Scooby’s Men’s Physique Contest Prep – week 1 (see week zero)
So, the easy weight loss is done. I dropped 5 pounds in the first week of 20% caloric deficit and going from a high carb to a controlled carb diet (see why weight loss stalls after first week). Now the hard work begins where the nutrition is clean, tightly monitored, and at a 20% caloric restriction and the fat comes off imperceptibly slowly. My calorie calculator says 1 pound a week, thats fine, I have planned accordingly so I dont need to rush the fat loss and trash muscle in the process.
So, biggest challenges? I am great at eating clean with proper portions when I am at home, the problem is restaurants and social occasions. My husband and I have one dinner and one brunch we have been invited to in the next two weeks as well as a weekly restaurant dinner we have with really good friends. The dinner we are invited to should be workable because its with some very fitness minded friends. The brunch will be devastatingly difficult because its with non-fitness people who will be making all kinds of good things that I cannot eat. I am afraid that the only way I can deal with this brunch is a little white lie – feign stomach problems and eat nothing. The problem with restaurants is that not only are the portion sizes way too large but often macro unfriendly as well. At least I have more options at restaurants, I can always pre-eat and then order a salad with no dressing to socially eat. Even that is a nutritional landmine field for me that I dont think I can navigate.
Take a look at my chart after the first week and a few comments are in order. First, things bounce around alot – this is why we measure every day and then take a bet fit plot to see what is really going on. Even my waist measurement bounces around that that is really easy to measure. I have really wide hips so its even more important for me to decrease my waist measurement than it is for others because its my only hope of having a non-embarassing V-taper when compared to the phenomenal genetics of a lot of the men’s physique competitors like these guys.
Second, notice that my LBM has “decreased” in the first week – not so worried, it really hasnt. I lost 5 pounds in the first week when the caloric deficit says I should have lost 1 pound, its the drastic change in carb intake that has caused my body to shed water – 4 pounds worth. Now that my body has reached a new equilibrium with 30% carbs, I expect the LBM to remain constant as my cut is so gradual that I wont be losing any muscle.
