precontest diet

Hello~ I have been involved with fitness competitions before, recently had a baby, and would like to compete again. Although, this time I would like to do a vegan precontest diet and I am breastfeeding....can anyone give me some info on a vegan precontest diet? Thanks so much! Heather

Hi Heather, welcome to our board!

Regarding precontest diet:

- I wouldn't recommend doing that right now as lon as you're breast feeding. Wait this one year or so

- Precontest diet is quite individual. Can you give me an idea of what you did the last times you were preparing for a competition? And what's your normal diet like?

- In general, high protein and caloric deficit. Multiple meals, small meals, water, green tea, carb cut-off, raw food.

- What will your workout be like during the diet? What's your workout like now?

- How much weight do you think you've got to lose? How old are you? How many competitions (and contest diets) have you done before?

It's great to hear that you're planning to go onstage! Vegan Power!

....can anyone give me some info on a vegan precontest diet? Thanks so much! Heather

This is a great question as it is something I have started to think about as I start my pre contest phase in Jan.. I have been training for 18 years and began competing in Figure 5 years ago. I did it using the Standard BB diet, high high protein, low carb, lower fat. I have done well competing 3 Ist places in three Natural orgs.. then I started having issues with my digestion, weight gain eating little in the off season...and so one (long story here) I decided to take a year off get my digestive health and Met. back.

So I went back to Vegan diet (of my youth that i abandoned when I began weight training as I was convinced I need more protein in form of meat...wrong !) and the in Sept went Raw Vegan. So I am feeling Great, better than ever so I decided to compete in May staying Raw Vegan...but I am very concerned about dieting, losing bodyfat to hit the stage. I am 128 and stage weight is usually around 117.

I am being told I will need to compromise to do it. I will not get enough Protein on the Raw Vegan to cut down. Too many carbs...and so on.

In past I ate 150-180 protein, 50-75 carbs 15-25 fat pre contest. On Raw Vegan this type diet is not possible. So what to do ? I am in a qaundry.

I am eating mostly green drinks, veggies, nuts, seeds, hemp protein, greens like spirulinna, dulse and the like. Calorie wise I am only eating 1200 cals now. I usually cut down at the 900 level.....yes I know low but my Met is slow !!

Any ideas on this...competing and cut down diet !

Thank you for the replies....

As far as my past experience in fitness....I competed in 5 shows and ended up placing top ten at nationals...I followed a fairly traditional bodybuilding diet...high proteins (chicken, tuna, eggs), one serving of carbs each meal (brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats, veggies), and very low fat....I ate 6-8 times a day....I weighed 140 to start and got down to 127 at 9% bodyfat in 12 weeks. My main question is what to use for my protein sources and is it possible to get enough without using many supplements? Thanks in advance!

Thank you for the replies....

As far as my past experience in fitness....I competed in 5 shows and ended up placing top ten at nationals...I followed a fairly traditional bodybuilding diet...high proteins (chicken, tuna, eggs), one serving of carbs each meal (brown rice, sweet potatoes, oats, veggies), and very low fat....I ate 6-8 times a day....I weighed 140 to start and got down to 127 at 9% bodyfat in 12 weeks. My main question is what to use for my protein sources and is it possible to get enough without using many supplements? Thanks in advance!

Congrats on your placing at Nationals. That is great. It sound like we used similar plans for our shows except I ate less carbs.

I am using Vegan and Hemp Protein and I am taking massive amounts of greens to get in the Protein, spirulina and things like that. I have the same concern, cutting up on a raw vegan diet....I don't do Tofu and soy, whey so I wonder how I will diet down !

I am sure someone out there has done it !!

I'm sorry i have no input on raw food dieting. To me, raw food IS diet

I lose weight as long as i eat raw (both fat and muscle), no matter how much i eat.

My main question is what to use for my protein sources and is it possible to get enough without using many supplements?

Heather, i used the same traditional diet in my first competitions.

My approach to a contest diet the vegan way is quite different:

- I eat far less protein. I think for natural athletes the amount protein is not that high as usually believed. My protein sources are mainly soy products (tofu, soy milk, TVP, "meat" and "sausages"), wheat protein products and nuts. Plus the protein that is in whole grains and legumes. Altogether i get between 6 and 10 gram of protein per 10lbs of bodyweight. I didn't use supplements, but only because they're exepnsive. I think a protein powder would be very convenient sometimes.

- I create the caloric deficit by working out more, rather than eating less. I give the muscle a growth stimulus every other day following HST principles.

The rest as usual:

- I eat carbs in the morning and after workout, no carbs in the evening.

- Carb cutoff means in the evening it's only salad, nuts or soy.

- I don't count fats, but try to keep them moderate.

- small meals, many meals, water and green tea, no refined carbs and sugars, etc.