Competition prep can be hard for a female athlete because the changes to the body are so incrementally small.  It is hard to remain focused and motivated when each day is composed of 16-18 hours awake hoping to see even a small bit of progress.  You need something – anything - to keep you going. ​ But no worries. There are many ways to tell that you’re getting close to your competition weight. Things that tell you that all the deprivation is actually working. That your body really is changing.  And none of them require stepping on that cold unforgiving scale. ​ Here are just a few: ​ Butt Dents If the song “Baby Got Back” was written about you, seeing indentations on the sides of the buttocks tells you you’re on the right track. ​ On the flip side, you know when you’re back to your post-competition body when your butt “pops” back into Bootylicious mode. ​ Boob Scales Breasts are made of fat so they quickly deflate when fat goes down which makes the “boob scale” a great measure of progress. Here’s how it work: If you can hold a pencil under each boob and bounce up and down without it falling, you are reaching your goal. If you can hold a magic marker under them, you’ve hit the mark! ​ Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword. The flatter your boobs, the less of a girl you feel. Thank goodness for padded bras – and plastic surgery! ​ Bye Bye Bleed The normal body fat for a non-athletic female is between 22-28 percent. But with intense training and dieting, when you reach a body fat of less than 12 percent, there goes your period. No period. No problem. You’re not pregnant; you’re competing! ​ Now don’t crumble on the bathroom floor in tears if your period comes after 2 months of dieting (like I’ve done in the past). Just keep plugging away and soon it will be long gone. ​ Man Veins You don’t need a pump to see the veins on your forearms. They trail down your arm ripe and plump at all times- no gym required. They remind you of the freeway map of Florida. They are a phlebotomist’s dream and a vampire’s ecstasy. ​ Clown Pants At first your pants swoosh around your thinning thighs. The material swims around your legs with every step. The pants fit – but barely. But as your size decreases, the more the pants start to balloon and your hips can no longer keep them up. Suddenly you’re wearing “Clown Pants”. Your pants hang low like a hip-hop wannabe. ​ This is not the time to be cheap. Don’t go to Walmart in search for suspenders to keep your pants up. It’s futile. Nobody wears suspenders anymore. Time to get another wardrobe for your diminishing size - or learn to love stretchy pants. ​ Skeleton Face Your cheeks are sunken. Your face is drawn. Acquaintances believe you’re under medical treatment for a chronic condition. Yay. You’re ready for the stage! ​ Yes, the stage is calling. And it’ll be here before you expect it. So smile and enjoy the experience. Every torturous minute of it!

Restaurants – They don’t care about your health. They don’t want you to live long. They just want you to live long enough to come back. If you are eating out, you are guaranteed to be taking in more fat, salt and sugar – sometimes all at once and all in a gut-busting amount of calories. It takes a lot of energy and education to eat a healthy meal out. A simple salad can have more fat than a hamburger. And how are you to know? And even if you manage to get something that is lower in fat, getting something low(er) in salt is impossible. After all, no respectable cook will make anything without salt. Gyms – They are perfectly happy taking your money month after month despite the fact that you never use it. Each January, the regular crowd of gym-goers endure the (temporary) influx of new gym members. But it need only be endured for a short time. We know full well that by the time February ends, you will no longer be in our parking spots or taking up our machines. But the gym will continue drawing your money. ​ Health Insurances – Don’t believe the ads that say they care about you and your family’s health. They are for-profit for a reason. They only care about their shareholders – and that is not you. If they do act like they care about your health, it is because it helps their bottom line. HMO? PPO? POS? Deductible? Copay? Coinsurance? This is what I do for a living and I barely understand my own health insurance. ​ Banks – Really? Do I need to explain this one? Banks take your money, invest it in the stock market and make more money. So why leave your money in the bank? Stop giving them your savings so they can make more money and offer you nothing in return. Learn the basics of investing and put your money in a mutual fund instead. ​ Food Companies – They put their lies right on their food labels. Don’t believe them. Gluten-free popcorn? All popcorn is naturally gluten-free. Lower salt ketchup? Still with way too much salt; lower is not the same as low. They are downright deceptive and it is difficult to cut through their BS. Instead, read “Nutrition Action”, the health letter from CSPI, a nonprofit organization devoted to truthful information on the foods we eat. Their articles on falsehoods in labeling and advertising are eye-opening. ​ Yourself? – Stop calling yourself stupid, fat, ugly, or any other negative word. Stop concentrating on your deficiencies and all the ways you do not measure up. Stop looking back at your past and all the things you did that you can no longer change. Stop being your own greatest enemy. The world is hard enough without you standing in front of a mirror circling all the parts you hate. In a world full of things that don’t love you, this is the one you can control. The one you should control. Of all the things that don’t love you, you should be the one thing that does. Unconditionally. Flaws and all.

