Fusion Hack: Do Not Eat Post Show with Taylor Crowell
Hey, FitFam!
You trained for months. You followed the plan, pushed through prep, stepped under those stage lights, and finally reached show day.
Then suddenly…it’s over.
For many competitors, that's when one of the hardest parts of the entire journey begins.
In this Fit Body Lifestyle Fusion Hack, Jami and Greg sit down with IFBB Pro, Olympian, and coach Taylor Crowell to talk about navigating the post-show period and creating a successful reverse diet.
Taylor knows firsthand how easy it can be to go from extreme structure to feeling like you suddenly have complete freedom around food. She also knows how quickly one celebratory meal can become several days—or weeks—of choices that leave an athlete physically and mentally struggling.
The solution isn't avoiding celebration or believing you can never enjoy food again. It's having a plan, creating accountability, and shifting your attention from "What can I finally eat?" to "How do I want to feel and where do I want to go next?"
5 Key Takeaways from the Episode
1. Make the Post-Show Experience About Memories, Not Just Food
Taylor offers a simple but powerful post-show strategy: stop making the restaurant the main event.
Instead of spending peak week dreaming about donuts, pancakes, burgers, and every food you've missed, think about the memories you want to create.
Enjoy your time backstage. Celebrate with the other competitors. Spend time with the people who traveled to support you. Plan a fun activity after the show where food can be part of the experience without becoming the entire experience.
That mindset also helps protect something incredibly valuable: judges' feedback.
You worked too hard to step on stage only to rush out because you have dinner reservations. Stay, receive your feedback, and learn what you can improve.
The restaurant will still be there tomorrow.
2. Post-Show Accountability Matters More Than Ever
Taylor has many of her athletes check in daily immediately after a competition, particularly newer competitors.
Why?
Because a lot can happen between weekly check-ins.
One difficult day doesn't mean you've ruined your reverse. But if you're struggling and don't tell anyone, one day can turn into several before your coach even knows something is wrong.
Taylor's message to her athletes is important: your coach isn't disappointed because you struggled. Your coach needs you to communicate so they can help.
Post-show hunger and food focus can be intense after prolonged dieting. That's precisely when hiding, feeling guilty, or trying to handle everything alone can make the situation harder.
Communicate early so you can course-correct early.
3. Your Successful Reverse Actually Starts Before Prep
One of Taylor's biggest points is that a good reverse doesn't begin after your competition.
It can begin during the improvement season before your prep even starts.
If you haven't spent enough time building food up, supporting your metabolism, training productively, and creating a strong starting point, prep may require more aggressive dieting. And arriving at show day extremely hungry with very low food can make the post-show transition significantly more challenging.
As Jami and Greg emphasize, champions are made in the offseason.
Improvement season isn't simply the time between competitions. It's where you're building the foundation for your next prep—and ultimately your next reverse.
The work before the work matters.
4. Set Up Your Environment Before You Come Home
Willpower is great…until you don't have any left.
That's why Taylor recommends setting yourself up for success before you even leave for the competition.
Have your normal meals prepped and waiting at home. Keep easy, portioned options available. Taylor and Jami discuss simple foods such as cut fruit, grapes, cucumbers, snap peas, peppers, and other foods that can give you something crunchy or sweet while still fitting within your plan.
Taylor even makes sure her proteins are prepared and waiting for her when she returns home.
The idea isn't to create more restriction.
It's to remove unnecessary decision-making when you're physically depleted, hungry, and mentally tired.
And when you do have your post-show meal? Taylor prefers starting with something that will help her feel and perform well the next day—like steak and potatoes—rather than immediately overwhelming her body with highly palatable foods.
Think about how you want to feel tomorrow, not just what sounds good tonight.
5. Reverse Dieting Is How You Transition Into a Sustainable Lifestyle
The conversation goes far beyond bodybuilding.
As Greg points out, the same pattern appears with traditional dieting: someone follows an aggressive diet, loses weight, reaches the finish line…and then asks, "Now what?"
Without a transition plan, it's easy to return to old habits and repeat the cycle.
Taylor also shares how seriously she takes her own reverse diet because it ultimately gives her more flexibility later. By gradually building her food and remaining consistent, she can eventually enjoy dinners out, date nights, treats, and higher calories while continuing to train and make progress.
That's the bigger goal.
A reverse isn't punishment for competing. It's the bridge between an intentionally restrictive phase and a more sustainable way of living.
