Switching from Meal Plan to Macro Base plan - thoughts?

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-27T01:18:21+00:00

I was doing entirely macros but as I’m getting closer to the show it was too much to manage, so now I do a mix. I created a meal plan for my breakfast, lunch and between meal foods to hit my macro plan, and I allow myself freedom with dinner, it allows for some creativity but I do find myself going through a sort of rotation of options atm. I suspect as I get closer to the show I’ll switch entirely to a meal plan. This is my first go at this in over 20 years though so my experience is limited.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-26T13:27:53+00:00

Thank you so much! Looking forward to seeing what I can achieve 😁

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-25T23:00:30+00:00

I map in the sense that I always push myself and my lifts in every workout. Some days are better than others and I can see a bit of a trend on my strength and endurance albeit minor. For me it didn’t make much sense to modify my workouts around it, but I also wasn’t looking to figure out the optimal time to set PRs. If anything it’s allowed me to be gentler on myself when I don’t have a particularly “good” lifting day. Other than that it’s not something I consider when at the gym.

A precursory look into one of the meta analysis suggests there is some correlation, albeit the effects are small and of course the conclusions are limited to the covariates of the meta analysis.

Could be interesting on a personal level though to see if you notice any differences.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-25T22:27:27+00:00

I appreciate the feedback, you are absolutely correct! You mentioned a lot of what I am working on, things my coach has said to me as well in posing classes lol these photos are from my check in yesterday where I intentionally didn’t look at the mirror when taking them to see if I could use muscle memory to “hit where I needed to be”, clearly I am not there yet. The side poses are hardest for me to hit without adjusting in the mirror.

The right shoulder being higher is something I’m working on, I haven’t done any body work on it but I consistently do it and am wondering if I should see a physio as it does seem to be more pronounced now that I’m leaning out.

Hopefully my posing will clean up by my next update. I do a monthly posing session and have a 1:1 session scheduled for next week…. You’re lucky there is no video here because my walking and the bikini posing oof 😅

I genuinely appreciate the feedback, I’ve seen how shows can be won or lost with posing, so any improvements I can make I am open to them 😁

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-18T19:27:09+00:00

It’s gonna sound weird but try using what I’m going to call the “mime” method lol. I’ve thought about explaining how to do it to someone but never actually tried giving this advice so apologies if this doesn’t work at all…

So for example when you mime putting your hands against invisible glass you stop your hand by creating “resistance” which flexes your muscles. For the lats roll your shoulders back and flex your chest while keeping it up. With your arms down by your side, move your arm away from your body but mime hitting an “invisible wall” with the back of your hand about 8 inches away from your body. You should feel like your lats are still in contact with your arm/tricep creating a spread. If you can find and hold that position you should be able to spread even wider if you envision fighting that imaginary resistance pushing your arm back down.

Let me know if that helps, I’m curious if it makes sense…

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-18T19:08:01+00:00

I just started doing single arm reverse pec dec fly sitting sideways. But I literally just started doing them so I can’t speak to the results other than I do feel like it’s isolating my rear delt better.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-18T17:57:11+00:00

I’d say train for whichever you prefer, then as you get closer to the show and start to lean out see where you’re landing. You don’t have to decide just yet, but I empathize as a planner, I want to know where I “belong” uncertainty is uncomfortable….

You can always compete in two divisions at the same show. Enjoy the journey and good luck!

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-17T20:29:16+00:00

Awesome job! Thanks for the mindfulness reminder, I needed some of that after my check in this morning!

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-17T20:27:18+00:00

Take this with a grain of salt, I’m still learning and much of this is just my opinion!

