training to compete for the first time...diet question..

[Amber-Leigh]

Thanx for this thread and all the great advice. I was training for my first comp I started in April of this year, fell off the wagon since the beginning of September because of some life issues and the fact that I just was not feeling like I would be anywhere near ready for November. But actually reading this thread has re inspired me to get serious and train my ass off for late next year.

[blueeyesaz]

Originally Posted by bigbootybeauty

So my boyfriend just got me into the idea of competing in April 2010 for figure (he'll be competing too) and I've been dieting down for 10 days now. Before dieting down I was keeping my calories between 1550 and 1700. Now I am trying to focus on not going over 1350..and of course getting at least 1200...but I was wondering if I am burning between 400 and 700 calories during cardio a day is it that bad if my calories go a little over? I've been worrying way too much about my calorie intake and I'd like some relief from someone who is knowledgable if possible

I have been keeping my protein high and my fats and carbs lower. Any advice I'd appreciate. Thank you

I'll choose not to get involved in the debate as to whether you should or should not compete. About the calorie intake though...I have been training to do my first show in March 2010. Currently I weight train 4 days/wk, 30 mins of cardio 5 days/wk and keep my daily caloric intake between 1600-1700. I could technically eat more per day than that if I were just eating for weight maintenance but my goal is a slow and steady weight loss until the new year. Starting January 1, 10 weeks out from my show is when I will start cutting (or dieting down as you may call it). I'll likely drop to 1200-1300 calories just to cut as much fat off as quickly as possible without losing too much muscle.

1350 calories this far out, if you do decide to compete, is way too low. You need to feed yourself in order to lose weight and grow muscle.

Just my two cents!

[bigbootybeauty]

Thank you for answering my actual question!!!

Originally Posted by blueeyesaz

I'll choose not to get involved in the debate as to whether you should or should not compete. About the calorie intake though...I have been training to do my first show in March 2010. Currently I weight train 4 days/wk, 30 mins of cardio 5 days/wk and keep my daily caloric intake between 1600-1700. I could technically eat more per day than that if I were just eating for weight maintenance but my goal is a slow and steady weight loss until the new year. Starting January 1, 10 weeks out from my show is when I will start cutting (or dieting down as you may call it). I'll likely drop to 1200-1300 calories just to cut as much fat off as quickly as possible without losing too much muscle.

1350 calories this far out, if you do decide to compete, is way too low. You need to feed yourself in order to lose weight and grow muscle.

Just my two cents!

[kimm4]

Originally Posted by blueeyesaz

I'll choose not to get involved in the debate as to whether you should or should not compete. About the calorie intake though...I have been training to do my first show in March 2010. Currently I weight train 4 days/wk, 30 mins of cardio 5 days/wk and keep my daily caloric intake between 1600-1700. I could technically eat more per day than that if I were just eating for weight maintenance but my goal is a slow and steady weight loss until the new year. Starting January 1, 10 weeks out from my show is when I will start cutting (or dieting down as you may call it). I'll likely drop to 1200-1300 calories just to cut as much fat off as quickly as possible without losing too much muscle.

1350 calories this far out, if you do decide to compete, is way too low. You need to feed yourself in order to lose weight and grow muscle.

Just my two cents!

This is where the newbies get it all backwards and I'm going to jump in once again. When hitting a contest prep diet, retaining lean mass comes 1st and losing body fat comes 2nd. The idea is to hit a long, slow diet so you can retain most if not all of your lean mass.

Trying to lose fat as quickly as possible is another word for crash dieting and you'll end up losing more muscle than anything else.

I'm not sure what division you're competing in, but if it's figure women are going in under 10%. You're not going to be going in at your leanest if you're only doing a 10 week diet.

I have a lot of experience in this sport. Contest prep dieting is my niche, I know it inside and out.

Bigbootybeauty, people did answer your questions, but you didn't like what you heard.

I'm done here, good luck ladies.

[Nightbird573]

Originally Posted by kimm4

This is where the newbies get it all backwards and I'm going to jump in once again. When hitting a contest prep diet, retaining lean mass comes 1st and losing body fat comes 2nd. The idea is to hit a long, slow diet so you can retain most if not all of your lean mass.

Trying to lose fat as quickly as possible is another word for crash dieting and you'll end up losing more muscle than anything else.

