new to bodybuilding - super keen!

[vongi]

Hiyah peeps.

I'm new to the nutrition side of things (not training - wish I knew that bodybuilding was the thing for me 2 years ago damit) and was wondering if anyone had words of wisdom or advice on this lifestyle change. Im only about a month in, trying to find the right mix of things around a busy college schedule. I find it goes really well with studies, it keeps you sharp and its great (even though its hard to be on point all the time) - but I dont actually know anyone who's into it (around where I live and out of my mates anyway - if my girls knew they would stereotype etc) so... yeah! Any insights into what the bodybuilding lifestyle entails by the people actually living it too would be great (haha, I wont feel so alone). My bodyfat is still pretty high (27% *cringe* want to get down to 16% by the end of this year. is that reasonable by the way?) but i train religiously. Any info would be much appreciated!

[nunu713]

Here are a few tips that will help get you on your way:

1) dropping body fat is all about diet. You can't out-workout a bad diet, so that will need to get in check.
2) go over to the female nutrition forum and read the sticky called "Calculating Caloric Needs and Macronutrients". That will get you on your way
3) Invest in a food scale to keep serving sizes under control and to know how many calories you're eating.
4) Set up an account on a calorie tracking website (www.fitday.com, www.nutridiary.com, etc.) to make sure you're eating the right amount.

Good luck!