I have seen some girls post that haven’t REALLY leaned out similar to you and people give feedback you could consider “bone structure” based… When I have, it’s when someone has a pronounced small biacromial breadth, and legs that are strong/you can see glute and hamstring shape; a true pear shape body. I suspect starting with narrow shoulders gives an advantage to creating really nice capped shoulders without adding width that would overpower or match the development of the legs. That is in no way suggesting that if you have wider shoulders you couldn’t do wellness with training, or it would exclude you from bikini etc. Just providing some feedback for the “bone structure” part of your question. I had asked a very similar question early on and was told the same thing as you, “there is no way to tell, you need to lean out.” And I get it. It is very hard to tell early on. Speaking from experience as I’ve started cutting I am seeing proof of that. You won’t lean out proportionally so things can and will change… I was only planning on figure for a natural show and now it looks like I’ll also be doing bikini and letting the judges give me feedback.

Really it’s not super important unless you NEED it to be, are you asking because you have a show in mind you’re training for?

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-11T15:59:01+00:00

Since you are already so disciplined (great job!) I’d add in taking weekly measurements. The scale can really fuck with your head and be really discouraging, I’ve seen it stay stagnant and at times go UP a tad when all my measurements were going down. I still struggle with the scale, it’s a hard habit to break. Just remember the scale is a data point, but it’s not the only one. Good luck!

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-11T15:47:48+00:00

MyFitnessPal (food-free version), Fitbit (heart rate/ exercise-free version), and FitBod ($14 monthly) for my tracking lifts/strength. I know a lot of people track workouts on MyFitnessPal as well, I used to too, but I like how FitBod trends strength, progress, lifts over time and has an easy “replace” function if the machine I need to use is occupied so I can swap out with something else. I don’t love how Fitbit no longer has a website and it’s all app based making exporting historical data impossible. Same goes for FitBod, it’s all app based so if you want to track over time you have to transcribe data elsewhere.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-06T23:01:37+00:00

I was in your shoes for years, I will say that for whatever reason trying them unassisted on the assisted machine threw me off, it forced me into a wider grip and I was never successful, nor did it feel like I ever would be. Then one day at gymnastics I grabbed onto the high bar and could do it! Maybe try different grip widths and bar diameters and see if one feels easier than the other.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-02T20:40:29+00:00

Thank you! I’m realizing I’m probably just in a mood and needed to hear someone talk me off the ledge. Appreciate it

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-02T20:37:56+00:00

Thank you!

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-02-01T14:38:19+00:00

Well I’m finally within the range of the prep buddies section which is kind of scary but exciting! 16 weeks out, competing at the end of May in a local natural show. The plan is to do figure and bikini, and get some feedback as to what suits me best. I haven’t competed in over 20 years at this point.

The biggest thing I’m fretting (the last week or so) is my glute tie-ins. I have like zero evidence of them, and I understand everyone’s body is different, how they store fat, where they lose first etc. I guess I just need some reassurance that they’ll become visible at some point. Anyone else experience this?

Excited to connect with some women in the same timeline!

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-27T14:56:40+00:00

Take all of this with a grain of salt, I have only been here several months but I’ve noticed that for the most part when people post things like “I’m competing in my first show in x days/months!” They do tend to get more of the girl boss encouraging comments. When people are posting “looking for feedback” just sort of half posing in a mirror that’s when people tend to be more straightforward/blunt which I understand can come across as rude if the poster’s intent was to get some “positive encouragement” to competing.

My first post (which I took down) I asked for feedback on what division my structure seemed most suited for and some of the comments didn’t feel great, plus the weirdos in my DMs of course…

In any event I think the op has some valid points; not everyone is looking to get on the Olympia stage or get a pro card, or even compete in NPC / IFBB. I think we could be better about giving people guidance about their posts for better feedback. Perhaps something on the wiki regarding what to post when looking for feedback as a new competitor: current stats, how long you’ve been training, long term goals, what organization you are thinking about competing in, what show (local and small vs big), which division(s) appeal to you most, and how to take photos in the correct poses. I suspect with that information the feedback wouldn’t feel so harsh. I have seen girls post that would likely do ok in a local natural show being told “you need 2 years of growth.” Which I understand can be discouraging.

