There sure is something to be said about sanity and satiety. Sometimes you dont’ even know you lost it until you find it again.
Competing certaily takes a toll on your body, your mind and your life. The toughest part is the diet. Towards the end of contest prep when you are really lean, you are on the brink of hungry all the time. The leaner you get, the more your body wants you to eat. This made me crabby and irritable which affects your life. Its one more thing you have to keep in check- diet, workout, not yell at your 5 year old because he keeps asking you 800 questions! um yeah, that happened.
That’s where the Mom guilt sets in. You feel guilty for taking all this time for meal prep, workouts and the occasionally crabby patti syndrome. Well, gee, contest prep or no contest prep, crabby patti happens! It just happened to me yesterday and I am not in prep. I am eating plenty of food, well rested but I just needed a break from my kids and snapped on my husband who was also trying to talk my ear off about summer travel plans… I needed some quiet time, time for me. Guess what, that gets to be my workout time (or weeding the garden which I enjoy). 🙂
Now that the shows are over, I am out of prep, I can relax a little but I don’t feel guilty for taking time for me. Priorititzing my health makes me better for my family. I eat healthy, excercise and get in my sleep to be the best possible confident version of me! And I won’t feel guilty about it! I cater to my kiddos all day with activities, books, and day trips. An hour + in the YMCA kids club and they will survive.
I have also been reading different articles or blogs where people have competed and developed these food issues by the end of thier contest prep. Bobybuilding isn’t a sport for people with body image issues or those with unhealhty relationships with food. You have to stay level headed and understand the process. You need to know that food is there to nourish your body, not feed your mind.
After competing in the Gopher Sate Classic 3 weeks ago, I had decided not to compete in the Mr & Mrs. Natural Show May 15-16th. I knew I needed to have more shoulder muscle to really place well. I also felt like I didn’t have the mental compacity to hold on to my leanness and take care of my kids while maintaining my sanity. After having been able to eat a bunch more with the pressure of a contest gone, man, I feel fabulous. And, I have been holding on to that body I worked so hard for…..
After a show, reverse dieting is a “must do” if you want to properly get your metabolism back up to normal levels and not gain tons of weight. So, for about a week after the Gopher State, I held onto a reverse diet that was similar to my contest prep diet which looked like a low fat, moderate to low carb diet (at that point) but I just couldn’t do it. I was mentally fried. I needed a switch up and went for a ketogenic diet. The high fat, super low carb diet was such a nice change. Eating bacon, brats, avocado’s and olives all while maintaining my weight and not craving certain foods- bonus! Its amazing how I just pushed through prep so focused, not really realizing the amount of “hunger” my body was feeling. Well, I am eating now and I just feel so satiated! ahhhhh, I just love that feeling. 🙂
And I found me some stevia/ erythritoal sweetened chocolate I can eat on a keto diet… oh man it is good!
I haven’t slacked off in the gym. I still get in there 5-6 days per week and do my cardio outside (which I am also reversing out). Andrew Brightman (@builtbybrightman) wrote me this great workout plan right now that incorporates plyometrics and TRX bands… I am loving it!
On other issues outside of the gym and the kitchen, I am really having probelms with clothes fitting… I have run into this condundrum over the last year or so with clothes fitting, but it certainly has gotten worse. T-shirts I wore last summer look just straight up stupid on me now. On Wednesday, I tried on the cutest fitted summery silk dress but could barely zip up the back or move my arms for that matter— my lats were too big. Trying on a bigger size to fit my upper body only makes me look prego! hm. And so it goes. But really, I feel damn good, damn strong and totally amazing…. and sexy 😀 So break out those clothes with stretch, the flowy tops and yoga pants because those are the only things that fit!
But, my totally appreciative thought for the day today: Thank you non-contest prep fitness hobby for keeping my mind sane and food for keeping my body satiated. Here’s to sanity and satiety!
Lift on girls!
For you are strong.
You are fit.
You are driven.
You are woman!
Featured pic from the Carb Sane Asylum
1 Comment
Leave your reply.