 3 macro interaction. Tough to clear and probably not the best choice for cutting. When I'm craving nuts I usually need more fat in my diet. Try adding 1T olive oil at dinner or 1/2 avocado.
Also, be aware that nuts have a good amount of carb.

Ok... I'm done! Good luck. Keep doing this one day at a time and you'll be at that 11 lb before you know it.

xo
 
I'll write ya more later but don't forget I'm on the stress induced douche bag diet!! LOL Once I get things in order, I expect to gain a few before dropping again. I'll take the loss but I feel crappy, I look flat and haven't been in the gym in a week so....keep working hard! It sounds like you are still making changes, even if the scale isn't moving. So glad the oatmeal is helping in the gym too!! :)
 
Cutiebolic said:
Not to knock Bagel Thins but I can definitely think of better sources for carbs.

That being said, I think the question I have is why are you asking? Generally the best predictor of how something will go is how it has gone in the past... How has purchasing Bagel-thin-type products gone for you historically? Are you someone who has just the one you told yourself you'd have or are you someone who eats the whole bag?

No shame in either... Just good to know yourself and set yourself up for success.

A couple other thoughts:
I don't love the pb sandwich cuz it's a 3 macro interaction. Tough to clear and probably not the best choice for cutting. When I'm craving nuts I usually need more fat in my diet. Try adding 1T olive oil at dinner or 1/2 avocado.
Also, be aware that nuts have a good amount of carb.

Ok... I'm done! Good luck. Keep doing this one day at a time and you'll be at that 11 lb before you know it.

xo
Click to expand...

I just wanna eat one. I'd end up wasting the bag. Actually I'd prolly throw the rest in the freezer and save them for another day. Coz I'm cheap like that. :)
 
caligirl85 said:
I'll write ya more later but don't forget I'm on the stress induced douche bag diet!! LOL Once I get things in order, I expect to gain a few before dropping again. I'll take the loss but I feel crappy, I look flat and haven't been in the gym in a week so....keep working hard! It sounds like you are still making changes, even if the scale isn't moving. So glad the oatmeal is helping in the gym too!! :)
Click to expand...

Good point, Cali. I forgot part of ur diet included the douchebag plan. Everyone should try it coz it sure does drop the pounds! Lol! Several years ago, I had some marital problems and I ended up going from a size 12 to a 6 in the matter of just a couple of months. So I've been on that plan too. Jenny Craig ain't got shit on the Douchebag Diet!!! Lmao!!!

So I guess I can't revel in ur weight loss success too much coz it sounds like ur miserable right now. I'm sorry. I guess we all just gotta have faith that "this too, shall pass." In the meantime, I want a friggin peanut butter sammich! :)
 
LOL I had penutbutter on celery last night for a snak...:evil:
 
figurechamp said:
Good point, Cali. I forgot part of ur diet included the douchebag plan. Everyone should try it coz it sure does drop the pounds! Lol! Several years ago, I had some marital problems and I ended up going from a size 12 to a 6 in the matter of just a couple of months. So I've been on that plan too. Jenny Craig ain't got shit on the Douchebag Diet!!! Lmao!!!

So I guess I can't revel in ur weight loss success too much coz it sounds like ur miserable right now. I'm sorry. I guess we all just gotta have faith that "this too, shall pass." In the meantime, I want a friggin peanut butter sammich! :)
Click to expand...


LOL I am getting my life back and feeling good today! :)

When's your cheat day? Can you fit in a pb sammich??

I'd hold that oatmeal or other carb source in there pre workout and keep it as long as you can. It'll keep your energy up too. Usually about 6 weeks out, if you're on track, to look at significantly lowering carbs. All relative, of course, though. Some people can get away with keeping them higher for most of prep! Jerks!! LOL j/k

If you're seeing abs already...I'm thinking you're on track!
 
P.S. I think I should write a book called the douchebag diet! What could we include?? LOL
 
zedhed said:
LOL I had penutbutter on celery last night for a snak...:evil:
Click to expand...

I'm getting into a bad habit too, before bed i have a honey and PB sanwitch......


this has to stop , i can't sleep without one and some milk, someone shoot me!
 
That fucking scale finally dropped!!!!! :) down to 170!!!! I was starting to lose hope but this morning's weigh in made me feel better!!!! Whoo-hoo!!!! :)

So I haven't been on here in a few days... Let's recap. Well I caved on the peanut butter. And I had it on a regular bagel, not a thin one. And I did it twice. Omg it tasted sooooo good! And I had pizza for my cheat meal on Sunday. God I love cheating!!! Lol!

