Topic: Post show Diet.... While gearing back up for my upcoming shows I have been making it a point to contact many of the girls from past shows that I became close with just to check in. One thing I love about the bodybuilding community is it is full of women and men from all walks of life who are some of the most supportive individuals I have ever met. Most of these women have become lifelong friends for me and I am blessed to have you all in my life. A common theme most of the ladies I have spoken to have mentioned is “how they feel they fell off” after their last shows and are “struggling” to find the motivation they had prior due to being discouraged by their off season gains. I find it funny that out of all I have recently spoken too; maybe one has not had this complaint. Why is it too common for this to be an issue for those of us who project that we are the “pillars of health”? I have come to learn that “off season” is where the mental roller coaster begins for most of us. We spend so much time focusing on the “leaning out” of our bodies and come to fall in love with the end results. Then after our one night that we present packages that are often the best we have ever looked…. Have to change gears and get excited to gain weight and put on mass in order to improve….. Now this does not mean go hog wild and get fat. Gaining is a must for improvement but remember, this is a lifestyle and must be lived as such. I have seen many people take this in the wrong light and have myself seen what can happen if you are not careful. Personally I would be lost without my coach giving me a plan to follow. This works for me and I do very well as long as I have that support…… I know I am no good at doing all the “if it fits” type of thing. I am more of the “Maria, Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it” type. I know several others who can make their own plans and know their macros and can live happily like that. Number one, I hate math….. Number two…..I suck at math and three….I am ADD when it comes to that. It would look something like this…. “Ok so that’s 231 calories and X amount were carbs and I had this much pro……..omg my favorite show is on!! Fast forward two hours later….. “Crap its meal time….ok so I had 231 calories and X amount were carbs….but I have this many calories left I can have and I’m super hungry so I can eat them all now”. I am not a person who is willing to focus that much on my food intake. I am very disciplined when it comes to my plans; however at the same time prefer not to have to focus that much on food. I would rather just have it fool proofed for me. I often joke when people say “I can’t work that hard on my diet” or “you must really be disciplined” that the real truth is that I am just that lazy. I know myself. I know I love to compete and love the way my body looks when I eat healthy. I know I love to eat healthy. I also know creating that plan and the path to success is not my strong suit. I compensate for this by having found a wonderful coach who works with me and knows my body’s needs to create my on season plans, off season plans, ect. The point of this is know your body and your strengths and weaknesses. Develop a plan geared to you to help you succeed. Simplify it for yourself. Do not make things harder then they need to be. Eliminate your excuses. For me, the “if it fits” method leaves the door open for too much temptation to do me in. For others, they need to have that control to allow for variation in their diet to prevent temptation. Focus as much on your off season improving as you do your on season. Off season should not be seen as play time. Do not just present the image of being healthy to the world. Actually be healthy! I often laugh as I see a lot of people doing a lot of unhealthy things and then presenting an image that does not parallel the life they lead. If you are not enjoying your lifestyle, make a change. This sport is not for everyone. Be realistic with yourself. Hold yourself accountable in all areas of your life. If you find you are developing an unhealthy relationship with food or are focused on how you look to the point you are getting depressed, make a change. Contact your coach and talk about your options. I prefer to have no relationship with the food I eat. I keep it simple and I am happy that way. I do not deprive myself as I do not see food as pleasure as some people do. I do LOVE donuts however I find other things more enjoyable. If I want that Donut that bad today, well that’s fine. Cheat meal suddenly becomes today instead of the traditional Saturday night. Sure, I joke every now and then with others about seeing a food picture. That is mainly me relating with others to build camaraderie. I am happy with the way I live as it fits in with my personality type and gives me direction and purpose. I encourage others to find a lifestyle that suits them as mine does for me. The past few months, I took time off and tried the “eat healthy on your own” idea. This did not work well for me. My mother told me recently that she once had me observed as a child by a school psychologist. The results of that examination from when I was ten astounded me due to how much it applies to my life still this day. I am a doer. Give me a task and I will dedicate my whole self to it. My downfall is that I require order and structure to succeed. I like my life to be “organized” to a certain extent. I am aware of this and have made a plan for my success to take into account both my strengths and my weaknesses! Try it! It’s actually liberating!
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 15:00:30 +0000
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