Gum. Gum. Gum. ​ I chew gum all prep long because it satisfies my desire to chew. I break the stick in half and chew it until the burst of sweet is gone and then I throw it away and quickly place the second half in my mouth. All day long. It makes me feel like I’m eating without the added calories. But is that true? ​ My beloved Trident gum states that each stick has less than 5 calories. It does NOT say it has NO calories.  So let’s do some math. ​ I figure I have about a pack of gum a day on the conservative side. That’s 14 sticks or 28 half-sticks each day.  So let’s say each stick is 4 calories (4 is less than 5, right?). That makes 56 calories each day on non-nutritive gum. Something that does not give me the energy boost of carbs or the muscle building benefits of proteins. It doesn’t even give me the regular BMs of vegetables. So why? ​ All this math is giving me a headache. And my stomach grumbles. ​ I’ll think about it more tomorrow. ​ Now where is that Trident?

What do competitors dream of during all those weeks of strict dieting? What do they obsess about after weeks of deprivation? ​ During the 2022 PA Classic in Allentown, PA held on July 30th, the bikini, figure, and physique competitors shared their food dreams. Cheeseburger with bacon and fries and a glass of wine. - Dana M. Nina’s Capuccino Waffle and Chocolate Stuffed Waffle. Cannoli Cheesecake Cookie. – Angelina F. Anything from Vegan Treats Bakery in Bethlehem PA. Mushroom Stroganoff - Jasmyn D. Pizza (any kind). Alexa H. Cold peppermint Patties (must be cold!). - Sidney P. Burger with BBQ sauce, French fries with ketchup and pulled pork nachos at Bell Hall Restaurant in Allentown. - Sarah B. Oreo Blizzard from Dairy Queen. Chicken sandwich with French fries and Mac and cheese from Chik-Fil-A. - Dara V Egg white omelet with piles of chicken and spinach or a Margherita pizza. - Susan W. Big Mac with French fries and water. Strawberry margarita with salt rim. - Jennifer S. Mini Monster Cookie from PDX Cookie Company - Ashley F Classic original Auntie Anne’s pretzel (currently being warmed in the bag). Bagel Mania Salt bagel with original cream cheese. - Andrea H Spicy tuna roll from Gonzalez in Lancaster PA - Maureen Y. Swedish fish gelati from Rita’s. - Claire B Bouquet of tacos. - Alina A-C My dream first meal? Ciabatta bread, a tub of humus and room-temperature Brie cheese. Yum! Congratulations to all the competitors at this year’s event. It was a pleasure sharing your food dreams with you.

I am overly dramatic. I am not an addict. But I imagine an affinity to all addicts. I know the torture of wanting what you can’t have. (Just one taste. Could it be so bad? Yes? Really?) I am suspicious. I believe you truly want the best of me. But if you hand me a coffee, I will question whether you added sugar like an inquisitor in the dark ages. (Are you trying to derail my diet?) I am superstitious. I don’t believe in curses or black cats. But I look both ways when I cross empty streets. And I look at cracks on the sidewalk like near-deadly threats. (What if I twist my ankle? How will I pose?) I am cautious. I usually revel in trying new things. But right now I am not interested in going skydiving. Or ATVing. Or even riding a bike down a small hill. (What if I fall? No amount of tanning will cover that bruise!) I am juvenile. I am grown. But I pout like a child when you tell me I chose to do this show. I chose to go on this diet. I chose this sport. (What’s your point??) I am temperamental. I am usually a veritable ray of sunshine. But right now . . . Not so much. I am being overly dramatic. I am just a hungry bodybuilder. Dreaming of milk in my coffee. Of ranch dressing on my salad. Of cheese in my eggs.Three weeks to go. And I am just being overly dramatic.