Created a food I can tolerate as well. I whip 2-4 egg whites with some vanilla then blend in a scoop or two of vanilla protein powder and throw it on the griddle--crepes! But there's more yum involved: take a half ounce square of unsweetened bakers chocolate and put it in the center of the crepe. Throw a packet of truvia over it, some sliced strawberries if you're feeling froggy, and fold to allow the chocolate to melt. Top with sugar free syrup. Bomb!!! :) of course this isn't a regular part of the diet but it satisfies the chocolate crave pretty well. The crepe alone is good though too so I sometimes just eat that. :)

Met with a friend who's an ifbb BB pro for some help with posing. It went well. With her instruction, I found that I have muscles that I didn't know were there. Like that strip that connects your pelvis to your upper leg (I don't know the name of it)-- I have one of those!!!! And I saw some other quad stuff that I didn't know was there!!!

I laughed coz she makes posing look so easy. She just pops herself into a pose and it looks so "normal" And then I said to her, "well I guess that makes sense. U r a pro." :) a few years ago, she had placed in the top ten at the Olympia so I guess it makes sense that it's easy for her and challenging for me. :)

Cardio is going well. 30 minutes, HIIT, 3x week. Adding a steady state cardio session (45 minutes) this week so I'll be up to 4x week. Lifts are still heavy-- haven't lost strength there yet. In fact, deadlifted 285lbs for 5 reps on Monday.

I feel great! I can see changes! The scale moved! This isn't too bad! :) Yay!!!
 
Hey FC, lmfao at your post chic,also I'm going to gives these bad boys a shot lol they sound delicious ,
Great job on the scale and too with the posing , I watched a programme last night bout it and it don't look too easy lol,
You got me hungry reading this lol might have to hunt out a celery stick ! That sucks haha
 
This might not apply to too many here coz it looks like there's a lot of figure and bikini girls in here, but I wonder if anyone has ever felt like they look like a freak? I'm probably in the best shape of my life, having lost 8 lbs do far, seeing cuts and separations in a lot of places, and more is expected as I'm 14 weeks out from my first projected show date. And I'm tall. And my hair is cut into a short inverted bob. And sometimes I'm afraid I look like a freak. My husband tells me how good I look and I can see what he's talking about-- I think-- but no one else says anything. Ever. So then I get inside my own head, probably too much, and I start to wonder if no one is saying anything bc they think I look weird or "man-ish." or just too big. It makes me wish I had more of a figure body-- coz those girls are always smokin hot. And there always like a size two. I'm a size ten. I'd have to drop soooo much weight to get near there. F that. :)

I suppose I'm rambling. I guess I just have some serious issues regarding my perception of my own body.

In other news , that stupid scale dropped to 169!!! I'm right where I need to be to hit my target weight-- I need to drop 14 more pounds and there's 14 weeks left. Whoop whoop! :)
 
Girl you wouldn't be human if things like that didn't cross your mind, lol but look at it this way even them gals your talking bout even think that, so what is perfect ?? No body ! And if we were all the same the world would be a dull place!,

Well done on the scale!!: )
 
Help!!!

Just when I thought I was all beasty and shit, my left shoulder gave out. I didn't do anything to cause injury. I just woke up one morning and it hurt. I think it's joint coz rubbing it doesn't help and it's incredibly stiff. Raising my arm to parallel is painful. And above my head? Forget it. Drying my hair with the blow dryer realllyyyy sucks!!

And then, just when I was casually walking around campus, my knee joint gave out. And now it hurts too.

Never have had these problems before. But it certainly affects my lifting. My bench is down, my shoulder press is down. Tomorrow is leg day. Who knows how that's gonna go.

And I'm drinking the gelatin in some of my shakes.

What's goin on? Is it bc I'm dropping weight that my joints are starting to hurt? This sucks!!! Suggestions please!!!
 
add some Krill oil to your diet,are you drinking enough water?
 
I'm tired. And discouraged. Shoulder is still painful and my knee keeps popping. Resorted to 5 and 10 lb DB for shoulders today. Major blast to my ego. I was doing 40s for laterals and 60 for presses. I don't even think I can say I got a pump going today. The reps were high but I guess not high enough.

I just wanna eat. I wanna eat regular food, not this crap. And I don't wanna pose or do cardio. I wanna go to bed. For the rest of the day. Sigh.

At least tomorrow I get my cheat meal.

