A Slice of The Fit Life

I’m Orange and I know it. Im Greasy and I show it!

Well this is a bit out of my element to share my opinions publically….(well not since I was an opinions writer for my high school newspaper at least) but I felt the writer’s need.

            As of March 2012 I became a Bikini competitor in amateur level fitness and bodybuilding shows. Competing has allowed me to take my training and diet and unite them together in perfect harmony. I have sculpted my body to be confident enough to step on that stage in front of a panel of strangers who will critique my every muscle fiber against my opponents’. 

            For my first show I began my journey 14-weeks from showtime. FOR 14-WEEKS I wrote out EVERY workout, hand prepared 95% of my meals, drank overwhelming amounts of water, resisted temptation from alcohol and other toxic foods. Some may not understand why we do the things we do to prepare — but every step matters in this sport. Every meal can bring you one step closer to perfection. Every workout can make you an ounce stronger physically and mentally. One meal mistake or skipped workout and you will step on that stage thinking “what if?”

         We strive to eliminate the “what if’s” by – refusing to hit the snooze button on our 5 am workout, watching the sunrise every morning from the window of a gym, burning more calories than the average person by lunchtime, consuming more calories than the average person by lunchtime, and NEVER letting the few who don’t understand it get us down.

         The day of our shows we live for the words of encouragement that confirm our weeks of preparation paid off. BUT what we hear more often than not is simply statements of the obvious. YES we know we look like oompa loompas and YES we can always be a little darker. YES we do want a cheeseburger (cupcake, cookies, pizza, chocolate or any other food you want to mention we need to eat). YES we know we look like a greasy cookie sheet (I prefer the term “well-oiled machine”). YES we do wear clear plastic heels that kill our feet, because who would want their physique to be overshadowed by a hot pair of Christian Louboutins – not this girl.
         All of the above mentioned characteristics are for the STAGE. The stage is our field. The oil and tan is our uniform. The striated muscles are our playbook that gives us the advantage over the opponents. Those fibers demonstrate the weeks of practice we have endured. The heels are our protective footwear ensuring not a single quad or ham goes unnoticed by the judges.

         You may think all of these things about this sport look weird—-gross—-unnatural—-disgusting and you are entitled to those opinions. But what makes us the ATHLETES we are is that we do whatever it takes to showcase our determination, dedication and pursuit of perfection we have had for our bodies for however many weeks it takes us to get to the ……STAGE.