2751: 5 Lessons Learned in My “Off-Season” by Jillian Teta of JillFit on Maintaining Muscle Mass & Staying Lean

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[00:00:27] This is Optimal Health Daily. 5 Lessons Learned in My Off-Season by Jillian Teta of JillFit.com. And I'm your host and personal narrator, Dr. Neal.

[00:00:37] Welcome back to Optimal Health Daily or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is the podcast where I read to you from some of the most popular health and fitness blogs online. Alright and with that, let's get right to it as we optimize your life.

[00:00:56] 5 Lessons Learned in My Off-Season by Jillian Teta of JillFit.com

[00:01:02] A few months ago, I blogged about staying lean in the off-season, gaining muscle and adding size without compromising the way I look in jeans and while still maintaining my eat, drink and be merry persona.

[00:01:15] Originally, I thought I'd be taking the whole fall and winter off from shows to train and add size.

[00:01:20] But my trainer suggested I aim for a November show.

[00:01:24] So, here I am, about to get back on a contest diet.

[00:01:28] I've had about a solid 4 months off from contest prep and on a building type plan.

[00:01:34] The results of my experiment?

[00:01:35] In fact, I've managed to add about 6 pounds of muscle while maintaining my body fat under 18%.

[00:01:41] And last season, it was 18.5%.

[00:01:44] And kept my waist under 25 inches.

[00:01:47] I just spent a week in Arizona in a swimsuit and didn't feel too bad about it.

[00:01:53] So, so far I can say that I have been able to add size while staying fairly lean.

[00:01:59] After November, I'll have a few more months of building before I get ready for the spring circuit.

[00:02:04] We'll see how it goes with my placement, but I know I'll bring my best and badass self yet.

[00:02:11] That is my ultimate goal.

[00:02:12] The alchemy of always improving from the last show.

[00:02:16] As long as I can do that, I will take last place every time, with a smile.

[00:02:21] For this blog, I thought I would share some lessons I've learned over the last few months

[00:02:25] that have allowed me to add size, indulge in some treats regularly,

[00:02:29] and still let me be comfortable in a swimsuit poolside.

[00:02:33] 1. Consistent training schedule

[00:02:36] Those who know me well know that this is my ultimate number one struggle.

[00:02:40] This is where I have exerted my most effort for change.

[00:02:44] I knew to improve, something had to change, and I had to be mindful about it.

[00:02:49] In the off-season, this is my weakest link.

[00:02:52] So, I have a set schedule, and I stick to it.

[00:02:56] Period.

[00:02:56] Period.

[00:02:57] No matter my travel schedule, or how tired I am.

[00:03:00] This summer was full of travel.

[00:03:02] I went to Los Angeles, Arizona, had several weekend trips, hanging out with old friends

[00:03:07] and parties.

[00:03:09] I worked out with my split, no matter what or where I was.

[00:03:13] Home.

[00:03:13] Hotel gym.

[00:03:15] Hotel room.

[00:03:16] Whether it hurt or not.

[00:03:17] Whether I was tired and jet-lagged.

[00:03:19] I did it.

[00:03:20] I think this is the first time I have managed to stay training consistently in the off-season.

[00:03:25] Oh, and by the way, here is my split.

[00:03:29] Monday.

[00:03:29] Legs and shoulders.

[00:03:31] Tuesday.

[00:03:32] Sprints and chest and back.

[00:03:35] Wednesday.

[00:03:36] Legs.

[00:03:37] Thursday.

[00:03:38] Off day.

[00:03:39] Friday.

[00:03:41] Shoulders and core.

[00:03:42] Saturday.

[00:03:44] Off day.

[00:03:45] And Sunday.

[00:03:46] Sprints and core.

[00:03:48] 2.

[00:03:48] Mindful indulgence.

[00:03:50] Once or twice a week, I'll indulge in something I wouldn't normally eat, like frozen yogurt

[00:03:56] and peanut butter cookies.

[00:03:57] Usually something with carbs and lots of sugar.

[00:04:00] I would plan these treats and eat them strategically, with intention.

[00:04:05] I have given up the mindless eating of carbs.

[00:04:07] This has taken me years to get a hold of.

[00:04:10] Anyway, after indulging, I'd also implement damage control.