I hate everything today. :(
 
I started to have stiff joints too, I just got some 1000mg fish oil caps and added them to my evening meal and as recommended by Radar and Zed. Some gelatine sachets and added one them too a shake. It seems to subsided for now ...
I know the diet thing sucks tbh I think the lifting cardio etc is a walk in the park compared to sticking to diet but this time I've stuck to it three weeks now Only 1 cheat Meal per wk that gives me something to look forward too. It will be worth it when you take home that trophy huni!!
 
dmk777 said:
I started to have stiff joints too, I just got some 1000mg fish oil caps and added them to my evening meal and as recommended by Radar and Zed. Some gelatine sachets and added one them too a shake. It seems to subsided for now ...
I know the diet thing sucks tbh I think the lifting cardio etc is a walk in the park compared to sticking to diet but this time I've stuck to it three weeks now Only 1 cheat Meal per wk that gives me something to look forward too. It will be worth it when you take home that trophy huni!!
Click to expand...



Yup! Fish oil or Krill which is far superior ,but guage what you wish to spend. Gellatin (jello) has studies that show it can repair & lubricate the spongy cartlidge between the bones, don't wait until you have problems, start now,Remember "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

add 1/2 pack to your shakes Every day!
 
dmk777 said:
I started to have stiff joints too, I just got some 1000mg fish oil caps and added them to my evening meal and as recommended by Radar and Zed. Some gelatine sachets and added one them too a shake. It seems to subsided for now ...
I know the diet thing sucks tbh I think the lifting cardio etc is a walk in the park compared to sticking to diet but this time I've stuck to it three weeks now Only 1 cheat Meal per wk that gives me something to look forward too. It will be worth it when you take home that trophy huni!!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement Donna. :) nothing like some stuff joints to make ya feel like an old lady. Eek!

I already take fish oil and the gelatin. I added some glucosamine/chondroitin to see if that might help. I know it will take a few days of taking it to make a difference, but I'm hopeful.

Got some good sleep last night and today is that much needed cheat meal and a total day off from the gym, so hopefully I won't be so cranky today.
 
Hang in there girl. The other thing I take is ibuprofen. I know Radar has talked about that before (I think) but I take 800 mgs when joints are hurting like that. Don't worry too much about lowering weights. I know you want to continue lifting as heavy as possible but in those last few weeks before you hit the stage, you are going to feel like death and your strength will drop a little bit. Sadly, I think what you are going through is pretty normal for the prep process! Just what you wanted to hear right?? LOL I remember people telling me that though and somehow it just made it seem a little bit better because if it's "normal" then maybe I'm not completely INSANE!! ;)

One little thought on diet for ya...which may go against what the norm is for prep diets....but as your bf gets lower, you could consider trying "refeeds" vs a cheat meals. The lower carb levels in dieting is what will really give you that mind f*&(k and death feeling and giving your body that carb boost will keep things moving along and help the scale to move too. So rather then just a cheat meal, you could do a day or two a week where you adjust your macros/ calories and increase your carbs.

It would look something like this:

*Calories to maintenance
*Protein to 1g/lb lbm
*Minimal fats
*Carbs to fill the rest

It takes a little more planning and seems counterproductive but I've had good success with it and you can plan it so you do your refeed the day before a heavy training day ie: legs. Gives you that extra boost!

No matter what...stay strong! You can do it! :)
 
figurechamp said:
Thanks for the encouragement Donna. :) nothing like some stuff joints to make ya feel like an old lady. Eek!

I already take fish oil and the gelatin. I added some glucosamine/chondroitin to see if that might help. I know it will take a few days of taking it to make a difference, but I'm hopeful.

Got some good sleep last night and today is that much needed cheat meal and a total day off from the gym, so hopefully I won't be so cranky today.
Click to expand...

Hey girl... Send me a pm and I will let you try some Skeletal balm for free. All I need is name and addy. Ill give you a few 2 once bottles enough to last a wile . It has a transdermal instant pain re leaver so it works right away then does the rest of the job over time. Ask Donna She has used it. Wounder why she did not mention it???
 
Yeah sorry lol I have mentioned it to a number of people on here and likewise twitter, must of been having a blonde moment writing this sorry!!
Yeah chic I started to use the skeletal balm after suffering from severe pain through tendinitis it was that bad that I had to change my routine and take my fav lift rows out , my doc prescribed high strength anti inflams which to me done nothing in fixing the problem . Nate kindly sent me the product and I swear this I had instant relief I couldn't believe it , and I religiously used it before and after training ok it's not gone 100% but I would say 90% apart from a little tinge every now and again. Zed had the same problem do I recommended it to him to , it's also helpful for pulled muscle and joins too , and saves you taking drugs to relieve the pain!!

