What Happens to Your Body After a Bodybuilding Competition?

Nikkiey: Let's talk about this. So you did all the bodybuilding, you went through all of that jazz. I know you mentioned that there was a year where you were trying to get your body back to homeostasis, and it was a tough year. I want you to elaborate on that a little bit, because I know there are some people who come off of a competition and, I mean, I came off of mine and gained 25 pounds back in one month. I was like, what the hell just happened? So elaborate, share, because people who have competed or want to compete will relate, and they can understand what they could expect. What happened in that year?

Ida: Before I forget to say it, I think the most important thing is this. Whenever you go into a competition state of mind, like, okay, I'm going to compete, I'm going to find myself a coach and I'm going to do this right, one thing you really should consider is making sure that that coach will still be there when you're done. It's so important to have that person who keeps you accountable, who helps you reverse diet and helps you with your mental game.

Because trust me, for X amount of weeks you're going to fight your hardest to become your leanest. You're going to focus so much on getting these shreds. And then all of a sudden, you're going to have to focus on returning to a healthy body fat percentage, because it ain't healthy to be at a competition body fat percentage. It's just not.

Nikkiey: Especially for women.

Ida: Yeah, it is.

Nikkiey: Especially when you go through all of that for all of the time leading up to show day. And you're like, oh, man, I just want to maintain and keep my body. But that's not good. It's not healthy. It's not sustainable. It's so extreme, like you mentioned earlier, that you just cannot maintain that physique. So, yeah, share a little bit more. How did you get your body back to homeostasis? What did you have to go through?

Ida: Honestly, I don't think it ever went back to normal until a couple of years ago, and it's been so many years since I last competed.

I competed the entire 2015, right? And then I went off. And I did not keep my coach as close to me as I should have. And she did not really put an interest into that either. It's not her fault. I was just too new, right? And I was like, I can do this myself. I'm a coach too, I know. But no, it doesn't matter if you're a coach or if you're well experienced. It's always good to have that person.

But then I started to compete again, in late 2016. And that also went on, because the first year I competed, that was 56 weeks of dieting, because I had so many competitions.

Nikkiey: Holy moly. If y'all are watching on video, my jaw just dropped.

Ida: Yeah, it was a long, long diet. So I was so over it. I was so over being in that state of pain, because it's painful. And you're so tired. It's a nice feeling at the same time, but it's also a little bit dreadful.

But then 2016 also became very long, because I won. And then I won again, which took me to another one that came in 2017, in May. My last competition was at the end of November. Then I did a big photo shoot for a big magazine in mid-December. And then from December to May, you need to either go off a little bit or keep going a little bit. And that's when it got a little bit not good for my body.

It's always hard to go from the state of, okay, let's first get shredded, and then let's get normal again. And it doesn't even matter if you do it correctly or if you overeat everything and gain all those 25 pounds in an instant. It will still be tough.

Nikkiey: What made you, you know, you did all those years and then you decided to retire. I know we were catching up before the podcast and you were saying, I'm just not extreme. I'm just leading this lifestyle now, which we all admire. I admire it so much. I see you living the life of going through an awesome cut, then having the Fit Couple Foodies, which we'll talk about in a minute. But how is your lifestyle now compared to when you were a competitor?

Ida: Honestly, as I said, I never knew that it was the end when I stopped competing in 2017. I did not say the words "I'm done," because I expected myself to go back and compete. I was not done, because I was at the highest level as an amateur. I thought and I felt like the pro card could be a thing, but my entire focus shifted.

I got a dream job that I loved. And I was like, I can absolutely do this and compete at the same time. But am I willing to go to that extreme? I never got to that point, because I didn't feel ready. And not because I placed 10th or not, because again, it never bothered me what I placed or didn't place. That was not part of the idea. But I was really focusing on my profession and having my coaching business on the side, and I really needed to be present at my normal job.

I was just trying to find my way back to, okay, how can I eat? How should I plan my days around food and eating and training and all of that, when other people plan my day for me? There were just a lot of things that were mismatched. And then I moved.

Nikkiey: Is that when you moved to the States, in 2017?

Ida: No, 2019. So for two years, I was really going back and forth. Should I compete again or not? Or should I just focus on my job? So honestly, it took me until maybe two years ago to find my way back to a body, a physique, that I really loved. And that is why I don't feel the love for competing anymore, because you will never feel as victorious as you do when you're at your leanest, until you actually become okay with who you are and stop identifying yourself by how many kilograms you weigh.

Nikkiey: Oh my God. I just got the chills, girl.