Tell Me Why?

When you proclaim to your co-workers, friends and family that you are competing in a body building competition, they understand the simple requirement that you must be on a calorie controlled diet to lose fat because you will be standing in front of people in a bikini. Although they cannot fathom doing it themselves, they understand why you skip the cakes at morning tea, and bring your own lunch from home.

But try that same behaviour without having a reason 'why' that makes any sense to an average person and you will be surprised at what happens.

First of all the way you look is open for public discussion - Aren't you going to put on any weight at all now that you've finished with that body building stuff? You can't be as thin as you are all the time, it's just not healthy? Are you sure you are eating enough, you look like you are fading away?

Then, how you eat is scrutinized - A piece of cake/pie/chocolate/pastry won't hurt you. Aren't you going to eat normal food now? Why are you worried about calories when you are so skinny? I thought you were finished with your diet now ...

And then the most annoying question of all:
Are you sure you are OK?

You assume I am not OK because I control my calorie intake and I train 6 days out of 7, without having any reason to. It is not normal, so I must have something wrong with me (... an eating disorder?)

If it was any of your business (which it isn't) I would tell you that my goals are:

(a) to maintain a stable weight while enjoying my training and nutrition
(b) to prove that it is possible to be lean all year round
(c) to inspire and motivate other people to achieve what others say can't be done

and this is the reason why I choose to continue live to the same way now as I did before the competition.

But because I am getting a bit sick of it all, I would tell you instead that I'm on a diet to lose more weight because I'm too fat and watch your face crumble in disbelief I will simply say - I like being me and living this way - how about you?