Why is this happening?

[buffyd]

I've been doing keto for about 10 weeks now to get down an acceptable level of body fat for a comp. in two weeks, and I'm getting a little nervous about something....every time I carb up, starting Friday a.m., I just look bloated instead of hard and vascular. I've tried different timing, and longer and shorter carb ups, liquid carb ups, everything...but I still look bloated, especially in the abs. Does it get better when I lower my H2O intake during the last two days??? I find that I look my best after two days of carb depletion actually, very cut and hard and vascular. I know everybody is different. Has anybody else had this problem and what do you do about it??? Thanks.

[Mark21087]

If you look blaoted when you carb up, use less carbs.

[buffyd]

Sounds like common sense, but I bloat all up with as little as 100g of carbs over a 24 hour period. Does anybody compete WITHOUT doing the whole carb deplete/load? just curious.

[Mark21087]

If you don't look flat, then don't carb up. You don't necessarily need to carb up every week.

[str8flexed]

I agree...if you get bloated when you carb up...don't carb up. You might try fat loading however. DO NOT WATER DEPLETE...unless you are on steroids this is not a nessecary step. Muscles are 70% water...if you deplete...its like letting the air out of a balloon...what do you think gives muscles their fullness...water. I've received contest prep advice from some of the best natural bodybuilders on the earth including world champion dave goodin, Wnbf pros Mike Carter, Kent Julius, Nancy Andrews (women's world champ) and my idol Dr. Joe Klemczewski (THE contest prep guru) and all of them said not to water deplete. To further my point...the gentleman who won the overall at my last show drank water the entire time he was back stage...he went through a gallon jug of water...and he look hard and dry as a rock in the desert. Here's a pic of him in the men's open overall posedown (along with me :D) to show you what I mean.

[buffyd]

Excellent. Thanks for the advice. It's just that I always hear everyone say deplete and carb up and hell, it just doesn't work for me. The water depletion thing never made sense to me either, so thanks for clarifying that as well...That's why I visit this board!

[MsFit]

Originally posted by buffyd
I've been doing keto for about 10 weeks now to get down an acceptable level of body fat for a comp. in two weeks, and I'm getting a little nervous about something....every time I carb up, starting Friday a.m., I just look bloated instead of hard and vascular. I've tried different timing, and longer and shorter carb ups, liquid carb ups, everything...but I still look bloated, especially in the abs. Does it get better when I lower my H2O intake during the last two days??? I find that I look my best after two days of carb depletion actually, very cut and hard and vascular. I know everybody is different. Has anybody else had this problem and what do you do about it??? Thanks.

I experiended the samething during my last comp, with the carbing up and all. I didn't carb up for my last comp, but just nibbled on a muscle tech bar (the one with sugar) backstage and that was enough carbs and sugar for me.
MsFit