Do you need a diet break?
The Open has just wrapped up. Now what do you do? Your nutrition, just like your training, should be periodized throughout the year. Your heard me say this before but you can’t be chasing abs and performance at the same time or you will end up not succeeding on both count. After the intensity of the Open you may need to dial in a little bit before going right back into your training.
During the Open, we focused on fuelling properly and gave you plenty of carbs for both your performance and your recovery. You went through five full weeks of physical and mental stress on the body, even if you told yourself you were doing it for fun.
After this, you may need a break; like, a real break. Put away the phone, put away the scale and fly solo; no tracking for a bit. Regardless, this week should be all about prioritizing your recovery.
You may be gung-ho to work on your weaknesses, you may be fired up to hit the gym and resume training. Or, you may be feeling a little puffy from the Open and are ready to dial back and lose a few pounds.
All valid feelings, but you need to put these aside for a few days while you allow your body and mind to recover.
Here are some signs that you may need a break even more than you realize:
- You feel inflamed and achy in your joints
- You feel puffy and heavier than normal
- Your sleep has been more interrupted than usual
- Your digestion is off. Extra gassy, bouts of constipation or diarrhea
- You are experiencing brain fog
- You find it hard to push yourself in the gym
Taking the week away from the gym and de-loading is important, and so is turning off your phone and not worrying about meeting your macros. Give yourself a chance to pause and reflect. Write that shit down! What went well? What didn’t go well? Where did you surprise yourself? Take proper time to set new goals and trust me, you will not lose your fitness being away from the gym for 1 week. Nor will you gain twenty pounds. You will most likely come back feeling fresher and stronger than before.
The lack of control and boundaries may feel a little scary at first. Do you have self-control? Do you think that without tracking, you will eat everything in sight? Can you stop eating when you are satisfied? Does it make you feel anxious to not track? Does it make you feel relaxed? These are all valid questions and feelings to explore.
I love the discipline and routine that I have in my life with my training and nutrition. It can be scary to go without, I get it; but this is why I know I need to. Don’t get me wrong; come Monday, I will most likely run to the gym. If I can make it to Monday, that is! Yet I booked a massage, a visit to my chiro, a hair colour appointment and a couple spin dates to fill all the space my non-gym time has freed up!
To prioritize rest and recovery, you can’t be in a calorie deficit. Calorie restriction does not foster an environment of healing. You need to eat to recover.
Will you gain a few pounds this week? Usually, we see the opposite. You won’t be training, so your glycogen or water storage should go down accordingly, as will your inflammation.
Not tracking does not mean I’m going to drink all week and feed my body junk food 24/7. And neither should you. You want to try to eat intuitively to satiety. And yes, part of unwinding does include a little indulging. But you also want to promote healing with your food choices.
Think of including a lot of variety with fruits and vegetables and including probiotic foods to help heal your gut biome:
- Fermented foods
- Bone broth
- Collagen protein
- Healthy anti-inflammatory fat like avocados, olive oil and fish oil
- All the colours of the rainbow in your plate
After this self-induced (or coach-induced☺️) break, it will be time to set new goals.
Maybe yours include getting shredded for the summer and going into a 8-12 weeks cut before bathing suit season.
Maybe you want to get swole and make some major strength gains in the next 2 months.
In any case, take some time to reflect. Get clear on your goals, share them with your coach or reach out for support to be set up with one of our coaches and let us help you achieve your goals.
You need a plan in order to create change. Your plan needs to outline both your training and your nutrition. Time to start looking at the bigger picture and play the long game, starting on a healthy foundation.
Lastly, this post was written with the Open in mind. That being said, there are other times and occasions where a diet break is in order. Sometimes you just need a mental and physical break to get back at it and come back stronger. If you feel overwhelmed, reach out for support! We would be happy to help.
Annie 🙂