REBOUND OR REVERSE -WHAT IS IT GOING TO BE?
By:
Kelly Killen
The goal of pre-contest dieting is to lose as much fat as possible, while keeping as much lean mass. Most competitors achieve this look by embarking on a highly restricted eating and exercise plan that starts 8 to 20 weeks before the competition. As the macro nutrient balance shifts toward high protein, moderate carbs and low fat, the competitor’s body begins to shed both fat and water. As the intensity of the pre-contest diet increases, many competitors turn their thoughts to the foods they can’t have during their contest preparation. Their minds often become consumed with eating all the fattening and sugar laden foods they have deprived themselves of for the previous several months. It is only natural that you want what you can’t have and those “no” foods become something people dream about, literally. Food Porn and the Food Network become the new past time. Most athletes want to celebrate, or simply reward months of sacrifice with a feast right after the competition; this is understandable. Here in lies the problem, not only do they allow them the self-induced feeling of it being “okay” to indulge repeatedly, you will hear many people in their lives telling them, “You’ve worked so hard, you deserve it. Go for it; enjoy yourself”. Some will take their indulgence a step further and immediately follow a regimen of nutrient void foods for an extended period of time. This type of competitor may also stop taking the fat burners that helped get through the twice daily cardio workouts - which I don’t personally recommend, but I know it’s a reality. When you combine these radical changes in eating habits along with cutting back or completely eliminating your cardio workouts, and decreasing the intensity of your weight training sessions, you are creating the perfect storm. Such an abrupt change in eating patterns and workout schedules will shock the body and cause a rebound effect.
Bodybuilding to ALL should be a lifestyle. The brutal rigors of extreme contest dieting often result in an unbalanced approach to your nutritional plan. Bodybuilding and figure competition are imbalanced and extreme, and often don’t epitomize healthy living as you get closer to a show date. It’s helpful to follow a gradual show preparation process by planning to enter a competition at a good reset weight. Be emotionally prepared to handle the food cravings and focus on maintaining a healthy reset weight after your competition. As a coach, I assess my clients both emotionally and physically, and unless they have a great relationship with whole foods and the lifestyle, I will not take them on as a client to compete.
Studies in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience show that when animals are stressed, deprived and exposed to tempting food, they will overeat, with different degrees of interaction. This is similar to a competitor on the day of the show with feasts of sugary foods back stage. This results in what is known as "dieters rebound" or "The Yo-Yo Effect." What this means is that given a choice between eating nutritious food versus "junk food," it is likely that we will overeat the junk food. This results in nonproductive calories that further trigger our bodies craving of additional food to provide sedation of our need for protein and other nutrients. When you binge after a competition, it affects your hormonal system and this can bring about changes in your insulin, thyroid, and serotonin levels. Insulin is affected due to the high levels of carbohydrates available. Elevated insulin levels will trigger your pancreas to make more and more insulin. This results in a slower and slower metabolism.
Eating more food post-competition is necessary and needs to be done systematically, but it depends on the food. All food is NOT created equal. You may not feel like eating more protein, good fats, complex carbohydrates, and more vegetables, but that is exactly what your body will need to recover from the rigors of contest preparation. In many cases, however, individuals turn to extremely high starch-laden foods and/or empty calorie foods such as candy and processed foods. Studies have also shown that individuals who are overweight and are given additional protein in their diet tend to crave less food over all- keep the protein and complex carbs in steadily post show, in addition slowly and systematically introducing a well-rounded profile of nutrient dense whole foods.
The key to successfully competing and healthy reversing is not what you do in the days leading up to the show; it’s what you are doing daily 365 days out of the year to support your health. Train in a safe and effective way, give your body time to recover and build, eat whole foods with the 80/20 format, and live the lifestyle all year round. This can be achieved with the help of a coach that not only needs to be hired to dial you in, but even more importantly, needs to be your accountability partner in the improvement season. If you have not been given a plan for post competition in the weeks leading up to your competition, and this has not been discussed throughout your prep, then you should discussing this with your coach.
So, what is it going to be? Are you going to be a female competitor that returns to eating simple sugars and reducing your time in the gym dramatically, to then wake up 20 pounds heavier from your stage weight in 2 months, or are you going to seek out the help and support to achieve a balance and regulate your body through adhering to a proper nutrition pan year-round?
I provide this service to female competitors who lose the balance and the control with regards to food. I work with my clients to develop a plan for healthy relationships regarding food. It’s a serious problem in the bodybuilding world and without being addressed it can have catastrophic consequences on your health, metabolism and body weight. This is a critical step to insure that you have an exit strategy in place to follow a healthy post-competition lifestyle.
For coaching services view my website at www.kkwellnessconsulting.com