1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,920 Well hello ladies and gents, Robert Sykes, Keto, savage.com. 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,800 And today I'm going to do a little bit of a different style 3 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:08,080 of podcast. So actually for the next few 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:09,640 episodes are going to be a little bit different. 5 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:14,280 I am traveling right now for the last competition of my 6 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:18,440 competition prep season and as a result of that travel I have not 7 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,400 been able to book out a podcast guest because I've had my 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,400 calendar blocked out for the travel. 9 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,880 So I thought what I would do is have a few shorter episodes, 10 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,520 some of which are just me talking, some of which are like 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,960 I'll bring Crystal on, I'll bring Greg on, just a few people 12 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,840 that I have with me here for these competitions and then 13 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,040 we'll resume the normal podcast once my travelling for the 14 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:46,120 season is done. However, with that said, these 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:47,960 podcasts are going to be a little bit shorter. 16 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,600 They're going to be specific to the competition prep and and 17 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,920 this last competition in general, so I'm super excited 18 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:58,400 about it. I've done a few of these solo 19 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,200 episodes as it pertains to the prep and I got a lot of positive 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,080 feedback on those. So I'm very much so excited 21 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:08,400 about these next few episodes. This first one in this likely 22 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:14,240 four part series is going to be all about the pre competition 23 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,240 mindset. So I'm going to record this 24 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:19,560 podcast a few days before my last competition and we're going 25 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,840 to dive deep into just the psychology of doing something 26 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:28,840 big and grand and how that affects dopamine and how to 27 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,120 hedge against a fall off after it is over. 28 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,600 So I'm excited to dive into that. 29 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,160 We'll pull the curtain back on dopamine and how to kind of 30 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:41,920 hedge your bets against that negative fall off after doing 31 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,600 something grand like that. But before we dive into the 32 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:58,160 podcast, let's roll the intro. Alright, so here we are and it 33 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,920 is a time of this recording. It is Thursday afternoon. 34 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:05,400 My competition is on Sunday morning. 35 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,199 This will be the last competition of my five 36 00:02:09,199 --> 00:02:13,440 competition series. Basically I've done. 37 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,560 This will be my fifth show. This is the largest show of the 38 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,120 competition. This is my second pro show. 39 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,680 This is the Super Bowl of natural bodybuilding, so to 40 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:24,680 speak. This is the world's competition 41 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,800 in Seattle, WA. This is the one that people are 42 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:30,720 coming literally all over the world to compete in. 43 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,520 And it's a pretty big deal in the sport of natural 44 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,400 bodybuilding. And for me, this is most 45 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,600 certainly the largest stage that I've ever stepped on. 46 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,080 It is the most prominent stage I've ever stepped on as a 47 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,800 natural bodybuilder and I'm incredibly honored and grateful 48 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,200 to have the opportunity to do so and represent the ketogenic 49 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,880 community and what is possible with a ketogenic diet. 50 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,840 And there's been a lot that has gone into this prep. 51 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,560 This is 33 weeks of dieting for me now, which is the longest 52 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:05,960 competition prep I've ever done. I mean typically a prep will be, 53 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,080 you know, some competitors, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, 20 weeks prior 54 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,480 to this prep, the longest I've ever prepped is about 20-3 weeks 55 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,640 I believe. So this is 10 weeks longer than 56 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:22,160 my previously longest prep, so it has been quite the journey to 57 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,080 say the least. This is the fifth show prior to 58 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,760 this competitive season. I've only competed 5 times, so 59 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,120 I've literally doubled the amount of times I've stepped on 60 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,360 stage just with this competition, just with this 61 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,520 competition prep specifically. So it's been, it's been a 62 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:42,360 journey to say the least. And with them there is a lot of 63 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,880 lot of mental components, a lot of psychology that goes into a 64 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:48,360 prep. I always tell people that 65 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,880 bodybuilding is more of a mental sport than a physical sport to 66 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,080 begin with. Yes, you're pushing your body. 67 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:56,440 Yes, you're tracking your macros. 68 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,960 Yes, you're doing cardio and training and your sleep's 69 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:00,320 affected, Your hormones are affected. 70 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:03,840 A lot of physiological factors, for sure, But the psychological 71 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,640 component is the one that typically garners the most 72 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:11,040 amount of attention from me and is the most significant. 