Firstly, gaining weight after comp isn't easy. You know it's necessary, but it's still hard. I thought I wouldn't care, and that I would be fine as I was nearly 10 kilos heavier when I started, but that wasn't the case. It takes a hit on your confidence. It gets you down. You start seeing fat in places you didn't have it a few weeks ago and you're thinking "how the hell did that get there??!!".
But that weight you get to for comp is not maintainable. It's not only the low weight that is not maintainable, but the eating habits, the cardio (nightmare), the lack of fats / carbs and the insatiable desire to faceplant into the first ice cream tub / peanut butter container or burger you come across! So you step off the stage and start to eat a little bit more, relax on the cardio, get back to routine and you put on a few kilos. You don't want this fat back, but for me, I knew my body actually needed it. At my comp weight, my body wasn't functioning properly. My hormones were out of control, taking nearly 3 months to get back to normal.
So my question is, how much weight gain after comp is normal? Is it normal to only go up a few kilos? Is it normal to go back to your pre-comp weight? Is it normal to come out of comp heavier than you were before? Being my first time, I didn't know and still really don't know. I did hours of research and read lots of stories about competitors who blew out post comp, their metabolism so shot from the endless hours of cardio and the low calorie diet, that the moment they slow down, ease up on the cardio and put a few extra calories in their mouths, BAM, they've put on 10 kilos in the space of 10 weeks.
4 kilos doesn't sound like a lot, but it's enough so that those skinny jeans are a little bit skinner! You're not as lean as you were before, you have a bigger ass, your legs aren't as thin, no abs.... the list goes on. I could see how this could play on the mind of a new, or even seasoned competitor. It became very real to me how easily I could be in a constant battle with my body to try and stay that little bit leaner all year round... but is that what I want? I really had to think - Was I happier when I was leaner and lighter? Ok, I loved the feeling of being lean and mean, but I felt weak. My performance in the gym suffered and I hated the feeling of not being able to lift heavy weights. I hated asking for a salad with the dressing on the side, or picking the fun fatty meats out of dinner or even going for breakfast and having standard poached eggs on toast without bacon! Those are the things that I actually love in life and even though I loved being leaner, I also love going out with friends and ordering a normal meal. I love enjoying wine without thinking about how many calories is in it. And I love not constantly having to think about losing weight or about how much I weigh, because at the end of the day, that's not what life is about.
So while I loved being leaner, I am focusing on my new goals and my new achievements. Every day I notice improvements at the gym and I am loving eating normal food again. I look at myself in the mirror and for the first time in many years, actually love the way I look. I love the fact that I now have an actual ass (no pancake butt here) and my upper body is filling out. 4 kilos up from my stage weight and I have never felt better. Although weight gain is hard, I have learnt to appreciate my body so much more. So, I still don't know what a normal post comp weight gain is, but I'll take my 4 kilos, with a side of bacon (and peanut butter ice cream!)