Hello there!!

Making the decision to take some extra time off from shows has made a great difference. I've learned some really helpful things and in a future entry I'll share some of the cool new info!

Deciding to compete is awesome and you can learn so much from it! While being a huge learning experience, you also have the chance to meet incredible people at each show. If this is something that you choose to integrate into your life, balance needs to be found in the off season (and as much as possible during show prep) to be able to continue competing and to prevent burn out. These are things I'm learning right now:). 

Some issues that can be a factor with competitors are hormonal imbalances, adrenal problems, issues with metabolism and thyroid (even with natural competitors, which is the route I have chosen for my own reasons. If you choose to use things such as anabolic steroids, intense fat loss agents such a clenbuterol or thyroid medications, etc. careful and guided transitioning to the off season and ways to look afteryour system should really be followed. These choices come with risks and side effects of their own and are not something you just "wing". It's up to you whether or not you think the percieved benefits of these things are worth it, if you decide they are, then do your research and take care of yourself as much as you can).

There are a couple of shows in April, May and June and I'm not really sure which one to aim for yet! They all look great and could be a lot of fun, but I just want to make sure I'm feeling ready enough to begin prepping. Going into a prep not feeling ready physically or mentally can make the process a lot more difficult to enjoy.

Performance levels in the gym have improved quite a bit. I began experiencing a decline in stength and a lot of my weights had gone down by about half of what was normally used (if not more). Resting and repairing adrenal function made a big difference and now strength has gone back up to what it was before and slightly increased more in other areas. This feels great and is a great pointer that things are headed in the right direction.

After each show it started to seem easier to rebound (gain a lot of post contest weight) and I began having a harder time being able to have "cheats" without really paying for it afterward in regards to water retention, digestion and weight gain. This was strange, being used to a very fast metabolism and not experiencing water retention like this before. Sometimes when women have a hard time dealing with sodium (water retention), it can be a hormonal issue. After taking steps to rebalance I'm seeming more able to deal with the occasional "cheat" and also seem better able to deal with the previously followed off season meal plan. This will make it more realistic to stay closer to contest weight year round while feeling awesome (making prep nice and enjoyable).

Beginning to feel everything coming more into balance and being able to learn from all of this, I feel a lot better equipped to handle the things that can happen when we're not careful or overdo it. 

 Coming up on November 21st is the London and Western Ontario OPA show at Centennial Hall!! It should be a great show and full of awesome physiques. Come out and support the athletes and stop in at the Fitfoods booth to say hi! IFBB Pro Stephanie Worsfold will be there with the newest addition to the Fitfoods team : her new baby boy, Morgan!!! See you soon!