8 Weeks Out

[mydawgs]

Mydowgs-

I do want to get leaner. My BF is 12% and I'm not happy with that; I want 8 or 9%. I'm willing to sacrifice some muscles, but not a lot since I'm already small.
Should I eat a steak at this point? or you think is to close to comp..
BTW, I should drink a gallon of water; I've been doing 1/4 and I should know better. Maybe that'll help..

At 12% you should be OK to hit the diet and cardio hard, in other words you should have enough BF to burn to coninue with your plan to keep leaning. I would try the cardio before the work out to see what changes you can effect and how quickly. Keep monitoring your keytones...absolutely up your water intake, this stokes your metabolism which only adds to your ability to burn fat and lean up. Continue to eat what you are as you go forward. Once you see you are starting to throw large amounts of keytones you know you have hit the end of your road and that is when you level with the fatty cut of steak. If you don't get there then no worries.

Keep doing what is working, if it ain't broke don't try and fix it. Get your metabolism working for you again and try the cardio first to see if your abs come in. I find the leaner I am the quicker I respond to changes in my diet and work out. I go for broke here as a BB can never look too lean, but I hesitate to advise a figure competitor because I am not sure what the take is on looking hard vs looking well defined....do you know what I mean? Do you get dinged for looking TOO hard?????

 

[Thandie]

At 12% you should be OK to hit the diet and cardio hard, in other words you should have enough BF to burn to coninue with your plan to keep leaning. I would try the cardio before the work out to see what changes you can effect and how quickly. Keep monitoring your keytones...absolutely up your water intake, this stokes your metabolism which only adds to your ability to burn fat and lean up. Continue to eat what you are as you go forward. Once you see you are starting to throw large amounts of keytones you know you have hit the end of your road and that is when you level with the fatty cut of steak. If you don't get there then no worries.

Keep doing what is working, if it ain't broke don't try and fix it. Get your metabolism working for you again and try the cardio first to see if your abs come in. I find the leaner I am the quicker I respond to changes in my diet and work out. I go for broke here as a BB can never look too lean, but I hesitate to advise a figure competitor because I am not sure what the take is on looking hard vs looking well defined....do you know what I mean? Do you get dinged for looking TOO hard?????

That's correct; I can't be too lean or too hard or I'm disqualified.
I have to pay close attention at this point, which I'm doing.
I will increase the water as you suggested and will do cardio first thing in the morning. I'm also adding two afternoon cardio or three, depending of how I feel.
I took the Ketostix test and came out negative. How often should I take it and if it comes out a trace, small or any other color, what should I do?
Happy training..

 

[mydawgs]

That's correct; I can't be too lean or too hard or I'm disqualified.
I have to pay close attention at this point, which I'm doing.
I will increase the water as you suggested and will do cardio first thing in the morning. I'm also adding two afternoon cardio or three, depending of how I feel.
I took the Ketostix test and came out negative. How often should I take it and if it comes out a trace, small or any other color, what should I do?
Happy training..

When you are getting really lean check every morning first thing....trace is ok, if you start to see the color get darker you know you are in that critical zone...look at your body and decide to keep going or hold up. Use your food and cardio (reducing frequency and intensity to back it off) to control the amount of keytones you are throwing. Remember when you dump your water you will enhance your cuts. This is the challange!

Good luck, you will do well. Run this by your nutritionalist as well. Pics lady, pics!!!! Go get em, GOOD VIBRATIONS from NJ!!!!!!!!

 

[Bikini Mod]

Sorry but I've been taking some time off from the boards, work, life etc...

Damn BOTH you women look great and I can't believe YOU BOTH have grown children!!!

Thandie - Your physique looks great for figure. Be carefull not to get too much leaner as that will really bite you in the ass (no pun intended). Mydawg's advice should help. Let us know how it all works out.

Mydawgs - looking at your workouts I am thinkin one thing = I am DAMNED GLAD I ain't competitive n'more. LOL

Thanks so much for sharing ladies.

 

[mydawgs]

This week I did double cardio sessions...once at 5 am for 45 min then on the way home from work around 6 pm for 30 min. I have been doing this for the last 4 weeks one week on and one week off. No change to the diet.

Only thing I notice during double cardio weeks are off the wall cravings...dang. I suppress with a tsp of PB. This usually means the nutrients in my body are a tad skewed from the increased cardio as the cravings subside when I return to a single am cardio session...I think that is cool...(it's the engineer in me)

So starting this Sunday (will be taking a pic first thing in the morning...we'll see how much my sweet daughter LUVS her Mommy, I am going to do starchy carbs for meal 1 only until Wed evening. Sun I am going to do 2 gal of distilled water, Monday 2 gal, Tues 1.5 gal, Wed 1 gal, Thu 1 gal and Fri 1/2 (finishing before 6 pm). I'll be taking dandilion, urva usi and XPEL 3caps each, 3X per day.

Starting Wed night I am going to add 4 oz of yam and 1/4 cup of sodium free granola with meals 5 and 6. Thursday I will add this to meals 5 and 6. Friday I will add to meals 4,5 and 6. Sat am I will take a pic, eat turkey, yam and asparagus first thing, then every 2 hrs eat 4 oz yam and 1/4 cup granola with 2 TBS of cinnabun topping....I will take a pic at noon....