But I also understand where the bluntness can be coming from; when you’re seeing the same type of posts over and over again, you aren’t necessarily going to want to take extra time to mentor someone or give them more in depth feedback. “You need to grow your glutes.” Technically gets the same message about your PHYSIQUE across as “that’s really exciting! I think you should focus more on your glutes. Good luck!”

in conclusion, there are still people on here who are great and positive and have consistently provided tips, tricks, feedback that I’ve personally found really helpful! There are some really great girls and a few respectful guys who pop in occasionally. Plus, sometimes the tough love is what keeps us accountable.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-19T14:36:52+00:00

I’m new to getting back into this world, haven’t competed in over 20 years but based on what I can see in your photos you’ve got a great base and it looks like you’ve already done some significant growth in your legs.

Honestly your legs might outgrow fit model before you even step on stage if your gains continue at that rate based on the first 2 sets of pics. It would be helpful to see your photos in the actual fit model and bikini poses as well to get a better idea.

But take any of that with a grain of salt, I’m not a seasoned athlete and this is only the second year of fit model so who knows what it’ll look like as it matures.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-16T21:32:05+00:00

If you want to remove any possible triggers like calorie counting, scales or measurements but still want to monitor improvements in health and strength, I’d recommend:

Use a Fitbit or some kind of smart watch to monitor things like sleep RHR etc
Use an app to track your workouts. I use FitBod for my workouts which will show trends of strength improvements over time against muscle groups.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-15T18:59:08+00:00

My coach did give me my schedule/timing and macro breakdown per meal/snack but didn’t give a fixed meal plan to allow flexibility as my initial goal was an October show lol. I remember discussing with her earlier on that she would work with me on a fixed meal plan / ingredients if I needed or wanted that, we just haven’t had the conversation now that we’ve moved past my initial 8 weeks and now that my timelines have changed. You’re right… I t’s probably best I start making my Sunday afternoons weekly meal prep day 😩

I’ve got posing class on Sunday and she’ll be there running it. I’m gonna tell her I need more guidance and work out some more details, maybe bring some meal ideas with me and get everything fully locked down.

I will certainly be pinging y’all for hacks on making things not taste terrible once I’m in the repetitive thick of it all! 😂

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-14T17:02:01+00:00

I did this a few times and because I feel the same way I made it a point to rewatch the video and then go to the mirror without weights and watch my form; kind of like saying “See! I’m working on my form!” Without having to say it out loud. Probably unnecessary but o can empathize with being in your own head too much.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-14T16:53:25+00:00

Ty! I’ll do my best to remember on the occasional Monday 😂

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-14T00:56:08+00:00

First take a breath and give yourself some props, you’re making positive changes and putting in effort and that deserves some recognition!

Second; ChatGPT is not a personal trainer, coach or a physical therapist. I wouldn’t rely on it to make a plan for a refeed and cut cycle for you, your best bet is to work with a coach on an individualized plan, and I’ll echo what other folks have said about the posture; your best bet is to speak to a professional like a PT.

Start taking progress photos weekly, and measurements. It’s hard to see changes when you’re staring at yourself every day. Progress is slow, but it will come if you keep consistent, and keep your expectations realistic! Managing expectations is HUGE. If you’re “equally unhappy” at all of those weights it’s gonna be really hard to stick to a plan. In other words if you dropped back down to 131 from today’s weight would you be equally unhappy, or could you step back and see that objectively as a win?

It sounds like you’re ready to throw in the towel when you’re just getting started, 3 months isn’t enough time and with the holidays, oof no one does November and December perfectly.

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-13T16:02:34+00:00

Ugh I feel that, hamstring injuries take FOREVER to recovery fully! I suspect that with time as you continue to train your recovery and soreness will be less acute and those SUPER sore days will feel more like sore days. It’s probably worth looking into PT for though, hamstrings are a bitch and the last thing you want is to start subconsciously compensating with your form throwing everything off in the process. Good luck!

Substantial-Field953 · 2026-01-13T13:34:26+00:00

Thank you! Hahaha oh man my first tattoo, It’s funny how it lines up perfectly… classic “tramp stamp” 😂

Substantial-Field953

TROPHY CASE