73 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,240 I always come out of a prep just transformed as a result of what 74 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,680 all I have to put into the prep mentally and this prep has 75 00:04:18,680 --> 00:04:22,320 certainly been that. That has certainly been the case 76 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:26,160 with this prep. And with with that said, this 77 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:31,800 last week, this last peak week, I've had some interesting 78 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:35,200 emotions, some interesting psychology, some interesting 79 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:36,880 thoughts. And I'd kind of like to just 80 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:40,000 peel the curtain back on those and reveal them to y'all because 81 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,360 a lot of, a lot of y'all are going through a prep yourself or 82 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:45,960 you're doing something very hard and challenging. 83 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:48,520 There's going to be a lot of parallels there with regard to 84 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:50,480 how to approach those challenging things from a 85 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,520 psychological standpoint. I actually just finished 86 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,840 listening to a podcast by Andrew Huberman and he was talking 87 00:04:56,840 --> 00:05:01,760 about how when you do something grand, when you do something 88 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,080 that you've worked incredibly hard on, it is oftentimes the 89 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:10,240 case that people celebrate that win, that success, that, you 90 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:12,880 know, pivotal moment, that monumentous moment. 91 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:18,200 And because they celebrate that oftentimes very extravagantly, 92 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:24,480 after that thing is over, they have a massive dopamine rush and 93 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:27,440 then that drops off drastically and they oftentimes get 94 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:29,360 depressed. And many of y'all listening can 95 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,760 likely attest to that you've experienced it in some form or 96 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:34,520 fashion in your own life. I've certainly experienced that 97 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:38,240 in the past after my first bodybuilding competition in 98 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,240 2012. I I've talked about that in 99 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,240 previous episodes, but I literally dieded down. 100 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,880 In 12 weeks, I lost £80 in 12 weeks, totally transformed my 101 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,920 physique, got leaner than I'd ever gotten before and won the 102 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:54,360 show, and I was literally on top of the world. 103 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:58,320 That was the first time in my entire life where I was able to 104 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:02,440 recognize the fruits of my labor and just feel totally 105 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:04,920 unstoppable. Like, that was a a 106 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,600 transformative moment. It shaped me in so many 107 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:12,720 different ways. But after that show was over and 108 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:17,120 that finish line was crossed, I didn't have any direction, I 109 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,240 didn't have any outlet. And as a result, I spiraled out 110 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:21,720 of control. From an eating disorder 111 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:24,320 standpoint, that's what was the catalyst for my disordered 112 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,360 eating tendencies that lasted for several years. 113 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:30,560 I had pretty severe depression after that. 114 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,960 I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to do it. 115 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,400 There wasn't a tangible goal in front of me that I could work at 116 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,160 every single day. And I really was on cloud nine 117 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,160 and then crashed and burned for several months, if not several 118 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,120 years after that first competition. 119 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,800 And that is often times very much the case for first time 120 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:55,360 competitors. They had nothing to compare it 121 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,160 to. They go into a prep, they don't 122 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:02,000 have the perspective and they come out of that prep and what 123 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,680 they have worked so very hard for day in and day out with 124 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,600 utmost consistency is no longer there. 125 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:12,880 And without that they fill that void with negative emotions, 126 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,960 negative energy, overindulging in foods, overindulging in 127 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,880 negative thoughts, and it just becomes a downward spiral that 128 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,280 often times cripples them. And you certainly want to avoid 129 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:25,680 that. With every prep that I've done 130 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,760 since then, I've gained perspective and I've been able 131 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:34,600 to get better and better at how I go into the prep, how I come 132 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,800 out of the prep and just make the process much more 133 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:42,280 sustainable. And I'm really proud of how I've 134 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,800 been able to do that with this prep specifically. 135 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:54,000 So this is the 1234 fifth season I guess I've competed in, and 136 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:58,600 with that I've gotten much more experience under my belt and I 137 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,800 now conduct myself as a professional athlete, a 138 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,120 professional bodybuilder. This is not some monumentous 139 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:10,120 thing that I'm doing that is totally, you know, out of my 140 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,480 norm. This is part of my life, This is 141 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:14,640 my lifestyle, this is my day-to-day. 142 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:17,800 And I've just ingrained everything that I've put into 143 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,720 this prep as part of my day today. 