Holy Carb Drop

Talking about shocking your system. 

While my trainer has been gradually reducing my carb intake over the past 10 weeks, he went all out with this week's diet. 

We continue with a modified carb drop (MCD) as we have for the past two weeks, but instead of two high carb days followed by five low carb days, he has me doing one "high" (still nothing compared to the amount of carbs and calories I ate during my off-season) and four low, and by low I mean Mariana Trench low. 

The total caloric intake on my low days is roughly 2,900 calories total, with 1,800 coming from protein, 855 from fat and barely over 200 from carbs. To be precise, for four days, my carbohydrates will come from 1 oz. of almonds, along with some egg whites as my pre-workout, 16 oz. of Gatorade as part of my post-workout meal and two full cups of broccoli, which all together equates to 55 grams of carbs or 220 calories. 

Low Carb Day Meals without 16 oz. Gatorade and protein shakes

Needless to say, my energy levels are equally low and my mood not the best. I feel lightheaded and am easy to irritate. 

In addition to a level of crankiness that could easily take it on with any pregnant woman's mood, I am also battling a slight cold that adds to my overall exhaustion. Long story short, I am not a whole lot of fun to be around these days and should probably wear a shirt like this to work, to the gym or any form or social function that requires human interaction.

I cannot wait for my next high carb day to regain some of my energy. Instant grits, white and brown rice, as well as sweet potatoes never sounded more delicious. As typical for a high carb day, protein intake is dropped, while carb consumption and overall calories are increased. In my specific case, the total caloric intake goes up to roughly 4,000, with more than half of it coming from carbs. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water, figuratively. 

High Carb Day Meals without pre- and post-workout protein shakes

Despite all of this, I am trying to stay positive and keep on pushing myself. I am now a little less than three weeks out and can see a light at the end of the tunnel. It might be a little blurry due to my lightheadedness but it's there. 

My workouts are still relatively strong, even though I had to decrease the weights for some exercises to maintain proper form and technique. My daily cardio remains unchanged at 30 minutes of HIIT on the elliptical, complimented by ten 50 yards sprints twice a week.  

In terms of supplements, Fred upped my BCAA intake to 40gr per day, which should help to temper my hunger, and added Calcium-Magnesium and ZMA, as well as 3,000mg of fish oil pills. 

Being that close to my competition, he also told me to stop using my pre-workout booster, Gaspari SuperPump.  

If you cant handle me "cutting", then you don't deserve me when I'm shredded.