Post show let down. Beautiful girl, you CAN do hard things.

My commitment to my blog is to share my experience with being a bikini athlete. I’ve wanted to write about post- show let down for a while.

Post show let down.. how self indulgent is that?!!!
You might not even think it’s a real thing.
I wrote about my post show binges last year and sadly, I had another bad one this time.

To give you a good idea of how this happens would be to just say that for at least 12 weeks and many times longer, an athlete trains hard for one event.
After the event, you are still on a strict reverse diet and you are back in the gym but not with the same goal.  Show is over.
It’s not glamorous at all. I think many competitors keep quiet about it. I read posts from competitors every day who didn’t expect it either.  Some athletes binge, some get the blues, some can’t find the motivation to train.  Beating yourself up is totally common.

In my case, I’ll just say that I can do anything, ANYTHING. I’M A ROCK. If there is a goal in front of me. I will not fail.

This last prep was really difficult because I got sick and was battling tennis elbow as well.  I wanted to quit but I pushed through and after it was over I did exactly what I was supposed to for a while.

I was weary of my strict dieting. I think what was worse for me, is the actual post show let down.  Post show, both times.. I felt really lost.

To combat this, I made some great new plans. My family was very supportive but I  had a hard time. One choice I knew  I had to make was to find an IIFYM coach which took a while. I found a lot of peace in my choice of no longer  doing bro-science meal plans.

I regained my drive and started to get some great successes and motivation, until I got sick again.  This was a huge blow because I
am dealing with an eye issue that started right before my show. I have to
take meds that have some  unsavory side effects while I try to get well. I was terribly bummed, because if I’m not moving forward.. what am I?

The meme at the very top of my blog escapes me.  I don’t know about you, but at the top of my climb, I NEVER once looked around.
I always start wondering..
‘How can I do better?
‘What do I have to change?’
‘What are the next set of goals I’m going to conquer?’

I’m not sure I believe that’s wrong.  I think some of us are just cut from that clothe.

I’m under the weather now. I’m not majorly sick. I’ll be healed up soon. So what.  So what, really? I can still lift like a beast. I can still take  great care of my clients. I can still set goals for next year. My coach and team aren’t rushing me.  How bad is it really to take more time?

We all know what work has to be done. It has to be ok if we breathe for  bit.
It has to be ok if we aren’t perfect.

For my girls out there, who think set backs are going to hold us back. We never stopped being amazing, we just took a second to breathe.