My fat loss mission coincided with a new product that my gym are promoting. They are offering gym members a “Trans4mation” package to transform individuals body shape and look. This could be over a 3 or 12 month period. If you are interested the link is www.profile-health.co.uk/trans4mation.html.

As part of the launch, the gym ran a competition to qualify for a make over and photo shoot. To be a winning candidate you had to have been successful in changing your body shape. I was one of three successful candidates.

The timing of the photo shoot could not have been better, as I had been in maintenance mode for a number of weeks. The photo shoot gave me a new goal and I decided to follow a body builder’s diet leading up to the event. The aim was to deplete and cut out carbs for a week, in order to get a little more ripped. Below are some of the photos from the photo shoot, and my schedule running up to the day.

 

Photo shoot schedule

The theory is to strip muscles of glycogen (carb and water provide glycogen) and also remove as much water from under skin.  This is achievied by depleting carb intake and then stopping it all together for about five days. Having researched it, I think this is less strenuous than what some body builders do before competition!

A day prior to the photo shoot, carbs are reintroduced. The carbs require water to digest and so removes even more water. The muscles will be starving of glycogen so when you eat carbs the muscles will fill up (ie. pump you up). As you have little water under skin this will give you more muscular definition.  Here’s the programme I followed.

 

• Days 12 to 8
  • if you are taking creatine then stop (as it makes your body hold onto water)
  • reduce carb intake (less during the day and none after 6pm)
  • increase cardio activity
  • weights focusing on higher reps
• Days 7 to 6
  • increase salt intake
  • reduce carb intake to 50g per day
  • more cardio/high rep weights
  • increase water intake
  • take diuretic like tea and coffee
• Days 5 to 3
  • reduce carb to zero
  • reduce salt intake
  • more cardio but at low intensity so not to lose muscle
  • high rep weights
  • reduce water intake 5 litres, 3 litres to 2 litres
• Day 2
  • reduce water intake to 1 litre
  • low intensity cardio
  • carb load 50g of complex carb every 3 hrs
• Day 1 – photoshoot
  • drink only sips when thirsty
  • carbs as day 2
  • lift light weights till fatigue just prior to photos being taken

The lack of carbs was difficult at first, it did affect my mental processes a little and my energy levels were lower. I found that despite eating a lot of protein I was often not fully satisfied. The hardest part though was the lack of foods that I could eat. Even milk and nuts have some carbs, so you are left with mainly meat as your food source.

Did I get bad breath? Probably but I didn’t notice it, although people could have just been polite. I lost 5lbs in the last five days, but the day after I put back the majority of that weight. Probably because I had a burger and fries straight after! I’m not 100% convinced that it made a dramatic change to my body definition, but just going through the programme was an experience. Would I do it again? No, not unless it was for the cover of Men’s Health!

Disclaimer: This is what worked for me. You should always seek advice from a qualified person before embarking on any fitness or dietary changes.