144 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:24,680 And that's offered me a ton of stability in going into this 145 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,280 prep. And it will offer me a ton of 146 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:27,880 stability in coming out of this prep. 147 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:33,559 Because when you don't put these big things on a massive pedestal 148 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:37,799 in your mind, you are not as likely to fall off from it. 149 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:39,480 And you have to kind of be careful on how you do it because 150 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,039 you don't want to distract from the significance of it. 151 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:47,680 You don't want to avoid recognizing the fruits of your 152 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:49,160 labor. You don't want to avoid 153 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:51,880 congratulating yourself and being proud of your 154 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:53,840 accomplishments and celebrating those wins. 155 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,120 But at the same time, you don't want to put them on such a 156 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:02,640 pedestal that when the show is over, when the the obstacle has 157 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,040 been met and overcome, you just totally get depressed 158 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,440 afterwards. And I've really tried to hone in 159 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,840 on that with this prep specifically. 160 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:15,560 So much so that with the third competition of this season, the 161 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:19,520 one that I actually went pro at and had it in my sciences, like 162 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,680 the main show, I didn't even really celebrate. 163 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:25,400 Like I didn't have a celebratory meal afterwards because I had 164 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,680 two more shows to do. I just got right back to work 165 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:32,640 and didn't really skip a beat. And honestly, I think that was a 166 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,800 really healthy move for me. Yes, I'm going to be able to 167 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,320 reflect back on that third competition and the significance 168 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:41,480 of it after this last show is over. 169 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:44,560 And I'll kind of roll that celebration into this final 170 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:48,920 celebration, but I think not, You know, setting it aside and 171 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:53,560 and really going all out with the celebration after that show 172 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:58,360 was key for me to go into these next two shows with the right 173 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,000 frame of mind and just give it all I've got and not fall into a 174 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,600 depression. So here I am recording this 175 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:09,120 podcast literally on Thursday, just a few days before I step on 176 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,440 stage for the final time of this season on Sunday. 177 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,920 And I'm trying to walk through with y'all and just verbalize 178 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,840 where my mind is AT and what I plan to do going forward. 179 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:23,840 And one of the things that a lot of competitors do after a 180 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,400 competition prep and a lot of people do after accomplishing 181 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:31,640 something significant is they cross that finish line and then 182 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,640 there's just nothing afterwards. There is a massive void that 183 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:37,640 they fill, like I said, with that negativity. 184 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,920 That's the case with people that run marathons, people that do 185 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:43,480 bodybuilding competitions, people that graduate from 186 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,760 college, you know, submit a paper that gets accepted into a 187 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,080 prestigious journal, whatever the case may be, academic, 188 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:56,920 physical, personal, whatever. And they they have this massive 189 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,640 climb up to the top of the mountain, so to speak, as an 190 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:03,240 analogy, and they just jump off the Cliff afterwards. 191 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,040 You can't do that. You have to put in the same 192 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,560 practice and work and habits that led to that success in the 193 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:14,240 1st place so that you can return back to base camp and scale down 194 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,080 that mountain in a safe, sustainable manner. 195 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:22,360 So like if the competition prep for example is me climbing this 196 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:27,720 mountain, this massive Mount Everest of an obstacle, The last 197 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,800 thing I would want to do is finish this competition. 198 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,640 Throw my diet to the wayside, throw my training to the wayside 199 00:11:34,960 --> 00:11:38,920 and just like get depressed and not have any sense of direction. 200 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,720 Which is why I'm going to implement a very structured 201 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:47,040 reverse diet post show and continue my training, gradually 202 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:50,400 taper my cardio and honestly stick to pretty much the same 203 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,920 schedule and routine that has led to this success. 204 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:57,560 In the 1st place, I am going to allow myself, you know, a 205 00:11:57,560 --> 00:12:01,280 celebratory meal. Afterwards, I'm going to take my 206 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:05,640 family and my crew that's with me to a Brazilian steakhouse 207 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:08,600 after the competition. I'm going to eat without 208 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:13,320 tracking those macros and I'm going to eat until I'm satiated 209 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,160 and full and happy and it's going to be great and it's all 210 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,920 going to be ketogenic foods. The last thing that I would 211 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,480 recommend anybody that's doing a ketogenic competition prep do is 212 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,840 to consume a bunch of carbohydrates post show, because 213 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,640 that's going to make you feel sick and you're going to hold a 214 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:28,680 bunch of fluid. You're going to wake up the next 215 00:12:28,680 --> 00:12:29,920 day. The scale is going to be 20 216 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:32,240 pounds heavier, and that's going to really mess with your 217 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,960 psychology. By me going to Brazilian 218 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,680 steakhouse, I can experience and explore all those amazing 219 00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:41,680 flavors. I can eat a ton of quality meat 220 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:44,440 with people that I care about, have a great sense of 221 00:12:44,440 --> 00:12:48,640 camaraderie, and then not really have a negative rebound the next 222 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,080 morning, which would spiral me out of control. 