very interesting, i have the same exact experiences.
when very lean and eat full junk food till sick for couple days everything blows up, then when i carry on, get softer, then if i go back low carbs i look like absulte shit and look deflated and the gained fat shows.
just small observation.wondering if its same for you
Yes. Exact same for me. Funny stuff!
When I diet for shows, I eat whatever I want for the last two meals on Sunday. Just something I've learned to work with over time that helps me deal with dieting. On Monday, when I wake up after having not had enough to drink, I look my best that week. But by Monday night, after returning to low calories, doing my cardio and working out, I flatten right out. And by Thursday, I look like shit. Because I know to expect it, I don't freak out over how flat and fat I think I look (even when I'm sub 10%). I know I'm a few big meals and extra calories away from looking good again. But if I do it too soon, I don't keep the body in a caloric deficit long enough to get as lean as I need to, so I have to suffer.
It's all just head games. If you can starve and suffer and keep your eye on your goal, you tend to ignore the games your body plays with your mind. Also, the more you do it, the more you come to expect this and are able to just shrug it off as no big deal.
My first show was a mindfuck though. Didn't know what to expect...read a bunch of books, but wasn't ready for what happened to the body when you applied the tactics. Probably should have had a coach or friend who'd done it before help me, but I was the only guy at my school who did bodybuilding back then, so I was on my own. Probably explains why I sucked ass at the show. All the guys and girls at school thought I looked like a freak and would totally win. Then I do a show and realize that i wasn't really that special. What a wake-up call!