Post Contest Eating Control!!

[SleepLifter]

OK guys,

I know Quelly made a thread similar to this. So I just finished my last show for the season about 10 days ago and I plan on taking a 2-3 year break to grow. I'm 19 and badly need the size. Of course I did the whole post contest gorge thing and right now I am between 9 and 15 lbs heavier than where I competed at depending on the time of day.

The problem is that the post contest control is much harder than the diet itself...now that everything in a possibility, I'm going crazy. I have certain numbers I want to hit and I have my clean eating all planned out, but I usually end up destroying myself by the end of the day. I'm ALWAYS hungy, and it's usually for carbs. My weight is all over the place on a day to day basis. 2 questions:

1.) If I were to hypothetically not stress about it, and just eat, do you think I can count on my youthful metabolism to keep the fat from getting too out of control?

2.) When will my weight fluxuation level off? It's really confusing and annoying to be all over the scale...I know it's a water thing that is being influenced by the amount of CHO I take in...But when will my metabolism catch up with me so I can eat again?

input much appreciated!

D

[Agostage]

I don't know if I could answer your questions but I do know that you should relax and try not to worry about weight. You should do what you feel you can and just check your bodyfat % once every week or two to make sure you're not getting out of control. If your measurements are too large for you change something or even go on a simple modest cut for a couple weeks. At least that's what I plan on doing.

[SleepLifter]

yeah..maybe I should invest in a caliper...but man, it is so hard to not pile the food in post contest. My ankles are still a little swollen from all this water!

[Agostage]

I have more problems with the booze than the food. I am pretty social and I just love hanging out drinking beers playing dart, but I usually put down quite a few. Oh well, we all have our Hercules heal.

[TCannon]

Ive never competed in a show before, Im actually prepping for my first right now. But once I got back into training after a year layoff coming back from deployment I did a 22 week cut and ended up at about 8 or 9% bf and had no intention of putting that weight back on agin anytime soon. Went from like 20 or more percent to 9 or so in that time period. but once I finished the cut the following week I would do just like you and binge my ass off, so I came to the conclusion that if I was going to do that it was going to be controlled bingeing. The perfect diet for me was the NHE eating plan, a type of ketogenic mass building approach that allows you to pig out a bit on carbs at the end of every 2nd and 4th day. I would basically eat all the protein and fat (80% healthy fats) I wanted and then on those cheat nights allow myself to binge for an hour. The catch was to limit the amount of water consumed during the bingeing to inhibit excess edema from the influx of all these carbs. After awhile I got used to eating veggies meats and almonds all day but if I got tired of it I would soon have a controlled binge just ahead. Ive always been more on the endomorphic side so it was perfect for staying lean and adding muscle but if you tend to be more ecto-ish you could increase the cheats slightly, just play around with the diet until you get a solid amount of control over yourself to keep you from bingeing.It may not be the best dieting approach but perhaps just the thing you would need to help bring back some sort of structure to your diet so you can get back on track.

[NPC_Jim]

No stressing is first key. And you are still young, so the body has time to grow and still remain lean based on the clean food.

Eat enjoy! The next show is close enough. And as you age, the prep weeks will become longer. Ah the days when we could get ripped in 12 weeks! NOw it's more like 25 weeks!

[SleepLifter]

yeah this water retention is ridiculous...I must be holding at least 12 lbs and its ALL in my stomach. So I am distended, yet still hungry. And my ankles are still swollen even 10 days later! I'm getting track marks from my socks! LOL Mid day I weighed myself and I was up 22 LBS...this is getting out of control!

[ChokeOnStrength]

Dude, I just finihsed my show on Saturday, and ate like an animal for the day after... and I already feel like a blimp... I am not lettin it stress me to bad though, but to me its noticable the difference due to water retension and bloat... But you know what, if you can put yourself through hell to diet... you can easily not over endulge... You'll get back into it, let your body play its games, but never lose control of the physical.

[SleepLifter]

you are right man..I think I need to go back on a contest style diet for a week or so to clean my system out. It is very hard.