I'm not sure what division you're competing in, but if it's figure women are going in under 10%. You're not going to be going in at your leanest if you're only doing a 10 week diet.

I have a lot of experience in this sport. Contest prep dieting is my niche, I know it inside and out.

Bigbootybeauty, people did answer your questions, but you didn't like what you heard.

I'm done here, good luck ladies.

^^^
Best Answer I've seen so far! I'm not so sure I would be ready for a figure competition next year, and looking at some of these photos of women who say they are going to compete in 6 months or less is a little mind-boggling. I would not want to get up on that stage unless I'm ready and I look like I belong up there.

[sweeth4796]

Originally Posted by Lazedays

I say spend the next 3 month just at or under maintenance and lift as heavy as you can. Eat clean, eat enough and build, then 3 months out start adding the cardio, decrease your calories and see what happenes.

your right. i love you

[kimm4]

Originally Posted by Nightbird573

^^^
Best Answer I've seen so far! I'm not so sure I would be ready for a figure competition next year, and looking at some of these photos of women who say they are going to compete in 6 months or less is a little mind-boggling. I would not want to get up on that stage unless I'm ready and I look like I belong up there.

I swear it's like I'm constantly banging my head against the wall. Let's go back to the 1st post and start over. The OP is 5'4" 163 lbs and wants to be ready in 5-6 months. Anytime you hit a diet you need to give the body so many weeks to adjust. Then you need to take into consideration that there will be weeks where you don't see any scale movement at all.

Contest prep dieting is not like normal dieting you see around the boards. You need to see continuous scale movement. (Especially in the OP's case.) You're not focusing on adding lean mass, you focus is lowering body fat. This means the scale better be moving or you're not going to get the results needed come stage time.

Healthy weight loss is 1/2 - 1 lb a week. (anything over 2 lbs and you're tapping into muscle.) Women are lucky if they can keep this up on a weekly basis because it doesn't always happen...it's called hitting plateaus which I guarantee will happen during comp dieting.

If the OP wants to get lean enough she'd have to come in under 120 lbs.

Which brings me back to not enough time...do the math...

[juliacheh]

IMO, before entering a figure competition you should try to build as much muscle as you can and then lower your body fat. If you start dieting right now, you might end up skinny fat with no muscle definition.
I am of the opinion that competition is not for everyone...

[sacha2]

Originally Posted by kimm4

I swear it's like I'm constantly banging my head against the wall. Let's go back to the 1st post and start over. The OP is 5'4" 163 lbs and wants to be ready in 5 months. Anytime you hit a diet you need to give the body so many weeks to adjust. Then you need to take into consideration that there will be weeks where you don't see any scale movement at all.

Contest prep dieting is not like normal dieting you see around the boards. You need to see continuous scale movement. (Especially in the OP's case.) You're not focusing on adding lean mass, you focus is lowering body fat. This means the scale better be moving or you're not going to get the results needed come stage time.

Healthy weight loss is 1/2 - 1 lb a week. (anything over 2 lbs and you're tapping into muscle.) Women are lucky if they can keep this up on a weekly basis because it doesn't always happen...it's called hitting plateaus which I guarantee will happen during comp dieting.

If the OP wants to get lean enough she'd have to come in under 120 lbs.

Which brings me back to not enough time...do the math...

And that doesn't even taken into consideration whether or not the OP has the muscle mass for figure. From her 1RM's, I'd say no. There is no shame in not being ready for a figure competition - very few fit women are. Hell, I'm not (I was on the path but pregnancy interrupted that). You can't just "diet down" into a competition - YOU NEED MUSCLE MASS THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Diet is used to show the MUSCLE - it is not a contest to see how can diet down the most!

[kfisherx]

Originally Posted by bigbootybeauty

So my boyfriend just got me into the idea of competing in April 2010 for figure (he'll be competing too) and I've been dieting down for 10 days now. Before dieting down I was keeping my calories between 1550 and 1700. Now I am trying to focus on not going over 1350..and of course getting at least 1200...but I was wondering if I am burning between 400 and 700 calories during cardio a day is it that bad if my calories go a little over? I've been worrying way too much about my calorie intake and I'd like some relief from someone who is knowledgable if possible

I have been keeping my protein high and my fats and carbs lower. Any advice I'd appreciate. Thank you

sigh.... You're kidding right? Does your boyfriend know ANYTHING about competing?

