Kim Oddo wrote this...it can be found on Ironmanmagazine.com
SHOULD I BECOME A FIGURE COMPETITOR?
As we all know there are infinite levels of health & fitness represented in society today. Here are just a few. Some people are naturally thin with fast metabolisms that last a lifetime, some people have the ability to become fit when they add more activity and a set eating plan to their lives, and some people suffer with eating disorders including compulsive eating, bingeing, anorexia etc.
But how does someone determine if becoming a Figure Competitor will work based not only on her Fitness Profile but even more importantly based on her Personality Profile. Who is a good candidate for achieving the level of Figure Competitor and who is NOT a good candidate? Who can handle the rigors of contest preparation and who can’t? Just as an elite athlete needs to have his or her body perform like a fine tuned machine, a figure competitor needs to achieve the same ability while also having an aesthetically pleasing physique. A very important point to make here is that preparation for the competition level is NOT to be confused with simply being fit and healthy in your everyday life…this is a specific phase in which you are training and preparing harder than ever before and can only be accomplished through Discipline in Training & Eating, Psychological Strength, Determination, and a Healthy Relationship with Food.
So let’s start by describing someone who would make a GOOD Figure Competitor
v Will not be scared off by a strict regimen of diet and exercise
v Accepts that there is NO quick fix to achieving a quality physique.
v Understands that the tougher restrictions on food and increased levels of activity are only meant for the contest prep phase and therefore she won’t panic
v Realizes that once the competition is over, the restrictions will ease back to a level she is comfortable with.
v Has an overall healthy view of herself as a person.
v Knows that contest prep is an intense phase and will require sheer determination, guts and the ability to say NO to life’s little culinary temptations!!
If you feel this is a pretty honest description of you, then you should be able to achieve your goals of becoming a fitness competitor.
Of course it won’t all be a cakewalk……pardon the pun!
AS we know, in today’s world food has become the ultimate “Disneyland Vacation” for our taste buds ……and some vacations last longer than others! We treat eating as if it is meant to provide us with more pleasure than a close relationship with another human being. Some people would say they could give up their husband, but never make them give up eating chocolate. Food has gone from a pleasant way to give the highest quality fuel to our bodies each day to “How can I make this next meal a flavor explosion and I don’t care how many chemicals or fats or sugars are in it…just give me the taste!!” As you can see by the recent obesity levels in our nation…..this approach does NOT work!
This now brings us to who would make a POOR candidate for Figure Competitor
v Prefers to bend the rules of diet and exercise in the contest prep phase.
v Doesn’t understand the need for being so strict with food intake and activity levels.
v Has to have one or more Cheat Days each week during the contest prep phase.
v Needs to add every artificial sweetener known to modern science to her foods to give the illusion of eating sugar. But the body can’t be “Tricked” by the mind…..it KNOWS when it is being given garbage food and it will reward you accordingly.
v Won’t understand that contest preparation is not about “Illusion”…it is about the facts and no nonsense truth of fitness required to get your body down to the proper fat level for the stage, getting that smooth look to your skin because you’ve been eating the right foods and not chemicals, having a strong look in your muscles because you have been training hard and doing all the cardio necessary.
If you are honest and recognize yourself in the above points, then there really is no point in you attempting to become a Figure Competitor. This is NOT a judgment by any means, it is however about facing the facts right from the start. Some people would rather sit in a chair by the fire and read a good book, rather than run up a hill or jog 5 miles. There is NO shame in this at all….but you certainly MUST be honest with yourself and you MUST truly know yourself before venturing into any competitive arena. It is the same as someone who does NOT like to read being asked to enter a reading marathon…that person would probably go nuts and decide to burn books from that point on!!
As human beings, we naturally don’t like to be told NO in any part of our lives…we really are like little children in that regard. But we should realize – since we are in fact adults – that in any competitive activity the ultimate goal is to have strict discipline, order and of course, the desired results. Olympic athletes definitely know the rigors of training for their event in the hopes of winning a gold metal!! If the thought of such sacrifice scares you, makes you uncomfortable, or makes you feel the need to rebel against that belief…than training to become any type of elite athlete or competitor is NOT for you.
A final and sobering thought focuses on someone who has suffered with an eating disorder (past or present) and then decides to become a figure competitor. Eating disordered thinking can lead to bingeing regularly & compulsively on food to the point of obesity, bingeing and then purging to fight off extra weight gain, or becoming anorexic and afraid to eat anything. If any of these behaviors apply to you, seek professional counseling and do NOT attempt to enter into any type of activity or competition that requires the restriction of your food intake. Please don’t put yourself in the position where you will misinterpret the discipline of competition dieting as just another unhealthy relationship with food.
This is NOT a matter to be taken lightly
Please be honest with yourself from the start by acknowledging your own abilities and beliefs. Get involved in the world of being fit at the right speed & level that you can deal with and you will enjoy a lifetime of health without any unnecessary aggravation!!
