contest diets ... mentally tough

[Zilla2000]

Those of you who haven't competed yet and think it takes real dedication to get to the gym everyday, wait until you try contest dieting.

I finally did it. I was in my first show last month. Dropping 38 pounds, of fat and water, while trying to maintain muscle will screw with your head big time. I almost backed out 30 times in the last 30 days. Everybody in the gym looks bigger than you. In your head anyway. You can't push as much weight so you must be losing muscle, you think. No matter what your friends tell you about how much bigger you look because of the cuts you know they are only being nice and not wanting to hurt your feelings. If gains in the gym are 70% nutrition then contest dieting has to be 98.5% mental.

Despite all of the suffering I wouldn't trade the end result for anything. It was great! You guys have to give it a shot. You'll learn things about how much your nutrition effects the body and how mentally tough you really are. Even if you don't want to compete get with a friend who has and do a good 12 week diet when you are getting ready for summertime next year.

Oh yeah, I placed second, novice division, light-weight. (37 yrs old)

 

[karde]

Congrats!
Not only did you put yourself into competition, but you know you have the mental strength to stick with it. Mental discipline is admirable!

 

[liftsiron]

You look damm good for your first show, actually you look good peroid.

 

[KONDOR9]

I hear ya brother. I am cutting in a major way and have almost quit several times. Everytime I doubt myself I go to a bathroom, lift up my shirt, and say hell ya. Congratulations.

 

[RoNiN]

Well done , you look great and the conditioning is fantastic. Being a competitor myself I know how tough it is to get into the condition you are in that pic.

It is very hard but your right ... a couple of weeks after the show and after pigging out you want to do it again.

 

[hardbody_jr]

Well done! Keep up the hard work....

 

[BigPhysicsBastard]

getting lean is fine, but dropping strength......HELL FUCKING NO!!! Sorry, I work to hard to get stronger, therefore there is no way I could mentally handle losing strength just for the sake of getting on a stage wearing speedo's.

 

[FlexBailey]

It's the drugs mainly f'ing with your head. I remember competing natural and it was even harder cause I had to do a little more cardio and strict dieting but mentally it seemed easier. Steroids are BAD for the brain and that's a fact..especially Halo..evil evil stuff.

 

[SixPac]

The first big diet is the toughest, because you have no idea about how your body will react. Congratulations and you look great, the next time will be easier, because you have tasted the success and will want to get an even bigger taste.
6pac

 

[Zilla2000]

I was asked in PM about the diet itself. Here it is for all.

Well you know that was 12 weeks. I started off at 194 thinking I was only needing to get down to 176. Ha Ha, first contest. I met with 2001 Mr. NC Light-heavy Class winner about the diet. He quickly told me it would need to be more like 165 lbs. Actual Contest weight 158 lbs.

Because of the amount to drop and time he recommended I drop my carbs to 50g per day right away. If I wanted to vary them like 50, 70, 90 to keep the body from getting use to the amount. As time got closer, 6 weeks, he said I needed to drop them some more. So I went down to 30g per day. During these weeks it was lifting as usual but cardio 45 mins a day as opposed to none prior to dieting.

I planned for this 6 months in advance so I had actually taken 3 weeks vacation before the show. I had seen how beat friends had gotten in their diets. Okay, so 3 weeks out DOUBLE CARDIO. I went every morning,45 mins, before having my breakfast (5:30am) and then again at night, 45 mins, after lifting.