I am going to side with all the girls advising you to just focus on healthy fat loss this year. You are fairly significantly overweight and I suspect that is more the motive your boyfriend has than of competition. Bodybuilding competition is a rough sport and really should not be attempted by the un-prepared (which you are btw). Here is how this will play out (seen it a million times in just a few years of watching shows btw).... You'll do this ridiculous cut, all the while crashing and cheating because, well, because the calorie amout you are eating is ridiculous to match you ridiculous goals. Then you will reach show time at about 17% bf but you'll explain it all away as "just a little softness" or "I am not genetically gifted" or some other thing. Then you will do your show and afterwards you will binge like crazy mad and gain all or at least most of that weight back (in 6 months or less).

If you are not able to see how this is damning to you, then think about how it hurts the sport. I will speak of this as a spectator and supporter of the event. I pay 25 dollars for one night of show. I sit through class after class of unprepared figure girls and it irritates me to no end. People often leave during figure because it is filled to the brim with hopeful women many unprepared. (at least 2 per class) These figure classes drag on and on and on. The show doesn't end until 11:00PM and by that time many people have left and the overall bbing class and winner (who has worked his a$$ off btw and is prepared) has less audience and support. This thinking hurts the industry and does nothing for you. I hear other audience members complain all the time about the figure classes and how many women are not prepared in them.

This isn't aimed just at you but all the women who come on this board with this same story. Not enough time to prepare and high hopes of beating the odds anyway. It is a paradigm I would love to see stopped. Lose fat in a healthy way, do a good clean bulk, study how to prep for a show properly and THEN go for your show.

[jess_muscles]

it sounds to me like your reason for competing is because you want a deadline that you can use as motivation to trim down and get the body you desire.

and thats completely fine, people have different reasons for choosing to compete...some like the competitive aspect of it and do it to compare themselves against other people of similar calibre......but

some just want a beach body. to me it sounds like you fall in this category. if this is your goal, then i'd seriously take some of these women's advice and reconsider the category you want to enter.

i have seen your progress pics, you are doing great...and i think from now until next march you can become a great sportsmodel. at least with a category like sports model you wont have to crash diet just to get to an extremely low body fat which will only lead to rapid weight gain post-competition(as kfisherx rightly pointed out)... and then next march you can re-evaluate your goals and think about whether figure is something you want to pursue.

whatever decision you make, be honest with yourself and be sure that it is wise for you, and nobody else.

[Nightbird573]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

sigh.... You're kidding right? Does your boyfriend know ANYTHING about competing?

I am going to side with all the girls advising you to just focus on healthy fat loss this year. You are fairly significantly overweight and I suspect that is more the motive your boyfriend has than of competition. Bodybuilding competition is a rough sport and really should not be attempted by the un-prepared (which you are btw). Here is how this will play out (seen it a million times in just a few years of watching shows btw).... You'll do this ridiculous cut, all the while crashing and cheating because, well, because the calorie amout you are eating is ridiculous to match you ridiculous goals. Then you will reach show time at about 17% bf but you'll explain it all away as "just a little softness" or "I am not genetically gifted" or some other thing. Then you will do your show and afterwards you will binge like crazy mad and gain all or at least most of that weight back (in 6 months or less).

If you are not able to see how this is damning to you, then think about how it hurts the sport. I will speak of this as a spectator and supporter of the event. I pay 25 dollars for one night of show. I sit through class after class of unprepared figure girls and it irritates me to no end. People often leave during figure because it is filled to the brim with hopeful women many unprepared. (at least 2 per class) These figure classes drag on and on and on. The show doesn't end until 11:00PM and by that time many people have left and the overall bbing class and winner (who has worked his a$$ off btw and is prepared) has less audience and support. This thinking hurts the industry and does nothing for you. I hear other audience members complain all the time about the figure classes and how many women are not prepared in them.

This isn't aimed just at you but all the women who come on this board with this same story. Not enough time to prepare and high hopes of beating the odds anyway. It is a paradigm I would love to see stopped. Lose fat in a healthy way, do a good clean bulk, study how to prep for a show properly and THEN go for your show.

I've never even been to a figure competition, and I can completely see where you and Kim are coming from! It doesn't seem fair to the people who have been preparing for years and working their tails off for the show that there are so many other contenders there who didn't even put in the right amount of effort. I also see so many women who think just because they lost weight and are now "skinny" that they can compete in figure...NO! They need muscle mass, good symmetry, good stage presence, perfect poses, etc etc. It's not just getting up on stage and smiling.