Is it just me? Right after finishing a 12-16 week strict diet - the minute I get off stage – I feel like I’ve escaped from fat camp. Or from the Gulaag. Or from jail. Or from whatever prison you want to imagine. I’ve held back all this time. I have been excruciatingly good. I have measured. I have prepped. I have sweated. I have given life and blood to look my best for a few hours. And now I feel I should be able to get some recompense for all my suffering. God bless all those people who “reverse diet”. What control they must have to keep denying themselves as they slowly increase their carb intake. To me, that all sounds like a slow death-by-diet.  I admire them all – I just don’t have any intention of following in their path. The minute I step off that stage I immediately want to indulge. Oh, heck, why lie? I want to OVERindulge – over and over again. And repeat it again the very next day. After a month of only white and green food (white tilapia and green asparagus) I am gobsmacked by the virtual endless colors of food. I (re)discover red peppers, pink salmon and orange carrots. Oh, the colors. And, oh, the myriad of flavors. I’d forgotten them all. I roam the aisles of the supermarket like an addict looking for her drug of choice. Everything is sooo good. Everything is sooo yummy. But some things are yummier than others. Which leads to my sorrowful confession. Within 3 days of my competition I ate an entire 12 ounce jar of Justin’s Natural Honey Peanut Butter. I ate it on rice cakes, on crackers, on top of (protein) pancakes and – more often than not – straight from the jar. I am pretty sure that the 3000 calories in that jar of peanut butter is more than I ingested in the entire last week of my competition prep. ​ I know. I have issues. So I am proud to announce that I have been peanut butter free for the last three weeks. It has been a struggle. My oldest child loves his PB&J sandwiches so the temptation is there every time I open the cabinet above the sink. I try not to look at it too often or too long. If I do, I am pretty sure I will justify having just one little spoonful. “What could it hurt?”  “It’s not bad if taken in moderation.” “I can control myself.” Oh, the lies I would tell myself. So I choose total abstinence. No half steps. No bogus alternatives like “only natural peanut butter” or “only PB Fit”. I’ve tried those before and quickly fallen off the wagon. So, NO peanut butter of ANY type or texture for me. I have a sponsor, I’m doing the steps and I am working towards my 4-week chip. ​ So say a prayer and wish me luck. I’ll really need it. (Now if I could only control my intake of humus.)

When I started I was 300lbs (5’10”), with a newborn baby, and I had just gained 100lbs during pregnancy. I felt overwhelmed, lost and doomed I’d be miserably overweight forever. Growing up as a fat kid I tried every diet in the book, and I was unable to stick to any plan to successfully lose the weight. I had no clue where to start on my weight loss journey! After months of secluding myself and new baby in the house, I decided it was time to make a change. So I joined a local mom group called stroller strides, where we would meet at a local park with our babies, and walk on a 1 mile walking trail three times a week. Walking is where I started, a mile would take me about 15-20mins. I did my first 5k with my stroller stride group, and I was hooked! I started walking in 5k races like it was my job! The pic on the left is my first 5k! Then we moved to TN, and my life was flipped upside down. I joined the YMCA, and saw an ad for a half marathon. I signed up to walk/jog it, and trained myself! 3 years into my weight loss journey I had lost 70lbs on my own with diet and exercise. After doing 6 half marathons, the scale wouldn’t budge, and I was still stuck at 230lbs! I discovered weights, and incorporated a super strict diet with intense cardio and exercise 5 days a week. I lost another 70lbs in 6 months. Bringing my total weight loss to 140lbs over 4 years of diet and exercise! In 2014 I had skin removal surgery, and a breast lift with implants.  For the last 10 years, I have tried to maintain the weight loss, but went back up to 200lbs by 2020. Then I found an all natural coach, Nate Eaton, who focused on sustainable Weight loss, and with his help I learned the healthier ways of flexible dieting. Then in 2021 I competed in my first all natural OCB bikini bodybuilding competition. Losing a total of 150lbs, and accomplishing dreams I never thought I’d be able to do! I have competed in 3 OCB shows since, and have fallen in love with the sport! Now I’m helping others achieve their Weight loss goals as a certified personal trainer, and I have such a passion to pass along the tools I have learned along my journey. I’m so incredibly thankful for the doors the universe opened for me to get here!

