| Focus February 1, 2003
Feeling SAD and a Little Hungry? You’re Not
Alone!
It’s the beginning of February, the rush of the
holiday season is finally over, there are no long weekends in sight for another two months
-- and let’s face it, it is cold outside! With all this in mind, it is no wonder
’tis the official period for seasonal depression disorder (SAD). In other words, this
time of year is synonymous with feeling down, lazy and unmotivated. These moods are never
desirable and they can be especially challenging when you are trying to get ready for a
show!
For those of you with a novice event just around the
corner, you may find yourselves turning to the chip cupboard to ease those feelings of
anxiety. A fellow fitness competitor recently asked my advice on how to resist the
temptation to cheat and, although I don’t have a guaranteed solution, I think
I’ve come up with the motivation that literally keeps my hands out of the cookie jar
prior to a contest.
This idea didn’t dawn on me until last week, when
Murphy’s Law prevailed in that everything that could go wrong…did. Aside from
work and family-related problems, I got hit with a migraine and the flu at the same time.
Needless to say, I’ve been in bed for the past three days.
My realization is that the true test of someone’s
strength and will is determined by how they act in times of hardship. For example,
it’s easy to be cheerful, optimistic, motivated and focused when everything is going
your way; but it’s how you act when things aren’t going your way that will
ultimately decide your fate in life as a fitness competitor or as a person in general.
I know this may be an overly simplified analysis of what
drives fitness competitors to cheat on their diets, but I don’t think it’s far
from the truth. Here’s what generally happens: you’re a few weeks out of a show
and things are going well until something unexpected or unwelcome occurs. It could be as
simple as a stressful day at work. Suddenly the tub of peanut butter that has been sitting
in the back of your fridge, far beyond its expiry date, starts calling out to you. Instead
of closing the fridge and backing slowly away, you stand there for a few minutes staring
at it. You pick up the jar, set it on the counter and look at it some more. A few minutes
later, still tempted by the sinful thought, you start justifying what one little taste
would do -- after all, you’ve had such a hard day and one little bite would make you
feel so much better. And besides, if you had just a little, it would certainly get rid of
your cravings. Right? Wrong!
It’s these fantasies that get us into the cheating
mode in the first place because, let’s face it girls, there’s no such thing as
"one little taste!"
What I’m trying to say is: Make life simple. Revert
back to the old "Just say No" mentality. If you never allow yourself the chance
to resist temptation, you’ll never have to worry about cheating on your diet, or
cheating yourself out of a potential win. It all boils down to how badly you want to win,
and the strength of your ambition will be revealed when things are not going your way.
That’s my approach to a pre-contest diet but just like
weight training, no two bodies or minds work the same way. So, if you are not convinced
that the "mind over matter" philosophy is the answer for you, I’ve got some
advice from top-ranked national-level fitness competitor, Janie Keith, that’s sure to
tempt your taste buds while maintaining your pre-contest diet mind-set. Check out the
Feedback section where she reveals her sin-free cheats!
...Denyse Johnson
denyse@seriousaboutfitness.com |
