Thanks all for your comments, it certainly seems to have opened up a can of worms! For your info, LizN has dissected my post on her blog. Have a read and feel free to comment as she has asked, but for the record, my point was, it was an uneccessary comment. I mean what was the reason for asking it? It has since been described as ‘thought provoking’ – provoking perhaps, but without the thought!
The response from Shelley on Liz’s blog:
Sue, does it make you a better, stronger, happier person than me because you showed your abs in your “off season”?
Kristen, what’s the difference between Macca’s and mud cake when it comes to man-made, processed crap as you call it?
I am an open, honest and caring person. If anyone takes my writing as negative than that really is there problem, not mine and perhaps they should dig a bit deeper and find the real reason I pissed them off!
As for showing my (somewhat soft) abs during the offseason, yes, I put that up there to show that I’m better than you. LOL!
The point was quite the opposite, in that usually all the photos we see on blogs and competitors websites show people in their best condition. I wanted to show what I look like in the off season, when I’m ‘normal’ and not dieting, to let others know who have read the negative posts and have become somewhat confused, to have them understand that it doesn’t have to be black and white. You can eat well and still ‘live’. I too have struggled too with the same issues that everyone has, but have over the years managed to learn how to eat well but intuitively off season and not be on a diet year round.
If I have a goal (there is that word again) I diet and train with a structured plan. This only happens when I’m competing, so once in a blue moon.
Nobody said we should be on a diet indefinitely, and of course it’s counterproductive if you are, and yes, intuitive eating is something we should definitely aim for when we don’t have a specific goal in mind.
Bodybuilding and striving to reach a peak actually has saved me from the disordered eating patterns and body image issues that I used to deal with, so for me, thumbs up to it. I used to struggle and struggle to get to where I wanted to be, never getting there, always feeling like a failure, diet after diet.
Bodybuilding taught me commitment, consistency, patience, and gave me a tremendous sense of power and achievement when I completed the challenge – much like Kristin is feeling now. I then understood what it takes to actually get to that stage, the hard work, discipline, sweat and sometimes tears. Was it worth it? Of course. Is it worth it year round? No way.
So, offseason I’m happy to just sit a few kg over. Those last few kg aren’t worth the effort in the offseason. A bit of extra padding is fine with me. So, end result, I’m happy to get to lean and mean once every now and then, but otherwise, I’m happy to sit a few kg over. Before I wasn’t happy, I was always striving to be ‘better’.
Anyway, not sure if it all makes sense but of course, do whatever works, I know for most of my clients having that structured plan (and it’s not a ‘bodybuilding diet’, it’s a liveable plan) is what works. I still think that the more you write and think about it the more obsessed you become. We tend to overthink things and make them more of an issue than they really are.
I recently had a skype chat with a client who was struggling with her social life because she was dieting. We came up with a plan that would allow her to continue being social (ie going out to eat with her friends – and not having to order plain chicken/fish and veg/salad) and not having her feel guilty after doing so, and thus continuing to make progress AND enjoy the process. It can be done!
Self sabotage when it comes to diet is interesting, and here is my take. I really feel that if you are using food as a crutch or an outlet, there is probably something else in your life you are unhappy with – be it work, relationships, lifestyle etc. So maybe that should be a starting point, to have a look and see if those aspects maybe affecting the way you eat.
And Kristin, if you want to keep competing because it makes you feel great, you go for it girl!! Lots of people envy you.
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