[MattyH7688]

yeah this water retention is ridiculous...I must be holding at least 12 lbs and its ALL in my stomach. So I am distended, yet still hungry. And my ankles are still swollen even 10 days later! I'm getting track marks from my socks! LOL Mid day I weighed myself and I was up 22 LBS...this is getting out of control!

lmmfao i read this and felt this was a thread about me


we r exactly 100% the same.. people ask to see my abs and uhhh what am i suppose to tell them, i am a bloated mess..

i binged after my show through sunday and monday i started eating normal food.. except i was eating quite a bit of carbs(a lot of cereal:()

i hope this goes away soon.. my stomach looks like ****..

[billfinkbiner]

The key is to keep any of the "binge food" out of your house. It's hard, but will be effective. Last time I would still binge, but it would be on handfuls of almonds and raisins. I have no idea what would have happend it were pasta, or sweets. Drink more water and maybe take some potasium to reduce your ankle swelling.

[dcharland]

Hey man, congrats on the shows this year. How did you do?

As far as post-contest eating, remember a few things. Your body is still a furnace metabolically. You may feel like ****, but you're not doing a ton of harm, especially if you are taking 2 years to grow. Eat what you want man. It's all a mental thing. We do these shows and then we get depressed cuz offseason we aren't as shredded.....but you deserve some of those carbs. It'll make you feel better about yourself and help you train harder.

Here is how I handle crappy eating....if I have a lousy lunch or something, I use that as incentive to train harder in the gym. Almost like I am mad at myself for doin it. Go nuts, eat it up man!

[ctgblue]

All I can tell you is my plan
a couple of nice cheat meals after the show is done (2-3 during the week)
other than that, I am keeping the same eating plan and simply adding back the complex carbs
I am not letting my bf get back up to pre-prep level this time, too hard to lose it without a lot of muscle loss
Eating 7 times a day with the proper foods, will keep you from craving all kinds of crap
remember, crap begets crap, you are what you eat, and junk food spikes your sugar, releasing tha massive insulin spike, dropping your sugar so low you gotta eat more crap or fall asleep
eat right and the cravings should subside, all in moderation my son

[MattyH7688]

well i just ate some cocoa pebbles and poptarts after my pwo shake.. oh well so much for a diet

[Menna]

My contest diet started in January and is ending this sat (2 days) at the INBF Naturalmania...Along the way I did a show in May, June, July, Aug, Sept 8th and now this one...

I binged after the July show and I couldn't sleep that night cause I was in so much pain. I got right back on my contest diet Monday and it took me a good 10 days to undo what I did to my body Sat night and Sunday...So it took me 10 days of a contest diet and workouts to break even from the junk I ate in about 34 hours I think thats crazy

All I can tell you guys is that after the night show this Sat I am going to the super market with my credit card and filling my cart with whaterever I want and eating donuts and pastries as i walk down the isle...

To give u some advice what I am going to do is pig out Sat night and all day Sunday. On Monday I am going to start a clean bulking diet, with a intense bulking workout schedual. I am going to eat a lot but it will be alot of the right foods (Pro- Chicken, Tuna, Top Round steaks, 93% lean beef, egg whites and turkey. Carbs- Yams, brown rice, oatmeal, wheat bread. Fats - EFA's and heavy whipping cream added to my MRP shakes) spread out over 7-8 meals with good post workout nutrition.

I feel you can eat alot in the offseason as long as it is alot of the right food. Basicaly the contest diet foods with the addition of the wheat bread and the heavy whipping cream.

Here is something to look at if you are in the offseason and want a clean bulking diet...

http://forums.*************/?showtopic=5695

[SleepLifter]

how much weight do you guys typically gain in the first 1-2 weeks? I am up about 15 lbs in 12 days. I have reduced the "crap" eating-but I am eating a TON of regular food. Let's just say the sky is raining OATMEAL lol. So it could be worse in that respect. What are the typical gains for you guys?

