The other day I found my old journal from back when I was
losing weight to do my very first bodybuilding contest.
After reading though the first couple pages I was instantly struck by how DIFFICULT I made losing weight.
I was constantly tired, constantly counting calories, measuring protein, drinking shakes and dong cardio and interval training all in the name of weight loss.
Over the course of 5 months I decreased my weight from 187 pounds at 17% body fat to around 170 and 9% body fat (measured using a BodPod).
I lost an average of one pound per week ranging from 1.6 pounds to as little as 0.7 of a pound.
I was in the gym 4 days a week, doing weight training followed
by interval training and extra cardio on most days.
In short, this was (and still is) the most ridiculous way to lose weight.
It a much to complicated approach to weight loss. I skipped family functions so I wouldn't overeat. I skipped time spend with friends to go and do extra cardio. It was pointless. It was pointless self-punishment and self-denial all in the name of weight loss.
What is worse, four months after the show I was right back up to weighing close to 190 pounds!
Here's the sad part for me, but good for you part:
When I starting writing Eat Stop Eat (about a year after the contest) I weighed 192 pounds at around 20% body fat. Less than 5 months later, I weighed about 172-173 pounds at 11% Body fat.
Here's the amazing part - I've maintained at this level for OVER THREE years simply by following Eat Stop Eat and lifting weights.
No spending an extra hour a day doing cardio.
No eating the same boring foods over and over again. No high protein diets, and no cycling carbohydrates. Heck, I don't even do interval training anymore.
Bottom line, often times we make weight loss out to be much harder than it needs to be. Eat less to lose weight, Workout to build and maintain your muscle.
During my diet down for my contest I did not lose any lean muscle, after a recent test in a BodPod I'm happy to say I'm still carrying the same amount of muscle!
This shows that its the workout, not he diet, the helps you maintain your muscle mass.
So here's my advice for bodybuilding weight loss - Eat less,
forget all the silly rules and tricks that people tell you. Workout hard and keep your strength up and you will lose fat without losing any muscle mass.
