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Contest prep Diet and supplement Schedule
If you're preparing for a fitness show, your diet and supplement schedule need
to be set at least 12-14 weeks before the show. People vary depending on their
body types, weight that needs to be lost, muscle that needs to be gained, and/or
their metabolism. Personally, I begin my contest diet about 13 weeks out from my
show, so that about two weeks before my show, my physique is where it needs to
be. You want to be able to take the last few weeks to rest your body, heal any
bruises, and focus on your fitness routine. There is nothing more stressful than
trying to lose those few extra pounds just days before your show. Therefore,
once I am just about 13 weeks out from my show, I mentally have to prepare
myself for the next 3 months.
Because I love to eat, I make sure to have a last fun filled weekend of
delicious food. I know that the next time I will be able to eat like that will
be when my show is over and I am celebrating all of my hard work with my family
and friends. However, until about 6 weeks before my show, I do allow myself one
cheat meal a week. This one cheat meal helps me to stay on track with my diet
and gives me something to look forward to each week. It also prevents me from
going on a Binge and still allows me a night to socialize with family and
friends. Once I start my contest diet, I make sure to clean out all of my
cupboards and refrigerator to ensure that there's nothing around to tempt me.
I am very lucky to have family and friends who support my fitness career and the
dieting that comes along with it. They think nothing of me bringing my own food
to functions, especially during the holidays, and know pretty much which
restaurants are best for providing the food I need. It???s very important that
your significant other supports what you do, because not only do you constantly
have to eat the same food, but as your diet changes as you get closer to your
show, so does your mood!
During my off-season diet, I have about 1,660 calories, with about 40% being
protein, 47% being carbs, and 13% being fats. This diet allows me to have plenty
of energy to be able to work on the areas that need improvement. I will focus on
my weight training and will only do 3-4 days of cardio for about 20-30 mins. It
is also important to not stay lean year round, so you have to put some fat back
on! This is why I have about a 10lb. difference in weight between my off-season
and when I'm on stage. During my competition diet, I have about 1,630 calories,
with about 44% being protein, 41% being carbs, and 15% being fats. As I get
closer to my show, I will start to cut back more on my carbs and increase my
protein. Lowering my carbs will help me to become lean and the increase in
protein will help me to maintain my muscle mass. I will also have some healthy
fats like all-natural peanut butter and almonds to give me energy, as I lose
some of my carbs. I highly suggest that if you are really serious about
competing and making it to the national level that you hire a nutrition. I
work with Kim Oddo from body By O and we e-mail each other weekly, have phone
consults, and I send him pictures on a regular basis. He is then able to adjust
my diet and/or workout schedule right up to the time I step on stage!
The following is an example of my contest diet/supplement schedule for about 12
weeks out from a show:
Breakfast: 3 egg whites, ??? cup of oatmeal, and 1 table spoon of all natural
peanut butter
1 multi-vitamin and 1 digestive enzyme
AM Snack: ??? cup of oatmeal with a scoop of low carb protein
5gm of L-Glutamine
Lunch: 1 cup of veggies, 4 oz of lean protein, and ??? cup of rice
1 500mg of vitamin C, 1 digestive enzyme, and 1 serving of EFA???s (Smart Blend)
PM Snack: 4 oz of lean protein and a 5 oz baked potato without the skin
5 gm of L-Glutamine
Dinner: 4 oz of lean protein, ??? cup of kidney beans, medium salad, 4 tablespoons
of
vinegar
1 vitamin C, 1 digestive enzyme, and 1 serving of EFA???s
Evening Snack: 1 scoop of low carb protein and 1 cup of strawberries
I take a multi-vitamin daily for ???whole body protection,??? digestive enzymes to
support digestion and alleviate gas and bloating, L-Glutamine for essential
protein synthesis and optimal recovery and vitamin C and EFA???s which may be
depleted in my diet. In addition, I have 1 serving of BCAA's before and after I
workout and before I go to bed on only the days I do weight training. Branch
chain amino acids maximize recovery following intense training while reducing
unwanted body fat and increase lean muscle mass and strength. Also, the BCAA's
and low carb protein I use are aspartame and sugar free. All the products I use
are MRM products and have been highly recommended by my nutrition.
preparing the food you need to eat takes a lot of time! I highly suggest you do
your cooking on the weekend for the entire week and that you pack your meals for
each day. This way you will already have everything measured out and you can
spend the week focusing on your workouts and fitness routine and making sure you
get to bed early. The best time for muscle recovery and growth is while you're
sleeping, so you want to aim for 8 hours a night. For those who are new to
dieting, it may take a while for your body to adjust and it might still be
craving unhealthy foods. However, after a while, you will be surprised how your
lifestyle will change and you will actually prefer the healthy foods. Not only
will you look better, but you'll feel a lot better. Besides, that ice cream
sundae is a whole lot sweeter when you can only have it every so often!
by Kristi Wills
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