Donna
 
dmk777 said:
Yeah sorry lol I have mentioned it to a number of people on here and likewise twitter, must of been having a blonde moment writing this sorry!!
Yeah chic I started to use the skeletal balm after suffering from severe pain through tendinitis it was that bad that I had to change my routine and take my fav lift rows out , my doc prescribed high strength anti inflams which to me done nothing in fixing the problem . Nate kindly sent me the product and I swear this I had instant relief I couldn't believe it , and I religiously used it before and after training ok it's not gone 100% but I would say 90% apart from a little tinge every now and again. Zed had the same problem do I recommended it to him to , it's also helpful for pulled muscle and joins too , and saves you taking drugs to relieve the pain!!

Donna
Click to expand...

Thanks donna and needto. I guess it wasn't joint pain at all. After doing a really light shoulder workout and stretching, stretching, stretching, it actually stopped hurting. Took about 3 or 4 days, but I have full range, no pain. I don't know what in the hell that was all about?!?! I tried some incline dumbbells on chest day and I could feel some tweaking on that shoulder, so I quit that exercise and did some others, still not going fully balls to the wall, just to be safe. But it's good now! Yay me! But really weird. But thanks so much for your kind offer! This place is awesome! :)
 
Not such a bad week in the gym this week. Feeling pretty good. Shoulder not causing problems. Scale isn't moving much, but I'm still seeing good things in the mirror so I try to not freak out too much. Posing is coming along. I'm noticing how I need to twist and otherwise manipulate my entire body. And sometimes I get really excited to see a muscle that I didn't know I had! Yes, excited. I'm a total geek and a bit of a loser. :)

But "regular" life has been challenging. My husband finally got a job!!!!!!!! Sooooo happy!!!! But. Just a few days later, he got sick. Normally, this isn't a big deal for most people. But for him, it really is. Two years ago, we thought he had a cold. Maybe pneumonia. After being sick for about two weeks, I convinced him to go to the dr. Turns out he was more sick than we thought. So sick, in fact, that he actually died. Yup. Flatlined. 30 minutes. (I think I might have written about this before-- sorry if I'm repeating myself )

Miraculously, he was revived. With no major brain damage at all. After about a month in the hospital, he came home and we began rebuilding our lives.

It was the most difficult time in our lives. And it started with a cough and some insomnia and it started in early February of 2010.

This cold has started out with a cough and insomnia and it is only days away from the second anniversary of when he flatlined (feb 15).

We went to the dr yesterday. No signs of the demise from two years ago. Dr gave him some scripts and wants to see him again on Tuesday.

But the coughing is awful. And it is keeping us both up. I've slept for maybe a total of 3 or 4 hours in each of the last 3 days. I'm a zombie. He's even worse.

It's also suspected that he might have sarcoidosis. Bet most have never even heard of that. Well, it's a shitty disease that can make you feel just plain old shitty. And if you get sick as a sarcoid patient, it takes you longer to get over the illness than it would for most "normal" people.

So I'm filled with anxiety, worrying about him, and not sleeping, and trying to diet?!? Wtf!!! LOL!!

At some point in my life, I would really like for the stars to align themselves and work in my favor for a streak of just a few weeks. That's all. Just a few weeks. I'm not asking for a whole lifetime of a stress free existence-- I know I'm not that special. Just a couple of weeks. Just so I can let my proverbial hair down (which is short, so it's already down). Just to catch my breath and get the wind back under my sails.

But alas, it is almost Sunday and I shall soon be coddled by my cheat meal. It sucks being an emotional eater! :)
 
caligirl85 said:
Hang in there girl. The other thing I take is ibuprofen. I know Radar has talked about that before (I think) but I take 800 mgs when joints are hurting like that. Don't worry too much about lowering weights. I know you want to continue lifting as heavy as possible but in those last few weeks before you hit the stage, you are going to feel like death and your strength will drop a little bit. Sadly, I think what you are going through is pretty normal for the prep process! Just what you wanted to hear right?? LOL I remember people telling me that though and somehow it just made it seem a little bit better because if it's "normal" then maybe I'm not completely INSANE!! ;)

One little thought on diet for ya...which may go against what the norm is for prep diets....but as your bf gets lower, you could consider trying "refeeds" vs a cheat meals. The lower carb levels in dieting is what will really give you that mind f*&(k and death feeling and giving your body that carb boost will keep things moving along and help the scale to move too. So rather then just a cheat meal, you could do a day or two a week where you adjust your macros/ calories and increase your carbs.

