The truth about competing- the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Let’s start off with a little history on myself. Growing up i have always had a little extra meat on my bones and I knew it. I’ve had body image issues as far back as i can remember. In my late teens and early twenties i would say i was pretty lost which led me to drinking, which led to eating bad and not exercising nearly enough, and that ultimately led to weight gain and me feeling even worse about myself. I woke up one day and had one of those AHA! moments and decided I was going to take control of my health so I did! I started getting serious about my workouts and then a healthier diet followed. The weight quickly started falling off and muscles started growing and i was ADDICTED. After getting to this happy place with myself i decided i wanted to help other people, so i became a certified personal trainer and am currently going to school for nutrition. I began thinking of other ways to push myself so i did a tough mudder and a couple mud runs but still wasn’t satisfied. Shortly after i was introduced to the NPC bikini competitor world, and that;s when everything changed. I knew right away i wanted to do one and i wanted to win. This was just what i needed to push myself past my comfort zone and i was so anxious to step on that stage and rock it. Since, I have done two shows one in October of 2015 and my last was march of 2016. I placed sixth in my first and first and fourth in my last. I plan on competing again beginning of next year and hopefully qualifying for a national show so i can compete for my pro card.

So let’s start with the good (more like amazing). Show prepping/competing really makes me feel like i have a purpose. There’s no better feeling then picking out a show date, committing to it, and following through. I can honestly say I have never had such an adrenaline rush like i do when i step on stage in my itty bitty bikini and show off all my hard work. I have been on roller coasters and skydiving but it still doesn’t compare to this feeling. Health wise the first part of prep i felt amazing, you are eating better then ever before and giving your body the proper nutrients it needs plus working out 6-7 days a week. You just feel so proud and accomplished though out this whole process. Oh and don’t let me forget about all of the amazing friends you make along the way that have the same dreams as you!

Then there’s the bad. Say goodbye to BBQ’S with friends and family, late nights out, cocktails, crappy yet amazing food, and basically just plan on having no social life besides show prep. You work, eat, workout, meal prep, sleep, and repeat. Sure you can still go out and try and have a social life but i strongly advise not to. Try going to a BBQ where there’s cocktails, cake, and cheeseburgers surrounding you after eating nothing but lean protein, veggies, and a tablespoon of peanut butter a day for weeks. Your willpower may not be as strong as you thought. The last 2-4 weeks depending on your progress could be the worst weeks of your life. If you aren’t where you need to be plan on your daily calorie intake going down and your cardio going up. Which means your energy levels and patience for anything will be non-existent. Plan on a relationship strain between you and your significant other, because their will be moments you will be HANGRY, tired, emotional, and the list goes on. Not only that they will be cranky because of the fact you’re no longer any fun. Luckily i have had an amazing boyfriend through both my shows, and don’t think i would have made it without him. THANK YOU BABE!

The UGLY. Surprisingly for me and many other girls i have spoken with struggle the most part with post show. You prep anywhere from 3-6 months to get on the stage for a total of maybe 3 minutes. You stay hyped up for a few days after because you’re devouring every food you dreamed about the past 3-6 months, not to mention you’re still looking pretty good. Well after you come back down to earth, the weight starts packing on. Unless you reverse diet, which let me tell you it’s harder then you think. Then comes the feeling of not having a purpose anymore which leads to (for me) a slight depression. You go balls out on something for so long and then its over in one day. So then you have to work on trying to find a healthy balance and just be normal again, but what’s normal? You forget what it is because you’re so used to prep and repeating the same thing over and over again day in and day out. You start feeling guilty when you eat anything even remotely bad. Part of you knows it’s okay to indulge now in things you wouldn’t eat while prepping but the other part of you is screaming no because you have trained yourself to not eat these things and are terrified of weight gain. You start to obsess over the scale, how your clothes fit, how others perceive you now that you have put on weight; even though you know its not realistic to look stage ready year round. Eventually you find balance again, my first show it took me a couple months and my last show about three. Then you do it all over again because once again there’s nothing better then competing in my opinion.

I’ll wrap this up now, competing has changed my life dramatically in good and bad ways. No one warned me about the bad though, so i wrote this blog in hopes that it might help someone. I have always considered myself mentally strong but the after affects from competing was a whole new ball game for me. So if you aren’t ready for the possibility of going through these things don’t compete. If you think you can handle it go for it, you wont regret it!! It takes a special type of person to go through this process and compete! <3