IG, retropump, FC, EVERYONE OUT THERE who has competed lol! :) 1 week out need some help...

[AJ]

Hey everyone... OK. Its Sunday, 6 days out from my first show. Right now this is where I stand. I haven't done bodyfat because I really dont want to even know lol, but upper body is hard as a rock, striated chest, shoulders, deep cut abs/intercostals, everything above the hips is totally ready. Legs are still holding water and some fat but seems like a lot of loose skin to me? I dont know... I've never been this lean before so I'm kinda weirded out.

Height 5'4
weighing between 125-128 now /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif Keeps dropping, driving me crazy!

For the last 2 weeks my diet has consisted of approx 188g protein, 25-30g carbs, and 10g fat per day. All coming from boiled chicken, white potato, and plain salt free rice cakes. No veggies, which I should have but havent...

I'm confused about what to do after carb depletion. I'm planning to do this:
Mon: carb deplete, so I'd up protein to like 210g (approx)by just adding another chicken breast in place of the carb meal... 2 gallons distilled water
Tues: same, 2 gallons distilled water
Wed: same, 2 gallons distilled water
Thurs: needs to be carb up and lower protein, 1 gallon distilled water
Fri: same carb up again..., zero water after midnight Thursday until Saturday.

My concern is what is the normal ratios that everyone uses for the carb up on the 2 days before the show? And what foods do you pull those from? How much should I drop protein? Any suggestions?

Depending on how much water I'm holding I'm probably going to use the HCTZ diuretic which I use sometimes anyways for water retention, its prescription and just add potassium to it?

Also.... what do I eat the MORNING of the show? I have NO IDEA what I can eat that isn't going to screw me up. Prejudging is at 10, night show at 7pm. What is everyones regular eating schedule on the day of the show and what is eaten? I'd really like to hear everyone's experiences so I can figure out what I'm doing for this.

Any help I'd really appreciate, PLEASE!!! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I'm a bit stressed here!

Thanks you all...

AJ

[retropump]

Maybe it was a typo, but it looks to me like you are already carb (and possibly sodium) depleted! 25-30g carbs per day and nuttin but boiled chicken, spuds and rice cakes (and not more than 1000cals!!). If it wasn't a typo then you might want to slightly increase your sodium for the next few days, then drop it in the last 2 days along with water. Not much we can do about the carbs at this stage if you're already carb depleted. Just take the carb-up slow and easy. Maybe 150-250 grams each day over the Thursday and Friday (sweet potatoes are good for this). Saturday morning food depends on how you look in the morning. You'll need to decide if you're still flat and need more carbs, or if you've filled out enough. Chances are you'll want more carbs right through the day on Saturday. Remember, the majority of competitors look their best the day AFTER competition, so don't be too shy with the carbs pre competition.

[AJ]

Retro- Thanks for the reply and no those numbers weren't typos... Its the diet I've been on for the last few weeks and its a killer. I've really learned a lot and I know now that I won't diet like this again. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif LOL. BIG changes for next time around.

But yeah I'm pretty carb depleted, just keeping my sanity w/ sugar free gum... Otherwise boiled chicken all day. Calories were just over 1000. I've slowed down a bit on cardio bc I'm pretty drained but still keeping it at 45 mins twice per day for mon, tues, wed... Thurs is nothing, Fri. nothing again...

Sodium depletion we've been doing for about 2 weeks now because I was holding so much water from supplements I was on previously. This morning I weighed in at 125, so I have no idea what my competition weight will be. Its all too new to even make a prediction.

I was told that sweet potatoes can make you smooth?? Will it only make you smooth if your carbs are in excess and they're having the spill over effect? Will brown rice, white potatoes, plain rice cakes all do??

Also... do you think its ok to have things like pancakes BEFORE prejudging on Saturday? Or bc of the sodium will that hurt me? I know FC had that before her show but she was also eating a hell of a lot more than me?

[Willie]

AJ, I posted a topic, "What do you eat on contest day?" on this board. It may be helpful. I've had good experience with a high carb(simple/complex) meal 3 hours before prejudge. I went to waffle House and had 2 waffles with syrup. Sweet potatos are better to carb up with than white ones.

