Cutting diet for a girlfriend: Macros and percentages question.

[ReX357]

OK so this girlfriend of mine is going to participate in a contest and is going to do the bikini division. A bodybuilding girl at my gym took her under her wing with what I believe was the wrong intentions for her. She basically gave my girlfriend a diet that was made for her and tried to bulk her up and put all this muscle on her (she was gonna do the figure division at first but changed her mind because she doesn't wanna look like that).

Now my girlfriend put on a little bit more fat that she wanted to. She is not happy with the way she is looking right now, quite depressed about it actually. She is about 6 months out of her show.

My questions are as follow:

Can I put her on a mild cutting diet until I get her down to where she wants to be? I'm just wondering if I cut her calories by 15% instead of 30% if that's gonna waste a lot of her muscle.

My plan was to take her down to roughly 1550 cals a day with macros around 57% Protein / 35% Carbs / 8% fats. I wanted to keep the protein high so she wouldn't lose her hard gained muscle.

Just wondering if we make this cut slow if it's gonna be really bad for her overall shape.

Little bit of stats on her, she is sitting at 128lbs right now and would like to sit at 115lbs until her contest and cut 5lbs of water the day of the show.

Thank you in advance.

[Failure]

I'm sure that her 'trainer' anticipates cutting her down. She has to eat to put on muscle and losing 10-20 lbs in 2-3 months isn't hard. What is her trainers intentions?

[Mr.Rose]

Those macros you have are good. Keep them.

I know a lot about nutrition and i can help you out but first Before i can help you further i would need to know how many calories you estimate your girl to burn a day? exercise included.

Keep her meals to about 6-8 a day, i recommend 8 meals a day, that will put her body in a more nitrogen positive state and a less catabolic. 1550 cals a day is a lil low espesh if she is doing a lot of daily cardio, her body will shut down and avoid burning fat because it may feel like it wont get the chance to store any more, but with 6-8 meals a day, you can keep that low calorie diet and still be loosing fat without loosing much muscle.

Have you given a thought to any clen?

[ReX357]

Yeah situation is a little more complicated than that. Basically this body building chick has her own trainer that's doing her diets and stuff. That body building girl then took my girl friend under her wing. However, my girlfriend showed me what she's making her do, her diet, etc. and there's a lot of flaws in what she's being shown. I pointed out many of those. To me it seems like that bodybuilding chick is basically giving my girlfriend the stuff that her trainer gives her. However, the stuff is made for her, her weight and her bodybuilding goals, not for my girlfriends bikini goals.

To top it all off, there is also outside 'drama' going on between her and the body building chick.

When I sat down with my girlfriend last night, we did her BMR, her TDEE, etc. and I asked her if anybody had done that with her and she said no. She was just given sheets and sent on her way.

So, to come back to my question, if I bring her down to 115lbs where she is comfortable (she has more muscle than she needs for her bikini show, I can already tell), and then bring her caloric intake back up to maintain her calories (Maintenance is 1820 cal a day) until a week out or whatever, does that sound OK or?

And are those macros OK? (57/35/8)

[ReX357]

Those macros you have are good. Keep them.

I know a lot about nutrition and i can help you out but first Before i can help you further i would need to know how many calories you estimate your girl to burn a day? exercise included.

Keep her meals to about 6-8 a day, i recommend 8 meals a day, that will put her body in a more nitrogen positive state and a less catabolic. 1550 cals a day is a lil low espesh if she is doing a lot of daily cardio, her body will shut down and avoid burning fat because it may feel like it wont get the chance to store any more, but with 6-8 meals a day, you can keep that low calorie diet and still be loosing fat without loosing much muscle.

Have you given a thought to any clen?

Thank you very much for your reply. Refer to my post above for the numbers you need. And I would like to keep her drug free if possible. I don't think it is necessary at this stage seeing how far away from the show we are. I would have her on 6 meals a day. I will post the diet later (it's on paper at her house).

[Mr.Rose]

Yes last thing you want is a non personalized plan, one tailored to the individual does wonders for whatever goals they want to achieve.

