It's been 2 years...2 whole years since I first started training for Figure competitions. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. Soon, I'll be stepping on stage once again for the Fitness New England show at Foxwoods, with a goal of getting my pro card. By far, this has been my best competition prep yet...I've had fun workouts, plenty of rest, and almost no cravings for junk food. As you can imagine, spending months to prepare your body (and mind) to walk on stage and pose for all of 30 seconds can be tough at times. On numerous occasions, I've asked myself "Why in the world are you doing this??? Let's just have some cupcakes and skip this shit!". Deep down, I know the reasons I do this...and, no it's not the sparkly suit, spray tan, and stripper shoes, although the shoes DO make my legs look great. Knowing WHY I want to do this is what keeps me coming back year after year, despite some challenges along the way. But before I get into my own personal reasons, here are a couple of reasons that other people think I do this:

To have a hot body all year long: Believe me when I tell you, my competition body is NOT the same as my post-Thanksgiving body. The shredded appearance necessary for the stage is NOT sustainable or compatible with real life. So, no...having a ripped 6-pack all year long isn't worth the effort to me. I love cupcakes and wine too much.

For the money: HA!!!! This always makes me chuckle. I've spent more money in the past 2 years on competing than I will ever make in a LIFETIME doing this. If you're thinking about competing with the hope of winning oodles of cash, think again. In this sport, the money comes when you turn pro and become a sponsored athlete...and not one second sooner. And even still, it's not nearly enough money to retire early and go live in Fiji.

There are only 3 REAL reasons that I chose to diet and workout hard so that I can put myself on display for a panel of strangers to judge my body twice a year:

1. Commitment: I'm generally a commitment-phobic type of girl. I get excited about something, sign up for it, then once I realize how much time I have to put in, I'm ready to move on to something else. With Figure competitions, the commitment is REAL, baby! You're either in or you're out...there's no in-between. Competing has shown me that I AM able to set a goal, make a commitment to accomplish the goal, and see it through to the very end.

2. Physical and mental transformation: Lifting weights consistently for the past 2 years has made me physically stronger than I ever knew was possible and has completely transformed my body. I love being able to see the changes over time! But it's not just about the muscles...the more I compete and push myself beyond my comfort zone, the more the self-doubt fades away. This sport has allowed me to elevate my game in other areas of my life: work, my business, and personal relationships.

3. Love: The bottom line is that I LOVE it! The preparation, the strutting across the stage, and posing in my stripper heels...everything about it makes me happy.

This journey has taught me that I can do anything I want to do if I believe in myself and work hard. I've also realized that life is short and we should try to cram in as many adventures as possible.

Saturday, April 27th is showtime and you can watch the live webcast right here! You can also check out my Facebook page throughout the weekend for updates on all the festivities...including my post-show cheeseburger, fries, Coke, red wine, and dessert!

Stay fit!

[signature]Melissa[/signature]