Several people have asked me what is happening with my diet now that the show is over.
I want to avoid gaining a lot of fat because I want to have a nice, long off-season during which I can gain a decent amount of muscle. In light of this goal, I am slowly reversing my diet and adding carbs back in.
In the final couple of weeks before the show, I was down to four ounces of sweet potato and half an apple post-workout. Now, I am eating five ounces of sweet potato and a whole apple.
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| This (5oz baked sweet potato, baked apple, and coconut oil) constitutes less than half of my post-workout meal! =) |
My bosses were surprised to see that I'm still packing meals for work....
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| Broccoli, yellow squash, chicken, olive oil and a little bit of homemade sugar-free tomato sauce |
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| Lettuce, onions, olive oil mixed with Meat Magic and black pepper to make 'salad dressing,' and tilapia |
...but like I said, I really want to ease into this off-season. Plus, you always have to be careful coming out of keto. It's really easy to go crazy on the carbs and pack on a decent amount of fat before your body can re-adapt to regular carb intake.
I'm back in the gym again, too! =) I am mostly happy to be back to lifting. I will admit I had to force myself to actually complete my first workout...turns out I like to just chill at home after work! ;-)
I'm also a little unmotivated because my strength is still suffering from the cut / weight loss / relative lack of carbs...but that should be better soon!!
Last night was a productive session, though. After doing seven (!!! holy volume!) sets of incline DB presses, I did:
Push-ups: 1x18, 1x16, 1x15
Reverse-grip BB rows: 3x12 w/ 90#
Laying rear delt DB raises: 3x12 with 7.5# per side
DB extensions (overhead, double-handed): 3x12 with 30# DB
(Workout courtesy of Jay Ashman.)
Happy Wednesday! :D
It must take such a high level of rational thinking to taper back up to a higher intake - honestly I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that. People either seem to get caught up in eating their pre-contest diet or go absolutely apesh*t on every single carb in sight. You're amazing for being able to have some restraint but still add things back in slowly but surely.
ReplyDeletexxx
It was reeaaaallly difficult to convince myself to do it this way, especially since I don't have any concrete goals in the near or intermediate future - but I think it's for the best. Hopefully I can stick with it!!
DeleteWhat? People chill at home after work? LOL!
ReplyDeleteWay to get back in there!
LOL it's fabulous I assure you!!!! haha
DeleteI could not reply to yesterday, but I read it. Concentrate on strength and not on the mirror if you can. What you put inside for health and maintenance of strength.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to be vigilant.
How is Max?
ReplyDeleteHe is good! He was in the ICU 2 weeks ago but he's doing very well now, thank God. I will not be once we receive the bill. O_O (We have insurance but we got a cheap plan which means we have 30% co-insurance =/) He won't be competing this year - the focus is on health for now!
DeleteSmart to gradually adjust your diet! Bodies don't like abrupt changes in general, plus it sounds like you're in no rush, just gradually building strength and muscle. And I get crap for packing my lunches for work all the time. Hey, it's cheap, and it means you know you're eating good stuff.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I want to take it niiice and slow. =)
DeleteI have always packed food for work even way back when I didn't care what I ate - I just can't see the point in spending $5-$10 for lunch when I can make my own for a couple of bucks at most!
I love seeing you working up to maintenance the healthy way! Keep going and all your strength will be back in no time so you can pack on that muscle for figure!! So glad Max is doing well too :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! I can't wait to be PRing again in the gym =D
DeleteI love how you're approaching this. You're such a smart woman!! I'm sure it must have been hard to go back to the gym. Now that I'm only training four days a week, I have one midweek rest day - which I've never had before. I've been sleeping in and then lazing around in my pajamas.... I can now fully understand why people struggle to find motivation to go to the gym, haha!
ReplyDeleteAww Tara! Thank you! =)
DeleteHaha isn't it funny?! I was just thinking that - I think I actually said it out loud to Max - "No wonder people have a hard time getting to the gym!" It's a PITA if you're not in the habit!
I really like to see this happening. I find it so fascinating and you are so smart about it. I think I've said before I normally race and train in Keto but from the injury I've kept my carbs up more and also changed my diet to include more calcium but once I go back into training I'll go back to what works for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat post per usual!
Aw thank you Hollie! Injuries are such a bummer but it sounds like you're maximizing your recovery potential/ability!
DeleteI am proud of you! Good job on being accountable about tapering back up. Your strength will come back - and I promise, eating a bunch of junk will negatively affect your strength just as much as staying in strict caloric and carb deficit. Eating clean and allowing your body time to adjust will give it what it needs to perform optimally so you can be strong and healthy. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Julie!! I definitely notice that my workouts and energy levels suffer when I eat a lot of junk.
DeleteYeah take your time, not just for the fat gain, but mentally. You aren't sick currently, you'll get back up there. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you!!! =0) I am definitely trying to be moderate in my approach! =)
DeleteGood stuff! Have you noticed any anabolic rebounding that is helping with muscle gains?
ReplyDeleteActually it's funny you ask, because yesterday in the gym I was like, WHOA - I have definitely filled back in! I've gained a few pounds in the past week and a half and after yesterday I'm pretty confident that most of them have been muscle glycogen. I am hoping I'll be able to build some NEW muscle too!!! I've heard quite a bit about the post-show (anabolic) rebound!
DeleteThis has got to be hard. Good work on it all though. Increase in calories should get you back to wanting to train more. So hard when you don't have the energy coming in!
ReplyDeleteso, are you like super psyched to be eating carbs? or are you used to this madness? ;)
ReplyDelete