It would look something like this:

*Calories to maintenance
*Protein to 1g/lb lbm
*Minimal fats
*Carbs to fill the rest

It takes a little more planning and seems counterproductive but I've had good success with it and you can plan it so you do your refeed the day before a heavy training day ie: legs. Gives you that extra boost!

No matter what...stay strong! You can do it! :)
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, Cali. This refeed interests me. Coz I love carbs. At this point, I'm thrilled to eat oatmeal (even though I hate it coz it tastes like shit!). So I've been trying to figure it out and on what day I'd do it. And that's all I've gotten done with it so far-- thinking about it. This dieting thing is so taxing on my brain!!! :)
 
Hey chic .. I'm so happy that your joints are feeling better and your poses are coming along nicely,
I can't imagine the worry you and your family must be going through I'm sorry to hear your husband is ill again and so close to him just pulling himself back together too with the job it's so sad,
My heart goes out to you all stay strong and I hope lack of sleep is as bad as it gets for you..
Sending you some good luck all way from England.

Donna x
 
On another note... Add this to my list of "things that piss me off":

I have quite a few bbers and figure models that I look up to. I watch their workouts, follow their Facebook pages and blah blah blah. But I'm so sick of everyone claiming that they are "natural" and chastising those who are not.

I'm not suggesting that I don't believe these people when they say they're natural. In fact I don't really care.

But these people are just perpetuating and furthering the bad rap that BB gets and it's pissing me off.

As we all know, I'm not natural. I use a very minimal amount of gear. Those who profess they are natural speak of all the "hard work" they put in the gym, etc., as if "users" do not.

I am working my ass off. I'm very mindful of my diet. I don't eat shit and I freak out if I miss a workout for whatever reason.

My diligence is working. I can see it in the mirror and I can feel it in my wellness. And it's not all bc of the gear either. In fact, I'd argue that it's only a small part. How do I know?

Because I used to take lots of different gear. And my diet sucked. And I rarely did cardio. And I didn't care if I got to the gym or not. And if I did make it there, I never really pushed myself very hard.

And I looked like shit. Those drugs weren't some "magic pill" that gave me the body I'm rockin now. I didn't work hard back in those days. And it showed.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'm just sick of "drug users" being catagorized as "lazy" compared to those who profess to be "natural". Who cares if you're using or not??? All that matters is the result-- you either look and feel good or you don't. And why fight so hard to get people to believe that you're natural? I just don't understand.
 
figurechamp said:
On another note... Add this to my list of "things that piss me off":

I have quite a few bbers and figure models that I look up to. I watch their workouts, follow their Facebook pages and blah blah blah. But I'm so sick of everyone claiming that they are "natural" and chastising those who are not.

I'm not suggesting that I don't believe these people when they say they're natural. In fact I don't really care.

But these people are just perpetuating and furthering the bad rap that BB gets and it's pissing me off.

As we all know, I'm not natural. I use a very minimal amount of gear. Those who profess they are natural speak of all the "hard work" they put in the gym, etc., as if "users" do not.

I am working my ass off. I'm very mindful of my diet. I don't eat shit and I freak out if I miss a workout for whatever reason.

My diligence is working. I can see it in the mirror and I can feel it in my wellness. And it's not all bc of the gear either. In fact, I'd argue that it's only a small part. How do I know?

Because I used to take lots of different gear. And my diet sucked. And I rarely did cardio. And I didn't care if I got to the gym or not. And if I did make it there, I never really pushed myself very hard.

And I looked like shit. Those drugs weren't some "magic pill" that gave me the body I'm rockin now. I didn't work hard back in those days. And it showed.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I'm just sick of "drug users" being catagorized as "lazy" compared to those who profess to be "natural". Who cares if you're using or not??? All that matters is the result-- you either look and feel good or you don't. And why fight so hard to get people to believe that you're natural? I just don't understand.
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I have been training may NPC-IFBB pros as well as MMA, NFL,NBA, MLB players of all kinds both male and female. Some of the Females I have set up cycles for have been running more than I do. But chemical enhancement is what I do and its why they all come to me now. Because I know my shit and I'm good at keeping my mouth shut about who I train. :qt:
 
I'm seven weeks into this dieting thing, HIIT cardio 3x week, steady state cardio once x week, lifting 5 days x week. Lost 10 lbs so far (at last count anyway. I finally stopped using the scale.). I think I look pretty good, or at least on track for 11 weeks out.

