BREAKING ALL THE RULES

BREAKING ALL THE RULES

Lately I have been thinking about how many bullshit theories I have been told along the way in my fitness career. I had a coach who decided in 2011 I “didnt do well on grains” and implant the idea that oatmeal (one of my all time favorite healthy foods) and other healthy grains would not help me get lean. So I believed this theory and cut them from my diet, basically implementing a paleo approach- using sweet potato as my only starchy carb source. From there I was also told fake sugars would make me soft, so I avoided them at all costs. I was told that if I missed meals or didnt eat every three hours I would lose muscle mass and therefor it was absolutely imparative to eat all my meals at specific hours of the day. I was also told that I needed to eat within 30 minutes of a workout to fully benefit from the workout with muscle development. This coach made me fear peanut butter as a fat source as they would NEVER put it in my plan and said not even to keep it in the house (some of this may have been for my own good though as I did/do have a tendency of overeating it). I was told NEVER to eat a meal that contained fats and carbs together as my body would always only burn through the carb source leaving the fat source to be turned into fat. I was told to ALWAYS eat a protein source with a carb source in order to balance insulin spikes. I was told many things along my fitness journey by many people and over time I truthfully believed a lot of these “Bro-theories”

Now is there some truth to what I have written above? Yeah a bit. It is true that your body will burn through a carb source quicker than a fat source when pairing a meal high in both macronutrients. However, does this mean that you will absolutely store the fat as fat? No, not necessarily. And eating protein with a carb does help with the affect of carbohydrates on insulin, however does this mean you are doomed if you eat a carbohydrate solo? Absolutely not. All of these facts are based on a moment in time and dont take into account a persons individuality, lifestyle, metabolic efficiency, etc. All these theories do is mentally mess with an individuals head. And it definitely did so with me.

I work with a lot of girls in the competition world. Many of them who work with other coaches but contact me for advice, posing, etc. Just last week I heard horror stories from a few girls I met for posing about the things there coach was telling them. It made me realize how many people are willing to mess others up both mentally and physically to make a dollar. And the sad thing is, its a form of brainwashing when these young people actually believe these theories and ideas.

I have written many posts regarding balance and the mentality I have dealt with post competition/prep. Many of my struggles come from the fact that I had so many “rules” implanted in my head. As I mentioned in my most popular article to date “Pre Vs. Post Show: Finding Balance ( http://www.cutandjacked.com/Competition-pre-vs-post-show-finding-balance ) I always struggled with my mindset revolving around food. The idea of eating all the time or losing muscle mass was so implanted in my head, that I was overeating every three hours even when I wasnt hungry. I was so caught up on the idea that I HAD to have protein with my carbs that even if I had eaten 500 calories of various carb sources and was full I made sure to eat some additional protein, you know.. to stop that insulin spike (lol, wow was I messed up!).

So here is what I have done recently to find balance. I broke every rule I was ever told. Every single one. The first step was finding IIFYM and tracking my intake. This helped because it gave me a basis to work within but also allowed me flexibility. It took away the feelings of failure when I ate something outside of what I was used to, because hey.. if it fit my macros- it was okay! I mentioned to my husband when I first started tracking that i felt “controlled freedom”. Now those two words may contridict one another but lets face it, most people in this industry are in some way, shape, or form control freaks. You have to be to do what we do. IIFYM gave me the ability to be in control of my intake but the flexibility to work outside of the food sources I felt limited to.

I started eating carbs I enjoyed because nobody knows my body like me and if I had gotten lean on oatmeal and peanut butter previous to these rules, than realistically I knew this was not going to stop me from losing fat mass. And hey.. I made it fit my macros. I started fasting, oh but I was going to lose all my muscle gains right?! I fast because again it took back the control aspect from the theory that I had to eat every three hours. No you dont have to eat every three hours, you dont have to eat within 30 minutes of your workout, you dont have to eat breakfast. WHAT DID I JUST SAY? Yes thats right.. you dont have to eat breakfast. Thats another thing I was programmed for years to believe.. that I should eat immidately apon waking. So post show… I was shoving my face as soon as I got up.. and if I didnt get to eat I was cranky and anxious.

Now I want to address a few things. Specifically because I have clients out there that may be reading this, thinking.. “But you told me I should be eating breakfast and I should be eating my post workout shake and snack following my workouts?”. Most of you who dont understand or follow IIFYM may be following a specific meal plan with a total macronutrient breakdown that fits your goals. If you dont understand how to implement IIFYM, then yes- it is important to eat the way your specific plan is set up in order to reap the benefits. While in a deficit in particular (while cutting or trying to lose body fat mass) one should be eating more often especially considering an increase in excercise and the need to replenish nutrients through food sources. Now does this mean everyone HAS to follow these rules? Absolutely not. But if you dont have the education to implement another way based off your desired goals, then it is important to follow a specific plan.

For me in particular, the balance I have found in everyday life has come from breaking all the rules. Balance has come from figuring me out. My body. My mind. My happiness. I needed to break these rules in order to prove to myself that goals can be reached in many different ways. Nobody should tell you what you should do for you. Yes it is true there are some guidlines that benefit MOST individuals, but everyone is different and different methods work for different people. Be open minded. Dont believe everything you hear. Figure things out for yourself. If you bring an idea up to your coach who immidately shuts it down and tells you no- fire them. Remember balance is about long term sustainability. There is no one way or best way, find YOUR way.

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4 thoughts on “BREAKING ALL THE RULES”

  1. I only competed once in my life. When I was 17 I entered my first competition as a bikini girl, and I’m pretty big boned. My coach would make me eat and do the hardest things that I’ve ever done. I believed everything she ever said, like eating only chicken and broccoli and rice every two hours, having the same amount of protein when eating carbs, so on and so on. It took gaining 20 pounds of bad weight and a severe depression after my show to realize that all these theories were bullshit. I follow you on Instagram, and after reading this blog post, I feel more reassured than ever. I too have broken the rules and have implemented IIFYM into my diet. I want to compete again soon and hopefully, I can with my new approach to competition prep and dieting. You’re an inspiration, thank you so much for helping feel assured in myself.

  2. Awesome post. Love following your journey. I have had a goal to do a show, decided since my body bounced back in 6 weeks post baby I was going to do one. I used a coach several competitors use and what a mistake, waste of money and time that was. After two meetings w him and talking to me for only ten minutes each time (begging him to feed me more, being already lean, i had lost more weight on “his diet”) I realized I made a bad decision and it has made me not interested in a show at all!

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