[ChokeOnStrength]

Well, my show was this past Saturday. I binged Saturday night, Sunday... and ate healthy but more of it Monday morning. Then from Monday to this Friday right now, it's been contest diet. I'm looking a lot better then I did monday morning. Feeling great and weighing in at about 192. That's about 8 lbs heavier then I was the day of the show. So in about a week I gained 8 lbs. Hahaha. But without a doubt, atleast 50% of that is water retention. But the bloat is slowly begining to creep back out with increasing the crap outta my water. PLUS this weight is after a carb-refeed from last night. So from what I remember, I usually fluxiate about 2-2.5 lbs post carb refeed the next morning, then weight stabilizes.

So all in all, I don't think I'm doing too bad at all. I'll stick on this pre-contest diet untell Sunday, then begin to transition very very slowly into a super clean lean mass phase.

Honestly guys, just jump back on the diet.. It really gives you peace of mind. All that hard work... But you know, if you gotta enjoy yourself so you don't lose your mind, then by all means, don't deprive what a man truly needs here and there... Gluttony!

[icery]

depending on the length and caloric restriction of the diet its easier for some to say 'just go back to a regular bodybuilding diet' when the hunger is so excessive that its not like you missed lunch, but more like feeling quit literally like you haven't eaten in 3 days and can't fall asleep because its so bad.

[BiG mOrLz]

SleepLifter I feel ya bro, I did my first show Sunday 16th and since I have not stopped eating, by wednesday I was up 25 pounds and since then I have not even bothered looking at the scales or the mirror, I just wish I had seen this coming I'm ashamed lol. Oh well, we'll learn for next time

[ChokeOnStrength]

SleepLifter I feel ya bro, I did my first show Sunday 16th and since I have not stopped eating, by wednesday I was up 25 pounds and since then I have not even bothered looking at the scales or the mirror, I just wish I had seen this coming I'm ashamed lol. Oh well, we'll learn for next time

Bro, it may be time to STOP!!! :)

[BiG mOrLz]

Mate tell me about it, I don't know what the hell happened

[ChokeOnStrength]

Mate tell me about it, I don't know what the hell happened

Yeah ya do man. Haha we all know when it happens, and what is happening. It's called heaven... But bro, gotta push yourself back into the real world where we get fat QUICK.

Haha.

Stop now, and get back on your diet 100% man, 25 lbs is a lot easier to lose then 50. Plus im sure majority of it is water.

[BiG mOrLz]

yeah your right man, gotta hit it hard now. Do you go straight back to lifting heavy post-contest or take ya time a little?

[ChokeOnStrength]

This is exactly what I did bro:

Competed Saturday

Pigged out Saturday night, all day Sunday and Monday morning

Jumped back onto pre-contest diet which wasn't easy, but after the first day of diet it diminished all cravings.

I am only on the pre-contest diet I was on the week before I competed for a week, to get rid of whatever I did to myself Monday to Sunday and to decrease water retention.

And I took a week off of training.

Let the body recalibrate itself.

[BiG mOrLz]

Yeah I've taken a week off too which has obviously added to the monstrous weight gain. So whats the plan for you now after a week of contest dieting then, a semi-clean bulk or what??

[dcerullo]

OK Guys, here's some thoughts from the female point of view! Stay the hell off the scale! I thought women were weight obssesed. Before each of my competitions I make a list of the cheat foods I'm going to eat after the show. I eat them all within the first week after and not all in one day. Then thats it no more! It's getting more difficult as I get "younger" to get the bf off and I don't want to work that hard.....lol so I try try to keep my bf around 13-14% that leaves me a "cheat" once in a while, until I go pre-contest 16-20 wks out. Just my 2 cents. :)

[ChokeOnStrength]

Yeah I've taken a week off too which has obviously added to the monstrous weight gain. So whats the plan for you now after a week of contest dieting then, a semi-clean bulk or what??

Lean Mass Phase :)

Going to slowly transition into a caloric surplus, but I'll be starting slow, adding calories to my diet slowly untell I get to maintenance. Then I will transition into the surplus.

