Wanting to compete in either bikini or physique

[aleekhat]

Hello! My name is Alyssa and I have been working out consistently for about a year and half and really want to compete. I am currently a student, so I don't really have much funds available. I am a sewer, so I am planning on making my own suit; however, I will not be hiring a coach. I feel confident in my workout plan, but I will need help with my diet. I have looked online and found way too much variety in macro calculators. Can anyone recommend some good resources on figuring out what I should be doing for a diet?
Also, if anyone in BC, Canada knows of any upcoming shows before the 2018 that I could compete in, please send the info my way (: I live in Kelowna, but may be willing to travel, depending.
I would prefer to compete in physique, but I want to have a competition on my application to pharmacy, which is in January, so I need a competition for before then. I am also potentially considering doing a powerlifting competition as well.
Thanks in advance!!!
Alyssa

[WeeRocket]

ooook I love the ambition, but let's take it one step at a time.

First of all, choose which one you would prefer to do (Bodybuilding or Powerlifting) and focus on that first.

There are sacrifices to be made in both sports that can negatively impact your progress for the second sport, so it's better to focus on one at a time.

Your diet is entirely relative! Personally I would just use a generic BMR calculator if you haven't a rough idea of your maintenance calories...then test it for 2 weeks and see how you get on.

If you're losing weight steadily, that's a good starting point.
If you're losing weight too quickly (if you're already at an average leannness of say <25% BF, anything more than a 3lb loss after the first week would be quite drastic) add in around 200kcals and try again
If you're not losing weight/gaining weight then remove 200kcals and try again

Macro ratios are relative too, my absolute minimum would be around 1g protein/lb, 0.5g carb/lb, 0.5g fat/lb (as an absolute baseline/starvation macros lol)

Personally I would take at least 20 weeks to prep, because figuring out a starting point can take a few weeks.

You only have 6 months left in the year so you really haven't given yourself much time.

Physique takes more than 1.5 years IMO. I don't know you or how you look but to have a physique ready body in a year in a half, you would need insane genetics.