Nutrition Strength

What Do You Eat During Prep? {Bikini Comp Q+A)

Do you know what the most common question I hear when training for bikini competitions is?

EatingPrep

Yep – it’s all about the food! I get so many questions about what I eat that I was surprised to only see this question come up once. Maybe I talked about my diet enough the last few years many of you already knew the answer? Or there were simply so many more topics that you were curious about?

In today’s video, I’m talking more about what I eat during prep and how that changes as I get closer to stepping on stage. I filmed this one while traveling this week and then spent several hours getting it trimmed and uploaded. I obviously have much to learn about editing videos on the road. 

Highlights from the video:

  • I follow a nutrition plan that is based on macros (carbs, protein, and fat). This year I have a daily target that I work to hit, as opposed to specific meal guidelines I’ve had in the past.
  • My meals change constantly and I’ve done very little meal planning this year (so far). This year I’m heavily using myFitnessPal to track my meals and say on track.
  • I typically choose meals built around a primary protein source, especially as I’ve been eating more meals from restaurants (I travel more often for work this time). I look for lean meats, fish (affiliate), tofu, seitan…very little chicken.
  • I try to drink over a gallon of water each day.
  • Currently I have a cheat meal every 5 days, which almost always includes an amazing glass of wine.
  • My diet really only changes drastically the final week (peak week). Last year I wrote a post talking about what I eat peak week. And no – I don’t cut out water. 🙂

[Tweet “What do you eat when prepping for a #bikini comp? Details & video! #FitFluential”]

Resources I mentioned in the video:

There are a few resources I mentioned in the video that I wanted to share with you here. If you are planning your meals based on macros, you should download my  “Meal Planning with Macros” excel template (it’s free!). It’s been the most popular post on FITaspire for over a year and will help you get started or simply make planning a little easier.

The app I use to track my meals and macros is myFitnessPal. Many of my athletes also use this for tracking nutrition and it’s easy to use!

Have a question about bikini competitions I haven’t answered? You can leave your question in the comments or submit anonymously with the survey in this post (at the bottom). I have a few more questions lined up for the rest of the month.

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Are you enjoying the videos? Do you want to see more on a different topic? I’m thinking of planning a similar series, covering questions on running or triathlon. Let me know if this is something you would be interested in. Or if there’s another topic you would like to see.