Bluesville

Well congratulations, you did it! You conquered that stage, possibly won a trophy, possibly didn't win a trophy, but who cares?!?!  The sheer joy you felt when your family and friends cheered your name as you crossed that stage was trophy enough.  However in between pints of ice cream and plates of yam fries you find yourself taking too long looks in the mirror at your changing body. The tan is wearing off with each shower and your body is still trying to figure out what to do with all the water you’re drinking again which means you can’t see your abs anymore.  You’re missing most of the eyelashes on your right eye from two sets of false lashes in 2 days and your glue on nails are coming off with every key stroke.  All of it is making you sad and depressed which means more ice cream. 

Put down the Haagen Dasz darling and put your big girl panties on.

Welcome to Bluesville! The place where most of us newbies dwell for a while after the high of competing wears off.  A lot of questions are formed in Bluesville.

“What do I eat now?”
“How do I train now?”
“How do I stop feeding my face with junk so my body doesn’t explode now??”

I have one word for you: breathe. It’s going to be ok!  The first step is to reign in your junk food intake; it’s making your issues worse. Not only is it causing extreme bloating and body shock, but it’s affecting your moods by aiding to your depressed mental state.  The second step is to talk to your trainer (if you had one) about off season eating.  He or she can put together an off season plan for you to follow while your brain wraps itself around the current situation.  Next, focus on your off season goals. Do you even want to compete again? If so, what areas do you have to work on?  Tailor a training regimen to those goals using exercises already you know then think outside of the box once you’re comfortable. 

The last thing to remember is that after all of the intense competition prep training, your body needs a break.  Take at least the whole week off from the gym after your competition to let your body rest.  Keep yourself on track by sticking to clean eating principles and keeping the indulgences to one meal, not the whole day.  Be proud of what you’ve accomplished and don’t forget about how hard you worked to get here!