| Focus August 1, 2003
Not Alone
Well, it’s official. For those
of us not getting ready for the Worlds the competitive season may be over, or is at least
winding down for the year, and along with that comes the task of getting ready for next
year.
One of the things I most often hear from athletes who have
recently finished a string of competitions is that they are really looking forward to
enjoying the occasional treat. Okay, let’s be honest here. What they are really
looking forward to is gorging themselves on all the sweets and grease they’ve been
deprived of for so many months. And I can attest to it -- it’s a natural urge!
The problem is knowing when to stop. I ran into a fellow
competitor at the beach a while back. She had just finished a competition, was happy with
her placing, but decided she didn’t want to compete any more. When I asked why, she
explained that although she had a good time, it took too many other things away from her
life. She also commented that she noticed some of the other competitors were having a
really hard time coming to terms with the fact that they couldn’t maintain their show
physique, and suggested some had developed eating disorders trying to stay lean.
I’ve come to notice throughout my years involved with
fitness that this seems more common than not. I recently read an article in Oxygen
where two popular IFBB Pros, Kelly Ryan and Elaine Goodlad, talk about their experience
with bulimia. After reading this and learning about the symptoms and characteristics of
the psychological disorder, I believe many competitors struggle with the problem.
I guess it seems like a natural progression, because
fitness and figure are based on physical appearances, but it is very sad that for many it
has to get to that point.
There is help out there though. There are many
organizations across the country in both Canada and the U.S that deal specifically with
eating disorders and can help make sense of it all. I think the first step is to admit
there is a problem. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about because there are more women
than you know going through the exact same thing.
The fact is, when a fitness or figure competitor indulges
in a treat, it is meant to be enjoyed. And I speak from personal experience when I say
that it is really hard to enjoy something when you are worried about how you are going to
burn it off.
...Denyse Johnson
denyse@seriousaboutfitness.com
For more info about eating disorders and to read about
the experiences from some of the fitness greats we look up to, I suggest reading the
article in July 2003 issue of Oxygen. It has a green cover, which features Elaine
Goodlad. It also features links to some great websites and other resources. |
