Competition over: how to resume eating
The competition is over and your first thought is simple: finally, you can eat. This is exactly where many people lose control, because the body is worn out from dieting and the mind is looking for a quick reward. A good plan helps you come out of contest shape without starting your next prep with regret.
Why is eating after a competition so hard?
Sound familiar? During the diet you keep yourself in check, your weight drops and your physique improves. Then the competition ends, the tension releases all at once, and the fridge suddenly feels like a very friendly place. The logical result can be that within 2 months you are 10 kilos heavier in body weight.
This isn’t just a question of willpower. An energy deficit and the low body fat percentage that goes with contest condition are an abnormal state for the body. The bigger the deficit and the lower the body fat percentage, the harder the body pushes back. Hunger, cravings, fatigue and constant thoughts about food don’t appear out of nowhere.
Honestly, for many people this is harder than the diet itself. Before the competition there is a date, a stage look and a clear goal. Afterwards there is silence. If you don’t have a plan, eating fills that gap.
What happens in your body after the diet?
Your body wants to restore a normal amount of storage fat, i.e. body fat %. This “norm” differs from person to person and is largely set by genetics. We can’t simply wish it lower.
That said, physical training load does help maintain a lower body fat percentage without constant hunger. The more and the more consistently a person trains, the better they usually manage to keep their condition. This doesn’t mean you should carry on with the same volume straight after the competition. Rather, it means that total chaos in both training and eating at the same time is a bad combination.
So what actually happens? When the starvation ends, the body quickly starts looking for balance. If you give it a lot of energy all at once, part of it will be stored as fat. It’s unpleasant, but logical. We can’t really fight nature.
Competition and numbers: how to manage your calorie intake?
It all comes down to numbers again. If your pre-competition diet had, say, a 500 kcal deficit, that doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you like the moment you step off the stage. A sensible starting point is a calorie intake that matches your expenditure.
Training needs to be taken into account here too. After a competition people often train less, and that makes sense. Your body needs rest. But when expenditure drops, you may find you can’t raise your calorie intake right away. With complete rest, you may even need to reduce it.
Easier said than done? Absolutely. But if you had the willpower to stick to the diet before the competition, you need the same clear head to get through coming off it. This period often decides more than people think.
The practical idea is not to change everything in a single day. Keep your mealtimes fixed. Keep your protein sources, vegetables and familiar staple foods. Add energy step by step, not on emotion. The most dangerous thing isn’t one celebratory meal, but weeks of a “I’m allowed now” attitude.
Competition over: practical limits and expectations
How much body weight could you gain? One figure that has been suggested is 7 % above competition weight. So at a competition weight of 55 kg, you could gain approx. 4 kg. It isn’t a magic rule, but it gives you a reasonable limit to monitor yourself against.
Weight gain isn’t automatically a failure. After a very dry, lean condition, part of your body weight comes back through water, glycogen and food in the gut. The problem starts when your weight shoots up quickly and at the same time you lose control over your eating.
A good sign is when your energy improves, your workouts get stronger again and your thoughts don’t revolve around food all day. A bad sign is constant snacking, eating in secret and a feeling that the brakes are gone. In that case there’s no need to blame yourself; just put the plan back on the table.
A simple truth: contest condition is not a permanent way of living. You don’t have to hold it at all costs. What you can do, though, is come out of it after the competition in a way that doesn’t damage your health, how you feel or your next goal.
FAQ
Can I eat more freely right after the competition?
You can, but more freely doesn’t mean without limits. One proper meal won’t ruin anything. Constant overeating will.
Why doesn’t hunger go away after the diet?
Your body is recovering from the deficit and the low body fat percentage. Appetite can stay elevated for a while longer, especially if your sleep, training and daily routine are out of order.
How do I avoid rapid weight gain?
Keep structure in your eating, track the trend in your body weight and account for your actual expenditure. Most important is not letting the first week wreck your entire rhythm.
Author: Indrek Otsus
Come and train! ArtGym
