Annaruthus Member

I'm competing in April as well! I competed once before in NPC Bikini. I'm doing women's open figure.

So in the last week (27 Jan-03 Feb): 123.6--> 122.8 lbs waist: 25" --> 24.75" hips: 35"-->34.5" thighs: 20.5"-->20.25" body fat: I think it is somewhere between 15-15.5% Think that this week I will add in afternoon cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and maybe Thursday as well. During this competition prep, I'm trying to see how…

It isn't really the sodium that sticks with you, it is the water you retained because of the salt. Depending on your bodies reaction, it can take a couple days for the water to flush out of your system.

Means you are "cutting" fat. People do it for different reasons. If you bulk (eat more to build muscle) regularly, having a cut inbetween your bulking phases is good to keep you from looking like you aren't in shape anymore. I cut for fitness competitions. Some people will cut for special events, like weddings or…

I competed in August, and I finished in the middle in my height class. Apparently they don't like their bikini girls muscular in Georgia. So this year I'm competing in both bikini and figure. My team owner says if I compete at the higher level, my bikini look will be perfect, and I will still do well in figure. Thanks,…

definitely true. How low is low if I may ask?

Just tried this for the first time last night. I really enjoyed it, since the serving size is pretty big. You can use it to replace noodles, and sometimes potatoes. My husband thinks it tastes a little bit like potatoes.

That is one of the hardest things for me. Over the last couple years, I have been lifting. I only recently realized that while my biceps have only grown 1/4 inch in the last year or so, they LOOK different. The composition of my upper arm has changed, and actually looks more muscular. Remember that as women we naturally…

One thing I feel I should point out is that you don't just get calories from the foods you choose to eat. You get macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fats. You also get micronutrients: your vitamins and minerals. Not only should you have a diet (if you are looking to lose weight), but you should also be looking to be…

Hi, my name is Ruthie. I'm 23 years old, 5'3", and 123 lbs. I am about 5 pounds into a competition prep cut. My goal weight for my competition is approximately 115 lbs, which should be about 12% body fat for me. This is my second competition, my first was a bikini, but I am competing in figure this time. April 6th is the…

Also, my scale always reads me way higher than my bodyfat actually is. So I stopped using it.

Seems kind of crappy that he doesn't take into account what you are trying to do...... :-(

I don't test my blood sugar or anything, but I'm a 6 meals per day person. To the person who mentioned why anyone would want that much fuel, the trick is that most of my meals are 300 calories. I don't eat large meals at every meal, like a 3 meal per day person. Same amount of fuel, there are just different ways (meaning…

I have never cooked with spaghetti squash before. I'm going to buy one this weekend, and give it a shot!

I'm a bikini/figure competitor, so gaining lean muscle mass and lowering body fat is ALL I'm trying to do! Lol, at least it seems that way sometimes. I'm prepping for another competition now. I'm also a certified PT, so I'm chock full of advice. Have a nice weekend! :-)

I don't know how many people you will find (I'm not one of them; I'm eating all the time), but if it worked for you..... :-)

Sounds super tasty! I wonder what else I could make "cupcakes" out of?

Even when I got down to 13-14% body fat for my last competition, my thighs still touched. I'm one of those people who will always have touching thighs. I had to explain it to my mom this weekend, when she said "not having my thighs touch is one of my goals". Had to tell her, that depending on how her lower body is set up,…

yup, that's pretty much it. It's just that chest pressing with DB's allows you to isolate each side of your chest.

I am a certified personal trainer, so my nutrition expertise relates directly to how it affect weight/fat loss. Your very last statement "10 lbs worth of water weight after I lowered my sodium intake" supports exactly what I said, because I clearly wrote that "if you aren't losing water weight". Eventually, as you…

speaking of lifting heavy. I had an NSV on Monday morning. On an incline bench, I did my chest press with 35 lbs dumbbells for 6 reps!

If you use a smith machine, you won't have to worry about your arms lifting anything. Not to say you shouldn't build your upper body strength, but using a smith machine will allow you to go heavier on your legs.

You may enjoy Jamie Eason's Live Fit program on bodybuilding.com

This is not exactly true. Depending on the body type, and diet, it is possible to lose weight without doing cardio. Your diet would have to be squeaky clean though!

two tablespoons of all natural salsa. I use Frog Ranch salsa because the ingredient list is small, and the sodium is low, but the flavor is HIGH! I also enjoy 1/2 oz of walnuts with cinnamon on mine, but that may be a bit out of your calorie range since walnuts (like other nuts) are calorically dense due the the healthy…

I love sushi too, and desserts! Haven't had either in quite some time. Since Christmas. Still not having dessert, but maybe a sushi trip is in order for my next cheat meal.....

Losing more than .5-1 lbs per week risks also losing muscle in addition to fat. This obviously depends on how much you want/need to lose. This pace is also easier for people to safely maintain, and still be healthy. I don't have the time to spend 60 minutes on cardio alone, so I'll stick with the slow method :-)

You have 19.8% body fat. You have 24.6 Pounds of fat and 99.4 Pounds of lean (muscle, bone, body water). Checked on Sunday with calipers, and I have approximately 15.5-16% body fat, not 19.8%. Ah well, such is the issue with using online measuring tools. Next to a water displacement test, calipers are a better tool to use.…

Never weight yourself after a cheat meal! The sodium (even in the "healthy options" causes the majority of people to retain water, which can bloat you (which makes it seem like you aren't losing inches), and increase your weight. I weigh myself saturday morning, before my cheat meal.

So weight stayed the same but BF went down by .5%, so now I'm at 15.5%. That's 1% in the last two weeks! Hoping to keep up the progress. January 7th: 126 lbs 16.5% January 12th: 124.4lbs 16% January 20th: 124.6 lbs15.5%