3 Month Lean Mass Phase. I start these with as low as bf as I can, thusly why I jumped back on the pre-contest diet for a week. That way I can stay relatively lean, maybe see a 2% bf gain.

[BiG mOrLz]

sounds like a plan, good luck and enjoy!

[ChokeOnStrength]

sounds like a plan, good luck and enjoy!

Thanks a lot bro, and you get yourself back in the game to, I know you'll do it up big. Starting now!

Goodluck

[SleepLifter]

yeah..its been exactly 2 weeks as of today for me and I'm up 15. Abs still visable....separation is there, but I look shameful in comparison to contest. LOL. However, I'm just eating now. BIG and CLEAN. But I still eat what I want. I don't really feel I need to get back to contest shape before I start building up. My metabolism is basically just returning to normal and I'm finding my set point again. I haven't gone completley lard-o. Haha!

[MattyH7688]

i went into the sauna today for like a half hour.. my body seriously like changed completely.. i actually look normal now.. it was gross i never sweated so much in my life

[SleepLifter]

normal...haha! For me, looking normal is having my face shape back and keeping a lil of that thickness on me. LOL.

You know guys, I just come to terms with the fact that there is more to life than bodybuilding and as much as I strive to integrate it, I'm not going to FORCE myself back onto the diet and tracking all my macros and whatnot. I'll ballpark and eat smart, that's it. I'm ready to be a normal human for a while and just lift **** heavy weight. When I have to be ready, I will be.

[BiG mOrLz]

I feel the same as you SleepLifter, quite enjoying a bit of normality at the minute, my passion for bodybuilding aint going anywhere so I think I'll be fine the long run

Matty how much weight you put on since your show?

[MattyH7688]

20 lbs :(

its weird, i know what fat feels like.. i use to be fat haha and i dont think its all fat.. but who knows, im hittin up the sauna again today

[rav2003]

how much weight do you guys typically gain in the first 1-2 weeks? I am up about 15 lbs in 12 days. I have reduced the "crap" eating-but I am eating a TON of regular food. Let's just say the sky is raining OATMEAL lol. So it could be worse in that respect. What are the typical gains for you guys?

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I'm going throught the same exact thing! This happened after my last contest last year- I thought it was the stress of the job...but I guess its not.

Right now sticking to a diet is more difficult than contest prep- Sleeplifter I'm with you 100%!...I'm not stressing about it and I'm enjoying it....when my body is ready to stick to a diet I'll be ready in the meantime I'll just enjoy nice clean food in any kind of proportions...

PS
Talk about raining oatmeal...try it with Waldenfarms Chocolate Syrup..It'll pour Oatmeal to your mouth.

[SleepLifter]

Well Rav I have to say, I've always looked up to you with MASSIVE respect. Not only do you look AMAZING, but to win the coveted WNBF Pro Status while in MED school...practically unheard of. Now that you chimed in, I feel completley justified in stuffing my face. LOL. So THANKS for that!

My thing is, if I attempt to set numbers on my diet and say "no, I can't eat this I'm already at X amount of carbs for the day" I think I'm going to explode. I've been doing that gig for 8 months now. Just like you said, when I want to be ready, I know exaclty what to do- and I will feel the motivation in my soul. If I tried to stick to something now, I would just find myself cheating all the time.

Loosen your belts fellas...

[icery]

i went into the sauna today for like a half hour.. my body seriously like changed completely.. i actually look normal now.. it was gross i never sweated so much in my life

it sounds kinda weird, but i found swimming as deep as possible in a pool helped with some of my retention .. i was peeing like crazy that night

[Blahzay128]

Your right...that does sound wierd...haha

[Ev1L]

it sounds kinda weird, but i found swimming as deep as possible in a pool helped with some of my retention .. i was peeing like crazy that night


Sweet I hope thats true. I just came off of my first competetion yesterday. I have my scuba lab on thursdays so I should be down deep in the water for a while.

