Hey Omo! Yah, from what I’ve read post-comp can be a bitch. What’s it called? “rebounding” I don’t frickin’ know. Anyways, you’ll be fine - just get back on that wagon.
Are you planning on doing any more comps in the future?
How 'bout a powerlifting meet? No one cares if you’re fat. Just how much you lift! It’s a lotta lotta fun.
I love you ladies…seriously I do 
kp-I’m hoping I can string a few days of clean eating together…maybe the water retention from all the high sodium food will wear off a little and I have to admit…my “list of goals” that hangs on my fridge has recently been added to…I think after I reach a few of my running goals I’d LOVE to try powerlifting.
RBlue-how do you find the balance? Thats my biggest struggle now. I feel like I’ve been eating everything in sight only because i CAN. But the reality is I feel really bad physically so why wouldn’t my health be enough to stop eating like a maniac? Plus now that I have dairy back in my diet my skin is awful and I just feel like shit.
Masch-I’m only going to do one a year I think. Once October hits I’ll go back to it but for now I’ll attempt to run & still lift as heavy as I can…although right now I feel like a weakling in comparison to what I was doing.
I don’t mean to sound all whine-y…I’ll get my shit pulled together…its just taking me longer than I anticipated lol!
But on the plus side I’ve gotten to eat and drink everything that I was craving for three months I had a waiter tell me he was impressed with my clean plates…yes I mean plateS…I had three of them in front of me…oy
oh and I love you guys too…thanks for the support
Workout Back & Biceps
Assisted Pull Ups reps 15-12-10-8
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down reps 15-12-10-8; corresponding weight 60-70-70-80
T-Bar Row reps 15-12-10; 25-25-30
Single Arm DB Row reps 15-15-15; 25-25-25
Narrow Grip Pull Down reps 15-15-15; 60-60-70
Concentration Curls reps 15-15-15; 20-20-25
EZ Bar Preacher Curl reps 15-12-10-10-8; bar-bar+10- +10- +15
DB Curls reps 15-15-15; 15-15-20
Seated Hammer Curls reps 15-15-15; 15-15-15
21’s x 3 sets; 20 lbs
Not stellar but at least I got my ass in there
And as far as food today I’ve been trying to keep it pretty simple. lots of egg whites, some oatmeal, protein shakes. I’m hoping I can grab a grilled chicken salad for dinner before my shift at the restaurant starts.
OMO - I feel your pain! I was in the best condition of my life before my last figure comp (which was in October of 2008). I was a lean, mean 159-162… you could see all my abs, I could do 8 consecutive pull-ups, has recently deadlifted 2x my body weight, and I was eating 2400-3200 calories a day (and eating 5-6,000 on my cheat days)… I was in HOG HEAVEN.
Then… i decided to do another figure comp… I haven’t been the same since. My weight skyrocketed… I felt like shit… it took a while to get my eating under control… but even once I got in under control and was eating perfectly, I was still 175-178 and FLUFFY! I was tired, felt weak and my skin was breaking out (and I have DRY skin that NEVER breaks out)… went to the Doc and was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hypothyroidism, PCOS (polycystic ovarian disease) and Adrenal Fatigue… I can’t say that all of that was BECAUSE of my last comp… but it sure was the straw that broke the camel’s back! I was on top of the world 8 months before!!!
I am starting to feel a lot better… I am fluctuating between 165-169 now (with a tad more muscle) and my strength is better than before… my skin also looks better and I have a bit more energy but still not a ton.
My Doc says if I EVER want to get back to “normal” I can’t do any more figure comps (and she is very open-minded to stuff like that)… it was a very sad day for me to realize that… almost like I was losing a friend… but then I realized that I could channel that competitive drive into other things like powerlifting!
Sure I miss competing… and it’s a little sad when I go to shows… but honestly I know many, many women who compete… and only the GENETIC ELITE can compete time and time again without affecting their bodies too much (aesthetically at least… I know many of them haven’t had a period in years!)
Most of the women I know who compete look soft and fluffy like they don’t even work out for about 9 months out of the year… and they hardly ever get to eat anything yummy!!! The only time they start to look “good” again is about 6 week before a show and at that point they are cranky, exhausted and anti-social! It’s a ridiculous and vicious cycle.
Anyway… I know it’s totally a personal choice… but I just want you to know that you are not alone… and that even if you ARE able to control yourself better after your next show… your “rebound” will likely be the same… or maybe even worse =-/ You are lucky that you are passionate about so many other sports (PL-ing, running, etc)… you could totally get your competitive drive satisfied through those…
Now get back on the bandwagon and if you have any questions/concerns feel free to PM me or stop by my thread!
wow, competing doesn’t sound like fun AT ALL! Although I’ve thought about doing it just ONCE to say that I did! Bodybuilding, not figure…but I’m sure the dieting part is the same…
OMO- so how are you going to get your eating under control? You can DO IT!! A couple days and you will feel better…interesting about the dairy thing!!