223 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:56,240 I may or may not have a ketogenic dessert afterwards. 224 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:57,800 I'm on the fence about it. I haven't decided yet. 225 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:02,680 If I do, it's going to be a simple ketogenic brownie that 226 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:05,200 I'll have crystal make and track the macros on. 227 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:08,400 And it's going to be made with half a keto brick, some almond 228 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:12,320 flour and some eggs. So maybe a tablespoon or to a 229 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:14,280 peanut butter. So pretty simple, pretty clean, 230 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,480 nothing too crazy. I'm certainly not going to be 231 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:21,800 getting anything dessert wise at the restaurant, and by allowing 232 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:27,080 myself that one meal that is not tracked, I can kind of give 233 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,600 myself a break from the strenuous tracking. 234 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,760 But it's all gonna be in line with my ketogenic lifestyle and 235 00:13:32,760 --> 00:13:35,960 macronutrient targets. It's all gonna be in line with 236 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:40,920 my ketogenic food types, so my body's going to respond well to 237 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:42,600 it. I'm not gonna have any issues 238 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:45,280 with excessive fluid retention. Yes, I'll have probably more 239 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,320 sodium that day, and I'll probably wake up a few pounds 240 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:49,840 heavier the next day, but not enough so that it's going to 241 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:52,480 really screw things up. So yeah, I'm going to allow 242 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,800 myself that one celebratory meal, but I'm going to be very 243 00:13:55,800 --> 00:14:02,120 present in that moment and I'm not going to fixate on the food 244 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:03,880 to the extent of it becoming obsessive. 245 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:08,000 I'm not going to go off the rails and eat a bunch of non 246 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,040 ketogenic foods, and I'm not going to repeat that habit day 247 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,560 in, day out. I did promise my crew that could 248 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:17,120 not come with me that I would take them out to a Brazilian 249 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:21,720 steakhouse once I returned home from these travels, so I will 250 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,840 likely do that. And that Brazilian steakhouse 251 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:28,240 will also be untracked. But it again will all be meat 252 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:32,040 and foods that I know my body responds well to, and I won't 253 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,400 have a ketogenic dessert with that meal. 254 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:41,560 So pretty much just one. One celebratory meal after this 255 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:45,440 show on Sunday where it's ad libitum consumption of quality 256 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,720 meats and a ketogenic dessert possibly. 257 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,240 And then an additional celebratory meal with the crew 2 258 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:56,840 weeks later when I get back in town again, I'll meet no crazy 259 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:01,240 deviate deviations there, no ketogenic dessert that that 260 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:04,240 meal. And then that's pretty much 261 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:08,320 going to be the only two meals that I consume post prep that 262 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:10,600 are untracked. Everything else will be 263 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:12,840 accounted for. This following week is 264 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,080 Thanksgiving. I'm going to be tracking my 265 00:15:15,080 --> 00:15:17,160 macros. Then I will probably eat the 266 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:20,520 exact same foods every day that week except for Thanksgiving 267 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:22,960 Day. But on Thanksgiving Day, I'm 268 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,760 going to be tracking my macros. And then what? 269 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:27,760 My plan is going forward. And something I'm actually quite 270 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:32,680 excited about is every single week of this reverse diet which 271 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:36,880 will likely last, you know, three months or four months will 272 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:41,960 be attract meal prepped meals the same as they were going into 273 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,800 the prep itself. One day a week I'm going to 274 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,160 allow myself to eat different foods. 275 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:51,840 Foods that I've been wanting to explore, foods that I've been 276 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,360 wanting to experience again. But all foods that I prepare 277 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,440 myself or that crystal prepares that we prepare as a family, 278 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,440 which is going to bode well for some bonding time there and all 279 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,840 quality sources of ketogenic, you know, foods that we know and 280 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:07,640 love and those are all going to be tracked. 281 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:12,640 It's just going to be one day a week that is a different type of 282 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:16,920 food, but again, all tracked. That's my plan with the reverse 283 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:20,080 diet as far as food goes. That way I can give myself some 284 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,480 variety in the flavors that I'm experiencing again. 285 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:25,800 But six out of the seven days are all going to be consistently 286 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:30,200 meal prepped and tracked as it was going into the prep itself. 