This week the ADOFitness trainers will be addressing how they have handled off season/gaining weight/ body composition changes and their best tips on accepting yourself at every stage. Coach Joey shares her story.

It is never easy taking time off from competing. First, you feel as if you don’t have that big goal to obtain at the end of your prep when you walk out on that stage. Second, you almost feel lost. So you competed and now what? What is my next goal? For me I love competing and I like to know what I am doing even if it is 6 months or a year away. The grind in my head never stops. I don’t stop working out, eating healthy or giving up because I have a long road ahead. I find having a goal in the future definitely helps during off season for competitors.

Now just because I have a goal in mind and want to keep going doesn’t mean my body doesn’t change during this time. I am not “stage lean” by any means. It isn’t sustainable to stay that lean all year round. I am not going lie when I say I start to feel “big” or not myself. It can be a very scary feeling to wake up and think that being 5’1 and 105-110 is big! Competing can give you a warped version of how you are supposed to look BUT that is when you need to sit back and give yourself a reality check. If you have competed you know exactly what I am talking about. You almost lose an identity with yourself. You need to keep yourself in check and always make sure that you have people around you or in phones reach that understand and will support you on all levels with no judgement.

Something I do to keep myself in check and lets be honest from not going crazy LOL, is talking to family, close friends and my teammates. Most of the time your family will not get it and don’t expect them to. Which is why it helps a great deal that these girls in my life have competed in the past or are current competitors themselves. They completely get what I am talking about and never judge me for feeling a certain way. I also constantly remind myself that the norm is to not look stage lean and that it is NOT healthy. I know better, I am a HCP and have to always put that into perspective first. It can be extremely hard to do at times, but I do it. I know deep down that I am still the same person and that I still look good. Most importantly I feel good! I don’t have to look like I’m jumping on stage to look like I am fit and feel healthy. I know that I am fit and healthy. It is important to always stay positive, have positive people in your circle and remember that health is #1 ALWAYS.