Navigating life post-comp
It’s taken me a while to write this one. Every time I try to start, I just can’t seem to pluck up the courage to explain how I’m feeling. Four weeks on from show day, I’ve not kept it a secret that this has been the hardest part of the whole prep experience.
If you ask most body builders what the hardest part of competing is, I would put money on that the majority of them saying ‘post-comp’.
After spending so much time so dedicated, regimented and focused on one particular goal, all of a sudden, you’re back in the real world.
The first few days were good. I was still on a high from not only just an amazing day, but from the commitment and dedication I had shown to achieving this goal.
I was so proud of myself. I had stuck to my meal plan (aside one slip up that may or may not have involved a bag of lolly snakes…), I had never missed a training session. I didn’t have one alcoholic drink for five months. Not only was I feeling healthy inside and out, it had also had enormous carry over effects onto my mental health.
After comp, I told myself, just a couple of days enjoying some food you have missed and then back into the reverse diet. However, I kind of lost my way a bit. Now, without a goal to keep me driven, I found myself drifting. I was still training, but no matter how hard I tried, old habits crept back in. I was eating a tonne of shit. I was drinking again (which does nothing to help with the mental side of things). As a result, I wasn’t talking very kindly to myself and it all just started to snowball.
It’s not been easy, but I’ve finally started to get back on track. I’m lucky that I work with such an amazing coach, Jared Hustler, who has been incredible throughout the entire process, putting plans in place and being the support I needed, whenever I needed it.
If there’s any good that can come out of my struggles, it’s that one person doesn’t make the same mistakes I did and saves themselves weeks of unnecessary stress. If you’re reversing out of a comp yourself, or will be soon, here’s some ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ that may help keep you on track.
Do’s
- Keep working with your coach
At the end of the day, they are the experts. So, if anyone is going to know how to get you back on track in terms of calories, training and mindset – it’s them! Post comp is such a crucial time, so it’s vital to keep working with your coach in the weeks after comp, checking in regularly, so they can see how your body is responding. Not only that, but if you’re struggling mentally, they can offer up some damn good advice, remind you that you’re not alone in this and help reassure you that whatever you’re going through is completely normal and completely temporary.
- Stick to your reverse plan
Your reverse plan is there for a reason – to help you healthily and safely reintroduce calories after being in a deficit. Having a good reverse plan helps prevent overeating and unwanted fat gain and can help introduce a little more flexibility to your life without going overboard (or worse, bingeing). I did not do this, and I paid for it, physically and mentally.
- Do enjoy yourself
You spent so long turning down dinner invites and skipping social occasions, so it’s absolutely OK to go out and enjoy yourself. Go out for dinner with you family. Have some drinks with your friends. Go check out the new donut shop down the road. Have a plan in place, don’t go overboard and don’t beat yourself up for enjoying life a little. Which leads me to…
- Be fucking kind your self
During prep I became really good mentally rewarding and praising my progress and my commitment with positive self-talk. Why should that stop now that the comp is over? It’s so easy to slip into negative thought patterns but just because I’m not prepping now doesn’t mean I need to stop being proud of my accomplishments. Continue to talk kindly to yourself and you’ll see your mindset shift.
- Set some new goals
A new goal doesn’t have to be the next comp. Focus on turning around from this one first. Your goals can be small, daily ones such as drinking enough water, getting enough sleep or making sure you hit 10,000 steps a day. Whatever accomplishments you can tick off to make you feel good, do it! And if you want to set your sights on the next comp, then do that too.
I cannot stress this enough. For a short time, I completely lost sight of the reason I decided to embark on this journey in the first place. To be a better version of myself. As a result, I become the very version of myself I was not happy with. Your ‘why’ is what keeps you going in the hard times. And post comp certainly is certainly a hard time.
Don’ts
- Beat yourself up
Otherwise, you can very quickly become stuck in a vicious circle of making bad decisions, beating yourself up about it, feeling shitty and spiralling further down. You’re only human! If you fuck up, learn from it, grow and move on.
- Suffer in silence
If you’re struggling, reach out! Whether it’s your friends, family, coach or even an online forum. Speak up. Simply venting or chatting it through with someone can enough to get the feelings off your chest. What I’ve also found really valuable is speaking to other competitors. While everyone’s journey is different, you will find common ground that will remind you that you’re not in this alone and you’re not the only person who is struggling.
- Go completely off the rails
You’ve spent the last however many weeks of comp scrolling through all the delicious burger and donut photos on Instagram, just dreaming of eating them all post comp. And for the day or so after comp, definitely enjoy a treat or five. You’ve earned it! But there comes a time when you need to draw a line and rein it in, otherwise a ‘cheat meal’ can very quickly become a ‘cheat day’ which turns into a ‘cheat everything!’ Before you know it, you’ve undone most if not all of your hard work and that’s going to be very difficult to recover from mentally and physically.
- Compare yourself to people
You have NO idea about what experiences someone on social media is going through. A photo or a video on Instagram is simply a snapshot in time. A very stage, curated snapshot. You don’t see the grind, the years of persistence or struggles that someone has been through to get to where they are. Focus on you and your journey alone. At the end of the day, it’s the only thing you can control.
What I’ve really struggled with the most has been that proud feeling again. I wasn’t proud of myself anymore. I didn’t feel like I deserved anyone’s praise. The photos of the girl in the bikini didn’t feel like me. I wasn’t committed to a goal and no matter how many times someone reminded me how hard I had worked, I just couldn’t see it anymore. They can be small daily ones. Whatever accomplishments you can tick off to make you feel good do it.
At the end of the day, I know that the only person who can get me there, is me. Unfortunately, it took me a while to realise it. But, I know now what I have to do. My goals have been set. My mindset has been shifted. I am focussed on what I need to achieve. And already, that proud feeling is clawing its way back!
Robyn xxx