Fit Model Over 50: Three Weeks to Competition Day, How to Handle Stress, Fatigue & Feelings During Prep [Ep 59]

Host Lisa DuPree opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of preparing for her first physique competition at 59. Just three weeks away from stepping on stage, Lisa shares what’s been happening behind the scenes with unexpected emotional triggers and how the pressure of prep and daily life collide.

She dives into how overwhelm shows up, old coping mechanisms, and the simple but transformative strategy she calls “the pause.”  This candid conversation will resonate with anyone juggling goals, change, and self-care in midlife.

Key Moments

[00:40] Emotional triggers hitting unexpectedly during prep

[02:00] Fatigue, monotony, and pressure from all directions

[03:00] Old coping strategies: food, wine, and emotional soothing

[05:35] “Pause Strategy” - Why this tiny check-in makes a big difference

Thanks for listening!

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Transcript

Lisa DuPree: Hello and welcome back to Midlife Mojo. I'm Lisa Dupree and can you believe it? We are officially three weeks out from my first ever physique competition in the fit model division at 59. And it's hard for me to believe, but it's getting real now. I'm getting there. So today I wanna share really an honest update about what's going on physically and emotionally, kind of behind the scenes because, prep is demanding enough on its own, but prep and midlife while also running a business, trying to have a social life, being a good partner and mother, and then trying to get at least eight hours of sleep.

That's next level. So I wanted to start with something that's been coming up a lot lately. And that is emotional triggers. I'm no stranger to stress or pressure. I've had decades of experience juggling multiple roles. I actually kind of thrive on having multiple responsibilities, [00:01:00] different outlets and passions. But the past couple of weeks have brought out some emotional reactions that I just really wasn't expecting, and I wanna talk about them because I know I'm not the only one who's felt this way when there's a lot on your plate and you're just trying to make it through a chaotic week.

I've really noticed that I am way, way more emotional and sensitive. Little things have set me off recently. That would never have even just been a thing at all. Like a random comment from a stranger that just was made in passing.

An unexpected change in plans. And even I dropped something in the kitchen the other day and I lost it. Not lost the thing lost, like I just went off. I was so upset and on the verge of tears. At the moment, these things just feel a lot bigger than they are.

They're a lot [00:02:00] heavier. And instead of really brushing this off and just going, yeah, this is just what happens in prep or whatever I've really started asking myself like, what is this reaction really about? And often it's not about the thing that just happened at all. It's about all the pressure that I'm carrying from different directions, like the physical fatigue of just being in the last stage of preparing for this competition.

Um. That's a good bit. I'm just tired. I'm tired. The monotony of a strict schedule. I have been doing the same things on repeat, it feels like for, gosh, I don't know, well over a month now. Like same meal plan, things like that. And I am not a kind of person who likes to do the same thing every day. I like variety.

I don't like monotony. I'm trying to lean into routine and I do see the benefit, but that's just not my natural. And also the pressure that I've actually [00:03:00] placed on myself to just do all the things you know, and for me, one of my biggest emotional triggers has always been overwhelm.

When I am maxed out, my old go-tos really were to self-soothe with food or a glass of wine. I'm not talking about like a binge, nothing out of control. It's just the act of reaching for something that's sweet and comforting kinda helps take the edge off and, and honestly like that glass of wine isn't about, the wine isn't about the alcohol at all.

It was really just about that ritual, the pause that happens at the end of a long day to help transition or signal that I can finally, exhale and relax or that ability to have a much needed moment of connection if I was sharing that glass of wine with a friend or my significant other.

And those moments matter, that connection matters. That transition matters, it really does. But when life gets [00:04:00] intense, juggling midlife along with all the things and you know the pressures, it's easy to lose sight of whether you're reaching for comfort that actually restores you, or just something that dulls the discomfort or lets you check out for a bit.

I've had to really look at that and look at my habits. Look at my choices. And right now I'm not eating treats too often and I'm not drinking any alcohol at all because I really just want to be able to show up with the highest level of kick ass confidence and the best version of my physique that I can for the comp in three weeks. 

And so I'm making conscious decisions to manage the overwhelm in ways that are more effective and support accomplishing this goal and doing this kind of emotional work has been some of the hardest work. If you've been following along with this FIT model over [00:05:00] 50 series, you know that I've been talking a lot more about mindset, about the mental part of it, the emotional part, more so than kind of like the physical training and the eating part of it.

And it's because doing this emotional work, recognizing some of these habits, has been some of the hardest work of this whole process. Facing those patterns, noticing them and not just reacting out of habit has been a big part of that. You know, a lot of the time, this is just way more challenging than getting into the gym and lifting weights or meal prepping.

One thing that has been really helpful is what I have put into place. , I call it my pause strategy. It's simple, but it's powerful. When I feel overwhelmed, stressed, or exhausted, I pause. Just for a moment and ask myself, what do I really need right now?

What is going on right now? [00:06:00] Not what do I want, or what can I reach for, but what do I actually need? And sometimes that answer is movement. Sometimes it's quiet and stillness. Sometimes it's connection and a lot of the time it really is just noticing and honoring the present moment by acknowledging this. This is hard right now. 

Anytime we are working toward changing things, there are gonna be those moments, like it's gonna be hard. And that is okay. It is to be expected, and that is normal. That's how we create a new normal. But that tiny pause helps create space for me to respond in a way that supports me rather than slipping into old patterns that don't support where I am right now or what I'm trying to accomplish. 

So if you're listening to this and thinking, yeah, I've been there too, [00:07:00] I want to offer you this. Overwhelm happens, triggers are gonna come. You don't have to be at the mercy of them. That stress is gonna happen. And so that pause, that moment to check in and ask, what do I really need right now?

What's going on right now? What do I need? That can be the difference between doing something that is just numbing the experience or something that's really supporting and nourishing you, and is also the difference between the same old coping mechanisms that maybe aren't actually supporting you and actually caring for yourself.

Now this is not easy. It's simple. It's not necessarily easy. It is a skill and it takes practice. It's something that I'm practicing doing every single day, especially during this phase when everything is really dialed in and at the same time, my emotions are [00:08:00] all over the place.

So maybe this week there is an opportunity for you to give yourself a pause, a break, a short check-in. Even just once, like it might seem small, but that tiny pause can really be powerful because it starts with simply noticing and that's where there's power in noticing, in creating that space in the choice.

And it's in knowing that when things feel hard, you are still strong, you are capable, and you're absolutely worthy of taking care of yourself in a way that makes you feel your best and stays aligned with what you are trying to accomplish. All right, thanks for being here with me today. If this resonated with you, I'd love it if you'd share the episode with a friend, leave a quick review or rating as that helps the show grow and reach more people. Be sure to follow the show so you don't miss next [00:09:00] week's episode as we get even closer to comp day.

Until next time, get out there and keep your mojo rising!