The ugly stuff no one tells you...

When I signed up and committed myself to competing, I was actually very excited to start the diet. I knew everything I ate was only to fuel the machine. I only ate things that would be my workout fuel so that I could build as much muscle possible, and burn the fat. During my competition diet, the only weight I lost was the last week. I lost a whopping three pounds. However, as I've said before, I lost 8% body fat, half my body fat in the eighteen weeks I trained. </p>
<p>With that being said, after I went back to eating "normal" again, I gained about five pounds. Five pounds may not seem like a lot to most, but when you're used to weighing 130-135 and you tip the scale to 140, it's cumbersome to carry the extra weight. I felt bloated, fatigued, and well, just plain fat. </p>
<p>After getting back into the gym, I still hadn't lost much weight. I had stopped preparing veggies every day, so I chalked it up to water weight and lack of cruciferous vegetables. </p>
<p>Three more weeks passed and I started feeling pain and a sort of thickness in my lower back. I had these same symptoms when I first found out I was expecting Koko bean, so I took two pregnancy tests. Nothing. No extra lines. No baby. </p>
<p>The pain wouldn't subside so I finally went to the doctor. After describing all my symptoms, the fluttering in my belly, the pain in my back, the bloating, the doctor ordered an X-ray of my intestines. Now, those who know me well, know I have never had an issue with my intestines. I mean, my system is like clockwork, so imagine my surprise when I found out the X-ray unveiled that I'm literally full of crap. The doctor showed me the picture of my digestive tract and sure enough, there are two white blobs on each side. He sent me home with a prescription for a stool softener and said to come back in two weeks. </p>
<p>All jokes aside about me being full of crap, I am really upset I wasn't told of these things before deciding to compete. No one wants to feel this way. Why would you do this to yourself more than once? Add the guilt of being away from your family, not being able to eat what they eat, being afraid to travel because your food is prepared beforehand, and NOW THE FACT YOUR INSIDES ARE FULL OF HARD STOOLS?  NO THANK YOU.

I have learned my lesson about extreme dieting once again. I am still trying to find out how to maintain a healthy balance. I am not one to be moderate. I'm an all or nothing girl. Only time will tell how I will cope.

On another note, the doctor did a full blood workup on me. All tests came back superbly, including my thyroid and my vitamin D levels. That would be complements of my GNC vitamin regimen. :)