For the last 6 months, as you probably already know if you've been following me, I've been on a strict diet and training regimen leading up to my figure competitions. I ended up doing two more shows than I planned on, which means I've been in a deficit for two month longer than I had originally planned. Although I don't usually recommend people go on strict diets if the goal is to lose weight, feel better, and improve overall health in a long term sustainable way, there are some circumstances, individual goals, and situation where specific diets and meal plans are appropriate. Getting on stage for a bodybuilding or figure competition is certainly one of them. You cannot achieve extreme low levels of body fat for the stage without being very specific and consistent with diet.

I have by no means been starving (which may be surprising to some), but it is not healthy to try to maintain such low body fat year round (nor is it desirable for most. Watch my video where I talk about the negatives of being super lean). Being an athlete, on season is very strict, regimented and intense. Everything has to be on point: diet, cardio, weight training, food preparation, sleep, and recovery. I'm a big believer in balance. So now that the shows are over, it's time to transition back to a healthy balanced life and body composition. For me, this includes indulging in more "fun" foods, drinking some sour beers and hard ciders, being spontaneous, going out for dinner, taking more time off from the gym, and putting more time into other activities I enjoy. Of course training is what I love to do, so I will continue to train hard in the gym. The off season is where improvements are made and muscle is built. This years competition journey has relit a fire in me as a competitor, so I will surely be training with purpose.

Although I follow a very specific meal plan in contest prep, in the off season I still keep the same basic structure, but I rely more the habits that will allow me to be more flexible and healthy in life without worrying about hitting exact numbers. These are the same habits I coach in my online nutrition programs-teaching clients how to eat in a way that fits their lifestyle, schedule, and preferences without having to "be on a diet". Learning how to eat in a way that works for you and listening to your body combined with some basic nutrition education will take you a very long way.

The foods I've been eating through contest prep are the same foods I eat all the time, they just got reduced and a little more limited as the prep went on and I needed to progress, and there was no room for "extras". As I transition out of contest prep, I am reverse dieting, slowly adding in more food to allow my metabolism to increase back up to a normal maintenance level. I continue to check in with my coach to hold me accountable as he makes small adjustments to my diet and training program. The goal is to slowly put on body fat instead of bingeing for weeks on end after the show is over, which is a recipe for a lot of fat gain quickly and can potentially be problematic as I've experienced many times in the past.

This post show process is hard. There is no immediate goal anymore, so mentally a lot of competitors struggle during this time. If you know me, you know I love to eat. It's a constant battle of balance. Allowing myself to lighten up and eat, but not go overboard. I have struggled with body image and binge eating in the past, so I have to be careful with my actions, my self talk, and aware of my mental state. After so many months of going in one direction: getting leaner and leaner, I now have to accept and embrace balancing out in the other direction: putting on body fat. Although I was ready to gain some weight back, it can still be challenging to see the definition slowly disappear and it is a slippery slope when you love food. I'm finding the balance of feeling good, staying healthy, and being comfortable in my skin. Whether you know what you're doing or not, no matter how advanced you are, having a coach always helps.

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