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 Jennifer shares her story.

When I started my real off season in October I was excited to build muscle and take a break from competing. Don’t get me wrong I love competing and the stage but longevity in this sport requires you to listen to your body and to build muscle when you need to. My body and mind needed a break and for me to continue to do well on stage I needed to build more muscle.

The start of my off season I began to reverse diet. I followed my reverse diet for a month and decided to take off a few weeks to eat , drink and be merry. This was not the best idea and I gained 15 pounds very quickly. I remember feeling very uncomfortable and decided to start reversing again. An since then I do enjoy treats when I want them but for the most part I stay on track. The weight I gained from my wild three weeks I still have because I cant cut it since Im on a off season and trying to build muscle and take a break from dieting.

Its been a challenge to get used to feeling heavier and not feeling as lean as I was for the last two years but it hasn’t been terrible. I guess I always keep in mind what the bigger picture is and what my goals are. These are the steps I need to take for my main goal and it was my fault that I didn’t reverse correctly.

One thing I learned from all this is how crucial it is to properly reverse post show. Not following a reverse diet properly can really take a toll on how you feel about your body and cause unwanted weight gain. Making sacrifices post show will just help you in the long run to have a good off season. Always remember that the delicious foods will be there and you can have them in moderation 🙂