Post-Competition Pounds

The night of the show is the night that a competitor has been working for, waking up early for, measuring their food for, and revolving their lives around for however many weeks of preparation it took to get stage-ready. Stepping on stage for that short amount of time to showcase your dedication makes everything worth it, but what happens after? Post-show celebration is a part of competing whether it is encouraged by coaches, teammates, relatives, friends, or the competitor themselves. Some competitors are excited about the post show treats, while others are very anxious about their body’s response, losing their progress, or getting out of control.

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Many competitors have scheduled “cheats” incorporated in their preparation regimen which can help put their minds at ease as they have seen how their body responds to these meals throughout. However, some competitors do not have any cheat meals, and may only have clean high-carb days, or not even that. These competitors may have a different response when adding “free foods” back into their bodies post-show.

Metabolism is the biggest factor with this. Being in a state of depletion, low carb, or low calorie in general will cause a decrease in metabolic rate. That’s why competitors cannot go from a show diet directly back to a “normal” diet where they were maintaining a comfortable weight before the show. If someone was eating 2200 calories per day and maintained a weight of 125lbs in their off-season, but was down to eating 1200 calories per day at the end of their prep, jumping right back into that surplus will cause weight-gain and shock. The body adapts to the depletion over time and slows your metabolism as it does not need to be as high with a restricted amount of calories.

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So what should a competitor do post show?

Despite the facts above, it is OKAY to let loose the night of the show and a couple days after. It is OKAY to take the next couple days off of the gym and turn the food scale off. However, it is not okay to keep doing this forever. Looking at the photos attached of the 1-week fluctuation after my most recent show, my body shows an accurate representation of what can happen when you go overboard and introduce “bad” foods back into your diet. Like I said though, it is OKAY.

After my show I had a burger with bacon on it that I kept dipping in ranch dressing (LOL), a side of curly fries, and two tacos. The next day was Easter Sunday and everyone had different types of candy to give me, including my favorite, Reese’s m&ms. I ate whatever I wanted all day and did not step foot into the gym.

I felt like someone could poke me with a needle and I would explode. My ankles and hands felt swollen and the last thing that I wanted to do was move. I then got myself up to the scale the next day, and I was 10lbs up from my stage weight. This is a crazy amount of weight gain for any girl, especially a competitor who has been watching that number for so long. However, I did not freak out, and I was NOT upset, as I knew that this was just my body absorbing everything that it had been deprived of for a long prep. People will call it water retention, bloating, absorption etc. This WILL happen, and it is OKAY. The worst part about this is that many competitors, especially women, will take this and think that it is permanent and that they have just destroyed all of their hard work. This is not true. That amount of hard work will not disappear from a couple days of letting loose. However, it will stay with you if you don’t get back on track!

Reverse dieting is different for everyone, but what I did to get rid of the excessive bloat was go back to my prep calories for the week, with an IIFYM based diet. I also got back into the gym. It is important to get moving again. Do not stay out of the gym for too long. Reverse cardio just like you reverse your diet. Everything is a process and it takes time. This sport is a lifestyle, not a sprint. Adding in calories will help you maintain that new physique that you have worked so hard for, but just remember that there will be changes to your body, and there will be weight gain. This is healthy and very important. Competitors should not maintain their stage-weight all year round, but you don’t have to fall victim to the post-show bloating and depression. Get back into it, put your Angel Competition Bikini back on, and let the gains begin!

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