This week the ADO Fitness trainers are addressing how their lives have been negatively impacted by fitness to spread some light on issues not everyone speaks about. Coach Trista shares her story.

Although fitness has served more good than bad in my life, there are downfalls to competing and taking your physique to that level. Before I ever started competing I was always fairly confident and comfortable with how I looked. I never really knit picked at my body, I was fit but had my fluctuations of course. My physique wasn’t a focal point of my attention like it is today. After competing that all changed- I self admittedly have a mild case of body dysmorphia which is common in the industry. It’s almost impossible to ever be accepting of your body again unless you are stage lean or somewhat close. You start looking at every area of fat on your body in disgust, with a lot of negative self talk. I think for most who have or do experience this, it is because you know what your best looks like. You know your potential and anything less is not acceptable and goes unappreciated, even though you might still have abs! I remember one time in Vegas with Amber we refused to go to the pool because we thought we were “fat” and didn’t want to be seen in a bathing suit. Looking back, we laugh and want to slap ourselves, it was two weeks post show probably up 5-6 lbs from stage and we were still looking bangin!! We had our blinders on, we couldn’t see that we looked amazing and could have totally rocked a suit and had a great time. But we missed out because of the mind f*ck. This also happens during a prep you lose sight that you are more fit than half the population, you criticize yourself and people look at you like you’re nuts. But we are always striving to be shredded as possible without ever appreciating where we are in our journey. I have told myself multiple times when entering a prep, “ok, appreciate yourself the whole time, not just the end” I am still working on it, but getting better. So if you are prepping or dieting in general try not to lose sight of progress you’ve made just because you aren’t at your best yet. We should give ourselves credit for hard work and discipline. Nobody is perfect and it all comes down to loving and accepting ourselves where our bodies are healthy, what we can sustain to have a balanced life. ??