[SleepLifter]

Sweet I hope thats true. I just came off of my first competetion yesterday. I have my scuba lab on thursdays so I should be down deep in the water for a while.

Hate to break the news, but I don't think that has ANY basis in science. LOL. Congrats on the comp though. How did you place?

[ChokeOnStrength]

Deep water = pressure, pressure = I unno? Lol

[icery]

probably something like that, but minimal really. i also put myself right up to those pressure things on the sides in our pool. it was REAL strong, i was holding so much water it was putting dents in me, lol. speaking of pressure, i wonder if a massage would help?

[ChokeOnStrength]

probably something like that, but minimal really. i also put myself right up to those pressure things on the sides in our pool. it was REAL strong, i was holding so much water it was putting dents in me, lol. speaking of pressure, i wonder if a massage would help?

Definitely would. I hear massages do wonders for clearing out lactic acid and water retension

[Moirae]

Im gonna enjoy my $100 + worth of glutteny grocery shopping this week (on top of normal groceries)..then after next wknd its back to dieting and heavy lifting for the winter :)

let us all partake in the wonders of post competition binging!!!...RAWR!!!

[SleepLifter]

Im gonna enjoy my $100 + worth of glutteny grocery shopping this week (on top of normal groceries)..then after next wknd its back to dieting and heavy lifting for the winter :)

let us all partake in the wonders of post competition binging!!!...RAWR!!!

I hear ya I hear ya, but at this point it's not binging. It's just eating a lot of food, all the time. LOL.

[Moirae]

however we can word it to justify it is good with me..lmao



I hear ya I hear ya, but at this point it's not binging. It's just eating a lot of food, all the time. LOL.

[billfinkbiner]

Definitely would. I hear massages do wonders for clearing out lactic acid and water retension

I would not be able to train without getting a massage every other week. And on the days I do get worked on, I release water about every 45 minutes.

[SleepLifter]

Hey I'm holding water for sure..but I'm not crazy enough to think that 15 lbs is all water. LOL. Probably 7-8. The rest FATTTTTT.

[Moirae]

I officiallly diagnose us with Post Competition binge syndrome :D

[SleepLifter]

I officiallly diagnose us with Post Competition binge syndrome :D

Golden Corral won out over IHOP today for the recovery meal. I wanted a buffet. I went in there and it was ON- I completley decimated the resturant. Even regulars were frightened. I chowed through plates piled high with slow grilled steak, sweet potatoes, rice and bread. Then I moved onto some lighter salads and steamed veggies. Then I pounded countless cookies, a few browines and a slice or two of cake. Then it was back to the steak for another meat massacre. I think I ingested over 2000 kcal in one sitting. 9 plates in all. I feel like I'm going to die- but it would be a happy death. I'm still sitting outside the resturant as we speak, just sweating and pulsing.

[Moirae]

immediately backstage I partook(sp?) of two slices of pizza...then we headed to outback..ate a whole loaf of the brown bread... rack of babyback ribs(only ate half to save room for dessert..and a hurricane....3 coconut shrimp and a handful of fried mushrooms..then the chocolate thunder downunder..ate 3/4 of it...2 glasses of coke..

Sunday AM..hit dennys for the meat lovers scrambler(2 scrambled eggs with diced sausage, bacon and dice ham...homesyle potatoes. 2 sausage links, 2 slices of bacon and 3 pancakes......lunch was a homemade hamburger at a birthday party with a slice of cake and ice cream and more soda...also some candy bar that i inhaled on the way to the party..heheheh

sunday dinner consisted of 3 slices of a large meat lovers pizza... and 1/3 of a pint of cherry garcia ice cream..

so far today..i ate a huge bowl of some crunchy, nutty flakes with almond caramel flavored cereal....large banana...2 pop tarts..pbj sandwich, 6 keebler chocolate peanut butter cup cookies...quarter pounder with cheese, small fry...oreo mcflurry...mini bag of blast o butter popcorn(actually didnt taste that good)

dinner was full order of asagio beef flatbread from crispers.. 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream and 1/2 lava cake shared with a friend...and just now another bowl of cereal and im not done...whew.....now that i read all that back..thats alot of freakin food..lmao!!!!!

