post competition blues
LA - maybe help me and some other girls out who are new to this.... im feeling down just because my body is changing so much so fast..right now it is the water... i am back on track with my clean eating every 3 hrs...how do you stay postitive and motivated after a show when all you want is your abs to be showing ?
thanks in advance for any helpful tips
Relax Christine, you dont want to maintain your stage weight. As far as Im conserned 13-15% bodyfat is a great BF level for a woman (i think men should be 5-7%), sure some might think its too lean but thats the look I prefer. Not too hard not too smooth.
Anyway, as long as you dont go 10-15lb over your pre dehydration weight you will be fine. And if you do, you will be fine. Taking your past weight into account I can see how there is some fear factor there, dont worry you will be fine.
Just stay focused and let your body fat rise to mid teens then you are at a healthy athletic level where you can focus on improving your lagging parts and get ready for your next show.
Stay positive, its all good. You are just going through what everyone does, remember you cant stay at your stage weight, its not healthy.
Re: post competition blues
This is a great article--Brennylee first forwarded to me last year and this is a good thread to post it in....
(no..the author and i are not related...lol)
Post Contest Blues by Traci Redding
We all go through it. It is part of competing, yet every time we say we are not going to do it, we inevitably do. What is it? It’s the problem of rebounding and gaining weight. Many of us experience this problem.
I personally wanted to write this article because I feel there is a great need for it! I have talked with many women who compete and after spending time researching and interviewing these women they all had one thing in common. After a show, most of us experience instant weight gain and depression or what I like to call "post contest blues"!
Obviously it is impossible to stay in Contest shape year round, yet we are so miserable when we can’t stay in that shape. It is unrealistic to walk around at 4-6% body fat and dehydrated. Unfortunately unless a competitor looks like she does in those contest photos she feels fat!
I am going to tell you a story about a competitor and I want you to see if you can relate....
It is time to get on that stage and show the judges what she has been doing all year. Her tank is completely empty, hardly any body fat and no water, she is exhausted and depleted! She gets on stage and she shows the judges what she has been working on all year! All the preparation, dieting and posing practices have gotten her to the point she is and it is all up to the judges, her work is done! She is in the best condition ever and she feels ready!
It is Saturday night and all the judging is over and the results are in!! She doesn't place top 5, but makes the top ten so that makes her happy!! It is now time to celebrate and relax. She choices her food wisely knowing that it can be dangerous to eat and drink too much, as she has experienced this before! So after eating and drinking she climbs into bed feeling exhausted, elated and completely full!!! The next morning comes and she is distracted by photo shoots and plans of returning home, she feels great and her body looks even better than the night before.
It is time to return home and back to work! As she gets back into the groove of her life and how she is on a day-to-day basis she realizes that her shows are over for the year and she is not so sure how to handle it! After 1-2 days she has already gained back anywhere from 6-8 pounds, which is of course mostly water, but still 6-8 pounds is 6-8pounds! As she reflects on her placing and the results of her season she feels sad and depressed wondering if this sport is really for her. After attending happy hour and dinner with friends pretty much every night since she has-been back and don't forget the sweets that everyone feels she should eat, since she has been "depriving" herself for 6 months she feels utterly disgusted and miserable!!!
So after 1-2 weeks of this she steps on the scale and looks down and OH MY GOSH! She has gained 20 pounds!! She then starts crying and stating how fat she is and she cannot believe that she did this to herself, why did she do this, she said over and over how she was not going to do this, yet she did! So now not only is she feeling fat and ugly, she is depressed and just wishes she could be normal and not feel this way! The truth is she is not normal, she never was normal and she will never be "normal"! Normal people are not 6% Body Fat, normal people don't train and diet like Bodybuilding/Figure/Fitness competitors!! So even though at this point she is about 12-13% body fat and still way above the average person, she feels fat! None of her clothes are fitting her and she hates the thought of even looking in the mirror or going anywhere, especially to a Show where everyone knows her. She knows the first thing they are going to think and say is "Man, she got fat!", anywhere else people would be going on and on about how fit she is. This is indeed one very tough industry.
So about 4-6 weeks goes by and she starts feeling somewhat back to normal and not sooooooo swollen and miserable. She decides that it is time to stop obsessing about her weight and start focusing on making changes for the better on her physique and putting a better package on the stage. Her hormones are starting to return to normal and now she is thinking rational thoughts and making plans for her future in competing!
