I would call the first 3 weeks of competition dieting a relative success compared to prior years. From a compliance standpoint, despite having a total of 3 cheat meals in the first phase, one of which occurred 9 days into hitting all my macronutrient targets on a consistent basis, I have to say that I am proud to still have made progress (an average of 2 lbs. of fat loss per week in the first phase) and I moved forward from every one of my cheat meals with greater focus and intensity.
Although I had the 3 cheat meals in which I did not eat foods specified in my diet, I made a conscious effort not to dwell and actually enjoy the experience. I find that when we cheat on our diets, we punish ourselves too much when we temporarily fall off the wagon. The data shows that I still made progress, as I lost 6 lbs. of body fat, even though I was only compliant for 85%-90% of the first phase of my diet.
A common misconception is the idea that since we fell off the wagon for that one meal, we negated all the progress we made, so we may as well give up on the diet altogether and let loose for the rest of the week. However, when it comes to dieting, resilience is extremely important, and we cannot beat ourselves up too much from the experience.
Many times, the human body does not work the way we think it does. We did not all of a sudden negate ALL of our progress because of a cheat meat. In fact, the hunger that your body feels is a telling sign of adjustments that we need to make to obtain any nutrients that may be missing from our current diet. In my case, my body was craving meat, a different carbohydrate and fat source, and salt—so I caved 9 days into dieting and treated myself to steak fajitas, rice, beans, corn tortillas, and sour cream.
We must learn that it is not the cheat meal, or 3, which will hinder our progress—it is the act of letting go, losing trust in the process, and getting rid of the new lifestyle habit altogether that will negate your progress.
The ability not to beat yourself up when you temporarily fall off on the diet comes with experience, and I understand how tough it can be to get over that mental hurdle when beginning a new lifestyle. I encourage you to utilize the feedback your body gives regarding what you are craving during the cheat meal as a sign to tweak your diet and the types of foods you are choosing moving forward.
For instance, the first 3 weeks of dieting showed me that I need more meat in my diet, so I will be reducing my protein powder intake by 40% and incorporating and replacing the equivalent serving of protein powder with chicken breast. This adjustment alone will provide more volume in my diet, making me feel fuller without any extra caloric load. These “food volume” type of adjustments will be critical the closer I get to competition day.
Although perfection is what I strive for, I am happy with the progress I have made in the first 3 weeks. With that said, it is time to ratchet the diet up a notch, modifying my macronutrient breakdown guidelines and caloric requirements I have set for myself.
As always, the goal for this next phase is to stay compliant to the new macronutrient ratios. However, I am well-aware, and accepting, of the power that hunger can bring in this next phase.
82 Days Out From Competition Day
Personal Statistics
- Height – 5’9”
- Weight – 175.2 lbs.
Macronutrient Breakdown for the First Phase Beginning 01.23.2017
- Protein – 235-240 grams/day
- Carbohydrates – 173 grams/day
- Fat – 83-85 grams/day
- Total Calories – Approximately 2,400 calories
Macronutrient Breakdown for the Second Phase Beginning 02.13.2017
- Protein – 216-220 grams/day
- Carbohydrates – 153-155 grams/day
- Fat – 53-55 grams/day
- Total Calories – Approximately 2,000 calories
The dietary staples for the next phase consist of the following:
Food
- Steel Cut Quick Oats
- White Potatoes
- Spinach (This is a “free” food – I do not include the macronutrients from “greens” in my daily allotment)
- Jumbo Eggs
- Liquid Egg Whites
- Chicken Breast – Boneless, Skinless
- Whey Protein Isolate Powder
- Natural Peanut Butter
Spices
- Iodized Sea Salt
- Black Ground Pepper
- Cinnamon
Condiments
- Stevia Sweetener
- Louisiana Hot Sauce
Supplements
- Coffee/Tea
- Creatine
- Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
- Glutamine