[sblandrus]

Originally Posted by erinlee01

Even bikini is requiring muscle mass, from what I have seen. The comp I was in over the weekend had all 3 people who placed also place in figure. They definitely had great definition in all over and 6 pack abs.

Really truly, every show is different...there are some shows where the judges are looking for a softer look and vise versa, even for bikini, my advice would be look at the pictures from the previous year's show that you are competing in, that will give you an idea of what you are up against. I would say you have enough time to lean out, if you stick to your diet/weight/cardio plan 100%, but since you are new at this that is a bit of a gamble, but if the show you are doing is a smaller show, you should go for it, this will give you something to motivate you, and who knows, maybe you'll get hooked and move on to bigger shows and get in even better shape!!!!

[sblandrus]

Originally Posted by sacha2

Nobody here is trying to discourage people from the idea of competing.

However, it seems as if figure competitions have become the sort of thing that people think ANYONE can do after 6 months of weight training and dieting!

No, sorry.

What is the point if anyone can do it in 6 months? What sort of competition is that?

I trained for my first competition for 5 months and won first place, it depends on your body, dedication, what comp, and who shows up....

[kimm4]

Originally Posted by sblandrus

I trained for my first competition for 5 months and won first place, it depends on your body, dedication, what comp, and who shows up....

You might have only needed 5 months of prep, but you've been lifting for a couple years according to your profile. So you have a couple years under your belt, which makes a difference.

Congrats on your show!

[Lazedays]

Originally Posted by sblandrus

I trained for my first competition for 5 months and won first place, it depends on your body, dedication, what comp, and who shows up....

Impressive profile. yes it is true in you case, just like Kimm says, you've lifted a lot of weight and had a excellent base, so 5 months was good for you. Most newb's need to be sure that they've have enough strength and muscle before they go stepping on stage. it's not like we're supposed to look like twiggy

[Glamorous]

Originally Posted by jess_muscles

it sounds to me like your reason for competing is because you want a deadline that you can use as motivation to trim down and get the body you desire.

I agree. I think this is not so much about the "competing" as much as it is giving the OP a deadline to work towards. Not that that is a bad thing.

If I were her, I would set some goals for the remainder of 2009 and then re-evaulate in January, 2010 and set new, higher goals for the rest of the year. I have been trying to get a nice body for over 9 months and I am still hovering at 23% body fat! It's tough. I wouldn't rush it, as that is how people burn out and eventually end up quitting. Just think of this as a permanent lifestyle. There is no need to rush! Set goals, work towards them, evaluate and re-evaluate and keep pushing forward.

[kfisherx]

Originally Posted by sblandrus

I trained for my first competition for 5 months and won first place, it depends on your body, dedication, what comp, and who shows up....

Did you have more than 40 lbs to lose in that 5 months and almost zero base? (lifting experience) Apples to apples here. The OP cannot do what you did from her start point.

It isn't like we are all trying to discourage all beginners... we just want to set realistic expectations and goals. We would not give out this advice if we did not care. Care for the original posters as well as the sport itself. It happens time and time again and it is way more harmful than good when someone tries to compete from such a place...

BTW: congrats on your success.

[Jrzimmer]

I've followed this post for a bit and thought I would throw in my .02: OP you can do pretty much make your body do what you want to an extent. Getting on stage (for most women) is a big accomplishment personally. Now for the devils advocate: Sure you can make your body do whatever you want it to do but it requires money, an emmense amount of support, completly being absorbed into your weight loss and muscle building, the righ resources, time and energy on your part to research other stuff on top of your cardio, diet, lifting time. For example, I lost 30lbs in 3 months after getting back, is that healthy? probably not, however my body reacted well and things tightened up. But I lost 20 prior to that in 6 months. The 3 1/2 months prior to my show I was obsessed with the show date and busted my ass to no end. You find people will always have an opinion so you get past it, then you find people who assume your weight loss is due to a half hour of cardio 3x a week and a mild diet....not so much. Yes OP you can get your body to do anything, but having the will power and discipline it takes to get it done is all on you and no one else. If you boyfriend "put the idea in your head" to do figure, I have a strange feeling things won't end up successful. If you do that much work, sweat and tears for yourself and no one else, you may have a better chance. I'm done with my rant.....