Hi everybody, My name is Nico and I am a female of 43 year's old. It makes a while that I am lurking into this forum board and I will like to said that all the information that I am finding is more than really good. I am so glad I did discover this forum.

I already apologize for my english because it is not my primary language, so I think that I might be doing alot of mistakes with my english and how sometimes the way I am formulating some sentences might not be okay as well.

Quick Story about be. 16 months ago I was 160 pounds - BF around 30% for 5'6" So I start bodybuilding, eating clean and everything. As per my stat of today I am 123 pounds, BF around 14.4% if I am not making any mistakes. I do have some pics showing my progress for now at:
http://www.muscletank.net/profiles.aspx?nico

The 18 months pics are actually my stat right now. 5'6 - 123 pounds and BF% 14.4 probably.

I am posting this question here because I know that there is a lot of great people here that have been on stage and did experience with the last 2 weeks diet for being ready and will certainly be able to help me for knowing if at my stage right now I should already try a 2 weeks bb diet for the trip of my personal glory picture.

I am just wondering what is usually the expectancy in regard with weight loss, water loss, body fat and everything If I throw my self right away into those 2 weeks. Is those last 2 weeks are really making the big difference for being able to have ripped abs. I was just wondering if entering right now into it will make the big difference or I should wait again a couple of weeks and keep continue to shed some fat before giving it a trial.

What could be the expectancy while I am not taking any fat burner at all and I am not looking to take some, well maybe Cla or L.Carnitine. I have to say that I am pretty chicken for taking some fat burner. I guess I do have any experience with those one.

I will really appreciate having some feedback to finally know which direction I should be taking for trying to have a glory picture for a 43 year's old women. It makes so long that I am into that path of transforming my body that I just wish to be able to have some ripped abs for finally being able to turn the page after summer times and get back into a cycle bulk mass.

I appreciate all your help and your feedback.

Nico

I'm not experienced, so I don't have any answers for your question. But you look great, no doubt about that!

Kris

Thank's so much Christine you are nice. I really hope to find some answers to my question.
Crossing my fingers.

Welcome to the board Nico. You already look great and should take great pride in what you have accomplished!

Since you do not have a particular deadline or contest date to be concened about I would suggest that you continue your slow reduction in body fat levels by droppping another 150-250 total k/cals a day from your current diet plan. (Equally, keeping your macronutrient mix where it is) That should lean you out even more. After two weeks at that reduced level you can consider one more drop in total calories by another 150-250 total k/cals a day.

If you have not tried lean out or energy reserve I think that you will be very satisfied with the results that you will get from them. While they assist you in burning fat, they are different from a typical fat burner/thermogenic, and thus do not have the associated risks and downsides that common thermogenics have.

Going with a "take it slow" approach is always better for retaining muscle and it helps your skin thin out better than a faster approach to fat loss.

With regard to water simply drink a lot (1 to 2 gallons/day) and stay at that level for at least 10 days prior to when you want to take your photos. Starting the night before after your evening meal you can cut water back to about 1/2 of what your higher intake was and that should help your body get rid of any excess water that you might be holding. Just that alone will cause a 1-2 lb drop in body weight for photo day.

Another final week diet trick that many on this board have used successfully is going to a diet of lean beef burgers and grapefruit for the two days prior to your photos day. You eat a lean ground beef patty and 1/2 of a grapefruit for every meal for those two days. The grapefruit acts as a natural diuretic and thus will also help you get rid of excess water.

I would say that if you combine the reduction in calories with lean out and energy reserve that you should see another 1% in body fat reduction over a two week period. If that seems to be working for you you could continue it for another 1-2 weeks. Supplementing with glutamine select during workouts and before bed will help you retain muscle and burn body fat for energy. This is especially important when your body fat levels start to get very low.

Good luck in meeting your goals- you have already done a fantastic job! Let us know if you have additional questions.

Wow, It make me feel so great finding a forum from where you can be coach from people who has been there. Most of all forum, from where there are so much people you really never get some real answer to your question.

I do appreciate the time you take for replying to my request.

From now the way I am managing my calories intake, those one are are base from the Leanest Life style way of thinking.

For me with my stat, training 3 to 4 times a week (weight training + Cardio 2 times a week) I need to work with the current figure.

