I love competing. I also hate it. But more so I love it. So I keep doing it, 10 times to be exact!
I just did a show 2 weeks ago. And while this last experience has been a lot different for me than others, in a positive way, there are still things that creep back up & remind you of the negatives. How can it be such a great thing but make you feel so bad all at once? Can such a rewarding experience be disappointing at the same time? How can you possibly explain it? Just like sugar (so sweet & so evil) competing can be compared to a drug.
This post is NOT a post about why you should or should not compete!! Just a little insight from my experience & purely for entertainment purposes on my comparisons!
How is competing like a drug?
You don’t know what you’re missing if you haven’t done it. You can talk to your friends & family about it & all your experiences but nobody can really relate unless they’ve done it. That girl who always dreams about doing a show will never know what it’s truly like until you’ve been there & done that. And once you have been there & done that….
It can be addicting. Some people compete for the first time & get hooked. For others, they do it once & check it off the list maybe to say they’ve done it or because it just wasn’t their cup of tea. For me….I got hooked.
There are highs & lows. Preparation for a show is like an emotional & physical roller coaster. I never feel so confident, so bad about myself, so nervous, so proud, so accomplished, so tired. so energized as I do throughout a bikini prep. And there is no other high like being up on stage…especially if you are holding a trophy.
It will eat up your money. Competing is not cheap period. Even if you do it the cheapest way possible by doing your own hair, makeup etc. it’s still not cheap. Registration fees, polygraph fees, tanning, hotel, membership fees, suit, heels, makeup etc. it all adds up, especially if you are traveling.
It can cause problems in relationships. with your friends, family, spouse, coworkers, etc…if you let it. Key word being “can”. Competing can consume you & your time. This last one was the first show I did as a mom & I did not want my workouts or clean eating to take away from my family. I tried to get all my workouts in without being away too much. Balance is the key. But just like a drug, I have seen some people get obsessive over competing to the point where they don’t attend any social events or see their friends or family. There’s definitely more to life than that stage people.
People will judge you. You are the one at a summer BBQ not eating a hot dog or having a beer. “Why are you eating a chicken breast?” “You are looking skinny” Why does anyone really care? You aren’t making them eat chicken & drink water, what does it matter?? But it does for some reason, & they give you flack about it. Along with ALL the other judgement about your social media posts, etc. I’m sure some people are secretly mad that I got back in shape after having my baby. But that’s their problem, not mine. I stopped giving a crap really, & it’s pretty freeing. People will judge you anyways no matter what you do.
The effect is short lived. You spend months preparing, hours working out & prepping food, & countless time backstage (oh…the dreadful waiting), but you are literally on the stage for minutes…if and you’ve got your shit together hopefully it’s the best few minutes you imagined it would be.
Once you quit, you’re a little lost. What now? Everything that consumed you for awhile is over… post competition blues is a real thing. You spend weeks…month preparing for this big even & then once it’s over you find yourself feeling a little lost & need new direction. It’s like everything is new to you again.
Rebound. You have spent months carefully measuring & weighing every little thing that has gone into your mouth. You’ve avoided SO many foods for a long period of time. So when your show is over & you feel like it’s a free for all, time to celebrate. If you aren’t careful you will end up in a terrible downhill slide which equals weight gain & feeling awful about yourself. I have been there & done that a few times. It’s a viscous cycle. You can go from feeling so confident about yourself to a depression in a very short amount of time. That is why it is SO important to have a reverse diet plan following your show to ensure this does not happen to you. I repeat…this is SO important!
Everyone has their own journey. For some competing is not healthy for them. For others, their goal is to become a pro. Maybe another person lost a bunch of weight & wants to show off their accomplishment. Everyone has their OWN reasons & their OWN personal journey of getting there. For me, it’s about the challenge. I love being able to set a goal & work my ass of to get there & feel so proud of myself that I mentally & physically pushed my way to where I wanted to be. I love being on stage…the posing, the makeup, the suit, the hair, the competition. Anyone who knows me know I’m a little competitive so yes, I like winning also. But it’s not everything. I was never so proud to be up on that stage as a mom. To be able to inspire someone else along my journey is always very dear to me, especially if you are a mom who is struggling. Anyone can accomplish great things, & if I inspire even just 1 person along the way to do something they didn’t think they could, well then it’s all worth it to me.
I’m already helping others on their own health & fitness journey through my online coaching programs. If you want to be next, contact me!
View my online programs here → http://www.lesleyleanne.com/programs
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