Can we talk about calorie levels and refeed effects?

[SteelWeaver]

LOL @ JJ. Yeah, girl! Snickers are the bomb for any activity! And I like to refridgerate them too. I don't think they'd do too well in *my* snowboarding pocket - I only learned a couple of seasons ago, so the crashes would crush any pocket contents - crumbed snickers! I'm pretty sure a few of them are gonna sneak in somewhere over the next few months Just not too many. M&M's are OK, but I think I prefer Smarties.

MS - OK, I know we've gone waaay off topic here, and I'm still interested in the protein synthesis and starvation and what happens if you do very low cals plus refeeds, BUT ..... I just HAVE to have the recipe for that HUNZA bread! Pretty please? Both versions? Maybe I won't make it before leaving Japan - but I sure as hell could make it in Australia - post show

I've already started sodium loading, so I guess I may as well just start preparing mentally for some bloat.

The pumpkin is doing a strangely good job of holding very bad cravings at bay - it's thick and filling and sweet - I think I'm going to put it on my permanent contest diet list - lord knows why people say to avoid pumpkin and corn etc whilst dieting - it's a GREAT alternative to the one measly serving of rice or yams one gets otherwise, and energy levels are better splitting up the carb dose over several filling meals. So, anyway, I don't know that I'll be able to say no to cakes and snickers by eating lots of veggies, but to be honest, right now, I would DEVOUR a bulging plate of fresh steamed veggies - it feels like forever since I had that "full" feeling. If I'm full, it's easier to refuse "bad" stuff. I'm going to try out this theory - will get back to you on if lots of veggies fill a snickers hole, lol.

"It's not very leptinergic OR anabolic to gradually increase your calories But I guess you won't be weight training for a few weeks, so it's worth a try."

OK, that's it - forget the slow calorie increase - I want MUSCLE. And, actually, I most certainly and definitely AM going to be weight training - they have gyms in the southern hemisphere, don't they? I know they do in Africa .... heh heh. My show's on a Sunday - I'm going back in the gym on, say, Wednesday or Thursday. I'll see how I feel. I LOVE training - I wanna train - not super heavy or intense too quickly, but I will train. I'll increase calories, try and keep a hold on the junk, and watch the simple/starchy carb intake closely. And drink a TON of water. OK, yes?

You mentioned hormonal probs - like what, if I may ask? Last time I got a huge acne outbreak that didn't go away until a few weeks ago. Like that, do you mean?

 

[MS]

LOTS OF WATER. I don't know what the final plan for you is, but some Slow-K may also be beneficial post comp.

Insulin will be your second biggest problem if you eat lots of sugary crap. Stock up on ALA and TRY to eat mostly low GI carbs. Dried apricots are a great source of potassium and have little impact on insulin secretion.

Hunza bread (the hiking version)

1 pound/450g ground millet
1 pound/450g ground buckwheat
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup honey (sometimes I use glycerol instead...makes it stay moister for longer)
2 cups water
cinnamon, nutmeg, dried apricots and walnuts to taste.

Mix it all together

Line two cake tins with greaseproof paper AND oil and split the recipe into two. Bake for 1 hour at 150 celcius/300 F

Cool and slice into ~24 pieces (12 pieces each 'cake').

This is obviously a big batch, so you may want to halve it.

 

[valerie]

Oh Steele-I get such a kick out your posts! Really, only because I have been there too. Thank goodness MS is as patient as she is. We are truly lucky to have her here, and you!

Good Luck at your contest, have fun while up on the stage. Remember too, that all the folks in the audience are on your side, and want you to do well. Smile and take your time posing. Your poses and your music are your friends while up on stage.

Enjoy a special meal after the contest and relax. Make no rules on food, just use commonsense ( and potassium).