If you compete, you know the golden period. It’s the period right after your competition when you still look really good but you also feel really good. Because you’re not thinking about your next meal every second that passes after your last meal. Because you’re not sore from the last three work outs. Because you’re not dreading the cardio you still have left to do. Because you’re no longer jealous of any and every one because they get to eat any and every thing. ​ But this is the golden period. People feel free to approach you to tell you how good you look. You are their role model. They ask If you’re a trainer. They ask about your workout routine. And about what you eat. People in public think you look like this all the time and the people at the gym forget what you looked like just a few months back. They wouldn’t have dared to approach you just two weeks ago. Two weeks ago you looked hungry. You looked like you could bite. You looked like you could bite them. Hard. And draw blood. And smile while doing it. But now you are back to your sweet approachable self. And they want to know all your secrets. ​ The golden period is fabulous. You accept all those invitations to dinner that people promised you during prep – and sometimes they even pay. It doesn’t matter whether you won or it was your worse year yet. They toast you with wine and exotic drinks. Your friends are happy that you are happy. They are so happy that you are back to your pleasant carb-up self. They like being around you again. They ask if you want to taste their food – or share a desert – with no agenda. You don’t feel like they are trying to derail your diet. You realize they really just want to share. ​ The golden period is short-lived. At some point, you start looking like a normal person. (Well, a normal person with an inordinate amount of muscle, that is.) Your legs fill out. Your shoulders lose definition. The belly is not so flat.  But you also get your shape back. Your sway back. Your natural curves. No more need for the padded bra because the “girls” are back. No longer looking like a boy in almost everything you wear because the hips are back. And your backside is – well - back. You bounce when you walk and it’s not a bad thing. ​ Some of us mourn the end of the golden period but it is inevitable. More importantly, the end is healthy. Being lean year-round is not good for the body. And it’s not good for growing muscles. Nothing can grow in a state of starvation.  Muscles need to be fed which means you need to be fed. ​ So enjoy the golden period while it lasts. Taste the flavors and the colors. Enjoy the company and the laughs. Go ahead and revel in it. I know I will.

There are flashpoints of anarchy in my everyday. Waves of disorder before the order flows back. When I cook, every ingredient, every pot, every measuring spoon ends up scattered on the counter. But by the time the last bite of the meal is consumed, I have turned my back on chaos. Pans and plates have found their place again and any leftover morsel has been ensconced in its proper container and refrigerated. Only the aroma is left to remind you of the meal. Same with my desk,  the color of which is blanketed by charts, folder and scraps of papers during the day. Layers of paperwork and forms are accented by pens, paperclips and drugstore glasses. Barely a corner of color is evident until it is unveiled at the end of the day; paper corners once again properly aligned in stacks. As with the desk, so is it with my body by the end of each calendar year. The last month of this  year (like all others before it) I have joined my fellow Americans in the ritual of excess. I consume all the “forbiddens”. The fried, The saucy. The cheesy. The just-too-much. A whole Bavarian pretzel? Why not. A second slice of cheesecake? Sure. And at some point my body relents – and expands. Shapely legs become blocky. Stomach is post-burrito-big when I awake.  And my backside? Well, let’s just say that there is more of me to love. And I have to admit that I enjoyed every bite of the fried and the saucy and the cheesy. So don’t expect me to bemoan my lost physique. Because I now have a goal. Something destroyed has to be rebuilt. And in my mini-anarchy mind, that motivates me. I am in awe of all of you who are able to keep within mere pounds of your ideal weight throughout the year. Must be lovely. But it isn’t me. I’m not saying that that is good. I’m just saying it isn’t me. I look forward to my Month of Too-Much because it is the only time I allow it. Even after a competition, my stomach is too shrunken and I am too indoctrinated into small portions and semi-starvation to fully enjoy food. After a competition, I feast on colors, tastes and textures that have nothing innately sinful about them.  Fat-free salad dressing. Roasted mini peppers. Humus on pita. There is no comparison between the joy of munching on a flavored rice cake after competition and the pure elation of devouring a slice of warm deep dish apple pie (with whipped topping on top, of course.) in the month of December. So now comes the time to rebuild the physique. To turn away from mindless eating for pleasure and go back to eating for function. But I will be doing it without self-recriminations. There will be no avoiding the scale and certainly no boo-hooing when I step off the scale. There will be no running past the mirror desperately clutching my towel, afraid of what visage will be found in the glass. There will be no shrinking into the hidden corners of the gym to work out hidden and in secret. Vacation was good but vacation is over. And it’s time to go to work.

