Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jessica M. on April 28, 2009 at 12:37am

I would think that getting back to eating 6 small meals, all of which are balanced in ratios of protein, carb and fats should be sufficient to getting things revving again! (You may be carb sensitive and in that case, you'd simply eat a few meals void of complex carbs)
Have you worked with a trainer throughout your competition prep? What do they think about a post contest diet?
have a diet that I follow (from a nutritionist) which has a lot of variety in fruits, veggies, proteins and fats so I never get bored... it's great and I don't think that once I get back ON PLAN, I'll have a hard time maintaining a lower body weight then I was even pre-contest (I competed at FAME PRAIRIES 2009 too :)

If you want to have a look at my plan, let me know!
~jessica

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by sasha Staden on April 29, 2009 at 2:56pm

Jessica Meeks said:

I would think that getting back to eating 6 small meals, all of which are balanced in ratios of protein, carb and fats should be sufficient to getting things revving again! (You may be carb sensitive and in that case, you'd simply eat a few meals void of complex carbs)
Have you worked with a trainer throughout your competition prep? What do they think about a post contest diet?
have a diet that I follow (from a nutritionist) which has a lot of variety in fruits, veggies, proteins and fats so I never get bored... it's great and I don't think that once I get back ON PLAN, I'll have a hard time maintaining a lower body weight then I was even pre-contest (I competed at FAME PRAIRIES 2009 too :)

If you want to have a look at my plan, let me know!
~jessica

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by sasha Staden on April 29, 2009 at 2:57pm

Thanx Jessica I would love to take a look at your post competition plan!!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael Elias on May 4, 2009 at 12:06pm

Hey Sasha,
Thank you for your question.

There are really two parts that have to be addressed in order to get to the answer.

Part One involves creating a competition nutrition and training program that does not slow your metabolism down to begin with.

Part Two involves going from your current state back to a healthy offseason program that will allow you to eat and fuel your body without gaining unwanted fat.

With regard to Part One, one of the first things we want to do when designing a contest prep program is make sure your metabolism stays fully fueled and is working like a furnace burning body fat. We definitely don't want it to slow down. The key to this is eating enough food to fuel your workouts and training and daily activity, and burning the body fat off with exercise. We want to burn fat off, not starve it off!

Of course, this doesn't mean you can be eating whatever you want. You nutrition plan has to be specifically designed to provide exactly what you need, but it doesn't have to be lacking in complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are anabolic and muscle sparring and actually help you maintain muscle and stay energized during contest prep. The key is the timing of the intake of the carbs.

I never recommend dropping your complex carb intake below 1g per pound of bodyweight during contest prep. You want to design your program so that your complex carbs are strategically timed for early in the day and pre and post workout so that they are used for refilling glycogen stores and fueling your training, and not stored.

By using proper macronutrient intake and nutrient timing during your contest prep, you can significantly reduce the post workout weight gain that many competitors face.

However, the thing we need to address now is your current situation.
In order to get you back to a good offseason ratio of carbs, protein, and fat we need to start slowly increasing your complex carb intake in a methodical way. IMO, our goal would be to get you to a macronutrient ratio of 40% Carbs, 40% Protein, and 20% healthy fats.

To do this, begin by increasing your carb intake by 25g daily during the first week, and increase the daily intake by 25g each week until your total carb intake is up to 40% of your daily calories each day.

Here's an example of how this can work.

Let's say that during your contest prep you were at 1100 calories, 70% from Protein and 30% from fat.
That would equate to approximately 192g protein and 36g fat daily.

This would be the an example of how to transition to a plan to get you to approximately 1760 calories daily and a macro ratio of 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat

Week 1: Daily
190g P, 25g C, 36g F = 1184 cals daily
Week 2 Daily
190g P, 50g C, 36g F = 1284 cals daily
Week 3 Daily
185g P, 75g C, 36g F = 1364 cals daily
Week 4 Daily
185g P, 100g C, 37g F = 1453 cals daily
Week 5 Daily
180g P, 125g C, 37g F = 1533 cals daily
Week 6 Daily
180g P, 150g C, 38g F = 1642 cals daily
Week 7 Daily
180g P, 180g F, 38 = 1762 cals daily

Following this type of progression will get you back to a healthy off season program without causing you to gain a lot of unwanted weight.

*** Please note that the example of 1762 calories is not based specifically on your needs. It's just an example of how to increase your calories and carb intake strategically over a period of 6 - 8 weeks post contest. Your specific calories needs may be different based on your individual situation and the plan would need to be modified based on your specific situation.

By slowing transitioning back to a 40/40/20 ration in a planned way, you can avoid the excess weight gain that affects many competitors, and get back to a nutrition plan that fuels your body for new growth and progress!

Please let me know if you have any additional questions!

Michael

• ▶ Reply