Sample Low Carb Pre-Contest Diet Plan…
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This is the exact pre-contest diet plan that both my wife Trish and I followed when we were in training for the 2010 Atlantic Canadian Bodybuilding & Figure Championships. We both got in our all time most ripped contest shape by following this diet as outlined here.
This was different then how we normally dieted in the past and it’s a little different then what I cover in my book The main difference is that we cut out virtually all of the starchy carbs and replaced them with more vegetables and more healthy fats. In the past we would typically eat starchy carbs such as oatmeal, yams, brown rice, etc. throughout the day. During a “Normal Bodybuilding Diet” each meal would consist of a serving of protein, serving of starchy carbs, and a serving of veggies. |
However, with the Low Carb Diet we ate lean protein, green veggies, and healthy fats with each meal. Now I realize that the idea of avoiding starchy carbohydrates may seem a bit extreme, especially if you are new to “hardcore dieting”. But it’s not as bad as it seems once you get used to it. In fact, I actually find this diet plan easier to stick with then the moderate carbohydrate approach that I used to use in the past.
I’ve found that it helped me to get leaner faster and will less hunger pangs. I also found that my energy levels were more stable, I didn’t get the “ups and downs” in my energy levels as I would in the past with higher carb fat loss diets.
By keeping your carb intake low, but still getting lots of high quality nutrition through lean protein, essential fatty acids, and generous servings of green vegetables. You fill your body up with the fuel it needs to stay strong and healthy, while at the same time training it to burn fat as its main energy source, rather then carbohydrates.
Lee’s Low Carb Fat Loss Diet Plan:
Meal 1:
– 1 cup of egg whites
– 2 whole eggs
– 1.5 cups of vegetables
– 18 almonds
– 1/2 grapefruit
Meal 2:
– 2 scoops of protein
– 2 tablespoon of peanut butter
– 1.5 cups of vegetables
Meal 3:
– can of tuna
– mixed with salad & dressing
Meal 4:
– 7 oz. of chicken
– 1.5 cups of vegetables
– 18 almonds
Meal 5:
– 7 oz. of beef
– 1.5 cups of vegetables
Meal 6:
– 2 scoops of protein
– 1.5 cups of vegetables
– 1/2 grapefruit
– 18 almonds
**Carb Up Meal**
Every 3rd night carb load with this in place of the 6th meal.
– Bowl of oatmeal with blueberries
– Large yam or sweet potato with butter
– 2 tablespoonfuls of peanut butter
Trish’s Low Carb Fat Loss Diet Plan:
Meal 1:
– 1 cup of egg whites
– 1 whole eggs
– 1 cups of vegetables
– 10 almonds
– 1/2 grapefruit
Meal 2:
– 1 scoop of protein
– 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
– 1 cups of vegetables
Meal 3:
– can of tuna
– mixed with salad & dressing
Meal 4:
– 5 oz. of chicken
– 1 cups of vegetables
– 10 almonds
Meal 5:
– 5 oz. of beef
– 1 cups of vegetables
Meal 6:
– 1 scoops of protein
– 1 cups of vegetables
– 1/2 grapefruit
– 10 almonds
**Carb Up Meal**
Every 3rd night carb load with this in place of the 6th meal.
– Bowl of oatmeal with blueberries
– Large yam or sweet potato with butter
– 2 tablespoonfuls of peanut butter
One thing I’m sure you noticed is the Carb Up Meal at the end. How this works is every 3rd night (or twice per week). For us it was every Tuesday and Saturday night. We would “carb up” with the meal that’s outlined above.
The purpose to this is to re-fill your glycogen stores and to help spike your metabolism. We purposely save this carb up meal for the last meal of the day so the carbs get absorbed and used to re-fill muscle and liver glycogen levels, rather then burned off as energy.
One of the problems with constantly following a low carb / low calorie diet is that your metabolism slows down as your body gets accustomed to the food intake. That’s why a lot of overweight people are not always huge eaters, but they have conditioned their bodies to get fat, and then they hold on to that stored bodyfat through their poor eating habits and slow metabolisms.
This carb up meal also serves as a motivational treat as well. That nice hot bowl of oatmeal with berries, and that baked yam with butter tastes so good when you are used to eating protein and veggies for all your meals. So knowing that every few nights we get to have a little indulgence in some tasty carbs helps make the diet easier to follow.
Sometimes we would sneak in an extra little treat in there as well. For example, on Saturday night we often watch movies so I’d often have a bag of popcorn as well. A little extra carbs like this will not hinder your progress, after all they’ll simply go towards filling out your glycogen levels. And as long as you get right back to the low carb diet plan the very next morning you’ll make awesome progress.
So if you are ready to kick your fat loss training up to the next level and really reap the benefits of having a lean, ripped, muscular body… I highly recommend you give this style of eating a try for yourself!
If you have any questions or comments about Low Carb Dieting,
please post them in the forum and we’ll chat there 🙂