I developed elbow tendonitis when I started doing squats. Since I’ve stopped (which I had to do due to a back injury - my body just does not want to squat) the elbow’s got better.
[quote]OnMyOwn32 wrote:
RBlue-how do you find the balance? Thats my biggest struggle now. I feel like I’ve been eating everything in sight only because i CAN. But the reality is I feel really bad physically so why wouldn’t my health be enough to stop eating like a maniac? Plus now that I have dairy back in my diet my skin is awful and I just feel like shit.
[/quote]
I’m definitely not the best person to ask about finding balance. For one, I’ve only actually done one show, and as of right now I have no plans to do another (at least not in the near future). For two, I tend to be all-or-nothing in the way I do things - I also ate everything in sight following my comp.
But don’t be so hard on yourself - you’ve gotten yourself so lean that your body has basically been deprived, and so (I think) your body NEEDS the extra calories, and NEEDS to put on some more body fat so that it’s at a more healthy, maintainable level.
Turn your voracious appetite into a positive - Keep training hard and heavy with the weights, and the extra food will help you put on lots of muscle, and you’ll get stronger too!
^ya, I’ve heard about the positive side to this rebound effect which equals MORE MUSCLE!! Don’t stop training now!!
[quote]mmgalb727 wrote:
OMO - I feel your pain! I was in the best condition of my life before my last figure comp (which was in October of 2008). I was a lean, mean 159-162… you could see all my abs, I could do 8 consecutive pull-ups, has recently deadlifted 2x my body weight, and I was eating 2400-3200 calories a day (and eating 5-6,000 on my cheat days)… I was in HOG HEAVEN.
Then… i decided to do another figure comp… I haven’t been the same since. My weight skyrocketed… I felt like shit… it took a while to get my eating under control… but even once I got in under control and was eating perfectly, I was still 175-178 and FLUFFY! I was tired, felt weak and my skin was breaking out (and I have DRY skin that NEVER breaks out)… went to the Doc and was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hypothyroidism, PCOS (polycystic ovarian disease) and Adrenal Fatigue… I can’t say that all of that was BECAUSE of my last comp… but it sure was the straw that broke the camel’s back! I was on top of the world 8 months before!!!
I am starting to feel a lot better… I am fluctuating between 165-169 now (with a tad more muscle) and my strength is better than before… my skin also looks better and I have a bit more energy but still not a ton.
My Doc says if I EVER want to get back to “normal” I can’t do any more figure comps (and she is very open-minded to stuff like that)… it was a very sad day for me to realize that… almost like I was losing a friend… but then I realized that I could channel that competitive drive into other things like powerlifting!
Sure I miss competing… and it’s a little sad when I go to shows… but honestly I know many, many women who compete… and only the GENETIC ELITE can compete time and time again without affecting their bodies too much (aesthetically at least… I know many of them haven’t had a period in years!)
Most of the women I know who compete look soft and fluffy like they don’t even work out for about 9 months out of the year… and they hardly ever get to eat anything yummy!!! The only time they start to look “good” again is about 6 week before a show and at that point they are cranky, exhausted and anti-social! It’s a ridiculous and vicious cycle.
Anyway… I know it’s totally a personal choice… but I just want you to know that you are not alone… and that even if you ARE able to control yourself better after your next show… your “rebound” will likely be the same… or maybe even worse =-/ You are lucky that you are passionate about so many other sports (PL-ing, running, etc)… you could totally get your competitive drive satisfied through those…
Now get back on the bandwagon and if you have any questions/concerns feel free to PM me or stop by my thread!
[/quote]
Wow mmg you’ve been through alot! Thank you so much for the input. I’ve always had such issue with binge eating as it is so the whole rebounding thing is just making it go haywire. Thankfully my figure coach is understanding about my passion for running so now she’s trying to work with me on nutrition for this phase of activity…its just been a struggle to find the balance. Working in an italian restaurant doesn’t help either lol!
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
wow, competing doesn’t sound like fun AT ALL! Although I’ve thought about doing it just ONCE to say that I did! Bodybuilding, not figure…but I’m sure the dieting part is the same…
OMO- so how are you going to get your eating under control? You can DO IT!! A couple days and you will feel better…interesting about the dairy thing!![/quote]
Thats the odd part…I really MISS the structure of the diet and to be honest, I’ve never felt healthier than when I was following it. My coach never took carbs out of my diet (only for two days right before the competiton)so I was never horribly cranky or lethargic. My willpower was tested for sure but my insides felt so good and how they “should” feel (does that make sense?)
