Bodybuilding is a tough sport and it’s not for everyone.
Regardless of experience, it’s a given that a few things will “come with the territory” of competing. These include:
- Heightened levels of food focus
- Increased frequency of body-checking
- Feeling low-energy and irritable in social situations
- The desire to impress others and receive compliments
When chronically dieting throughout a competition journey, we would argue it’s inevitable that every competitor will need to navigate the above points to some degree.
The major call for concern is when these “normal” symptoms that come with the territory of competing exacerbate into long-term issues with food, body image, and self-worth.
If a competitor finds themselves in a position where every life decision is dictated by food and their mood is determined by how they perceive their body image that day, then it’s important to speak up.
Think hard and don’t feel ashamed to admit if you feel like being involved in this sport has you flying a red flag, because it truly doesn’t need to be that way.
Competing is a tough endeavour, but at the end of the day it’s meant to feel rewarding and life-changing in a GOOD WAY.