contest prep, diet sodas...

[Iron Queen]

When does everyone cut these out, or do you? I cant see a reason why it would hurt you (fat loss wise) to leave them in as long as its not excessive up until that last week before the show. If sodium isnt an issue... what would be wrong with it? Does it raise insulin levels still, even with the aspartame?

Very curious, please reply. I'm 3 weeks out from my show.

Thanks,

--IQ

 

[MS]

In my experience, there is no reason to cut them out at all unless you are doing any kind of sodium depletion OR are on a ketogenic diet and know FOR SURE that they are messing with your ability to maintain or establish ketosis. Most diet sodas are mildly diuretic, and if you are taking other diuretics (such as coffee, tea, ECA, NYC, creatine, etc...) then you need to increase your water intake a little to stay in balance. Otherwise fine.

 

[Iron Queen]

MS -

Thanks for such a quick reply! I will be doing a sodium depletion, actually did a test run of it this past week.

Mon-Wed
Carb depleted (zero carbs), protein 1.5 times normal, 2 gallons distilled water, and EXCESSIVE sodium lol. Lots and lots of mustard. I'd say a bottle per day which is like 10grams lol?

Thurs-Fri
protein 1/2 normal intake, carb load (about 165 thurs, 190 fri), thurs 2 gallons of water, fri will probably cut it around 4pm - i didnt try that yet... and also totally CUT sodium out 100%. My carb up foods were Thurs: brown rice (cooked in distilled water) for every meal. Friday: brown rice for first 3 meals, then last 3 meals were rice cakes (salt free - plain). By friday night I was crazy vascular, especially in my abs... and skin looked really dry except a tiny bit I'm holding in my legs/glutes and lower back.

Any thoughts? I went from Monday weighing 135 to Saturday morning 129 w/o cutting my water until after 9:30pm because I didnt stop training and I still had my 2nd cardio to do. I'll probably weigh in around 124-126. Let me know what you think, I appreciate your opinion.

I've got 2 weeks and 6 days to go! woohoo!

Thanks,
IQ

 

[wilson6]

If this worked, then repeat it, but do not assume everything will work the same, nor will you look on Sat am for prejudging what you looked like Fri evening this time around. Push the timing up 12 hrs. to try and time it for prejudging vs Friday pm.

Next time around consider this. First I wouldn't cut carbs completely from Mon - Wed. Consuming 30 - 50 grams/d is low enough. It is not necessary to go zero carbs to supercompensate. This has been studied extensively in endurance athletes.

The carb up regiment sounds fine.

Cut the water to about a gallon on Friday and about 8-10 oz on Sat before prejudging. No need to cut it completely.

If you're truly taking in 10 g/d of sodium and I doubt you are (5 grams of mustard = 55 mg sodium) that would be about 2 lbs of mustard a day; regardless only cut the sodium in half 36 hours out from prejudging. A good intake is about 5 grams, then cut it to 2 1/2 or 2 36 hrs out. It takes the body 36 hrs to come into sodium balance. If you start too soon, you may be in for a surprise on Sat morning. In addition, you need both sodium and water to carb replete. Distilled water is not necessary and unless you really like mustard, I'd just add sodium to your food so you know exactly how much you're consuming and what you can cut.

Drop the cardio and workouts mid-week. Only posing Thur and Fri. If you're not lean enough by then, there's nothing you can do. Doing cardio or lifting will just impair the carb repletion.

What is on your legs/glutes and lower back is probably fat, not water and it may come down more in the next two weeks. None-the-less, if you try to dry out too much, you'll go flat and lose vascularity, but will not change the legs/glutes and lower back much. There are no quick fixes for this, so just be careful you don't peak before it's time. If you looked really good this past friday, ease up a little. Sounds like you're really close and could over shoot.

As Dorian use to say, two weeks out you should be contest ready, the last two weeks are for fine tuning and maintenance, not last minute fixes.

W6