287 00:16:30,640 --> 00:16:34,480 And that is really going to do wonders for my body from a 288 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:36,760 strictly physiological standpoint. 289 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:41,520 So many people fail to reverse diet and that results in them 290 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:43,880 gaining a lot of unnecessary body fat immediately. 291 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,560 Posts show when their metabolism is down regulated. 292 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:51,400 I'm going to be able to avoid that by strategically increasing 293 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,120 my target macro intake, increasing my fat and protein in 294 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,760 a strategic, scalable, sustainable manner, tracking 295 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:02,680 that intake and then letting my bodies homeostatic set point 296 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:08,599 reset at a leaner composition while consuming more calories 297 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:10,480 overall. So I'm very excited about that. 298 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,200 From a psychological standpoint, it's going to keep me 299 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:18,000 accountable. It's going to keep me having 300 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,400 specific goals and things to work towards. 301 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:23,880 I'm going to be able to see the benefits of those extra calories 302 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,680 coming in with my training, with my hormone levels. 303 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,040 My testosterone will increase as I put on more body fat in a 304 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:34,960 healthy manner and consume quality foods and more of a 305 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,320 surplus. So my testosterone will increase 306 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,720 from the low point that it's been at now after 33 weeks of 307 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:41,720 dieting. That's going to certainly help 308 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:44,680 with overall energy and how I'm feeling throughout the day and 309 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:47,840 sleep. So I'm excited about that, but 310 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,360 I'm going to have a very specific plan with this reverse 311 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:54,600 diet post show from a macronutrient standpoint, from a 312 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,800 training standpoint, from a cardio standpoint, I'm going to 313 00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:01,600 gradually taper my cardio. I'm going to gradually scale up 314 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,840 my training intensity. But all of that, again, this is 315 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:08,680 this particular episode is more focused on the psychology. 316 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:14,080 All of that is going to provide the structure that I need to not 317 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:19,360 have that massive rebound depression that oftentimes comes 318 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:20,960 following. Doing something big and 319 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:26,840 significant, like finishing out A5 competition series of a 320 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,680 contest prep that I went pro AT and I've been dieting for for 321 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,360 the past 30-3 weeks like that is a pretty big deal. 322 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:37,960 But if I make that a big deal in my mind and then don't have a 323 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:40,560 plan to come out of that, it would be devastating to me. 324 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,880 So at the end of the day, with this episode specifically, I 325 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:48,720 really want to drive home the point that when we create things 326 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:53,960 in our minds that are seemingly insurmountable that we just lack 327 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,120 the perspective and of the significance on and then we 328 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:02,480 don't have a plan to come out of that with the same strategy and 329 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,680 and preparation that went into it. 330 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,480 You are most likely setting yourself up for a certain 331 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,360 disaster. And I want y'all to avoid that 332 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:14,480 because I have certainly not avoided that in the past and 333 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:19,840 that has not served me well. So have a plan, have a 334 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,560 structured routine post significant event and then be 335 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,880 mindful going into that event. Here we are a few days going 336 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:32,920 into this, this, this competition, and I've been 337 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,520 really mindful of my training, my eating. 338 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,840 I train hard. I do my posing practice, but 339 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:45,440 then after that is over, before I allow myself to eat, I allow 340 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:49,720 my parasympathetic state to return to normal, allow my 341 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,000 breathing to return to normal. I spend some time meditating. 342 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,880 I spend some time praying. I spend some time just simply 343 00:19:55,880 --> 00:20:00,320 focusing on the moment and being present so that I am not 344 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:02,760 obsessive about the food afterwards, so that I'm not 345 00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:05,680 obsessive about whatever the next thing is. 346 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:08,640 I could just simply be in the moment and appreciate the 347 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:11,800 moment. For what it is, because moments 348 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:16,480 like this are so incredibly beautiful and they don't come 349 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,600 very often. When you have worked so hard for 350 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:23,680 something for so long and you put your blood, sweat, and tears 351 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:27,080 into it, and you see the fruits of your labor unfold before your 352 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:31,000 eyes, the last thing you want to do is rush through that moment 353 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,640 and take it for granted and not give it the time that it's due 354 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:39,720 by just simply being present and reflecting and being grateful. 