giving myself a full week of glutteny..but i dont think im gonna make it...some things ive even tried to eat just doesnt taste the same anymore :(




Golden Corral won out over IHOP today for the recovery meal. I wanted a buffet. I went in there and it was ON- I completley decimated the resturant. Even regulars were frightened. I chowed through plates piled high with slow grilled steak, sweet potatoes, rice and bread. Then I moved onto some lighter salads and steamed veggies. Then I pounded countless cookies, a few browines and a slice or two of cake. Then it was back to the steak for another meat massacre. I think I ingested over 2000 kcal in one sitting. 9 plates in all. I feel like I'm going to die- but it would be a happy death. I'm still sitting outside the resturant as we speak, just sweating and pulsing.

[Ev1L]

Hate to break the news, but I don't think that has ANY basis in science. LOL. Congrats on the comp though. How did you place?

It went alright. I didn't come in well though. I followed the guy who did my nutritions advice to the T, but all it lead me to was coming in flat.

I had a blast though and learned a lot. I did place first, but I was the only one in the teen division, lol. :)

I now know what needs to be done next time and will be better prepared!

[SleepLifter]

lemme guess...you cut water?

[MattyH7688]

i cut water my last show :eek:

i was 7 lbs lighter from the show i wa two weeks before that.. but looked almost the same if not better the show before

i had to make a weight class though at 176.25 and i was 178 for my first comp.. then i gained 20 lbs in 24 hours after my show.. so it was long days on the cardio and sauna for me..

[SleepLifter]

I'm about to get a body comp. I was tagged at 2.2% before the show ( I know its off by a few). I'm scared

[TQsmooth5]

I concur with all of this...In my opinion the "off-season" is just that! OFF SEASON!

That means all the food you've been denying yourself through 16-20+ weeks are yours for the taking!

I know this may not jive with the some of the opinions here, but some of you people who say in the off season you just eat larger portions of the same foods as precontest are nuts! If you honestly like pre-contest food that's one thing, but eating plain chicken breasts and bland asparagus as a lifetime habit and your once-a-week stray cheat is adding blueberries to a protein shake....man, that's insane.

Embrace the salty, tasty, sweet foods you've been craving!...give in! give in!

[SleepLifter]

I concur with all of this...In my opinion the "off-season" is just that! OFF SEASON!

That means all the food you've been denying yourself through 16-20+ weeks are yours for the taking!

I know this may not jive with the some of the opinions here, but some of you people who say in the off season you just eat larger portions of the same foods as precontest are nuts! If you honestly like pre-contest food that's one thing, but eating plain chicken breasts and bland asparagus as a lifetime habit and your once-a-week stray cheat is adding blueberries to a protein shake....man, that's insane.

Embrace the salty, tasty, sweet foods you've been craving!...give in! give in!

wow talk about bad influence. LOL.

[Ev1L]

Yeah I cut water. Im definatly not doing it the next time. There are two shows coming up soon the NPC Carolina Clash (3.5 weeks) and NPC Elite(5-6 weeks).

Im thinking about doing the elite novice lightweight. I turn 20 in two weeks so I can't do teen again. 5-6 weeks should give me plenty of time to come in hard and shredded.

[yzrider400f]

I concur with all of this...In my opinion the "off-season" is just that! OFF SEASON!

That means all the food you've been denying yourself through 16-20+ weeks are yours for the taking!

I know this may not jive with the some of the opinions here, but some of you people who say in the off season you just eat larger portions of the same foods as precontest are nuts! If you honestly like pre-contest food that's one thing, but eating plain chicken breasts and bland asparagus as a lifetime habit and your once-a-week stray cheat is adding blueberries to a protein shake....man, that's insane.

Embrace the salty, tasty, sweet foods you've been craving!...give in! give in!

lmao!
the devil!