Here is a question should I do cardio past wed or not???????? I won't during the week before competition so I was thinking not to make the conditions as like as possible,,,but then my freaky minds says OMG you might get FAT....help me I am loosing it bwwwwaahahahahaha

 

[Thandie]

This week I did double cardio sessions...once at 5 am for 45 min then on the way home from work around 6 pm for 30 min. I have been doing this for the last 4 weeks one week on and one week off. No change to the diet.

Only thing I notice during double cardio weeks are off the wall cravings...dang. I suppress with a tsp of PB. This usually means the nutrients in my body are a tad skewed from the increased cardio as the cravings subside when I return to a single am cardio session...I think that is cool...(it's the engineer in me)

So starting this Sunday (will be taking a pic first thing in the morning...we'll see how much my sweet daughter LUVS her Mommy, I am going to do starchy carbs for meal 1 only until Wed evening. Sun I am going to do 2 gal of distilled water, Monday 2 gal, Tues 1.5 gal, Wed 1 gal, Thu 1 gal and Fri 1/2 (finishing before 6 pm). I'll be taking dandilion, urva usi and XPEL 3caps each, 3X per day.

Starting Wed night I am going to add 4 oz of yam and 1/4 cup of sodium free granola with meals 5 and 6. Thursday I will add this to meals 5 and 6. Friday I will add to meals 4,5 and 6. Sat am I will take a pic, eat turkey, yam and asparagus first thing, then every 2 hrs eat 4 oz yam and 1/4 cup granola with 2 TBS of cinnabun topping....I will take a pic at noon....

Here is a question should I do cardio past wed or not???????? I won't during the week before competition so I was thinking not to make the conditions as like as possible,,,but then my freaky minds says OMG you might get FAT....help me I am loosing it bwwwwaahahahahaha[/QUOTE







That depends on how many weeks you have before competition. Is your show June 28th, I believe? If it is, you have another 4 weeks to tweek whatever you need to work on.
If you dont want to make the condition as like for contest, then I would not do the cardio. You won't get fat, just stay with your macros. It sounds like you're doing great.
I can't wait to see the new pictures...

 

[mydawgs]

Thandie my show is the 28th of June...so I'm going for it....gulp

Anyway my husband (who worked all day yesterday) was kind enough to wake up early and take these pics for my dry run...he is a sweetie!!!!

5 weeks to go and the experiment begins!

Tatyana could you post how to use the image tool again on photobucket? What show are you doing, from the pics I've seen you look really good! Figure or bodybuilding? You could do either I think!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0132.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0133.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0135.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0136.jpg


Also, what are the thoughts on adding crystal light to your water???? I can drink it plain or with flavor but would prefer the flavor??? Any comments?

 

[Thandie]

Thandie my show is the 28th of June...so I'm going for it....gulp

Anyway my husband (who worked all day yesterday) was kind enough to wake up early and take these pics for my dry run...he is a sweetie!!!!

5 weeks to go and the experiment begins!

Tatyana could you post how to use the image tool again on photobucket? What show are you doing, from the pics I've seen you look really good! Figure or bodybuilding? You could do either I think!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0132.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0133.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0135.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b130/MyDawgs/FILE0136.jpg


Also, what are the thoughts on adding crystal light to your water???? I can drink it plain or with flavor but would prefer the flavor??? Any comments?

Mydawgs, you look freaky awesome!!!!
you're doing sooo well. You certaily have it down..

DO NOT, under any circumstances use crystal light. I used to do that and eat sugar free jello and my nutritionist said, DO NOT do it. The reson is that sugar free stuff stops the ability of burning fat.
I used crystal light (before my nutritionist)for a long time and is really not a god idea. I was having a hard time building muscles.

I'm doing Hercules June 28th as well, so I'll have only three weeks between shows.
I'd like to see progress pictures as you get close. AWESOME!

Oh, I forgot. To use Photobucket, just start an album in photobucket. Once you have pictures saved, click on each additional picture and copy and paste the address into the boby of the page you're working on.

 

[Tatyana]

That's correct; I can't be too lean or too hard or I'm disqualified.
I have to pay close attention at this point, which I'm doing.
I will increase the water as you suggested and will do cardio first thing in the morning. I'm also adding two afternoon cardio or three, depending of how I feel.
I took the Ketostix test and came out negative. How often should I take it and if it comes out a trace, small or any other color, what should I do?
Happy training..

I am sure one of the figure competitors said she was between 4-6% at the Arnold.

I thought a lot of the 'hardness' was all about salt and water balance.

I will see what I can find out, it is quite different for figure in some feddies in Europe, like NABBA which is really popular, the girls come in really hard and ripped, and they have compulsory poses, similar to BBing ones, but with open hands.

Keto stix, they should only ever read 'trace' and probably then only after cardio.

The sticks are designed for diabetics, and diabetic ketoacidosis is a pathological condition.

In healthy people, the ketone bodies you generate from the oxidisation of fat will be used as fuel, not excreted, as you have removed carbs as the source of energy in the body.

 

[Faizakafez]

hmmm i'm going to disagree on the cyrstal light..

you can use it, just dont go nuts. Remove it one week out. based on your current pics your well on track. Crystal lite won't impact fat burning.

i used it in both shows and came in shredded both times.