355 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,680 I'm incredibly grateful for all those that have supported me on 356 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:44,920 this journey. I'm incredibly grateful for my 357 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,280 friends and my family. I've made it a point to call my 358 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,040 parents more regularly throughout this prep, to talk to 359 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:55,040 my brother, to call my family members, and to appreciate all 360 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:58,240 of those around me and just the beauties that this world has to 361 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,160 offer. You know, there's so much 362 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:05,320 greatness out there, and when you spend your life in the 363 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,440 hustle and bustle of the day-to-day, constantly checking 364 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:12,080 your e-mail notifications, your text messages and your Instagram 365 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,520 DMS, you often times miss out on what all this world has to 366 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,560 offer. That's the last thing you want 367 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:20,800 to do anyways, but most certainly the last thing you 368 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:22,680 want to do when you're going through something that's very 369 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:26,960 trying, very challenging, very difficult, and you don't want to 370 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,000 distract from that because there's no telling when I'm 371 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:32,440 going to do another prep. It may be five years before I do 372 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,840 another prep. So the benefits that I glean 373 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:40,600 from this prep need to last me well into the future. 374 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:47,720 And that arc is going to be much longer if I take the time now to 375 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:51,080 soak in these moments and appreciate every little waking 376 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,920 detail that it has to offer. So I would just encourage you 377 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,440 all to do that very same thing regardless of what it is that 378 00:21:57,440 --> 00:21:59,160 you're doing in life. That is impressive. 379 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:03,240 Whether it is a prep or you're going through college or you're, 380 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,920 you know, diving deeper into your relationship or whatever 381 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,920 that case might be. Spirituality, whatever it is, 382 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,640 just focus on it. Give it the time that it's it's 383 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:14,080 due, Give it the time that it's worth. 384 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,480 And don't let the the things in life that don't matter distract 385 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,600 you from those that do. So that's, that's my two cents 386 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,680 on this going into this competition. 387 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,680 I'm very excited about this show. 388 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:29,320 We just got a few more days left to rock'n'roll. 389 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,760 I'm going to give it my all, but I'm not going to let my tendency 390 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,920 for obsessive Compulsive disorder to come in and create a 391 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:38,880 negative. There's no benefit that's going 392 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,280 to come from trying to make myself miserable. 393 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:43,800 All the hard work has been done, the training has been done, the 394 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:48,280 nutrition's been dialed in, The cardio has been accounted for. 395 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:53,520 I have a tendency to let my OCD create this sense of negativity 396 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,760 in my life, in which case I want to do my best, and I equate 397 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,720 being miserable to doing my best at this point in the game. 398 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:05,160 No benefit would come from that. I need to just simply relax, 399 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:11,640 take a breath, enjoy the moment, be at peace with the moment, and 400 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:13,320 have fun. You know that at the end of the 401 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,960 day, this whole thing is supposed to be fun. 402 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,880 Like, you want to do a prep because it's fun. 403 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:21,240 So if I'm making myself miserable, what am I 404 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,280 accomplishing in doing that? So yeah, I'm going to take these 405 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:27,560 next few days, give it my all, but not allow myself to be 406 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,000 miserable and truly just soak it all in and have fun and be 407 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:33,320 present in the moment with those that have been with me from the 408 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,880 very beginning and supported me all the way through. 409 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,520 So thank you all so very much for tuning in. 410 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:41,720 I certainly appreciate you all more than you know. 411 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,480 Hopefully this episode provided some clarity for where my 412 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,920 mindset is at going into this last show and hopefully it was 413 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:51,520 presented in such a way that you can apply it to your own life in 414 00:23:51,520 --> 00:23:53,960 some form or fashion. So again, we're going to have 415 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,720 probably three more episodes similar to this. 416 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:01,640 We'll do one post show that kind of recounts what I did with that 417 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:06,080 celebratory meal, what I did, you know, going into the start 418 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,960 of the reverse diet and just thoughts of the show itself, 419 00:24:09,120 --> 00:24:13,040 what the, the judging criteria were, what the placements were, 420 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,240 all of that good stuff. And they'll probably do another 421 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:17,880 two episodes or so with some of the people that are with me like 422 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:21,280 Crystal, possibly Greg Chip, I don't know what, we'll come up 423 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,160 with some some episodes for these next few weeks to get 424 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,520 through this season of travelling for me and then we'll 425 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,320 resume the normal podcast afterwards. 426 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,880 So thanks again. I really appreciate y'all tuning 427 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:34,400 in and listening and thank you all so much for the support and 428 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,160 we will talk to you next time.