off season support thread!

[Wendy]

Just an update to keep myself accountable. This weekend will be 2 wks since my show and I have been tracking and recording my meals and following a structured off season plan. Wt is still bouncing around trying to find its happy place but I am 6lbs over stage wt right now. Two days after my show I was 12lbs over lol! Can you say sponge???
I am tapering my cardio and all in all I feel so much better then I did in April post comp when it was an all out binge-fest for weeks.

[tammyp]

So I already posted about post workout carbs but just wanted a few more suggestions! so I am currently in my "off season" and i am trying to put on some lean muscle mass! I compete in figure and am 5'1 and around 105lbs. My question is what have you ladies found to be the most benefical carb sources for pre and post workout? I get about 60 pre and 110 post. I am currently doing oatmeal with some pumpkin, almond butter, and eggwhites pre and whey, waxy maize, a banana and some berries post! I would love anyones feedback/suggestions.

you are on track IMO...i agree with all your choices.

[tammyp]

Just an update to keep myself accountable. This weekend will be 2 wks since my show and I have been tracking and recording my meals and following a structured off season plan. Wt is still bouncing around trying to find its happy place but I am 6lbs over stage wt right now. Two days after my show I was 12lbs over lol! Can you say sponge???
I am tapering my cardio and all in all I feel so much better then I did in April post comp when it was an all out binge-fest for weeks.

good for you wendy! keep it up!

[Wendy]

good for you wendy! keep it up!

Thanks Tammy! I will be going away on vacation shortly so I hope that I don't ruin all my hard work while I am away but those slushy drinks are sooooo yummy!

[Suzanne]

Loving my off season meals

french toast - ww bread, egg whites, cinnamon, sf syrup

ww pasta, chicken, ff mozzarella

chicken salad like subway's orchard chicken - chick, ff may, apple, raisins, ff swiss, lettuce on ww wrap or ww bread

Greek yogurt, splenda, ff apple cinnamon granola

egg whites, red potatoes, onions, bell peppers, ff cheddar scramble

ww tortillas, chicken, salsa, ff sour cream, ff chedder, lettuce

kashi island vanilla or cinnamon harvest with ff milk

pears

feels like i am eating real food

gonna try making some low/no fat chili in the crock pot soon

[LisaRD23]

I've finally fallen into a nice off season "groove"

I've been allowing myself some more flexability in diet and been experimenting with different recipes...basically creating diet friendly versions of my crave foods. Weekends have consited of 1- controlled cheat meal and 1- felxabile diet more "fun" cheat day.

Last weekend my husband & I went away for our wedding anniversary so I tightend up my diet and increased my cardio intesity for a few days just to tighten up a bit and I was extremly happy that I was able to pull it back without going crazy or making dramatic changes in my diet.

I took a week off from the gym after my weekend get away and I started this week with some training changes. I'm giving HIT Circut training a try for 8 weeks. No pressure no deadline goal dates.

This is a nice balance and the mental off season stress has finally subsided.

[GirlyMuscle]

Competed on Saturday. Eating what I want this week as long as I get in my protein. Weight went up 10 pounds immediately (all water) but I feel like a fat ass now. Coach says not to "diet" until after the holidays. Until then my rules are simple...get protein with every meal, no carbs after 6pm.

I'm gonna be such a fat ass by Jan 1. I'm going to have to write myself an off season "diet" so I don't blow up too much.

[tammyp]

you can cut way back on your protein when you add carbs back in. i used to eat way more protein than i needed, found i could build and maintain muscle with much less.

[GirlyMuscle]

I admit it. Without an actual plan to follow I will eat anything and everything. I need a plan. I can't eat like others do. Too many EDs.

[Suzanne]

you can cut way back on your protein when you add carbs back in. i used to eat way more protein than i needed, found i could build and maintain muscle with much less.

yep i only eat 3oz protein per meal

[Suzanne]

I admit it. Without an actual plan to follow I will eat anything and everything. I need a plan. I can't eat like others do. Too many EDs.

what about a plan that just tell you how much of each macro per meal and a list of option to choose from

ie 40g carbs per meal
carbs choices oats, yams, rice, potatoes, ww bread, ww pasta, fruit...
20g protein
etc

so you have a plan but loose enough that everyday isn't exactly the same

[sassy69]

^^ I"m kinda with that... I think it sets you so far back when you get sloppy off season. I know its hard to work back into it - I've been doing that for the last 6 weeks - prior to getting sick, I could still rely on a competition metabolism to keep things in order. Then 2 weeks of sore throat (soup,... and crackers, ice cream... anything to help it not hurt, but lotsa carbs) and I've gained the 10 I was trying to avoid. Given how gross it feels to lose my abs, I'm back on it like a big dog. I bought waayyy too many "on season" clothes this year to have to go back to buying another whole wardrobe of "off season" stuff. Just can't do it.

[The Prodigy]

Does anyone use a gluten free diet in the offseason?

[Melissa]

I have to stay away from gluten. Oatmeal f's my stomach up. I used grits in place of oatmeal in the morning. My other carb sources come from rice cakes or white rice (the white rice is used really only to carb up for a show though, rarely in my regular offseason food plan).

[The Prodigy]

What else do you stay away from. I need to watch my gluten intake now and have no idea how to............

Everyone tells me watch high GI foods and flour.