With 6 months out you have plenty of time to play around and tweak the diet to get everything in check.

Send her to a hospital or sports clinic to get her actual levels checked if you want to be 100% sure, otherwise winging it has worked with me in the past. A true BF level would be great and a basal metabolic rate.

if 1820 is her maintenance then 1550 would be a good depletion rate. Remember as her body changes composition from fat and muscle her basal metabolic rate will change and hence her calorie intake must change too, more muscle = higher calorie intake. As her BF% starts to decline you can every so slightly raise her calories back to maintenance (which will be a new maintenance, taking into account her new daily activity).

Yes posting a diet would be good to analyse.

Those numbers on the macros are great. I like to keep protien at 50-60%.
Keep those carbs complex, and i don't mean false complex (my term for processed carbs) like white rice and white bread. Keep her on brown rice and whole grain bread. Keep those high density lipid intake high and add a bit of saturated fat, her body still needs those for hormone production. Keep fiber high too. Also add some casein protein, slow release protein has shown in numerous studies to be highly anti-catabolic and helps with increased liposis/fat loss.

Yes 6 meals a day is good, DONT skip breakfast and make sure she sticks to the diet, cheating behind your back wont help her.... trust me i know women and thier attraction to sweats and alcohol, haha.

But she is lucky to have someone like you to watch out for her.

If she wants to kick ass, get her midsection in check, get her working on abs, nothing beats a bikini show like a 6pack, and i dont mean like a bodybuilder 6pack, i mean a toned midsection. judges love that shit.

[ReX357]

Yes last thing you want is a non personalized plan, one tailored to the individual does wonders for whatever goals they want to achieve.

With 6 months out you have plenty of time to play around and tweak the diet to get everything in check.

Send her to a hospital or sports clinic to get her actual levels checked if you want to be 100% sure, otherwise winging it has worked with me in the past. A true BF level would be great and a basal metabolic rate.

if 1820 is her maintenance then 1550 would be a good depletion rate. Remember as her body changes composition from fat and muscle her basal metabolic rate will change and hence her calorie intake must change too, more muscle = higher calorie intake. As her BF% starts to decline you can every so slightly raise her calories back to maintenance (which will be a new maintenance, taking into account her new daily activity).

Yes posting a diet would be good to analyse.

Those numbers on the macros are great. I like to keep protien at 50-60%.
Keep those carbs complex, and i don't mean false complex (my term for processed carbs) like white rice and white bread. Keep her on brown rice and whole grain bread. Keep those high density lipid intake high and add a bit of saturated fat, her body still needs those for hormone production. Keep fiber high too. Also add some casein protein, slow release protein has shown in numerous studies to be highly anti-catabolic and helps with increased liposis/fat loss.

Yes 6 meals a day is good, DONT skip breakfast and make sure she sticks to the diet, cheating behind your back wont help her.... trust me i know women and thier attraction to sweats and alcohol, haha.

But she is lucky to have someone like you to watch out for her.

If she wants to kick ass, get her midsection in check, get her working on abs, nothing beats a bikini show like a 6pack, and i dont mean like a bodybuilder 6pack, i mean a toned midsection. judges love that shit.

You're deadly man. I'm actually a MMA fighter/boxer and I'm gonna switch her workouts from bodybuilding to strenght conditionning when she's about 2 months out of her show. That's gonna give her a perfect mid section.

As far as the casein protein, she already likes cottage cheese, so that's what she'll be having every night before bed. Complex carbs are brown rice and sweet potatoes. I'll try to get her to do some blood work.

[Mr.Rose]

haha, thankyou.

Really, that interesting, im a MMA figher too, im in thailand now training Muay thai before i go home, got to get my stand up in check. I just had a one on one seminar with roger huetra here in thailand the other week. Man can he graple, christ he goes from hold to hold to hold, i couldn't escape, i taped like 1000 times.

Like i said, she's lucky to have a BF like you, she better be paying you back in special ways, haha. But hey i guess a sweet body will make you happy.

