Kurt Weber Pre-Contest Diet
The following is a guest post by Elite Athlete Kurt Weber. Kurt is a Strength Coach at Cal Fullerton and private trainer, certified by NSCA-CSCS and USAW. Kurt is preparing for his first physique competition and this is his first in a series of articles about what he is doing to get there. You can find Kurt at his website (which has more diet tips here).
Below is my diet regimen which I’m using in preparation for my first physique competition held September 10th, in Culver City, CA. One of the benefits of having my body fat taken 7 weeks out was to see exactly how much weight I needed to cut in order to be at my goal percentage of 3-5% body fat. I was 7% on the skinfold, and 9% on the Hydrostatic Weighing at 205.4 lbs. After a little math, I think I can come in around 196-197 BEFORE cutting water prior to the competition, which means I need to lose 8-9 lbs in the 7 weeks, which is just over 1 lb per week. Looking at it that way, I am able to monitor my weight, go slow and steady, and make changes as I see fit. For example, 2 weeks in I weighed myself in the morning and I was already at 199, which is much faster weight loss than I want. So, I added some extra oats that morning and had 8 oz. of red meat for dinner. Weight was back up to 201 the next morning.
I don’t get caught up in daily weight fluctuations (on that same day I weighed 204) but rather I’m looking at an average morning weight of 3 days week to week, and those averages tend to be 1 lb less than the previous week. Additionally, I’m trying to keep the majority of the weight loss to be in the final 3 weeks, rather than the first 4 to keep as much muscle as possible.
On a side note, nothing bothers me more than seeing a diet that is SO precise as far as timing, amounts, and foods, and then telling the average joe “stick to this or it won’t work!” This is a GENERAL template, there are a lot of great foods out there but this works for me. The first 4 weeks are designed for the normal, real-life scenario, and anyone can do it both daily and long-term! I do not weigh my food, I often deviate from the timing, and these meals are also often mixed swapped around each day. What I do try to do however, is have a big breakfast, until I feel full. It highly improves my mood, and keeps me satiated throughout the day. Just keep in mind the “what” is the most important thing here, not so much the “when” or “how much.”
Along with this diet, I am also taking a multi-vitamin, 9g Fish Oil, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B-12 each day.
So here it is:
7 Weeks Out
5:30am – Workout #1
6am – ½ C dry steel cut oats, with ¼ scoop whey protein, AND low carb yogurt, banana and peanut butter, or 3 egg whites
8am – 1.5 scoops casein protein shake
10:00am – snack (low carb yogurt/greek yogurt, or banana and peanut butter, or ½ C almonds, or Questbar)
12pm – Workout #2
2:00pm – 1.5 scoops whey protein
6:00pm – 8-10oz. of chicken, fish, turkey, or red meat sautéed with spinach, broccoli, peppers, or asparagus
9:00pm – 4 egg whites, 1 whole egg or 1 scoop casein protein
3 Weeks out
1lb of Asparagus each day until contest
Shakes, eggs, peanut butter, fruit, and yogurt are cut out, and the deficit is filled with more meat, veggies, and oats.
10 Days out
No added salt until contest, Oats are cut out, 3 gallons of water per day, Chicken, Tilapia, and veggies only.
3 Days out
Switch to distilled water, 8 oz. Chicken, Tilapia, and veggies only
2 Days out
Add back in 2 C dry steel cut oats, 8 oz. Chicken, Tilapia, and veggies only
Day before
2 C Steel cut oats, 6-8 oz, Chicken, Tilapia, veggies, glass of water
Day of
No water, small amount of oats and chicken If needed.
Day after
PIZZA, PIZZA, PIZZA!
