Best diet for comp week?

[pygmalion]

This doesn't just go for ballroom, of course. A question. What do you eat in the days or weeks immediately prior to a big competition? Does your diet differ from normal? Do you eat more carbs or drink more water or cut back on fats? Does diet really make a noticeable difference in your physical performance during competition?

[Laura]

In multi-time world champion Bill & Bobbie Irvine's autobiography they say that they at mostly fish and vegetables when they were training for competitions.

Me, I don't do anything drastic, except cut out alcohol and caffine and make sure I'm drinking enough water so that I'll be decently hydrated that day. I used to do weird drastic things but it didn't help me any and just made me have really weird attitudes toward food and my body. It's much better for me to strive to eat well all the time than to do something special for a comp -- especially when there's one comp a month to go to where I live!

[Sania]

I really recommend the Zone Diet - not just for comp week but all the time. It's a very moderate nutritionally balanced plan which doesn't make you feel deprived. It's about eating protein, carbs, and fat in proportion to each other at every meal and snack, encourages lots of vegetables and fruits, and doesn't make you feel deprived. I lost some weight on it about two years ago and have stayed on it ever since. The plan uses your lean body mass and activity level to set portion sizes, so there's no guesswork involved.

Sania

[DancingMommy]

South Beach Diet - Phase I, hands down. It cuts out all sugar and bread type stuff. It focuses on lean meats and lots of green veggies/salads. You basically are in a sugar/carb detox abd have SO MUCH energy. I love it.

[Purr]

Me, I don't do anything drastic, except cut out alcohol and caffine and make sure I'm drinking enough water so that I'll be decently hydrated that day.

It's the same for me. And there must be plenty of water (or PowerAde) available the day of the competetion!

[cocodrilo]

When I used to run marathons, I was a vegetarian although I did eat cheese. Just a LOT of health food, no oily stuff and no simple carbohydrates(i.e. processed sugars). Now I still stick with a very low-fat, high carbohydrate diet and I have so much energy! I get a lot of protein from soy products as well! I have completely cut out fried food from my diet, with the exception of the occasional tempura splurge when I go out!

[Warren J. Dew]

This doesn't just go for ballroom, of course. A question. What do you eat in the days or weeks immediately prior to a big competition?
I sometimes do mild carb loading - for example, having pasta and no steak for a couple days before.
Does diet really make a noticeable difference in your physical performance during competition?
I did serious carb loading, complete with the carbohydrate deprivation phase prior to the last few days of high carbohydrate consumption, for my first international style competition. I was on a high through three or four rounds of four two dance competitions - about 30 dances, the equivalent of half a dozen rounds of a more normal competition - plus, we placed well.

On the other hand, the subsequent mood crash when I went back to my normal diet may have contributed to the partnership breaking up, so I don't recommend the practice.

[Chris Stratton]

My general training diet is high protein and moderately low-carb, but I typically eat anything I want on comp weekends (which can often be every weekend in a row for a while). That was, until I found that I didn't handle the excess sugar of combining sports drinks with chocolate snacks very well. So I still eat whatever I want on comp weekends, but I think more carefully about what it is I actually want, and try to bring a greater range of options.

[mamboqueen]

I'm with Dancing Mommy - South Beach Phase I. Not overly exciting food choices, but it keeps your energy levels on a totally even keel, you loose a little around the belly and you don't feel remotely deprived.

[DancingMommy]

Exactly! And you don't suffer the "Sugar Rush" and extreme munchies, either!

[Sania]

I also bring Balance or ZonePerfect bars to the event and have one about an hour before competing in lieu of a full meal. This gives me enough energy to do the event, but doesn't leave me feeling weighed down.

[Kitty]

What about eating only sushi and california rolls the week before comp?

I think next time I'll try that one:-)

[pygmalion]

My favorite "diet?" Pepperoni pizza, entenmann's lemon coconut cake, and sprite or red wine. Now THAT's what I call a diet!!! :lol: :lol:


Actually, when I started this thread, I meant diet in the sense of what foods you eat, not necessarily "weight loss plan."