Yes cottage cheese is great, but something with a higher casein content per calories would be advisable such as a shake, that way she can get her 15-30+grams of protein before she hits the hay with minimal calories because of the high protein density of shakes (80% i think for casein). But that being said, casein is casein so shake or cottage cheese, its the same. Casein during the day is also great for a slow release of amino acids to the cells, and increase lyposis.

your on the ball, . carbs looks good. Remember to mix it up, heck i get bored in 1 week of the same food day in and day out, but remember to keep it clean. Keep cardio HIIT, that keeps muscle burning to a min and fat burning to a max. Watch her cortisol levels too, dont make her work out more than an hour or two in a row. Blood levels would be good, but i dont really have any expertise in blood analysis, so i can only provide a lil help on that.

Also keep her vitamins and minerals high, a daily multi will be good enough. Get her on about 2g of Vitamin C a day (this is easy with those flavored chews), about 1000mg of calcium (with vit d) and keep B vitamins high, this will increase her metabolic rate slightly. Also don't forget the *****'s, 3 6 and 9. Some cod liver tabs or flaxseed, or fishoil (only good for ***** 3).

But post a diet up when you have spare time and ill analyze it for you.

[FireGuy]

Abs are frowned upon in the Bikini Division.

[FireGuy]

I think you guys are putting way too much effort into this. The Bikini Division is set to reward a very soft but shapely look. If you look up any shows you will see the girls who place are usually about 20% bodyfat and look like they have never touched a weight in their entire life.

[ReX357]

Yeah I'm not a fan of a six pack on a girl. However I do like to see the 3 vertical lines, that just turns me on.

She wants to be 'tone' and she has a bit of muscle on her now from starting out shooting for the figure division. But then she seen figure competitors and got scared. That's not what she wants to look like. I guess she would really like a happy medium between the figure and the bikini but alas no such thing. So yeah, a really tone bikini competitor is what she wants to be.

[FireGuy]

Yeah I'm not a fan of a six pack on a girl. However I do like to see the 3 vertical lines, that just turns me on.

She wants to be 'tone' and she has a bit of muscle on her now from starting out shooting for the figure division. But then she seen figure competitors and got scared. That's not what she wants to look like. I guess she would really like a happy medium between the figure and the bikini but alas no such thing. So yeah, a really tone bikini competitor is what she wants to be.

Has she been to a show and seen Figure competitors? They are not over muscled by any means. If she really wants to challenge herself that would be much better than the Bikini Division.

[FireGuy]

Here is the gal that won the Overall at Nationals last month and got an IFBB Pro Card in the Bikini Division. Does it look like she has dieted or set foot in a gym in the last 6 months? I can find a dozen chicks with a body like this in any decent club on Saturday night.

[ReX357]

Here is the gal that won the Overall at Nationals last month and got an IFBB Pro Card in the Bikini Division. Does it look like she has dieted or set foot in a gym in the last 6 months? I can find a dozen chicks with a body like this in any decent club on Saturday night.

I want to bang her.

[FireGuy]

I want to bang her.

Banging her aside, if your GF has any true physique aspirations and wants to diet and train, try and steer her towards Figure and not Bikini.

[stevey_6t9]

Banging her aside, if your GF has any true physique aspirations and wants to diet and train, try and steer her towards Figure and not Bikini.

nah dose her up with test and send her to the ms olympia stage

[ReX357]

Banging her aside, if your GF has any true physique aspirations and wants to diet and train, try and steer her towards Figure and not Bikini.

I understand where you're coming from. However it's her decision not anybody else's. I can only help her try to reach her goal.

[Mr.Rose]

actually thinking about it now, i tend to agree with FireGuy1, the curvy girls always win. Also by abs i dont mean a sixpack i mean a toned midsection and by that i mean the two to three vertical lines, that shit is hot.

I think she is going to have to pick, bikini or figure? or try enter bikini with a figure body.

[ReX357]

Hey Mr.Rose

That chick in your avatar, is she figure or bikini? Cause I'm pretty sure that's the look she's going for.

[Mr.Rose]

She is figure,

have a flick through this, its short, basic and to the point.

http://www.nlpbodybuilding.com/female-abs.html