CNN.com video - female athletes & eating disorders

[Sassy69]

Not sure how long this link will be on cnn.com:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/index.html --- then look under the "Free Video" on the right.

They introduce a national level diving athlete who developed bulemia after her coach told her she needed to lose some weight. The whole jist is basically more of female athlete triad - the bullshit where coaches, media, others tell or imply to female athletes that to excel they need to be sure to not gain weight. As a result they start to starve themselves and sometimes a whole culture of binge / purge or plain old starve evolves.

So now some universities and other organizations have coach & staff who are trained to recognize eating disorders to help athletes deal w/ them.

That's all nice, but what just continues to torque the fuck out of me is why they are trained to recognize eating disorders but apparently arent' trained to provide not just coaching for the particular sport, but the healthy diet that would provide the appropriate fuel to support excellence in execution of the sport.

WTF?? Do we not on an hourly basis state how crtiical diet is your body's ability to perform the desired function optimlally on these boards -- and these mutherlovin coaches can't assimilate even the basics of nutrition to instill in their athletes instead of waiting until a promising career and personal self-esteem is destroyed by a comment such as "don't you'd do better / the media / audience / whoever the fuck would like you better if you lost a little weight?" from a coach or someone viewed as an authority, a mentor or a hero to these girls???


It is truly amazing how ignorant those, even the elite of variuos sports, are still about as intelligent as a pile of dog shit when it comes to body / diet / training and execution?

 

[*Bunny*]

Do we not on an hourly basis state how critical diet is your body's ability to perform the desired function optimally on these boards -- and these mutherlovin coaches can't assimilate even the basics of nutrition to instill in their athletes instead of waiting until a promising career and personal self-esteem is destroyed by a comment such as "don't you'd do better / the media / audience / whoever the fuck would like you better if you lost a little weight?" from a coach or someone viewed as an authority, a mentor or a hero to these girls???


It is truly amazing how ignorant those, even the elite of variuos sports, are still about as intelligent as a pile of dog shit when it comes to body / diet / training and execution?

AMEN

that is so friggin sad.

 

[Sassy69]

Don't you love a good rant when its such on a topic that is SOOO easy to be right on?

What are you doing up so late???

 

[iceprincess]

From personal experience, I couldn't agree with you more, sassy!! Coaches, parents and athletes alike, ALL need to be educated about the proper diet of an elite athlete!!

Why waste money in training and teaching these coaches on how to recognize the issue, when it is too late, and the damage is done (both physically and psychologically). When in fact, majority of the time, the coach's and parents ARE the problem. Why can't we educate everyone and nip it in the bud BEFORE it becomes an issue, NOT AFTER! It is freaking sad and it pains me to know that it is real and many of these elite coaches are clueless.

Thanks for sharing Sassy!

 

[tps]

great link..how common do you think it is in body building? strict dieting can certainly lead to binges and body image issues.

 

[*Bunny*]

great link..how common do you think it is in body building? strict dieting can certainly lead to binges and body image issues.

I think it is more common than some people would think.

What are you doing up so late???

I was up til 4 ... woulda been on here but as soon as I was typing my reply to this very post, the internet went out.

 

[Sassy69]

great link..how common do you think it is in body building? strict dieting can certainly lead to binges and body image issues.

I think its a bit different in bodybuilding / figure / fitness. Here the focus is on the whole diet & training regimen. In other sports, the focus is all on the sport itself. Not once in that article did I hear anything about a proactive solution to usinig basic diet & nutrition guidelines to help these girls -- they just wait until after the fact. So apparently its ok to get help once you've managed to mindfuck yourself, but they wouldn't want to bother w/ providing some common sense guidelines to not only improve performance & recovery time in the sport itself, but the whole issue of weight gain almost becomes a non-issue.

In bodybuilding, binge / purge and just not eating will get you nothing but stringy boney unhealthy look - that is absolutely not a look anyone in the sport would be looking for. But on the other side, instead of starvation you would probably see more lean towards use / abuse of steroids, diuretics, cardio, etc.

