NutritionDietingFriends often ask me if I'm training for a show. In respect to off-season dieting, I would say "No, I'm not training for a show." At this point in time, I am not following the rigorous diet needed to be stage-ready. Instead, I am fueling my body to build muscle and grow in preparation for the next time I am ready to "diet down" for a show. My off-season lifestyle is "clean." I eat foods the body was designed to run on for maximum energy and health benefits, including:
Each day, I eat 5 small meals and drink at least 1 gallon of liquid. Most of the liquid is water, followed by coffee and diet soda. Diet should not be thought of as deprivation or starvation, but instead, as a "lifestyle." A diet is the food you eat on a daily basis. We all have a diet, and some are definitely better than others. I try to make my diet as clean as possible. Contest Dieting Contest dieting generally lasts about 16 weeks prior to a show. It takes the "wiggle room" out of the foods listed above. I reduce everything to the lowest fat carb content possible. I also reduce my portion sizes and stop eating any fruit or oatmeal. Cravings Knowing that I have a difficult time with cravings if I eat certain foods (nut butters, steel-cut oats), I remove them from my diet during contest prep. I have more success and stay mentally focused if I stay very strict during the prep period and gain my vitamins lost by taking supplements during this period. Juice Plus is a fantastic supplement that I have been taking for several years. It provides nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables, and grains in capsules. |
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