March 2004
Countdown to competition
Hi Emmanuela,
I am a big-time fan of yours! I started bodybuilding a few
years ago and did my first show (Southerns, in April 2003) and I loved it! I am currently
training for my second competition (Provincials), and I am finding that this time dieting
down is harder than it was before for both my body and mind. I am finding that I am not
losing weight as fast as I should be. I have excellent trainers and I trust them. I am
currently at 134lbs, 5' 1", and I have 12 weeks left to lose 26lbs to come in at
108lbs. I will start a fibrous diet in a two weeks, but I am still freaking out.
Do you lose most of your weight in the fibrous diet stage?
Can I do this? I know that I can but I need to hear some positive, true feedback here....
:) And who better to hear it from than the girl that got me into this in the first place!
Sincerely, one of your biggest fans,
Megan Fiorante
Hi Megan,
Wow, that's really nice, I'm glad I could inspire you
to get into the sport -- that makes me feel great.
Anyway, down to business -- it's true, the more you
diet, the harder it gets -- or seems to get. I know the first weeks into a new diet I
start doubting if I'll be ready, or if I'm dropping enough, etc. This is normal. Trust
your trainers, and don't worry about anything else. Stress increases cortisol levels, and
that increases catabolism, so DON'T STRESS! Just do your cardio, take lots of vitamins,
and drink lots of water.
I'm not sure what the fibrous part of the diet phase
is. I've always dieted a little differently for every show. But, just keep tabs on your
progress as the weeks go by, and if something needs to be changed, you'll know. And keep
asking for advice whenever you need it. I'm here for ya!
Keep a strong mind. Don't second-guess yourself!!
Thanks for writing, good luck, and let me know how
you're doing.
Emmanuela
Post-competition swelling
Hi there,
I just completed my first amateur bodybuilding competition
1.5 weeks ago. I weighed in at 123.5lbs and won my weight class and women's overall. My
question is how to deal with post-competition swelling. I look like I'm six-months
pregnant!
Lyris Cappelle
Hi Lyris,
Congratulations on your win! That's awesome.
The post-show swelling is generally normal -- a good
friend of mine swelled so much she had to wear flip-flops for a while because she couldn't
get her shoes on!
It usually has to do with eating everything you want
after the show and getting all the sodium that you hadn't had in months. You end up
throwing all the metabolites out of balance, and your body's likely just trying to sort
things out right now.
I think the best thing for you to do right now is drink
plenty of water, but just water -- no juice, diet pop, Crystal Light, etc. Just water. We
need to help cleanse the system a bit. Maybe even try the sauna at the gym for 5-10
minutes a day. Some moderate-pace walking would help too. Try to eat clean and healthy. I
know that's likely the last thing you're thinking about right after a show -- but it's in
your best interest, just till you get back to normal, or semi-normal.
But, most importantly, know it's normal. It affects
everyone after a show, some more than others.
Emmanuela
