How do you estimate how long to diet for competition?

I'm going to compete in figure next summer with BNBF. How do you girls work out how long to allow for your comp diet? As I've never competed before, how do you know roughly how much weight to lose? I know it depends on how you look, not how much you weigh, or how low your bodyfat is, but to work out how much time to allow for dieting, a rough idea of how much you need to lose must come into it.
At the moment I weigh approx 10st 5lbs, I'm 5ft 8in, wear a size 10 clothes( sometimes tight across lats and thighs, loose around my waist) BF approx 22%, I'm more lean in my upper body, carrying most of my BF around my hips and thighs.
At the moment I am concentrating on gaining as much muscle as I can, have been doing this all year, seeing good results so far, but would like to give myself the best chance I can next year. I would appreciate any advice, I do realise everyone is different.

Well I asked this question the other day but then I knew how much I had to lose.
I was told, as a female, to lose 18lbs, as a natural, I should be looking to diet anywhere between 23-28 weeks. That was just some pro's and competitiors opinions.

I'd personally aim for 1lb a week, leave a few weeks for error.
If you don't know how much you've got to lose, give yourself 20 weeks to an early qualifier, then you can always do longer if needed...

I thought that figure winner was helping you next year?

flick161


Well I asked this question the other day but then I knew how much I had to lose.
I was told, as a female, to lose 18lbs, as a natural, I should be looking to diet anywhere between 23-28 weeks. That was just some pro's and competitiors opinions.

I'd personally aim for 1lb a week, leave a few weeks for error.
If you don't know how much you've got to lose, give yourself 20 weeks to an early qualifier, then you can always do longer if needed...

I thought that figure winner was helping you next year?

She's helping me all the way, already has been for 4 months  Just wanted to get some opinions to give me some idea to what's in front of me. I'd actually discussed with her doing the London qualifier first, although the Centrals is the one I really want to do! I really have no idea how much I have to lose, I'm pretty lean up top, abs are just starting to be visible, but I do carry my fat on the tops of my legs .
Thanks for the advice, 20weeks would mean January, that's not far away!

That's a tough question as we are all different!  I can only give you my ickle knowldege of 2 shows.
I did a mini pre prep just to make sure I could handle it for my first time. I now do a 12 week prep.  It's all about how I look more than the weight.  For example i weighed the same on both shows and looked completely different.  I do exactly what my prep guy tells me.  The first time he didn't know what my strong/weak points were as this was my first real diet.  Now he knows how my body reacts to prep (and my head lol)
 
So BNBF Centrals cool!! not going to miss this!!!  Right get that journal going missy !   x

Kels, you said you do a 12week prep, roughly how much weight do you  actually lose in that time, if you don't mind asking. I've been looking around the journals and I'm a little taller than most of you, so I guesstimate ( is that a word?~) that I will need to lose just over a stone, depending on how I look. In the end I will have to do as I am asked by my trainer, but would like to prepare myself mentally before prep starts.  I think I would rather allow a few extra weeks dieting than be panicking towards the end, I don't want to put any extra pressure on myself as I don't want my ED to kick in!

It's very difficult to say because it depends upon you as an individual. I personally have been a variety of 'weights' both as a bodybuilder, and an athlete. Because of this and previous experience I have a good idea I'll need to be around 8st 10lb when I compete. I'm aiming to be 9st 7lb when I start my competition preparation and prep for 16 weeks, but I've already lost 21lbs this summer!!I also have a different body shape to you, carrying a lot on my shoulders and around my ribcage. This is improving though via good diet and cardio. Bone structure also comes into it. I'm 5'4" and dipping under 20% bf at around 10st.

Gingernut, that's where my problems lie , as I'm new to this I don't know how much weight to lose/ time to allow for prep as I don't know how my body will look or react to this type of diet. I do know I can stick to a diet as I have already lost six and a half stone a few years ago. I think it will be a matter of trial and error and trusting the judgement of my trainer, although I would like some say in it, so that's why I'm asking so many questions now, trying to learn as much as I can.

I need a 23 week prep......but its all sorted for me by a GREAT trainer a good slow run up is reqired for me personally it helps me retain muscle and means the dietting is less agressive.

Lou!!!!! Saw piccies of you and K on FB, you look soooooo lean through the face! Are you pleased with progress?

Yes its going well Flick!
 
Lou XX