anyone want to design a specific diet plan for me? I cant afford the contest guide. I want to do april 5th. 13 weeks from now. Im 5'3" 140 probably 20 lbs to lose. I lift 3 days rotating upper and lower. cardio 3 days in between 50-60-min. My last contest pics are on muscular developement.com under danielle szabo. that was my first one. all guess work. I would love to know exactly how many calories to begin with, when to eliminate starchy carbs. and if I should do 2 weekly carb ups. last time i started at 1800 cal down to 1400 adding cardio gradually up to 2 hrs a day final week. I prepped in 10 weeks losing about 20 lbs fat. I need to lean out more and I dont know how. Mainly i need an exact outline of foods and portions and calorie amts for me. If this is an unrealistic goal I could wait till may. But I'm anxious to start now and its further away. maybe I'll do both. all advice welcome. I do get the journals and I cant figure whats best for me. so imagine me softer than my pics by 15 lbs or so.

I think you would get more help if you first set forth a diet that you designed, then maybe we can comment on that and make suggestions. Ultimately, without ever working with you are knowing nothing about your history, how you look now, etc. this is impossible from this post.

You might also want to take pics of how you look now and post to photobucket or something.

Take care

Are you going to compete in Grand Rapids.

I dont know how to put pics up. If you go to muscular developement.com type in contest pics, and put in danielle szabo it'll show you me in my first contest. I was 124,14% body fat. now I'm 140 18-20% bodyfat. Been eating 40/40 /20 plus icecream ,wine, pizza on weekends ha ha. So can you give me an outline for 12 weeks ? what would you recommend diet wise? Ive been working out about 12 years just never done contests. So I dont know what to do do for the diet.I guess I eat around 2000-2400 now to maintain.I have an active job.Where do you start with someone new???

post your current diet

Diet is going to be your main goal. You're already used to working out and the gym is not a stranger.

If you plan on doing body building, 13 weeks is going to be a challenge and you're not going to be at your best starting from 18-20%. Figure? Now that is a totally different game.

If you're not used to dieting and know measures, that should be priorty #1. Use a digital scale and real measuring cups/spoons.

Start using a spread sheet or log on to www.fitday.com to get an idea of your daily progress.

Start doing cardio for 30 mins, if yuu haven't started already. Do it at a separate time from your workout, (4X per week).

I'll try to get something for your diet to get started, post and let the guys verify.

Be strict as of today. No more fun foods.

thankyou for the quick reply. I now have 12 weeks. Im currently eating 2200-2500. 40/40/20. weekend cheats. thats done. I understand macros and measuring foods. I'm doing figure. need a good starting point.

I have found dropping the carbs slowly to be the most effective. 40/40/20, rather than change the carb ratio to fat (40/30/30) the first shift would be to move to higher protein (50p/30c/20f). That won't come for two weeks.

As I said, maybe by Wed? Hopefully, work will let me.

look forward to it. current workout is mon chest,flat,inc,dec-85-90 6reps for 3rd set. flyes 30. back rows 100-6,pull downs 90-6, ext 150-6, wide bar press downs 60-6. tues run1/2 hr. bike 1/2 hr. abs. wed legs all legs 10-12 rebs. they get huge with 6. thurs same for cardio. fri arms shoulders. curls 45-6,fr curls 25-6, ext curls 15-8, press downs 90-6, close grip bench 90-6, dips body weight till tired, over head 60-6. shoulders 40-dumbell -6, lat raises 15-8, front bar 40-6, rear 25-6. sat cardio same. on lifting days I do a 10 min w/up. 10 min cool down.(by habit.) this has been close to the same for ever. Just now adding legs again to sat. Some people told me I needed to. I've at times done 1 part ea. day, upper,lower, or a full body circuit.my least favorite. This seems to work best for me. I probably do too much cardio so I dont know where to start with adding it. Until you post a plan since I have a little under 12 weeks now should I keep carbs in first and second meals for now. what about 3rd? the show is april 6. natural northern.

Hi Danielle! I think you would do much better on the 50/30/20 diet plan. Protein intake is always key wether or NOT you are doing a bodybuilding show or a figure show. The diet won't necessarily be so different...

You have stated your caloric intake, but you still haven't posted your daily diet for us to examine? (what do you eat EVERY day? Is it different every day? Do you have a set plan?....)

Here's what I came up with and this is for two weeks trying to make the 50/30/20 as I spoke of earlier in the topic. I would think of switching to MP after this and going 50/20/30 with carb up 2X.

Meal #1
6 egg whites
3 oz. extra lean beef (96%)
1/2 cup oatmeal before cooking
1/2 grapefruit

Meal #2
Protein Drink: 2 scoops US 6 frozen strawberries or peach
slices, use at least 12 oz water.
1 small apple

Meal #3
8 oz. chicken (beforecooking)
4 oz. sweet potato
OR
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup vegetables (broccoli, etc.) or salad with 1 TBS. Low Cal Dressing

Meal #4
(Same as meal #2)

Meal #5
5 oz. 94% lean beef, chicken, turkey,
1 cup of veggies, fresh or frozen or (8 oz)

Meal #6 (this meal will be dropped in 2 weeks)
4 oz Sweet N Spicy Tuna Fish
2 Celery Sticks

Or

One more shake with 3 strawberries

Or

4 egg whites
1/2 grapefruit

The beef or meats need to be lean, lean, LEAN.

If someone would like to do their number crunching, that would be great because I haven't updated anything.

I come up with 1804 cals.

As for the workout, it seems to be more of a power/building type. Do the same workout but change it to about 60% of your 1RM and try doing 12 reps, perhaps 3 sets with 90 sec rest between sets. You'll probably end up doing 12, 10, 8 which may be ok.

It's a totally different type of workout. Your muscles may not be able to handle 3 sets of 12, that's why I refer to the pyramid down.

Let's see what happens!!

thanks frank for takinfg the time to do this for me. Ill try the three sets of 12. I should've mentioned I was doing 12,10,8,6. also thankyou for the diet. Is that only fat in my meats? no added? Also what is MP? I'll keep ya posted.

Yes, the only fats will be whatever is in the food, none added. You were on a higher carb diet, so I'm trying to do a quick wean off period. I moved calories to higher protein, lower fat.

Oh, I thought you were only doing 6 reps. Well, by all means, continue, just decrease the rest periods between sets and see how that works for you. I'm not sure what you were doing, but if it wasn't timed, try 90, then move down to 60, keeping a high amount of weight.