Here’s How Six-Time Figure Olympia Champion Cydney Gillon Thinks About Cheat Meals
The bodybuilding world remains in the midst of Cydney Gillon’s Olympia dynasty. She won her sixth consecutive Figure Olympia title in 2022 in seemingly uncontested fashion, despite competing against a formidable roster. Twelve days after her victory, Gillon took to her YouTube channel to pull back the curtain on how she eats her cheat meals.
If I’m trying to be the best, you don’t really have a chance to take a break from that.
While Gillon believes the “nuances” allow for flexibility in the diet, ultimately the process takes precedence over the pastries – “if you want to be the best, you have to do what others won’t do”. See how she approaches her cheat meals below:
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Before Gillon’s Olympia reign, she would allow herself to break out of the diet cage, so to speak, for a few days after a show. She would eat whatever she wanted and then get back on track the next week. She even took a break from training – just a complete break. That all changed after she won her first Olympia victory.
Gillon’s post-show diet was the most important area of improvement she knew she could take advantage of to help further her continued Olympia reign. Gillon tried to eat her cheat meal the day of her show to fill her up and then go right back to her diet afterward. She further refined this by allowing herself a buffer period between showing up and returning to her diet with a method she calls a “food festival.”
Food festival means for four or five days, I eat whatever I want from 12 o’clock one day to 12 o’clock the next day.
The difference between a food festival and a cheat meal is that the former is a planned block of time for four consecutive days, while the latter is a single meal. For Gillon’s cheat meal, she always plans it to be the last meal of the day — along with the two liters of water she drinks each day. Her cheat meals last until she’s full instead of counting the amount or calories.
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Nowadays, during one of her food festivals, Gillon cuts her water intake in half — down to a gallon a day — to prevent water retention with the influx of extra carbs. The purpose of the food festival, which lasts several days, is to recharge the body after a challenging preparation. The calorie deficit leading up to an Olympics is no small task, and fueling the body afterward with a food festival has proven effective for Gillon.
Gillon’s Olympia results speak volumes, thanks in part to her food festivals. We’ll see if she continues her dynasty in 2023 with a seventh straight Olympia title.
Featured Image: @vytamin_c on Instagram