"Free up your mind"

[retropump]

Hmmm I don't really know what will work in this sitch. Cutting out all sodium for 2 weeks seems, umm, counter intuitive. Your kidneys are now gonna be doing their darndest to hold on to any whiff of sodium they get hold of. This is why folks who sodium deplete don't ususally cut the sodium until 24-48 hours pre competition.....so their kidneys don't have time to realize they need to start holding onto sodium. It's also very hard (impossible??) to carb load without some sodium in your diet. I can't imagine why sweet potatoes would 'smooth' you out, and they are used all the time by competitors for carb loading. But as I say, with such a long period of carb and sodium depletion they may have a different effect on you. All you can do now is have faith in whoever designed this precontest regime and pray that they know what they're doing! Not long to go now.

[helga]

hey AJ...please go to my user profile and get my email addy...I wanna talk to you woman before you go to compete............

[AJ]

helga, no email addy there?

[helga]

well what the h*ll........palestar_rising@hotmail.com

[gopro]

AJ...calm down a little.STRESS can make you hold water!!!Ok,there's not much we can do about your diet leading up to the show.This is what I suggest that you do....Take the amount of protein grams you were eating during the carb depletion and cut that amount in half.Then,add in the exact amount of carbs that were taken out in the form of protein.So if you were eating 200 grams of protein and near zero carbs....switch to 100 grams of protein and 100 grams of carbs.Do this on Thursday.If you like whats happening,stick with this on Friday.If you are flat,than drop protein to 50 grams and up carbs to 150 grams.

If you follow this plan you will not spill over and you should get a nice full feeling in your muscles.I don't like to cut my water completely until exactly 24 hours before pre-judge,however.The diuretic should be taken on Friday night.

As for the day of the show eat a couple of good meals b4 pre-judge.Great foods to eat on contest day are red meat,eggs,pancakes w/ syrup.These will make you full and vascular and as long as you drink no water until after pre-judge,you will not smooth out.

I don't think that it matters too much what you carb up on by the way.Iv'e used pasta,rice,potatoes,rice cakes,shredded wheat and have gotten about the same results from all.Let me know if there's anything else you need.

GOOD LUCK....I'm with you in spirit!!! /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

"Those who fail to plan,plan to fail..."

[retropump]

Yeah I'll second gopro. At least for me it doesn't matter what carbs I eat for the carb-up. Just go slow and easy on the carbs like gopros plan and adjust as necessary. It maybe that if you drink zero water, but have some sodium in there that you might get a really nice sodium loading effect! This works well for some folks, but is pretty miserable eating all that yummy food when all you want is a drink of water /infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif But don't cut your water out too soon since you gotta have some water to carb up.

[AJ]

Hey everyone, thanks soooo much for your help. I really appreciate it! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

This is what I've started today. Thurs, day #1 of carb up.

meal 1
4 oz chicken, boiled
50g potato
1 plain, salt free, rice cake

meal 2
2 oz chicken, boiled
50g potato
1 plain, salt free, rice cake

meal 3
2 oz chicken, boiled
50g potato

meal 4
2 oz chicken, boiled
50g potato
1 plain, salt free, rice cake

meal 5
2 oz chicken, boiled
50g potato
1/2 plain, salt free, rice cake

meal 6
2 oz chicken
50g potato

As much water as I can get in, so between 1-1/2 - 2 gallons today. Then cut water at midnight tonight. I've been taking the HCTZ diuretic every day to get the water off and am now down to 123. I usually take it in the morning, but for tomorrow (friday) should I take in in the am, then take it again before I got to bed? Any ideas on that?

As for foods, its pretty redundant but w/ already 2 of those small carb meals in me, omg... Its weird to eat carbs again! Very very nice!

Totals are approx. 105g protein, 101 carbs. I dropped my protein by 50% and added another 100 or so carbs. (gum not included lol, my savior that I can't live without either way... but sugar free) /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Look pretty good?

No workout/cardio today or tomorrow.

Tan today (thurs) for the last time.
Pose tonight for the last time also.

We'll start pro-tan on Friday night.

Anything I'm forgetting?

Thanks for the help, you all are wonderful!

AJ

[W8's]

good luck you'll do great.

[gopro]

Ok AJ....looking good!The plan is going to work!As far as the diuretic...take it again tonight if you feel you are not as dry as you wish.Don't take it if you don't need it,or it could flatten you out!Best,best,best of luck!I am very excited for you.

"Those who fail to plan,plan to fail..."