When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in June 2013, I was confused, angry and in disbelief.  Growing up, I had been an athlete. I ran track for over 12 years, played collegiate volleyball, became a cheerleader and dancer and ran cross country in college.  I worked my way to being captain of my college cheer team and was awarded Female Athlete of the Year.  I didn't consider myself a person who was at risk for any medical condition. I remember leaving the neurologist's office and running to my car crying my eyes out and trying to understand what was happening and what to do next.  After a few days of being depressed, confused and anxious, I decided to live my life like I had before the diagnosis.  My body felt fine, so why play into being sick or disabled? Despite my diagnosis of MS, I remained active and by 2018, I made the plan to get on the fitness stage.  But then the pandemic hit. The city shut down. My gym shut down. Undeterred, I decided to turn my second bedroom into a mini gym.  I bought rubber floor mats, a squat rack, Olympic bar, weight plates, dumbbells - everything needed for a home gym. I was committed to reaching a goal that was over twenty five years in the making.  I didn't know when I would be competing, but I knew I wanted to compete before the end of 2022 - which didn't leave me much time. When I finally decided to enter a show, it was with the OCB, a natural bodybuilding organization where there would be an even playing field. Because of my diagnosis of MS, I needed to ask my neurologist to complete a medical exemption form with my diagnosis and the medications I was taking. And that was before the stress of the polygraph test.  I started questioning what I had gotten myself into. In November, 2022 I entered the OCB Franco Classic. As the day approached, I became more nervous and unsure of how I would do. I didn't tell anyone I was competing.  My closest friends and family knew, but that was it. I just couldn't bring myself to make the official announcement.  I kept everything quiet until a week and a half before the show when I posted on social media that I was entering a competition.  I had no expectations other than to have fun and to do my best. I entered novice, 35+ and open in the bikini category.  The day of the competition, I reminded myself to remain present and enjoy every moment because it goes by so quickly.  I walked on stage, nervous and unsure and to my surprise I placed 2nd in all three of my entries!  It was like being in a dream and was one of the best accomplishments of my life. I know some can treat entering a competition as something to be checked off their bucket list, but to me this is a lifestyle that will be vital to my long-term health and independence. This experience has taught me that I am stronger mentally and physically than I thought I was. It taught me to never doubt myself.  I feel stronger today than I did twenty five years ago and I would say that I'm in the best shape of my life.  I can't wait to see how my body transforms over this next  year as I prepare once again to get on stage. Let's get it.  LET'S GOOOOOO!

Lynne Ritter, a 59-year-old figure competitor Lynne Ritter shattered the typical age boundaries by embracing her long-held dream: becoming a figure competitor at 59. For 30 years, Lynne juggled the demands of her family and her career as a culinary arts teacher at Seneca High School in Tabernacle, New Jersey. Alongside her husband Todd, her world revolved around their three children, Felicia, Reilly, and Jesse. In all those years of sacrificing for her family, she felt she had lost herself. But now that her children were 35, 22 and 21 years old, she finally found time to rediscover her own ambitions. No longer was she running from one crisis to another. No one needed her in that intense way that children do. In the gym, she found peace. Once, Lynne's dreams of competing were just distant whispers of her younger self. She knew it was time to turn those quiet aspirations into reality. Even in the bustle of the gym, a goal-oriented Lynne found the solitude needed to concentrate on herself again – and to plan. She wanted to cross the finish line. Her husband, a seasoned competitor himself, stood by her with an understanding of the dedication required. She prepared for this new venture like a true teacher by researching. A year before her competition, she attended a local OCB show and cased out the competition. She analyzed the 50+ figure category with a discerning eye, imagining herself on stage. Envisioning her future self among the athletes on stage ignited a lasting drive that propelled her throughout the next year. As a nutrition teacher, Lynne easily mastered macros and dieting, yet she recognized the need for a maestro when it came to sculpting her physique, especially at her age. Genetically, she could build muscle easily, but the really difficult part was getting lean enough. So she contacted Joe Franco, a local coach, pro bodybuilder, and promoter of several successful natural bodybuilding shows. Under his tutelage, she followed his ever-training regimen and fine-tuned the macros in her diet, chiselling down to her ideal. In February 2023, Lynne debuted at the Double Down Natural, stepping into the spotlight with a calm, collectedness that belied her novice status. She felt comfortable on stage, from her clear heels to her bejeweled bikini. Yes, she was surrounded by younger athletes, but she knew she had earned her place. Lynne's presence was unwavering, a testament to her relentless training and countless hours of sweat and discipline that had sculpted her into a contender. Hours of gym work and daily cardio displayed her physique to its peak. And at 59 years old, she had the confidence that only comes with time. At the Double Down, she placed 3rd in the 50+ Figure division and 4th in the Open, 35+, and Novice divisions. Now hitting her stride, Lynne graced the stage again in November 2023 at the Franco Classic. She placed 4th in the 50+ division and 4th in the Open division among stiff competition. After her first two competitions, Lynne's commitment to a healthy lifestyle is stronger than ever. She works out in her home gym and sticks to her macros even in the off-season. At any social event, she brings her food cooler and avoids alcohol. At 59, she feels better than ever, free from pain and full of energy. Moreover, she sleeps like a baby and loves working out with her 21-year-old daughter, an athlete. She remains determined and focused, waiting for her body to tell her when she will be ready to compete again. And in the meantime, her health journey continues to inspire her friends and her students. Lynne's story is a powerful reminder: it's never too late to chase your dreams and redefine your best – regardless of age.