I'm eating 1200-1500 on most days, on weekends I eat a little more and have frozen yogurt and some candy... ...I don't really eat that bad, I just find it hard to keep carbs in my house cause I eat and eat and eat them till they are gone!

Workouts: This week: Mon - cardio am, chest and arms pm
Tues - cardio am and pm, abs
Wed - back and shoulders, no cardio
Thurs - cardio am, legs and abs pm
Fri- cardio am, chest and arms pm
Sat - cardio am and abs
Sun - cardio or rest

I do 45 min in the mornings of cardio, then 30 later if I do a 2nd session. Weight workouts take 1 hour, keep moving, intensity is really good. Not lifting heavy right now, but not light either. For instance, this monday I didn't really do a ton of chest, I just did 6 sets of pushups to fatigue, then 4 sets of dips, then hit arms really good. I'm trying to keep reps high and work to fatigue. I don't need to build any more, except perhaps more in the triceps. Definately not in the legs! You all have seen my pics, so what do ya think?

You should be eating at LEAST a 1000 more a day, especially if with your activity level.

You're definitely not eating enough. If you're doing cardio with this small amount of food you should be VERY lean, are you? Do you want to be lean all year round? Have the judges told you you have the right amount of muscularity and size?.......The NPC judges think I should add another 5-10lbs of muscle to my frame while the natural organizations (urine testing the fitness athletes) think my physique is fine.

I ask these questions because I compete also. I'm also a model and I go back and forth between trying to be lean all year to trying to gain some hard earned muscle to being influenced by the models I work with(being so thin that their ribs show).....I know this doesn't compare to your past eating disorder.

Iron God -
I am aiming for the typical fitness competitor bod... Any comments on my posted pics are definately welcome, as I need some opinions!

Bikinimom -
any advice for a cardio-addicted, dedicated, perfectionist? I know I have the determination and mindset to get results, it's just hard without a competition to shoot for right now. I plan on competing this summer, and I don't want to have to go through so much damn cardio as I did this past year in preparation for this show. I was doing an hour am and 45 min pm 5 days a week, along with 45 min on sat. and sun! That is way too much, and my body let me know...I constantly was in pain somehow. Dieting is difficult for me b/c of having had an eating disorder...I tend to restrict too much, then that backfires with carbo-binges. I'm willing to follow any healthy diet, as long as I can keep my sanity!

Sorry to talk and talk and talk! I appreciate everyone's honest advice and taking the time to help little ol' me out!

I would slowly add in 100-200 calories a week(strive for adding 500-700 additional calories to your 1500 cal diet) in the form of lean protein and complex carbs. Check your bodyfat(to make sure you're not gaining too much bodyfat). Your bodyfat sounds fine. You should still be strong in the gym and your abs should still be showing I know it will be hard eating more but trust me this will boost your metabolism(your body will be burning this food as fuel instead of holding onto it and storing it as bodyfat) and if you're doing as much cardio as you've said you should stay(or get)lean(er).

Buff,

I'll use this pic as an example...Your symetry is fine..You just look flat and softish. Again don't take this the wrong way over all you have excellant potential.

What you really need to do is layoff the cardio totally for this winter and focus on putting on 10lbs of LBM it would really bring up your physique.

What is your AS regimen if any?

Post some pic of you flexing and a hamstring and glute shot.

Biggest change you can make is in your diet , that along with heavy intense training and no cardio will really up your muscularity.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I can relate to the whole "cardio addiction"...you know what?! I HATE THAT SHIT!!! I was "cardio-ing like a mofo" before my competitions and I don't miss it, not ONE BIT!

Since I wanted to be more competitive, after killing myself before my initial show I had to decide what was more important to me: to stay lean, lean, lean or gain some mass so that I could win?! I don't think ANYBODY goes through contest prep "just for the experience"! So I listened to my trainer and FUCKING BACKED OFF, ATE MORE AND HAD SOME FUN TOO!

It WAS REALLY HARD AT FIRST, but when I think about ALL THE DOUBLE cardio sessions and ALL THE TIME IN THE FUCKING SAUNA before my competitions.....it suddenly didn't seem so difficult. Plus with the mass that I had gained after bulking, when I smoothed out again, I looked REAL GOOD!...not show-ready, but DAMN FINE! Currently I am about 20%bf and picture-perfect for swimsuit/glamour/commercial modeling (OK, so I could stand to loose a little bodyfat ). But it would not be all that difficult. Just clean up the diet and add in a little cardio (I'm talking every other day for 30min or so). I am a size 4.......so I think I'm doing OK here !

You WILL have to EAT MORE and drop the cardio a bit. I understand you not wanting to add a wholelotta size (I have gotten as big as I can get if I still want to get work as a commercial model.) but if you want to remain competitive you will have to decide what is more important to you. TAKE A HIATUS FROM THE CARDIO....IT WILL DO YOU A LOT OF GOOD! REALLY AND TRULY!!!