One final point-since you will be hiking, the increased carbs and h20 will be helpful for your joints. So please don't despair the increased water weight has advantages. So kick some Aussie ass!-Valerie

 

[SteelWeaver]

"Oh Steele-I get such a kick out your posts! Really, only because I have been there too. Thank goodness MS is as patient as she is. We are truly lucky to have her here, and you! "

<BLUSH>



You're so sweet, valerie Thank you. Sometimes I wonder if my questions aren't tiresome, but, yes, we are blessed with having MS here - I don't think I'm the only one who's totally and completely charmed and awed by her Thank you MS, for ALL your help (and, hee hee, especially for that recipe - look for a crumb trail in 3 weeks and there I'll be)

When you say you've been here Valerie, you mean - this kind of irrational diet? Really? How was that? Did it work out in the end? What were your circumstances?

To tell the truth, I was a bit hesitant to mention it on this board, considering how we always tell newbies etc. who come here on crazy starvation diets to increase cals, blah de blah, and considering that this is totally the wrong way to go about comp prep, and kind of goes against all our health goals here, etc. And, of course, no-one really wants to admit they've messed up so badly - well, *I* didn't want to, but anyway - I needed advice and help and support, so I figured, what they hell?

Thanks for the tips - my posing is fine, my routine is much better than May's routine, the music makes me feel happy, my friends, and (now-ex) lover will be in the audience (she didn't get to see me in May), and there's pizza post-comp. And it's summer in Oz, so as soon as I take my maybe-not-so-great-on-a-bodybuilding-stage bod down to the beach, I'll suddenly have one of the best bods there - so, context, context

MS, I've already had some ALA shipped to my friend in Oz - didn't want to take ANY chances on customs I'll be downing that stuff like candy.

How about this, though - they invite ALL competitors to be on stage for a final pose or something right at the end on the SECOND day (I'm on the first day). So I'm wondering if I should hold off on the pizza for an extra day ... ? Stick to the diet a day longer? What do you guys think?

AND, one other thing - pre-judging for my class doesn't start til 2:40pm - this wrecks my timing for my carb up, somewhat - any thoughts on this? Just eat fat & protein all morning?

 

[valerie]

Oh Steele-I have at times really screwed up my contest dieting. But I will say each time has taught me something that I could use for the following contest. What has worked the best for me is to have a plan and follow it thru. Also by really getting a handle on how carbs work and why they are important.

What having a plan in place beforehand gave me was an incredible sense of relief. Also by knowing from previous experience what carbs worked best for me made the final carb up a piece of cake.

There have been times when I looked pretty bad up on stage. I used this to fire myself up and the next competitions I really did feel like I belonged up there and did do quite well.

The dieting can be brutal but you learn so much from it. Just looking in the mirror can tell you so much about the foods your are eating. What is rewarding is seeing the positive changes in your physique from one contest to the next.


You go and have a great time and after your hiking, plan on packing on some serious lbm! We'll talk about the plans for the next contest. Now smile big and show em what you got !!!!!

Valerie

 

[SteelWeaver]

Valerie, you're an angel - thanks for the positive support.

"brutal" - that's a good description. I'm constantly amazed by what I'm able to push my body through - it seems to be able to take almost anything my mind is strong enough to tackle - that's where it all is, isn't it? The mind.

Sometimes the best-laid plans fail, though - I've had plans all along, but I think the plans themselves were fatally flawed. I don't have much of a problem sticking to the diet, slamming through hard training, getting up early for cardio - none of this is difficult - once I decide to do it, I do it. I guess I'm just still learning - inexperienced. But you're right, every mistake is a learning experience, a means of improving for next time. I'm going to concentrate on mass for a while now though, before competing again. I want my body to normalise and get over all the cravings and what-not that this year of dieting has brought about. And I'm still not particularly developed - gotta get some thickness happening

Thanks again

 

[SteelWeaver]

Sydney, Australia - Gay Games. Believe it or not, all for fun, done on a dare taken at the GG in Amsterdam 4 years ago.



It better be fun

 

[JJFigure]

I've always wanted to go to Australia - you'll have to tell us all about it!