Due to the high demands of college competition and the desire to do anything to swim faster, I fell pray to a Triad of bad training and dietary habits that played havoc with my athletic performance. I was still successful but I feel I could have gone a lot further if I wasn't caught up in the unproductive training cycle that I had adopted. I was very protein deficient - eating mainly carbs, salads, and inadequate calories for my high caloric output from 4 hours of swim practice a day.
Occasions when I did eat better I would feel guilty that I had consumed too many calories and would binge and purge- I was a classic case of bulimia. My body was inefficient, over-trained, and on top of that I was ammenorehic. I was caught up in a cycle known as the Female Triad. In my mind I knew that this was counter-productive to my overall performance but when you are caught up mentally and physically in a cycle, it's hard to break without the right guidance and support.
Upon moving to Northern Kentucky after graduate school, I decided that this was a good time to make personal changes. I was fortunate to hook up with a training partner, Otto Ingram, who had competed in a couple of bodybuilding contests, one being the Northern. He had sought the nutritional & training advice from Sandy & Roger Riedinger of Beverly International, and encouraged me to do the same. At this point I was not considering doing a bodybuilding show. I just wanted to iron-out my terrible dietary habits.
Background...
My name is Cindy Lacey. I am the Aquatics/Fitness Coordinator at Northern Kentucky University. My weight training experience originated as part of my training for competitive swimming and Triathlons. I trained lighter weights and high reps because that's what my coaches advocated and believed in.
My first initial visit with Sandy was in mid-August 1998. I weighed in at 180 lbs. and 17.17% body fat. That was all right for an athlete, but I wanted to be leaner, defined, and develop a healthy relationship with food.
It was after this visit that I decided to totally challenge myself. I was going to do a bodybuilding contest! I wasn't concerned about the physical aspect of the training because I was conditioned to high loads and demands from my swimming background. I felt the physical regimen of lifting would distract my attention away from the diet aspect of preparing for a contest. Something that needed extensive work and I needed to correct now before I did some serious harm to my body!
To begin I was on no supplementation, only a multi-vitamin. Sandy's main concern at the beginning was to establish regular eating patterns, and increase my protein intake. The diet was 5 meals a day, higher protein, lower carbs, and low-moderate fat. We just wanted to see how my body responded to drastic changes and to see if I had what it takes to plan meals and stick to the program.
After the first month I dropped to 14.7% just by manipulating my protein intake and caloric balance. I was definitely protein deficient. We kept on this plan for another 2 months and my body fat still continued to decrease. That was very reassuring to me because I was certain that eating 5 meals a day was going to make me fatter!
Toward the end of October I was losing lean mass due to high volumes of cardiovascular work from my job demands. At this point Sandy introduced Muscle Provider, Mass Amino Acids and Diet Phen into the plan and increased my dietary protein intake at each meal. Again, I continued to lose body fat. But - I gained nearly 3 lbs. of lean muscle mass. Yes! I was delighted.
At this point the holidays hit and there were a few "cheat days" to help me through the festive season. However, I was regimented and did stick to the prescribed diet as much as possible - along with the lifting of course. Sandy was very encouraging and was not overly concerned with serious pre-contest dieting until 11 weeks out from the Northern Bodybuilding Championship.
At 11 weeks - this was it - time to lean down and get ready for the Northern. She reduced caloric intake, increased my dietary protein, and added Ultra 40's and Lean Out into my diet plan, along with the Muscle Provider and Mass Aminos I was already supplementing.
When I returned for a consultation with Sandy I had dropped more body fat and added lean tissue. My body weight had actually increased slightly since the previous visit but I was leaner and switching over from an athletic build to a bodybuilder. Looking at my progress at this point I had gained nearly 7 lbs of lean muscle mass from 12/4/98 - 2/3/98. I attribute this to the combination of Ultra 40's and Mass Amino Acids, along with the Muscle Provider and consistent weight training.
At the beginning of February there was a slight plateau occurring with my fat loss. Sandy introduced carbs back into my nutritional equation while virtually eliminating my intake of fats. I still continued the Ultra 40's, Mass Aminos but introduced Ripped Fuel and Energy Reserve into the equation.
The progress here was and has been slow, probably due to the first time my body has ever experienced such drastic demands to "get ripped" mainly from dieting. This is where the desire and mental willingness kicks in. Do you have it or don't you? With the support of my lifting partner (Otto) and Beverly International (Sandy) I HAVE made it through. I'll agree that to get the look you want on the contest day, you'll have to sacrifice and be very disciplined with your diet and training. It's not for everyone. When the diet becomes intense you realize that you are doing this for your own personal growth and satisfaction - nothing else.
As I look back now (3/18/98) and with two days from the contest, I am amazed at how far my body has come physically and mentally in an 8 month period. Through the physical training and diet I have totally transformed my physique. It is now an efficient machine that can handle high demands. My mental focus and internal determination have never been so strong.
Most importantly I have broken my "bad" eating habits and no longer feel obsessed with food or exercise. I am so in-tune with my body that I can tell when it's time to hit the diet harder or ease up on the exercise load.
Plans for after the contest ... breakfast buffet!!! Then, it's re-evaluate my diet and training. I WILL be doing the Northern again in 2000. I am excited to see where I will be after 12 more months of lifting- working on weak areas, and dieting from a point where my body is already adapted to eating regular, is efficient, and continues to make gains.
See you in 2000!
| Ed. Note: Cindy cut her bodyfat from a total of 31 lbs. in August of '98 to 14 lbs. in March of '99. Her lean mass started at 149 lbs. and at her final body composition test before The Northern registered at 149 lbs. Cindy cut her bodyfat percentage nearly in half 17.17% - 8.9% while retaining every bit of her lean mass. Cindy took home a trophy at each of the two contests she entered and had one of the rowdiest cheering sections we've ever heard. We're looking forward to seeing her in competition in the year 2000. |
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