Ready To Reverse Diet To Reach A Big Impossible Goal!
Exactly five years ago, at age 42, I competed in my first (and only) fitness competition. Recently, in a goal setting session with my new life coach, I somewhat flippantly jotted down that among other things, ideal Jo would like to be doing fitness competitions on the regular. Isn’t this something everyone lists as a goal? Apparently not, because my coach commented that she found it intriguing that I put that down, and we should explore it. And when we started exploring it my face lit up and energy poured out of my body. Doesn’t everyone feel this way about doing a fitness competition? Apparently not, because my coach commented that “everything about you changed when we started talking about this. Pay attention.” And come to think of it, I have no desire to run a marathon (I’ve also run a marathon) or do a triathlon, so maybe I should pay attention to this. Maybe this IS inspiration knocking at my door.
So. I’m going to do another fitness competition next spring. I’ve committed to my coach that I’m going to do it, so that means I’m doing it. As a natural born people pleaser, this is usually how goal setting works for me. Usually fitness competition prep is a 12-week process, meaning that most people with average body composition can be ready to go on stage in 12 weeks. But this time, I’m going to do it differently. I’m going to prepare for an entire year. No crash dieting, lifting, or crash anything. I’m going to plan it and do it from a place of diligence, discipline, abundance, and peace.
So how will prep for this show be the same from my first show?
Lift, eat, rest. Repeat. This is the basic formula for prepping for a show. You put your time in at the gym with the weights. You track your food and eat your protein. You get plenty of rest. Changes occur slowly over time.
Find a coach. Even though this aint my first rodeo, I will be working with a coach (as I did the for the first show). Even the pros use coaches. This is not a DIY project.
Food prep. This is a habit I developed from my first show that has stuck. I’ll likely plan and food prep over the weekends. I’ll let you in on my tips and tricks.
Life goes on. I work full-time, have two children, and a pretty active social life. While the prepping for the show goes on, my life will go on, too. I’ll share the journey of balancing it all with you.
And how will prep be different from five years ago?
I’m going to spend a good part of this year getting my calories up —known as reverse dieting--before I ever start dieting for the show. I’ll have a solid base of muscles and calories from which to work. When I prepped for the last competition, I had no clue from whence I came. We just started with a food plan and hoped for the best my body would respond.
No more white knuckling it. I’ve been working a lot on breaking my diet mindset. Rather than relying on willpower when the calories get cut and the exercise intensifies, I’m going to practice getting good at motivating from feelings of diligence, resiliency, consistency and resolve instead of the pressure of restlessness, impatience, and deprivation to. No “poor me, I don’t get birthday cake and wine” this time around.
Shame not allowed. The last time I did a show it was all about getting the last bits of my baby weight off and showing my 40s who was boss (and because my trainer said – hey, I need someone to compete in the figure category, do it). On the days I didn’t feel like hitting the gym or sticking to my diet, the fear of getting in front of a crowd in a tiny bikini with flab and cellulite got me out the door. Fear and shame can be great motivators, but this time around I’m going to fuel from a different place. I’m going to work on loving my body through every step of this journey. I’m almost 50, so it’s about time I make peace with this damn body of mine. It has done some really amazing things for me (endured a marathon and a half-marathon, a fitness competition, and lots of crash diets. Not to mention growing two children).
Injuries. Unfortunately, I’m starting this prep with a strained rotator cuff and pulled hamstring. I have a great physical therapist, but I’ll have to train around these injuries until they heal. Old Jo would have thrown in the towel and said “why bother” but this time I’m going to do what I can with what I have and see what happens.
Blog. Other than some haphazard pics I took during prep, I have no diaries or anything from my last competition prep. This time I’ll be documenting the entire process along the way. The good, the bad, and the ugly. If I get super brave, I might even share some progress pics.
InstaCart. Enough said. Eggs, chicken breasts, and Greek yogurt delivered straight to my door from Costco. Unimaginable five years ago. I love technology.
So, what does fitness competition prep look like during a global pandemic for an almost 50-year-old lady who drives a desk all day and is raising two teenagers? I’m not sure just yet, but we’ll figure it out along the way! I hope you’ll join me for the adventure.
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