I write this post following so many posts I have read lately where some of you awesome chicks are feeling down on yourselves.
You are all awesome, you are all beautiful. Full stop.
I can't put it any clearer than that. We are involved in a sport that can have major headfucks, and I myself am not immune to them either. We diet and train so hard to achieve the 'ideal' stage body, get ourselves to an un-naturally lean condition, and then when in the off season we gain a bit of weight (which the off season is designed for - pack on some size and try to do it well enough that a good portion of it is muscle) our heads cave in and we think we are massive. I might add here that when you diet down and a size 6 starts swimming on you, anything, inlcuding a size 10 or 12 is going to feel massive - BUT in reality it is NORMAL and HEALTHY. We are so set on what is the ideal diet that when we slip up, or God forbid, actually plan to eat 'off-plan' during either comp season or off-season, we mentally punish ourselves for hours, sometimes days, afterwards.
As I said, I am not immune to these feelings, I get them like any other person (quite a bit I might add) and need my friends around to snap me out of it.
What I do want to reiterate is that you guys are all AWESOME. You are role models to so many people out there, without even knowing it. The people who critisize what we do don't care enough to educate themselves on it generally speaking. And those who negatively critique our off- and on- season bodies usually are the ones who need to take a long hard look in the mirror at themselves.
Anyway enough of my ramble this morning. It just upsets me to hear those I care about getting down on themselves, but I understand where they are coming from at the same time. No one promised that being a figure/physique competitor was easy, and I think by far the hardest part of it is the mental challenge we all face on a daily basis.
Vic xx
Thank you!!! I sooo needed that this morning... Not down on myself just totally exhausted from dieting and cardio and training... today I feel very "nearly 49 - Almost 50" but your post made me look down at my abs and go... Shit I'm Awesome LOL! Thanks for reminding me!
ReplyDeletewell said -thanks! i am dieting down for my first ever show and have these feelings in reverse- i get down on myself for how i currently look compared to how lean i'll need to be to compete- even though im right on track (early, 23 weeks out!!)and have already lost considerable fat over the past 6 months.
ReplyDeleteso i think everyone can benefit from reminding themselves how great they are :)
No worries. I think everyone has been doing it a bit tough mentally of late and I know what it's like to be so down on yourself...I figured if my post could make just one person feel a bit better then it did it's job!
ReplyDeleteI think being exhausted is a double whammy and definitely doesn't help produce positivity! I also know from experience that sometimes when you are dieting it is hard to see what everyone else sees, and also to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can't tell you how many phone calls my coach has received from me in the week of competition, saying that I have to pull out cos I am too fat to compete. That is usually a result of carb depletion, and the mind playing tricks - you don't see yourself realistically.
I think the best thing is just know that we are all here to support you, if you ever need anything (no matter how minute or petty it may seem) we all know what you are going thru :)
Vic xx