When you get down to the last 3-4 weeks out prior to a contest or photo shoot it is very difficult at this point not to want to give in to that over bearing craving for a doughnut or a slize of pizza. At this point of your preperation you have dieted down so much that you have totally depleted your body of any extra energy other than what it uses to be able to get through your morning cardio and your weight training session later on in the day.

You have minized carbohydrates to basically next to nothing and you are just eating 1-1 1/2 servings of broccoli with each meal. Due to this you're energy levels are so small that it feels like absolute hell just to get through the day. I, personally, always find myself getting dizzy. If I'm sitting down and need to get up to get something I feel like I am going to fall over. Meanwhile, I have the most itense craving for a cream filled doughnut.

The best plan that I have come up with to counter act cravings is to go to sleep as early as possible. For me, I find that most of my junk food cravings come at later points in the day so If I find myself craving a doughnut or any type of junk food I will go to bed as early as 7:30. Chances are I will sleep through the night until 4 a.m. when I usually wake up because I am so tired from my body's depleteion of carbohydrates and its very small daily dosage of essentail fats.

Once that craving hits just, go lights out. The last thing you need is to set yourself back after undergone 12 weeks of intense, grueling double sessions in the gym with only 21 or less days remaining until you compete and have the opportunity to showcase what you have worked so hard for.