An interesting aspect of BB is that in a lot of cases you have people who are addictive personality types -- including people who started out w/ maybe an eating disorder, and then traded that addictive behavior in for the sometimes obsessive nature of BB. -- LIke hours of cardio, lifting a lot, dieting always, most likely use / abuse of steroids, clen, t3, diuretics, etc. But still w/ the same level of obsession on how they look. "Body dysmorphia". I also happened to know a lot of born-again-christian bodybuilders -- and no offense to those who have truly found their calling, but for these people it is just more of the same - an environment that is very single-minded and a bit extreme and essentially becomes one big self-help group.

As everyone here who has gone thru competition prep at least once, we all see the symptoms of "food obsession", "body obsession", probably sometimes wish we could just yak it all up and lose some friggen weight at some point. But the difference is in knowing that that gets you nowhere and the whole process is driven by your body's biochemistry and patience. I've had plenty of 20-30 lb weight swings, seen a few endocrinologists wondering if I somehow managed to hose my metabolism, hit some depression points where I just gave up and let it go for a while - but a lot of that was combined w/ pressures in my life that in most cases pushed me to become more obsessive about the weighttraining because that was my outlet when the rest of my life sucked (e.g. lots of stress & layoff time during the internet boom & bust in the tech industry). But again, just as everyone who has gone thru the extremes of competition prep or near that level of extreme, you see how it all affects you and your moods, your self image and how you interact with others. I think when you see other people getting mad or concerned about you that you first think "God, they just don't understand. This is so important to me and they are not helping" -- but then you pass thru that and realize that its not their job to deal w/ your mood swings - you made that choice and its your job to manage it within the scope of your life in a civilized world.

So it really comes down to 1) understanding the right way to do things (e.g. good & sound nutrition, diet, training, recovery), 2) understanding that it takes patience & persistence and to keep your expectations realistic and 3) take responsibility for your actions.

Some people fall into this "addiction" trap and somehow they are no longer responsible for themselves -- this is the difference. It is all on you to manage yourself and learn the right & real ways to accomplish what you want. Getting back to young female athletes -- they probably don't have really good guidance and look up to the coaches, older players, etc. And the only advice they are given is that some how they are supposed to not get fat with the implied feelign that if they do, they either better lose it quick (again some how -- no real plan to accomplish this) or they are just really less than a person and probably shoudl crawl back into the hole they came out of because they will certainly never make it in the sport or in teh world as a person with a few extra pounds. What a great way to start a life long mindfuck.

 

[tps]

great post sassy!!!!

 

[caligirl]

My sport is FULL of eating disorders and mostly it's the girls fresh out of a Division I school. Sad. Good post sassy.

 

[momsgettinfit]

From personal experience, I couldn't agree with you more, sassy!! Coaches, parents and athletes alike, ALL need to be educated about the proper diet of an elite athlete!!

Why waste money in training and teaching these coaches on how to recognize the issue, when it is too late, and the damage is done (both physically and psychologically). When in fact, majority of the time, the coach's and parents ARE the problem. Why can't we educate everyone and nip it in the bud BEFORE it becomes an issue, NOT AFTER! It is freaking sad and it pains me to know that it is real and many of these elite coaches are clueless.

Thanks for sharing Sassy!

Amen Sista! As sad as this is do what are the chances of it changing any time soon. Slim to none.

 

[treilin]

As everyone here who has gone thru competition prep at least once, we all see the symptoms of "food obsession", "body obsession", probably sometimes wish we could just yak it all up and lose some friggen weight at some point. But the difference is in knowing that that gets you nowhere and the whole process is driven by your body's biochemistry and patience. I've had plenty of 20-30 lb weight swings, seen a few endocrinologists wondering if I somehow managed to hose my metabolism, hit some depression points where I just gave up and let it go for a while - but a lot of that was combined w/ pressures in my life that in most cases pushed me to become more obsessive about the weighttraining because that was my outlet when the rest of my life sucked (e.g. lots of stress & layoff time during the internet boom & bust in the tech industry). But again, just as everyone who has gone thru the extremes of competition prep or near that level of extreme, you see how it all affects you and your moods, your self image and how you interact with others. I think when you see other people getting mad or concerned about you that you first think "God, they just don't understand. This is so important to me and they are not helping" -- but then you pass thru that and realize that its not their job to deal w/ your mood swings - you made that choice and its your job to manage it within the scope of your life in a civilized world.

