Starvation Mode

[Star123]

I need help! I trained for my first figure competiton 3 months ago. I came in way to lean! I did not prepare for post competition at all! I ate a ton of bad food, and had no idea what I was doing to myself. I blew up like a balloon! I was sooo swollen. Eventually is gradually went down, but barely. I have tried everything to get rid of the weight gain, and I cant. Its been 3 months, and I swear I am literally getting bigger each week. Clothes that fit me before I starting training for the show, arent fitting now! I am 5'4" and I usually weigh around 120-123. For the show I weighed between 110-115. I now weight 132!! I am consistantly working out with weights and cardio 6 days a week, and still eat 6 meals a day, and healthy food. I have given myself a little room for bad food on the weekends, but no enough to cause this weight gain. Whats going on?? I am new to this sport and have no idea how to fix myself! I just want to weigh around 120 again! I also have still not had my period! Whats going on? I heard that my body is still in starvation mode and will hold onto everything. And if thats what it is...how to I go about getting rid of it?

Please help! Im severly depressed now, and I dont know what to do.

 

[OMEGA]

you need to take time off

your adrenals and body are burnt out, putting you in fight or flight mode holding on to every calorie

~ You need to workout no more then 3 times a week and eat normal for the next 6-8 week before you start trying to get in comp mode again

 

[RottenWillow]

physiologically I'd bet your cortisol is up, which is going to tend to encourage fat storage. Your distress is probably jacking up your prolactin, which in turn is knocking down your estrogen level. Your hormone levels are all out of balance right now. Your body will not be able to begin to return to a more normal composition like this.

Like Omega said, you need to chill. Take a week completely off from training. No cardio, no lifting. Week 2 go back to moderate training. That means you do not need to be doing cardio 6 days a week. And eat a caloric balanced diet. That means eat enough to support all your exercise demands.

 

[Roxy722]

I am you....only fast forward a year and I am still undoing the damage I did. I have read just about everything I could find on this type of thing and I totally agree with Omega and Willow. Step one is to take some time off!! It's hard because you think if you just get back in the gym and diet again, the weight will drop but it just sets it up to repeat the cycle. You need to give your body a break. If you pm me, I have a ton of articles on this and can email you some. I'm the classic example of what not to do after a show and I know I got depressed and really messed up my body hormonally/weight wise/ metabolism. If you can catch it now and try to get things back to normal, you'll be better in the long run.

 

[Star123]

Thanks so much for the advice! I appreciate you all taking the time to help me out. So..when you say to chill out, I am going to do my best. Im pretty sure Im addicted to the gym...so I am going to take a week off from cardio! But Im still going to do weights...I'll probably just do "light" weights though. So as far as a diet, for a week or so should I increase my calories/carbs/fats quite a bit? I mean I dont want to eat like crap, but I guess eat "bad" for a fitness competitor? So extra rice cakes and peanut butter, or a protein bar, etc... I usually dont eat much of that stuff. I dont mean eat ice cream and pizza, etc., just more healthy carbs and fats. I dont know, obviously Im still lost. But any other advice anyone has would be wonderful!

Thanks!

 

[nikkita]

that usually happens when you had a very tough pre-contest prep, how long did you carb deplete? sodium deplete? what chemicals did you use (i.e.,oxandrolone)? for how long? since you still don't have your period, are you still using those AAS?
it would be really helpful for us (in order to know how to help) to know what cycles are you running and what are you using

 

[RottenWillow]

that usually happens when you had a very tough pre-contest prep, how long did you carb deplete? sodium deplete? what chemicals did you use (i.e.,oxandrolone)? for how long? since you still don't have your period, are you still using those AAS?
it would be really helpful for us (in order to know how to help) to know what cycles are you running and what are you using

wow...now here is a vet. Back in the day everyone on this board called it Ox or oxandrolone, now no one does.

Also, great questions hermana. Anything suppressive of estrogen can cause a hideous rebound if you just stop it abruptly rather than taper down.

 

[Star123]

Well I didnt take much. I actually leaned out real quick, so I didnt have to carb deplete at all...but I did have to carb load!! I should have carb loaded for a few days longer than I did, but thats not the point. The only I took was Clen and Anavar. I switched between clen and a fat burner though, througout the whole training period. Did the anavar 6 weeks out from show, then stopped about a week out from the show I think. So nothing to crazy. I did no diuretics or anything, I didnt need too. I did eat real bad after the show, I didnt know you had to slowly add in the "bad" food again. I am new to this. But then I got depressed with how "swollen" I was and I started a diet regimen and working out 7 days a week again and tried so hard to lose the weight. But it wouldnt leave..and now its been 3 months and I am still slowly gettin bigger. Its so weird. And I also still have had no period yet! So...im assuming my body is just in need of a major break. So I am backing off a little... I am just afraid I wont quit getting bigger, and I dont know what to do. Any one else ever experienced this?? Any more advice anyone has is much appreciated!

 

[RADAR]

Well I didnt take much. I actually leaned out real quick, so I didnt have to carb deplete at all...but I did have to carb load!! I should have carb loaded for a few days longer than I did, but thats not the point. The only I took was Clen and Anavar. I switched between clen and a fat burner though, througout the whole training period. Did the anavar 6 weeks out from show, then stopped about a week out from the show I think. So nothing to crazy. I did no diuretics or anything, I didnt need too. I did eat real bad after the show, I didnt know you had to slowly add in the "bad" food again. I am new to this. But then I got depressed with how "swollen" I was and I started a diet regimen and working out 7 days a week again and tried so hard to lose the weight. But it wouldnt leave..and now its been 3 months and I am still slowly gettin bigger. Its so weird. And I also still have had no period yet! So...im assuming my body is just in need of a major break. So I am backing off a little... I am just afraid I wont quit getting bigger, and I dont know what to do. Any one else ever experienced this?? Any more advice anyone has is much appreciated!

You really don't need to do cardio 6 days a week as omega and others have said a break is what you need,everyone gets burnt out now and then ,read my post number 5 here ,this will help assist you in keeping those unwanted pounds off!


http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/womens-fitness-female-bodybuilding-training/newbie-719133.html

 

[Star123]

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. My diet isnt a problem though. I eat a clean healthy balanced diet already. The problem is...I eat clean and workout...and I am still gaining weight, mainly in the midsection. I am pretty sure its due to extra cortisol and hormonal imbalance...I just dont know how to fix it.