November 10, 2005

#2: Competition Dieting

Q: Hi Autumn,

I read your article on SeriousAboutMuscle.com where a woman asked you about your diet. Can you give me some more insight into what you do? I have a friend who is very interested in competing (been working out for a year or so), but really doesn't have a clue about the diet aspect. Can you give me some specifics about your meals and supplements?

Thanks, and I think your most recent photos on your site are simply amazing!

Best regards,

...JH

A: Hello JH,

When it comes to dieting, I generally start by eating cleaner foods at the 20-week mark. Diets for me are divided into five different phases. With each phase, I have a goal to achieve and my diet gradually changes throughout these phases.

• Phase 1: At 20 weeks out, I start eliminating my junk food and fats. No more dairy, sugar, McDonalds’s. My carbs change to whole grains, oatmeal, oat bran, potatoes and rice. My protein is beef, buffalo, chicken, fish, sometimes tuna, and I generally drink a lot of whey protein shakes, usually Sportlab’s DynaWhey or Isolate Plus. I find that when I start my dieting it is hard to get all my food in, so I "drink" a lot of my meals.
  
  
• Phase 2: At 16 weeks out, my carbs are dropped again and my protein is set for the rest of my diet. I eat about 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. My carbs are eaten within the first 12 hours of the day. My diet plan is set for a six-day period, and then on Sundays I have a "cheat day" where I can eat whatever I want. This is when I usually go to McDonald's and Dairy Queen! I live for my cheat days; dieting would absolutely suck without them.
  
  
• Phase 3: At 12 weeks out, my diet changes again. My carbs drop progressively throughout the diet and now carbs are eaten within the first eight hours of the day.
  
  
• Phase 4: At 10 weeks out, my carbs are still dropping. The gradual drop makes it easier to deal with the hunger. Because I am blessed with good genetics, I don't need to do any cardio for fat loss. My fatburner, Sportlab's ThermoBlaze, is started now.
  
  
• Phase 5: This would be the last few weeks of the diet. It is when you feel at your worst but look your best. You start manipulating your water slowly to try and get that "shrink-wrapped" effect.

This is how I gradually diet for a contest. Now, for someone looking to just "tighten up," there are some rules that you can follow that will help you accomplish your goals:

• Rule 1: Eliminate all fats and dairy.
  
  
• Rule 2: Eat all your carbohydrates within the first 8 to 9 hours of your day. You can eat any kinds of "green" veggies or salad at night when your carbs are done.
  
  For example, for someone who gets up at 7:00 a.m., they should have eaten all their carbohydrates for that day by 3:00 p.m. They can continue to eat protein and green veggies, but must not eat carbs after the first eight hours; they will be burning fat for energy.
  
  
• Rule 3: Have Sunday as a "cheat day" and eat the things that you have denied yourself all week. This will make the diet easier to cope with, because you have something to look forward to at the end of the week.

Here is a sample of a "typical day" of dieting for me as I prepared for the 2005 CBBF Canadian BodyBuilding Championships:

I hope your friend does really well at her show. Thanks very much for writing, JH, and I am glad that you like the pictures.

...Autumn Raby, IFBB Pro

If you would like to ask Autumn a question, please e-mail: askautumn@seriousaboutmuscle.com.

SeriousAboutMuscle.com contributor Autumn Raby is from British Columbia, Canada, and is the 2005 CBBF Canadian Bodybuilding Championships Women's Middleweight and Overall Champion. Autumn's win at the Canadian Championships earned her an IFBB Pro Card. Autumn plans to make her pro debut in 2006.