I'm really glad I read this this morning! I have been starting to see myslef doing just that exact same thing AGAIN. I go to my friends house and she has cooked food or is eating something. I'm not necessarily hungry but with hormones going out of control right now It's like it's in my stomach before I realize it. Not to point the finger at her but that I feel like I can't go over her house because she has that food. Then I'm only hurting our relationship, and it's not her fault she has that food and can eat it. It wasn't her choice for me to eat the way I do. Sometimes I want to blame her, but it's me. It's like my brain shuts off and then I can't think until the next day. She even says,"I know you can't have this and she doesn't try to push it in my face or ask me if I want any." I think it's the 'can't' have any that makes me want it.
So how does someone come out of a funk like that? I mean how do you handle your eating when it comes to foods and emotions and hormone levels?
I already work-out twice a day.... So it's not a matter of working out again when I get that craving. It's hormonal, and usually later by dinner time. I have been stocking the fridge with cucumbers and lettuce for fillers when I think I'm hungry.. I just don't get it. I think from personal experience when I hit that level of eating when I'm hungry I'm like screw it I my as well eat more... In the past I have then relied on bulemia. Knowing now I can't do that is very frustrating to me. The other extreme is anorexia. I used to wake up one day and just look at myself and decide I'm not going to eat until I look better. So I would go on some crazy calore deficient program dividing my 800 calories up over 5 meals and run twice a day for a few hours, and lift weights for like 30 minutes, do aerobics class for an hour (sometimes 2 classes), and some days play a game of softball or 2, and maybe some golf. Yeah I would see the weight coming off but after about 2 months when I started 'looking' good I would cave in because noone can stay at that low of calories. Then I was at bulemia again.
Now I eat well you guys see what I eat and what I look like. It's just hard to overcome that nagging little guy in the back of the head saying do this, or do that. I definitely notice the eating tendencies when I'm stressed or under a lot of pressure. Now that school is over I will be under less stress hopefully and things will be a bit easier with the food. It's just very frustrating in my head when I know A) Anorexia, B) Bulemia, C) eating more food are not the answers to my problem. I think yoga and meditation are the things that have helped keep my head on straight in the past when it came to this, as well as getting outside and gettihg some fresh air for recharging. Also, when I'm not obsessed with looking in the mirror and picking myself apart. Pictures are good so you can see progress but lately it's like I don't even want to look for fear of what that might spiral into.
What do you all do?

 

[Sassy69]

I'm afraid I could never actually be anorexic / bulemic -- lmao -- i've had the thoughts - wish I could. But then I start getting hungry & just say "fuk it". Only time I've 'stopped' eating was after a couple extremely traumatic break-ups. Otherwise, I tend to stress eat. I just deal w/ it tho. Over the stress of the last six months & burn out from comeptition dieting last yr, I just stopped worrying about it & ate what I wanted. Not adding the addiitional guilt of "omg I ate and i shouldn't but I did, omG!".

I just deal w/ things a lot better now. Very hard for me to get really worked up about stuff because tehre are so many other things that are more important. But its still all about getting a consistent, even-keel lifestyle going. Right now I have none of that, so I'm just doing what I can.

BTW, just because you finish school doesn't mean the stress ends

 

[treilin]

I'm afraid I could never actually be anorexic / bulemic -- lmao -- i've had the thoughts - wish I could. But then I start getting hungry & just say "fuk it". Only time I've 'stopped' eating was after a couple extremely traumatic break-ups. Otherwise, I tend to stress eat. I just deal w/ it tho. Over the stress of the last six months & burn out from comeptition dieting last yr, I just stopped worrying about it & ate what I wanted. Not adding the addiitional guilt of "omg I ate and i shouldn't but I did, omG!".

I just deal w/ things a lot better now. Very hard for me to get really worked up about stuff because tehre are so many other things that are more important. But its still all about getting a consistent, even-keel lifestyle going. Right now I have none of that, so I'm just doing what I can.

BTW, just because you finish school doesn't mean the stress ends

Your right I know the stress doesn't end... It jsut gets alleviated for a little bit until something else comes up!

 

[Sassy69]

LOL I don't even think it becomes alleviated -- just takes different forms.

 

[treilin]

LOL I don't even think it becomes alleviated -- just takes different forms.

Yup like that evil chocolate cake calling me from next door saying "eat me!" If it wasn't for someone's promotion I would step on it