All I wanna know is this: is it normal to be fucking exhausted when I get to the gym to lift? My legs feel like they weigh a ton. My weights have gone down too. Normal?
 
figurechamp said:
I'm seven weeks into this dieting thing, HIIT cardio 3x week, steady state cardio once x week, lifting 5 days x week. Lost 10 lbs so far (at last count anyway. I finally stopped using the scale.). I think I look pretty good, or at least on track for 11 weeks out.

All I wanna know is this: is it normal to be fucking exhausted when I get to the gym to lift? My legs feel like they weigh a ton. My weights have gone down too. Normal?
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Sadly, yep..pretty normal.
 
Hey girl...this is just my humble opinion...for what it's worth. I wouldn't drop them until you need to drop them. If you're still losing at x number of calories, hold it until you hit that stall out.
 
caligirl85 said:
Hey girl...this is just my humble opinion...for what it's worth. I wouldn't drop them until you need to drop them. If you're still losing at x number of calories, hold it until you hit that stall out.
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Thank god!!! I can't imagine eating less!!! :) and the weight is still dropping so ima stick to it!!!

How ru doing, Cali? I haven't checked ur thread lately. Hope all is well!!!
 
figurechamp said:
Thank god!!! I can't imagine eating less!!! :) and the weight is still dropping so ima stick to it!!!

How ru doing, Cali? I haven't checked ur thread lately. Hope all is well!!!
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lol...I haven't written much so you're good! LOL

I think my DBag diet is coming to a close. I must be feeling better because my appetite is back. Just had to de-booze my household and I'm back on track! Keep killing it!!
 
I am friggin thrilled to pieces!!! Bodybuilding goals aside, I have gone from a size 12 to an 8 and I cannot tell you how good that makes me feel!!! I have never looked so good in my entire life!!!! And I don't mean to sound conceited, just really really happy. In the early weeks of dieting, I questioned if the perceived reward was worth it. I have decided: it is totally worth it!!!!! :) :) :)
 
figurechamp said:
I am friggin thrilled to pieces!!! Bodybuilding goals aside, I have gone from a size 12 to an 8 and I cannot tell you how good that makes me feel!!! I have never looked so good in my entire life!!!! And I don't mean to sound conceited, just really really happy. In the early weeks of dieting, I questioned if the perceived reward was worth it. I have decided: it is totally worth it!!!!! :) :) :)
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Hey FC! I want to congratulate you on your hard work and success!! I have been reading through your journal and I have to tell you that you are very inspiring! That's quite a size drop and you should be very proud yourself! Whoot! Congrats again!
 
cangal said:
Hey FC! I want to congratulate you on your hard work and success!! I have been reading through your journal and I have to tell you that you are very inspiring! That's quite a size drop and you should be very proud yourself! Whoot! Congrats again!
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Thanks cangirl!!! I started reading your posts too. Keep it up! Watching your own body change is a thrill that is hard to describe. :)
 
I'm not keeping up very well with my log! I'm terrible. :(

I'm still in the game, about 9 weeks out. I'm down to 162 (goal being 155 for stage). Strength is wayyyy down and I hate that coz I feel like a puss, but I know it's coz of the diet and it cant be helped. Plus I have to protect my body right now , so deadlifting 315 is totally out of the picture for now. In fact, yesterday, I could only get a measly 185 for 8 reps. Awful!!! :)

I haven't had to change the diet coz I've been dropping weight pretty regularly. Cardio is still the same too. But my body is making these crazy changes that are really super cool!

Fabric swatches came today for my suit, so the shit's about to get real! And I've been working on posing and I'm still no rock star with that.

And now I'm also starting to think about what happens after the show. How do I eat? I know that binging is bad. But I'm gonna binge that next night coz it will be my 40th birthday the day after. I've already requested a double chocolate cake!!! I cannot wait to turn 40, just for that cake!! But after that, then what? I'd actually like to stay around the weight I am now. I like having abs. :) so will the number of calories I'm eating now become my maintenance calories or do I add or what the heck do I do? I'd also like to be strong again. :)

And what about this tanning thing that I'll have to do for this show? Spray? Protan? Tanning bed? All of the above?

I'm going to go crazy!!! ;)
 
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