Recovering After a Show: Reverse Dieting Done Right

**0 to Elite course · Lesson 94 of 100 · Level 5: Elite** After months of dieting, your body and mind need to recover. Reverse dieting means bringing your food back up in planned steps rather than either staying in a deficit or eating everything at once. This lesson shows you how. ## Why recovery after a show matters By show day, you have been in a calorie deficit for many weeks (see [lesson 90 on contest prep](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/bodybuilding-contest-prep)). Your body fat is lower than is comfortable to hold for long. Energy, mood, sleep, sex drive and, for women, periods can all be affected. That is a normal response to a long diet, and it is a sign your body needs to come back to a healthier place. The problem is that post-show, people often go one of two ways. Some keep dieting hard because they are scared of gaining weight. Others swing the other way and eat without any structure for weeks. Neither is good for you. Staying in a hard deficit keeps you tired, hungry and at risk of injury and low mood. Eating without limits often leads to rapid fat gain, bloating and guilt, which can damage your relationship with food. Reverse dieting sits in the middle. ## What reverse dieting is **Reverse dieting** means increasing your food intake in planned steps after a diet, rather than suddenly. If you read our guide to [calorie deficits](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/calorie-deficit-uk), you know a deficit is eating less energy than you use. Reverse dieting slowly takes you out of that deficit and back to maintenance, which is the amount that keeps your weight stable. Some coaches bring food up quickly in the first week after a show and then slow down. Others go more gradually throughout. For most people coming off a hard prep, getting out of a deep deficit fairly quickly is the healthier choice. The key is that it is planned. > **Important:** you should never have been below about 1,200 kcal a day during prep, and you certainly shouldn't stay that low after a show. Recovery means eating more, not holding on to stage-day eating. ## How to reverse diet, step by step 1. **Plan before the show.** Agree your post-show plan with your coach in advance, so you aren't deciding when you are tired and hungry. 2. **Enjoy the show meal, then return to structure.** One relaxed meal is fine. Then go back to regular, balanced meals the next day. 3. **Raise food in steps.** Add food each week, mostly from carbohydrates and fats, while keeping protein steady. Our [protein guide](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/protein-intake-for-muscle-gain) explains how much you need. 4. **Track trends, not single days.** Weigh yourself a few times a week and look at the weekly average. Some regain is expected and healthy, partly from food and water in your system. 5. **Settle at maintenance.** Once your weight stabilises at a sensible, healthy level, hold there and start a building phase when you're ready. ## Training after a show Take a few easier days straight after the show. Your joints, sleep and energy have been under strain, and a short break lets you reset. Then return to normal training, with less focus on volume and more on getting strong again. Keep some daily walking going, as it helps appetite, digestion and mood, but there is no need for the extra cardio you may have done in prep. Reduce it gradually along with the diet. Many people find their strength comes back quickly as food increases. This is a good time to start a new long-term plan, as you learned in [lesson 85 on long-term planning](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/long-term-training-plan). ## Your mind after a show A low mood after a show is very common. The goal you worked towards is gone, your routine changes, and you may not like seeing your body change. Talk about it with your coach and people close to you. We cover this in detail in [lesson 95 on body image](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/body-image-and-competing). > **See your GP if:** your periods haven't returned within a few months, you have ongoing low energy, poor sleep or low mood, or you notice you can't stop restricting food or bingeing. These are signs you need proper medical support, not just a new plan. ## Your action steps 1. Write your post-show plan before you compete and agree it with your coach. 2. Decide what your show meal will be, and what you will eat the next morning. 3. Set a weekly plan for raising food, keeping protein steady. 4. Weigh yourself a few times a week and track the weekly average. 5. Book a check-in with your coach two weeks after the show to review energy, mood and weight. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is reverse dieting after a bodybuilding show? It means increasing your food intake in planned steps after a contest diet, until you reach maintenance. It helps you recover energy, hormones and mood while keeping some structure. ### How much weight will I gain after a show? Some regain is normal and healthy, and part of it is food and water rather than fat. It varies from person to person, so watch your weekly average rather than daily weigh-ins. ### How long should a reverse diet last? It depends on how long and hard your prep was. Most people get out of a deep deficit fairly quickly, then settle at maintenance over the following weeks with their coach's guidance. ## Keep going Previous: [Lesson 93: Preparing for Your First Powerlifting Meet](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/powerlifting-meet-prep) Next: [Lesson 95: Body Image and Mental Health in Fitness Competition](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/body-image-and-competing) Lost your place? [See the full course map](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/post/how-to-get-fit-from-scratch). > **Want Artem to coach you through it?** SYP Fitness is a private 1-to-1 personal training studio at 2-4 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3UB. Rated 5.0 from [106 Google reviews](https://share.google/yAAPDk0VhwxmSzymT). [Book a free consultation](https://syp-fitness.co.uk/#apply) or [WhatsApp Artem](https://wa.me/447301512215) on 07301 512215.