Not every competitor feels this way, this is an extreme case, but I truly believe that most competitors go through what I call "post contest blues". All of the above emotions are valid and understandable, although it is extremely important to realize how you are feeling you should try to find someone around you that understands what you are going through and can support you.
It is unrealistic to walk around all year in contest shape. It is to taxing on one's body and very unhealthy! I believe the key, is to set realistic goals that are attainable year round. I think that it is best to stay about 10-12 pounds away from contest weight. It is critical to find balance in the off-season and not get too far away from contest condition. Remember, most of your work is done in the off-season, that is when you are making the changes, that is when you are sculpting and shaping your physique. Once you start dieting not many changes in your muscles will be made, due to the calorie deficit and extensive cardio training that we typically have to endure.
So, all in all I just wanted to convey how important it is to create stability in your diet and training and not go to the extreme. Also, I think it is important to learn to appreciate a fuller physique and understand that you are not fat. It is a very tough industry and it is very exhausting to constantly be in the spotlight. You feel as if you are under the microscope and that everyone is watching you and judging every move you make regarding eating and training.
Like I have said before, you are not normal and you should be thankful for that! Embrace who you are and work on being happy with yourself and how you look year round.
Re: post competition blues
Christine, competitng is such an emotional "sport" our hormones are out of control and gaining a couple pounds is hard to deal with. Don't worry, the intitial weight is just water (5-10lbs) after a few days the water will balance out. You can take potassium and B6 to eliminate some of the water from your system.
Any one of us who have competed know what you are going through and its tough but try not to stress over it--get back to the gym and eat clean!! We are all here for ya
Thats how i deal with the post comp blues...i may take a couple days off but then i'm right back in the gym and eating clean. For Darrin and I --its a lifestyle--and we will endulge a couple nights a week in the offseason but thats all...the rest is nice clean, healthy food and enough of it to build muscle and improve our physiques.
Re: post competition blues
thanks Darrin and LA the article helped me realize a few things...time for me to get over this its apart of the process.... im not going to let myself fall into a rut like so many girls do and before you know it you don't even look like you work out anymore!!!
my body is just hating me at this point and needs time to adjust.
Re: post competition blues
Thanx LA..I remeber that article I think every competitor has been there and done that...Blow out after comp I put close to 18lb (8kg) on within 10 days after the comp. I went straight to holliday resort,free food Buffe style( I was doing some exhibition volleyball) and by the end I could not even squat down to pick up anything from the floor-my legs were beyond swollen. I came looking sharp like a razor and left looking like a whale.First few days I played in bikini and last few in loose shorts and T-shirt .It was a hard lesson..now it is clean eating all year around
Re: post competition blues
On the flip side of the coin (not having competed let alone being anywhere near the mid teens in body fat), it's also good to know that competitors don't look stage ready all year round.
Re: post competition blues
Thats soo true Ange...when the competitors are on stage they look the way they do for that day and only that day--they're painted, depleted, dyhydrated and makeup done look'n fab. Its unhealthy to stay at such low body fat levels for an extended period of time. It just takes a little bit to accept the weight (water) gain...but after about a week, everything gets easier
Re: post competition blues
Thanks Em Everyone who makes a goal and acheives that goal should be proud no matter what!! Christine, Kelly and BGB all looked really good last Saturday-the pics are priceless!!
Re: post competition blues
Post comps are rough. Like Darrin said though, you'll be fine! And it isn't really healthy to be that lean for too long. Love that article too LA! I remember reading it when Brenny had posted it.
What we see in the mirror after a comp is usually what most girls dream of having. But we're so used to being so tight for the past months that to us, it looks horrible. Keep smiling because you will get that back when the time comes. Just remember one great thing....you put in on, you can take it off!
Well said Val ....its mainly just the water that comes back with a vengance...but still its very taxing on the emotions...I think it should be mandatory for holidays after a comp...just to relax and refocus
I think every competitor has been there and done that...Blow out after comp
I put close to 18lb (8kg) on within 10 days after the comp. I went straight to holliday resort,free food Buffe style( I was doing some exhibition volleyball) and by the end I could not even squat down to pick up anything from the floor-my legs were beyond swollen. I came looking sharp like a razor and left looking like a whale.First few days I played in bikini and last few in loose shorts and T-shirt
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