1) Average daily Calorie intake: 1,155 calorie
2) Meaning that I do have 1 splurge day of 1555 calories, two low days at 955 calories (not a lot) and the 4 other days the average is 1,155 calorie.
3) From now with my weight training days, I am having my carbs meal 1 (oatmeal) Pre-Workout (simple carbs as fruit) - Post-Workout (Whey shake/dextrose) and than no more carbs except green veggies. Meaning that my 3 other meals are mainly protein/fat/veggies while my other 3 meals are protein/carbs/veggies
4) These are my pattern for now.
5) I haven't cut dairy for now as cottage cheese and I am still having 2 to 3 low carbs yogourth a week.
6) I haven't cut my fruits for now but I only have them meal 1, pre-workout and sometimes into my 4th meals.
6) I am only having 1 serving of complex carbs a day as oatmeal at meal 1.

I will like to know if possible what are your thought with my eating plan pattern, calories intake, should I modifiy something.

Note: I never really did cardio, well I hate doing it and I have been able to drop those fat with pratically any cardio at all. So I guess that now I have no choice of entering into the cardio?

I thought doing the 20 min HITT in the morning but having a whey protein without carbs before doing it. And I will built up my cardio 2 x 20 minutes, week after 3 x times and so and so.

I see from where I live in Montreal, that they are having the lean system but I still so scare of any side effects.

I thank you very much for taking the time of helping me and if there are things into what I am currently doing and you think that I should change some things, I will really appreciate your imput.

I was hoping taking my final pic around the second week of July. Summer times around the corner. I will definitvly follow your advise with the last 2 days.

Thank's so much for helping

Your diet looks pretty solid to me. I'm taking back the suggestion to drop calories more, you are already quite low, going too low will cause you to stop fat loss as your body will think that you are trying to starve it (you almost are! Ha!) and it then holds on to what body fat it has left and starts to burn muscle for energy.

Are you able to get BI products in Canada? If so I would add in the lean out, energy reserve and glutamine select. All will encourage fat burning and retention of LBM muscle. If you add in cardio, HIIT is the thing to try. I would start with 2 times a week for 20 minutes on days when you are not lifting. The biggest advantage to HIIT is the bump to your metabolism which stays higher for several hours and thus helps you burn more bodyfat. Longer or more frequent sessions would probably tip you more towards being catabolic (using muscle for energy) which is not what you want. I would take glutamine select before during and after your training and cardio sessions - again to help burn body fat and retain muscle. Taking a portion just before bed helps you retain muscle overnight when you go longer between meals.

I can't envision eating 1,100 or fewer calories a day, but I know that many of the female fitness atheletes here get down that low. As a 180lb male, if I get down to 2,300 a day just before a contest that feels to me like eating less than a bird! Your dedication is obviously strong.

If you can't get BI products in Canada I would try calling the BI number (800-781-3475), or email them, and ask them if they could recommend an alternative brand for you for those three products that you could get in Canada. Otherwise you can go to their main web site and look up the product details then try to find an alternative/equivalent on your own.

If you are not taking some sort of EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) supplement you might benefit from one. BI offers EFA Gold, but other similar products are available. You can also get some of the same EFA's through a carefully chosen salad dressing such as Newmans Oil and Vinegar dressing. Your body needs some (good) fats to stay in balance and taking an EFA supplement helps you to continue to drop body fat while already lean.

Stay focused and patient. Dropping that final 1 or 2% of body fat is the most difficult as our bodies are pre-programmed to hold on to some bodyfat (especially women) so it requires a carefully designed plan to get there. Doing something like this is also a learning experience. Keep good notes as to what seemed to work well for you and what did not. In the future if you choose to get very lean again, you will be able to look back and think about minor changes that might be helpful next time. Since you have done so well so far, it would seem like you have found the right mix of nutrition and training that works well for you, but we can always make small improvements. Good luck in meeting your goals!

Thanks so much for your imput.

I hope I am not bugging with those last questions, I promiss that these might be my last request for now and I will begin to read more for those 2 final weeks diet, sodium, carbs and blah.blah.blah. I am not there yet, but I will keep the water till the day before and cut it 1/2 as suggested for the photo. During this time, I will educate my self by reading in regard with the sodium and carbs things.

For the Efa parts, I am mainly having UDO's oil, eating probably way too much salmon, probably 7 serving and more a week, no kidding, but I guess that I may pay attention to the mercury level. Hum... I haven't done that yet, I'm having as well 1 to 2 serving of almond everyday.
Taking: L. glutamine, Good Multivitamin, Esther C and chornium picolinate for now.
Do you think that in top of this, I should really take EFA supplements.