[00:04:14] I'll have 24 ounces of water and take several enzyme capsules.

[00:04:17] This helps me prevent some of the bloat and water retention that I know those foods tend

[00:04:22] to create in my body.

[00:04:24] 3.

[00:04:25] Booze well.

[00:04:27] When I'm having alcohol, which is on a weekly basis, I utilize several ground rules.

[00:04:31] First, is the type of alcohol.

[00:04:34] I drink vodka and soda with lime or white wine.

[00:04:37] I stay away from beer, mixed drinks, alcohol combining, shots, juices, and syrups.

[00:04:44] The second important rule is that if I'm having cocktails or wine, I don't eat any carbs at

[00:04:50] all.

[00:04:50] Not even so-called clean carbs.

[00:04:52] I stick with proteins and fats.

[00:04:55] Lastly, for every drink, I have 16 ounces of water.

[00:04:59] Yes, lots of trips to the bathroom, but better out than over my abs.

[00:05:04] 4.

[00:05:05] Choosing fats over carbs.

[00:05:07] While dining out or at parties or barbecues, I avoid the chips, pasta salads, potato salads,

[00:05:14] breads, buns, and so on, except for those mindful cheats.

[00:05:17] And I go for the fats and proteins.

[00:05:20] So, while out, I emphasize fats over carbs or starches.

[00:05:25] This strategy, interestingly, has been borne out in research.

[00:05:29] A recent study demonstrated that when fats were substituted for complex carbs in subjects'

[00:05:35] diets, they burned 56% more fat than the complex carb group.

[00:05:40] Fats are also totally satisfying, so cravings are essentially non-existent.

[00:05:45] And 5.

[00:05:46] Keeping my mind in the game.

[00:05:48] The older I get, the more people I talk to and train and interact with, the more and more

[00:05:54] I'm convinced that mindset, mindfulness, and intention are more than half of what determines

[00:05:59] whether we fail or succeed.

[00:06:02] Even as I sip a cocktail, my goals are in my mind.

[00:06:05] I never forget where I'm going or what I'm creating.

[00:06:08] It's always there, even in the off-season.

[00:06:11] I guess what I'm saying is there is no off-season for me anymore, just different stages of the

[00:06:16] creation of my goals.

[00:06:18] All in all, I move forward with my goals, and I'm trying to improve my physique and mindset

[00:06:23] one day at a time.

[00:06:29] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:06:31] 5 Lessons Learned in My Off-Season by Jillian Teta of jillfit.com, and I'll be right back

[00:06:37] with my commentary.

[00:06:39] Dr.

[00:06:39] Neil here for my commentary.

[00:06:41] In her post, today's author Jillian mentioned that once or twice a week, she'll indulge in

[00:06:46] foods that aren't part of her normal diet, but are treats like frozen yogurt and peanut

[00:06:50] butter cookies.

[00:06:51] She mentioned that she would eat these treats intentionally and strategically, not mindlessly.

[00:06:57] And I would agree that this is ideal.

[00:07:00] Instead of trying to banish certain foods from our diets, if instead we can eat and enjoy

[00:07:06] them in moderation, that's even better.

[00:07:08] But what happens if, when we do indulge and eat our favorite treats, we tend to overeat

[00:07:13] them?

[00:07:14] We find that once we start eating, we can't stop.

[00:07:17] Well, one trick is to portion out how much we want to eat.

[00:07:21] Then, once we finish that portion, we stop and distract ourselves so we don't go back for

[00:07:27] seconds or thirds.

[00:07:28] And when we distract ourselves, the activity we use to distract ourselves needs to be something

[00:07:34] engaging and something that we actually enjoy.

[00:07:37] That way, our minds won't start drifting back toward the food we just indulged in.

[00:07:43] How long do we need to distract ourselves?

[00:07:46] Usually 10 to 20 minutes, just to make sure, again, we don't go back for seconds or thirds.

[00:07:52] All right, that'll do it for another edition of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:07:55] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:07:57] Thank you for listening all the way through and sharing this show with someone.

[00:08:01] Sharing the show with someone is one of the best things you can do to keep this show going.

[00:08:06] All right, I hope you have a great rest of your weekend.

[00:08:08] And I'll be back here with more tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.

[00:08:12] All right, let's go.