The Rebound Effect: The Competitor's Silent Struggle

[LiberatedLifestyle]

I came into the Figure Competition arena without a clue about what it took as far as training and dieting went. It was quite the experience, of which I both, really enjoyed at times because I loved how my body was looking, and others times I really wanted to quit. LOL! But I persevered and made the 14 week prep into my first competition and placed in the Top 5, immediately qualifying me for Nationals. I was stoked!!

As is tradition, I celebrated with a victory meal at the Cheesecake Factory! That burger and fries didn't stand a chance, especially since I hadn't eaten such foods in the previous months. Yes, I did top that delicious dinner off with a kona mud pie ice cream dessert fit for the Goddesses! I was in food heaven and happy as could be!

Fast forward to the following week. I looked and felt puffy, wait, actually I got FAT! My legs from the knees down felt numb and I had muffin top on my ankles...just to name a few! Yep, believe it, my ankles were spilling over my socks! I asked my trainer what was happening to my body, and found out right then that this rebound is "normal" and was told to get back to eating clean, which I was still doing, minus the 2 days after the show where I had "cheat meals."

So what was my solution to my problem of gaining the weight back and feeling fat? What felt logical was to do another show! And so began the vicious cycle of self-loathing and comparison, inviting rebounds that were worse than the previous ones, marking the downfall of how I saw myself. My new body image issues. My new weight issues. I started to chase that body I eventually found out I could not realistically maintain.

Why is this part never talked about? The struggles that we are bound to face when we go through such extreme measures to get that ripped up, shredded look to achieve that status of being a competitor? I LOST MYSELF and I felt so alone because it seemed that no one else was experiencing what I was. It took me years to feel normal again after I decided to stop competing, not only in my body, but my mind and what I had to learn to accept as my normal.

I had to be my own therapist through my recovery because I couldn't find the support to help me through this extremely difficult time. I found out I wasn't alone, there were many who were having a hard time, but nobody was talking about it. I eventually learned compassion for myself and for other fellow figure competitors who I knew were silently struggling on their own.

Who else here still struggles with this?

 

[lilgumby]

This is one of the toughest things about be a competitor imo. Post show is just as important as Pre-show. You need to stay disciplined. I eat "dirty" post show and the next day I eat anything I want. Still keeping the water high and take my diuretic. Monday it's back to cardiovascular and pre show Meals. It's a huge struggle to not keep binge eating since we are deprived for so long. We all experience it in some way or another.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Professional Muscle mobile app

 

[wetpaperbag1me0]

It's certainly not just fitness competitors. I believe this is something many if not all in the industry go through at some point, yet speak very little about. You lose yourself constantly trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, that's for sure.

I had to quit competing and using all that energy to digest food and send some of it to my brain instead to remember how to feel good about myself from the inside out, not the outside in

 

[LiberatedLifestyle]

It's certainly not just fitness competitors. I believe this is something many if not all in the industry go through at some point, yet speak very little about. You lose yourself constantly trying to live up to unrealistic expectations, that's for sure.

I had to quit competing and using all that energy to digest food and send some of it to my brain instead to remember how to feel good about myself from the inside out, not the outside in

You are so right! This definitely does happen outside of fitness competitions. Living up to unrealistic expectations is a killer to our self-esteem, self-image, the "self" list could go on! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I too, had to stop competing as well as training competitors. I fell into that trap of trying to live up to my unrealistic desires of always looking like I'm in show shape. Even though I prepared my clients for the potential repercussions of post show, you can only lead the horse to the water, but you can't force it to drink. So I had to take myself out of that world completely. But, I still want to help women, and men who struggle with this. It's too big of a beast to try and deal with it yourself. :-(