Post shoot(show) rebound HELP!!

[justindrums]

Hi all!
I just got into bodybuilding this year and have seen some great gains since I started. I just finished a photo shoot which I did contest prep for (water, sodium and carb manipulation as well as diuretics) and wound up between 6-6.5 percent body fat at around 160 lbs post carb loading. Anyway, after the shoot I lost control. For 4 days I have been binge eating nothing but food with very little nutritional value. I just weighed myself and was shocked to see 172 lbs on the scale. My abs are practically gone and I am clearly retaining water (face and extremities swollen) but I was wondering if anyone could tell me:
A) how much of this could I assume is water weight and how much of it is fat?
B)how long will it take me to get back to a relatively good physique again (around 8%) and what should diet/training look like for that time?
C)I am wanting to go on a clean bulk to put on some muscle before my next on season but am wondering how I should shift my diet to adequately facilitate growth without too much fat gain. Bearing in mind that because of the contest diet, I am quite insulin sensitive for the time being.
Still going to the gym and getting back the strength (I inevitavably lost) from heavy cutting.

Hope someone has the patience to read the novel above and give me some help! Thanks lifters!

[Domicron]

i think there's a contest prep subforum that might be able to help you with this stuff...not sure. maybe the main nutrition forum? good luck man, you're going to make it.

[cls91]

a) Approximation of 3,500 kcal = 1lbs. So for example, if you ate a 10,000 kcal surplus over those 4 days, you might have gained around 3lbs with the difference between water. It's going to be a guess no matter what, but if you don't know your intake relative to your TDEE, it's going to be a much bigger estimate.

b) If you're talking about recovering from the 4 day feast, it really shouldn't take that long. Even if you gained a few lbs of real tissue weight, and you decide to cut at an appropriate rate of 1lbs/week, you'd be back where you started in a matter of a few weeks. Strong assumption with my answer though so don't take it literally. I'd also recommend putting those 4 days in the past, not trying to compensate by cutting, and just start your bulk/reverse diet from here and just make sure you have your diet under control from now on.

c) I'd reverse diet at a rate of 100-200 kcal/week (depending on your deficit, for how long, etc.) until your back at your estimated maintenance, and then continue into your bulking target calories. Macro wise, keep your protein and fats at their minimums (or what they're currently at, assuming it's above the minimum recommendations), and have the increased weekly kcals coming from carbohydrates (assuming you are not following a specific low carb diet like keto).

[justindrums]

a) Approximation of 3,500 kcal = 1lbs. So for example, if you ate a 10,000 kcal surplus over those 4 days, you might have gained around 3lbs with the difference between water. It's going to be a guess no matter what, but if you don't know your intake relative to your TDEE, it's going to be a much bigger estimate.

b) If you're talking about recovering from the 4 day feast, it really shouldn't take that long. Even if you gained a few lbs of real tissue weight, and you decide to cut at an appropriate rate of 1lbs/week, you'd be back where you started in a matter of a few weeks. Strong assumption with my answer though so don't take it literally. I'd also recommend putting those 4 days in the past, not trying to compensate by cutting, and just start your bulk/reverse diet from here and just make sure you have your diet under control from now on.

c) I'd reverse diet at a rate of 100-200 kcal/week (depending on your deficit, for how long, etc.) until your back at your estimated maintenance, and then continue into your bulking target calories. Macro wise, keep your protein and fats at their minimums (or what they're currently at, assuming it's above the minimum recommendations), and have the increased weekly kcals coming from carbohydrates (assuming you are not following a specific low carb diet like keto).

Thanks for all the info, man!! You laid all the info out in a way that is easy to follow. I'll follow your suggestions and repost as I see progress!

[Lvisaa2]

Your body is a pendulum, if you swing it to one direction (super dry) then you will swing through to the opposite direction (watery). Add in crappy food which is likely high on salt and your body having peaked aldosterone due to salt manipulation and drying out - it is all a recipe to rebound. 12 lbs isn't even that bad. Add in light cardio, get your diet back in check, and you'll be fine. You can't do too much damage over 4 days unless you really went crazy (which at 160 lbs, I doubt your stomach could handle going super crazy). It'll take a bit, but just be normal (normal salt, not high or low) and you'll be fine.

[foodandfitness]

Your body is a pendulum, if you swing it to one direction (super dry) then you will swing through to the opposite direction (watery).

Lot of wisdom in that statement.

Repped.

[justindrums]

Hey guys! Not sure if anyone is still following this but id like to thank everyone for their insight! After drinking a lot of water and getting my eating out of control, my body has begun to even out. I've got my abs back (for the time being) and have begun my bulking phase once again. Let's hope for a good ten more pounds of muscle before my show in May. Cheers fellas!!

[ZMan45]

http://www.rxmuscle.com/2013-01-11-0...e-college.html

Top podcast here is an interview with 2 contest prep researchers. Very interesting listen.