I don’t know how I’m going to get it under control. I find that I’m very “good” all day and then go off the deep end and eat an entire jar of peanut butter or something crazy stupid like that. I’m trying my best to keep a food journal. She wants me to eat a nice amount of calories, even on non running days, so hopefully I won’t lose too much muscle. I did ok yesterday until late at work…cleaning up the bread station just sends me into eating loaves of sourdough bread with yummy dipping oil…I gotta quit that shit! lol!
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I developed elbow tendonitis when I started doing squats. Since I’ve stopped (which I had to do due to a back injury - my body just does not want to squat) the elbow’s got better.[/quote]
Hey Cal! Yeah this elbow tendonitis is painful as fuck. I went to grab my canister of oatmeal this morning and couldn’t lift it up my arm/elbow hurt so bad.
[quote]RBlue wrote:
I’m definitely not the best person to ask about finding balance. For one, I’ve only actually done one show, and as of right now I have no plans to do another (at least not in the near future). For two, I tend to be all-or-nothing in the way I do things - I also ate everything in sight following my comp.
But don’t be so hard on yourself - you’ve gotten yourself so lean that your body has basically been deprived, and so (I think) your body NEEDS the extra calories, and NEEDS to put on some more body fat so that it’s at a more healthy, maintainable level.
Turn your voracious appetite into a positive - Keep training hard and heavy with the weights, and the extra food will help you put on lots of muscle, and you’ll get stronger too![/quote]
Oh good, so you’re an extremist just like me? ;)I know my body needs the calories but I just loved the way it looked and felt when I was about 4 weeks out. I plan to train as hard as I possibly can…I’m trying to look at this figure/running combo as a science experiment lol!
[quote]OnMyOwn32 wrote:
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I developed elbow tendonitis when I started doing squats. Since I’ve stopped (which I had to do due to a back injury - my body just does not want to squat) the elbow’s got better.[/quote]
Hey Cal! Yeah this elbow tendonitis is painful as fuck. I went to grab my canister of oatmeal this morning and couldn’t lift it up my arm/elbow hurt so bad. [/quote]
In the squat, pushing your elbows forward helps keep your chest high…it also stresses the tendons on the inside of the elbow. I had the same problem.
OMO, you are probably right-handed so you do a lot of day-to-day stuff that stresses your elbow. Try to think about using your left arm to give your elbow a break. I had the same problem.
And, get neoprene sleeves for your elbows for when you train. They might look goofy, or cool depending on how you feel about it, but they will help over time. Don’t be afraid to use ibuprofen to bring the inflammation down.
Theres a difference between allowing treats and all out binging…we all know that. And we all have the power to make CHOICES…you seem like a smart woman…when you find yourself thinking about binging, just think about how guilty or bad your gonna feel after…It’s not worth it!
Do something else! Go on a walk, stretch, chew gum, brush your teeth! Or you can write it here, and we’ll talk you off the cliff…
[quote]OnMyOwn32 wrote:
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
wow, competing doesn’t sound like fun AT ALL! Although I’ve thought about doing it just ONCE to say that I did! Bodybuilding, not figure…but I’m sure the dieting part is the same…
OMO- so how are you going to get your eating under control? You can DO IT!! A couple days and you will feel better…interesting about the dairy thing!![/quote]
Thats the odd part…I really MISS the structure of the diet and to be honest, I’ve never felt healthier than when I was following it. My coach never took carbs out of my diet (only for two days right before the competiton)so I was never horribly cranky or lethargic. My willpower was tested for sure but my insides felt so good and how they “should” feel (does that make sense?)
I don’t know how I’m going to get it under control. I find that I’m very “good” all day and then go off the deep end and eat an entire jar of peanut butter or something crazy stupid like that. I’m trying my best to keep a food journal. She wants me to eat a nice amount of calories, even on non running days, so hopefully I won’t lose too much muscle. I did ok yesterday until late at work…cleaning up the bread station just sends me into eating loaves of sourdough bread with yummy dipping oil…I gotta quit that shit! lol![/quote]
If you’re binging because you’re actually hungry to begin with, it could be that you’re not taking in enough calories earlier in the day. Maybe try eating a bigger breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc, and see if that helps your willpower in the evening.
I definitely have had the same issue, and it was normally because I was being too strict with food early in the day.
The easiest way not to binge is not to keep binge foods in the house. I can’t have peanut butter around, or anything nice at all because I WILL eat it. I also find sticking to a low carb diet helps. I eat mostly primal (see www.marksdailyapple.com ) although I allow myself some treats at the weekend. The key to treats is to only buy a small amount. I absolutely love nuts and dried fruit but if I buy, say, a 500g of brazil nuts I will eat the whole sodding thing.
Well I’ve been slacking on the eating healthy and the posting here but the news is I’m still lifting and I’m really starting to rack up my mileage I had a phenomenal 12 mile trail run yesterday but it kicked my ass! Woke up late this morning so I’ll have to go do back & biceps at lunch.
And Cal I sympathize with the peanut butter issues…that is probably one of my biggest trigger foods.