A Plan

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

In almost all things in life, there is a plan to follow. Or at least having a plan makes everything in our lives much easier to manage. Our nutrition and exercise should be no different. If we are to be successful, we must have a well thought out plan. Well, I had a great plan to follow to get into top shape for competition, but I didn't have a plan for after. A plan to help me through what my girlfriend calls the “post competition blues” or what a fellow male competitor friends calls the “after competition letdown”. After my second competition, I had a plan in place to go right back to training after a relaxing weekend that included a cheat meal. I started that Monday and was ready to go, but had the wind knocked out of my sails when I was informed that since I had won my pro card with the INBF that the NPC would no longer allow me to compete in their shows. Wow, really?! This totally threw me for a loop, really bummed me out and before long, without a plan, I was consumed by feelings of depression and I started dabbling with sugar. I had laughed at the thought of “post competition blues” or “after competition letdown”, but it really is true. You are so focused and strict with your diet, your exercise, your life for so many months. Then the high of the competition and the journey getting there is over and you don't really know how to function without that structure, that drive – I know I didn't which is partially why I am in this dilemma that I'm now in. There are even articles about the “after effects” of competing that I wish I had in my bag of tricks to have helped me to be prepared and to have put together a plan for the “after”.  I'm amazed by all of the forums of competitors talking about this very topic and how some have gained 20 pounds in 2 weeks following competition!  And so many of my competitor friends have said "it happens to all of us."  Without a plan I was struggling, and without my well oiled eating plan I found myself gorging on my boys Halloween candy night after night, even though I didn't want to and told myself every morning that it wouldn't happen again, but it did. Over and over again. Even though I kept up my work outs, my weight was soaring (Well hello, of course, it was! It is ever so true when they say that nutrition is 80% of your progress or failure). By the time Christmas break rolled around, I was easily swayed by my husband to just take a break for two weeks to stay up late watching movies, sleep in and not rush to the gym every morning. Ok, well it's a new year and that mini vacation is over.

I've got a whole lot of hope, am back to my plan and I'm sticking to it. It's back to cooking, weighing and packaging my food every Wednesday and Sunday so I always have clean properly portioned meals at my fingertips. It's back to my seven days worth of pre-written workouts so I have no excuse to miss a work out. It's back to the 5am alarm clock and the fasted cardio sessions. And amongst all of that is room for balance. So if there is an opportunity to participate in a fun boot camp or to go roller blading with my boys to keep my fire lit, I'm going to take it. Part of finding balance is knowing that I can veer off course as long as my goal can still be reached in the end. Say good bye to the freshman 15!