EP26: Off-season Update

One You Podcast

As a physique athlete, you need a break in order to let your body rest, recover and restore and you honestly need it mentally as well because it is kind of crazy. It is and it isn’t and it's pretty hard to describe if you haven’t been there or done it but I will try to explain.

This is how you start your competitive season - You start to cut back on calories at the same time as you up the cardio (which in my case and my preferred method is walks or incline treadmill my favorite is hikes). Every week you do a check-in to see if you should cut back more on calories or stay the same and increase the cardio or keep it the same.

Myself, I like to move more and eat more so throughout my season we stayed pretty high on calories which helped me feel better.

Reverse diet - it is when you slowly add in more and more food each week and to be totally transparent I had a hard time adhering to it 100%. I was kind of tired of tracking and was craving so many different things which I don’t really know why and still try to figure out and learn.

I am doing research on this in order to figure out if it’s mainly a mental problem that I actually couldn't stick to it and overeat if it’s because my body just wants to get back to a certain weight, or is it because I’m lacking a clear goal? I know stress has also played a role in all of it. Having to deal with some personal issues has been really stressful.

But the mental issue vs my body wanting to eat more is what I’m trying to figure out.

I listen to Stephanie Buttermore and the all-in diet which is an approach where you eat at least 2500kcal each day with no maximum just to let your body recover after a long diet. I don’t know if this is the way I would want to go but I can relate to many of the things she is talking about.

She could find herself wanting to eat until she is stuffed. I did A LOT right after the competition was done and I’m still doing it some days. It’s so crazy, I just can’t stop eating and I just keep snacking and eating until I’m so full that I can barely move. It might sound stupid but it’s really a huge problem I have. It’s easier said than done to say, but just stop?!?! It’s probably the same as telling someone with another kind of addiction or food obsession. I am totally transparent, I most likely have some sort of food obsession because at times I just want to eat and think about and plan my next meal all the time. It really sucks, I promise you. It’s not fun at all. I feel like it sounds really stupid. With that said I’m still embracing it all, making sure to fuel my body and listen to it. I lift heavy, not to “burn the calories ” more so make good use of them = gains!! So instead of focusing on food, I’m shifting my focus toward lifting as heavy as possible in the gym! I love feeling strong and powerful.
My offseason goals are

• Not gain too much
• Hopefully, find a plateau
• Now when the visa is done I will
• Plan ahead more - I know it’s when I do not plan I crave more
• Eat more fats early in the day helps me
• Not restrict or restrict myself from some foods.

5 things I want to leave you with in order to not obsess about food

1. Drink enough water
2. Plan your meals - meal prep
3. Eat more healthy fats earlier in the day - it helps me!
4. Don't restrict any food or food groups
5. Get enough sleep.

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