After having kids and letting my body “go,” I decided to get back in shape and competed in a physique competition for the first time in Masters Figure in 2007 at the age of 38. I loved the experience of competing; the challenge of getting ready for the stage was right up my alley, and I experienced success in terms of physique development, placings, and trophies. However, I saw some things among competitors, females especially, that alarmed me. A lot. I saw women with obsessive personalities starving themselves into contest shape. I saw women yo-yoing from leanness to overweight, experiencing depression and a myriad of health problems from thyroid issues to irritable bowel syndrome and beyond as they rebounded from their context experience.
While shopping for Coaches, I found Scott Abel’s web site through word of mouth and started reading his blogs. To put it mildly, I was blown away and moved to tears. I hired him to Coach me in December of 2007.
Although I continued to compete, the cycle of “off-season/on-season,” rather than contributing to my overall wellness, began to chip away at it. When I checked in with my Coach recently and expressed some of my feelings, he made me dig a little deeper. In doing so, I decide to stop competing. Instead of ramping up for another contest season, I am now focused on achieving, and maintaining, a healthy, fit, balanced SELF. I will not stop training or eating healthy, but my reasons for taking care of myself are now about me, not about achieving a certain “look” to put before a panel of judges.
The shift in mindset has opened a door for me. Will I walk through it? Time will tell.
Physique competitions are an “extreme” sport, requiring “extreme” measures to achieve an “extreme” (and unsustainable) physical look. I am choosing now to refocus the discipline, energy, and strength I possess towards balance and the harmonious function of my mental, spiritual, and physical existence, something I believe will truly empowHER me.
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment1 Comments
Susan, you hit the nail on the head.
I promised myself before taking the step to compete that I would NOT become a diva, but no matter how balanced you are and how "good" you become at juggling everything (kids activities, work, relationships, extended family functions), the truth is that something has to give, somewhere. And the closer you get to the industry and the subculture, even if you don't become a part of it, the uglier things begin to look. It eventually becomes so, so difficult to continue to drive yourself so hard for something you can no longer respect. Don't get me wrong--I love competition and testing my limits and feel that I'm setting a positive example for my children of walking the talk--but I see more and more women decimated by becoming "competitors." Eating disorders, weight gain, metabolic issues, plummeting self-esteem; exactly the opposite of what that hard-earned physique should represent.
Because of my amazing Coach, I've avoided a lot of these problems. But remaining a "competitor" makes me a PART of the problem, right? I'd rather set an example by living well for its own sake and not for the competition stage and a plastic trophy. Since I cannot in good conscience recommend this path to anyone else, I figure it's time to get off the path myself.
February 18, 2011 - 5:31pmThis Comment