[SleepLifter]

alright guys...between 177 and 180. I competed at 163 a little over 2 weeks ago. Assess the damage!!:

[MattyH7688]

alright guys...between 177 and 180. I competed at 163 a little over 2 weeks ago. Assess the damage!!:

lookin better than me :(

[SleepLifter]

lookin better than me :(

Dude..I gained almost 20 lbs.....in less than 20 days

[MattyH7688]

Dude..I gained almost 20 lbs.....in less than 20 days

after my first show i gained 20 lbs in 24 hours.. i did too after the second but its not going down like the first time :(

i feel gross.. i feel like a complete mess

when i sweat, i feel my stomach sweating.. its never done that before

[Quelly]

sleeplifter....I've thought alot about this since after my shows and my subsequent 2 months of erratic eating that I felt I had no control over....the trick is to not consider your diet over...its all mental...I was doing better on 1700 calories than I was when I had no caloric restriction...its the attitude that you've earned the right to pig out and that you have nothing to diet for combined with the body being in a starved state that is the problem....

My plan for my next show is just to continue my diet with increased calories...think of it like this as an example (random numbers but you get the point)

3 Weeks out 1800cals
2 weeks out 1700cals
1 week out peak week
1 week after 1900 cals
2 weeks after 2000 cals
etc until you get to where your post contest weight has stabilized...and then I'd say eat to gain a pound a week for maybe a month and then cut back to a half pound after that....my reasoning for the lb/week in the beginning is because of how willing your body is to grow post contest....

but really I'm convinced I had all the problems I had because the reason for dieting was gone....I was willing to do whatever it took to get ripped for competition...but the motivation wasn't enough to eat reasonably when I told myself "ok back to bulking!"

so my suggestion would be to put yourself on a strict diet...just with more calories and take it as seriously as your prep

[Quelly]

another thing....I didn't come to this conclusion until about july....I competed in may...my mind was a mess for the rest of may, and all of june and early july....i was so obsessed with food and eating that some days I was thinking that I would rather eat whatever I wanted than bodybuild at all...I rationalized everything I did....thought about the muscle I was gaining and not the fat etc....but I've realized now that the reason post contest was harder than prep (and prep was the hardest thing I'd ever done) was because there wasnt a structured plan with motivation behind it....I've been cutting currently for 5 weeks, losing 1.5-2lbs a week and feel much better than I did during prep...its a mental state

Instead of thinking "im in contest prep I have to eat this way" or "my contest is over I DESERVE to pig out now!"

I am now thinking in the long term "this is how I need to eat to lose 2lbs/week" or "this is how I need to eat to gain a half pound a week"

if I happen to do a show it doesnt mean that will change....it just determines when the start of one mind set is and the end of it and the beginning of another...i'm finding bodybuilding diet truly does have to be a lifestyle...but that also means that you shouldnt be so fat phobic that you never gain in the offseason...that is very common with competitors who say "bodybuilding is a lifestyle" they never allow themselves to gain ANY fat after a certain point...walk around at 8% bodyfat at the most in the offseason and look exactly the same come show time year in and year out....layne's method of mini cut/bulk patterns is a great way to get in this mindstate without fat phobia keeping you from making lbm gains...

and as a last bit of reality...I wasnt able to think like this 2 months ago....I just wanted to eat junk until I couldnt move...now if I had this mindset and plan before my show so that I didnt see my show as an end to my nutritoin plan and the beginning of free feeding I might still be 9-10% bodyfat now :) as opposed to 13-14% AFTER my first mini cut and half way through my current extended cut designed to get me to a legit 10% bf....hope this helped

[Moirae]

last nite was my worst nite of water retention bloating...mostly in ankles and calves and stomach...is down a good bit today...

nothing that i thought i wanted to treat myself to tastes like i thought it would.. :( i guess we get so used to eating slightly bland and boring the sweet or salty just tastes extreme...

[SleepLifter]

Well I think the weight gain has stabilized anywhere between 19 and 22 lbs up- the last show was 1 month ago. Wish I could have gained a LITTLE less..but I look good all things considered.