I will call BI in regard with those supplements that is for sure.

What are your thought about dairy products. Should I cut them. I think that almost all BB say yes because it make your skin thick and I guess probably because of the sugars as well.

I guess I should take supplement Calcium even I am taking a lot of them from the whole food?

Fruits: Cutting them for the last 2 weeks?

OKAY Enough questions I guess. But if you just can clarify those points for me, that would be so awesome and than after I think it is gonna be: IT IS UP TO ME IF IT IS TO BE.

Thank YOu.

I looks like you are getting sufficient EFA's from your current diet.

Yes most people cut out dairy products the last two weeks for the reasons you noted.

I'm not so sure that I would worry about carb depletion or carb loading for your purposes. In many cases carb depletion and loading don't work well anyway - you are better off just getting as lean as possible, keeping enough water in to stay well hydrated and controling excess sodium (but keeping a little in is ok)the final two days.

Gutamine Plus is glutamine with free form BCCA's added. It is the free form BCAA's that help keep you from being too catabolic on a restricted diet, the glutamine helps with absorbtion and with injury prevention and recovery.

It seems like you have a good nutritionist giving you advice. If that person has helped you get this far I would continue to work with them and run any new ideas past them. Getting other opionions is ok, but if someone already knows your history it is helpful. Good luck.

Nico,
I was wondering what your carbs were at right now and was that number pretty standard?? Let's say you are 75-100 consistently, now the week before the the pics i would definitely consider carb manipulation as it is the easiest way to drop the excess water out of the body as each g of carbohydrate holds 2.7 g of water!! so lets say one weel out from the show sat and sun do about 75 g of carbs and then we will go up to 150 g for mon, 125 g for tues and wed, 100 g for thurs, and then back down to 75 for fri and then on sat when doing the pics using small carb up meals every couple of hours before the pics are taken, like 6 am a small 4 oz filet mignon w/ 1/2 c white rice, 2 hours later maybe 1/2 protein bar, then 2 hours later 3 oz steak w/ 1/2 c of sweet pot, and maybe 30 min before the final pics maybe eat a rice cake with a tbl of PB and Jelly!! I think this will work out great!! Run it by your trainer/nutritionist and see what he/she thinks!! Hope this helps out!!
Also don't forget to keep your water high 1 gallon to 1 1/2 gal per day leading into the pics along with keep your sodium levels about at 2000 mg throughout the week and then dropping them to about 1500 on Friday!!

Hi Craig and Mike,

I do really appreciate your imput. In regard with the Nutritionist, Oh well I don't have any nutritionist at all and did never consult any of them. I have learn all these by reading and reading and reading alot. When a passion become a desease,it is not always easy getting my mind out from thinking about something else than nutrition. I think that Lyle McDonald E-books has help me a lot to understand a lot of things.

My carbs are usually around 75g to 100gr a day. But there are some days I probably go a little more hardcore (lower). From now I learn that my body could stand a good 2 days with low carbs and sometimes a 3rd day while I am getting my fuel from my EFA. But after those 2 days and sometimes 3rd days, I need to refeed like a dummy, eating alot of fruits to satisfied my need of carbs and the day after my refeed, I am able to turn back into a 2 or 3 days low carbs.

I think that the idea of your carbs for my last week is a good one, cause it will be finally a kind of tapering weeks with my carbs. Starting at a higher level of carbs and dropping them till my photo shoot.

I like you boys, even if you are profesionnal bodybuilders you are taking time with newbie people to help them. Things that we do rarely see into forum boards. Profesionnal being ready to help newbie people.

What a nice quality forum supported by quality people.

Criag can rightfully claim the title of "professional", as can Aram, Sully and several other women and men who are members of this site. I'm still barking up that tree - perhaps some day.

You have more knowledge about this sport that most people who have been seriously into it for many years - congratulations on your desire to learn and on your ability to put that information into practical use. It's that hidden passion isn't it!

Nico,

Just wanted to say that you look wonderful! 43 or not! Your transformation is amazing and all of your hard work has defintately shown through! Congratulations on your lifestyle change

Tricia

quote:

Originally posted by VA MadDog:
It's that hidden passion isn't it!

or cellule brain dammage

Hi Tee and thank your for your nice comment and support.

Hi Nico!

You look great!