The pitfalls of competition dieting

Jojo – bikini competitor – won 2nd place

One motivation for someone who signs up for a figure competition, is to lose body fat, but the downside, other than eating meals that are fairly bland and limited, is that these people have less energy, lose muscle, cannot sleep well, and are frequently grumpy. Supplements and fat burners with caffeine cannot replace nutrition so feeling depleted is to be expected.

A bikini competitor told me her children and husband hate her when she’s prepping for a contest; and the prep is usually for four months. From lack of sleep, she had gray circles around her eyes, but she looked great on stage!

Another frequent outcome from competing is gaining the weight back quickly after the competition, and still craving that 6-pack, which leads to eating disorders and body dysmorphia. The bottom line is that if you do complete, limit your competitions to no more than once year, and don’t expect to look like you do on stage year-round; that’s unhealthy and physically impossible.

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