Recidivism: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Bodybuilding/Fitness:Part 1

Thank you, Scott Abel for this article! 

Recidivism: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Bodybuilding/Fitness

This article has been a long time coming and was initiated by a television show I was watching a couple of weeks back. There are some disturbing trends in the Bodybuilding world that have been around for longer than I have, and some newer trends associated with Metabolic Damage as well, which need to be addressed, so people can at least “address” these concepts in their minds and at least be aware of them for themselves or others they may know in the industry. And these issues affect the men just as much as the women.

Pursuing my Master’s degree in the area of Sociology, and then working in the field, I have always been a keen observer of human behavior and thought patterns. (It’s probably something that makes me a very good coach) I have noticed in our industry a trend toward Recidivist behaviors, Cognitive Dissonance, and obsessive-compulsive behavior syndrome, that is emotionally crippling a lot of participants in our industry, and this prevents any of them from using their participation in the industry as a vehicle to personal growth and instead leads to a negative experience, emotionally and mentally in their “whole world”

I would not be a responsible leader if I did not devote at least one article to addressing some of these issues. So here goes:

In the world of the study of criminal behavior the word Recidivism refers to the rate or likelihood of a formerly defined criminal, to returning to such defined behavior, even though incarceration and punishment have been strongly applied as a deterrent to such behaviors. Many studies prove that even though a former convict has no intention to return to a life of crime, they inevitably do so, and end up back in jail. This is referred to as “Recidivism Rates”

In the world of bodybuilding and Fitness I see the same things year in and year out except now they are becoming more extreme. What am I referring to? For women who compete in Fitness and Figure I am referring to the alarming rates, of rebounding from yo yo dieting to new and pronounced levels of fat, each and every off season. For many “while dieting” they claim they will never get out of shape again, yet as I have said in previous Blogs, 6 months later they are fatter than they have ever been, with all the emotional consequences and devastation that go along with it.

Many have written me showing me contest pictures. Some have written me telling me how many successful B and A (Before and After) projects they have done. My point here is exactly about Recidivism. While they describe themselves as having done more than one successful transformation, that definition in and of itself, equals failure does it not?

If the goal is Physical transformation to an “after” picture, yet someone has completed 3 or more of them, then this is Recidivism to “fatness” and not reflective of any kind of success at all in terms of “physical transformation.” I mean shouldn’t the idea be to become the “after” portion of the picture once, and only once, and not repeat it several times in order to be successful? How many times do I lecture and preach that it is all about long term success and not short term behaviors?

I have already Blogged more than once on the physiological ramifications of such behavior, in terms of Metabolic Damage, but I want to address the emotional/mental side of it here, which in my mind is the pre-ponderant per-determining factor.

There are many similar shared personality traits among participants in this industry. While on the one side we have the personality traits it takes to be a successful competitor like discipline, commitment, etc we have what sets that in motion. Believe me, if the individual does not start out with the right thought patterns, these character traits of “success” become the devil incarnate and lead to may problems of psyche and emotional and mental distress, and the Recidivism in to the miserable, and fat person they are constantly trying to overcome.

If the thought patterns that engender such behaviors are not changed, the competitor or participant becomes enveloped in an on-going negative feedback loop, of fat-thin, miserable to more miserable inevitability.

I have always said that someone can be “in bodybuilding” without bodybuilding being “in them”

This is the major difference between discipline and commitment, and obsessive compulsive tendencies among competitors. Many women are writing me with the obvious symptoms of metabolic damage and report to me, their unwanted binge eating or compulsive eating behaviors. While most contest diets, will indeed produce a desire to “over eat” post contest, many are finding they take that way past the “healthy normal” window of “celebration” to a new level of emotionally destructive behavior. (even after gaining 40-50 pounds, they keep eating well past the “being full” signal)

The reason for this is the “obsessive-compulsive” relationship one ends up having with themselves over eating behaviors and other involvements in this industry, all of which are destructive, on so many levels, metabolic, emotional, spiritual, and mental; basically the whole of someone’s existence ends up being defined in and around their own reactions and expectations regarding “eating behaviors” This is so prevalent in our industry and so easy to avoid as well, with good solid coaching.

Unfortunately many coaches and trainers are actually unwittingly inducing this behavior in their own habits of training and guidance. (that is another Blog entirely)

It is now to the point where very accomplished and “well known” industry athletes are writing me with full blown metabolic damage, eating disorders, and crushed emotional well-being.

What needs to be addressed and understood from the beginning is that contest dieting, and post contest uncontrolled binge eating are part of the same “obsessive-compulsive” dangerous relationship one develops to eating.

Many become so obsessed with everything to do with food, pre-contest, that they begin that path to their own destruction during dieting. While treating eating, with denial and deprivation mentality, many “dieters” also become obsessed with numbers like counting calories, counting grams, reading labels. For some this is part of the learning experience, while for others it begins their path to the emotionally destructive obsessive compulsive relationship they will develop to eating behavior that will forever change them emotionally.

So whether living in denial and deprivation mentality during dieting, or compulsively “eating” post diet or post contest, the two behaviors are indeed related to the obsessive-compulsive relationship developed as a mind set toward the task at hand of “dieting” whether for a show or just to lose “weight and feel better about oneself” The problem is, once set in motion, the obsessive compulsive dieter will never again, “feel good about themselves” and that for me is a huge unfortunate consequence of this whole process.

Notice I have not once entertained a person’s “relationship with food” No one has a relationship “with” food. You have relationships with people, not forms of sustenance.

What you can have is a faulty “thinking system” which produces obsessive ways of thinking about specific “behaviors” and that for many in this industry means “dieting” and training, and competing behaviors.

I want to Blog this in a 3 or 4 part series because it is just too much psychological information and explanation to take in at once. But participants in this industry be warned. Developing obsessive compulsive behaviors associated with your dieting or training can lead you to an emotional breakdown with huge consequences to the rest of your life, and your “state of mind” and happiness.

I think one of the major differences with me as a coach is that I am so aware of this, I look out for it all the time with my clients and try to wean them of such dependant behaviors. Often I will hear from clients, how they “can’t diet or be lean with out a show” or they must “focus” on diet or they “eat compulsively” These are the exact wrong “thinking strategies” that indicate a pre-disposition toward psychological and metabolic damage from obsessive compulsive associations with eating behaviors that can and will carry over to other aspects of someone’s life.

Many of my clients who were formerly in such an emotional void, once they are with me tell me, “wow, it is so weird to not be thinking about what I am eating all the time, and I haven’t gained any weight at all” Once out of that destructive thinking pattern, they feel so empowered and so aware of just how destructive and energy consuming, time consuming, and guilt producing, and stress producing, such obsessive compulsive eating behaviors have been on them, and for so long.

It is time many of you reading this, addressed such issues, in an honest upfront way.

In my next Blog I would like to continue this with how this all gets started and perpetuated to begin with by looking at concepts like Cognitive Dissonance, denial, attitude, and addictive personality disorder.

None of this is the “fun” side of being in our industry. But it is indeed one of the most real sides. You are not likely to find discussions of this in any magazines. Magazine advertisers need to count on this mentality in order to sell you all kinds of supplements, and get you to “buy into” that whole world.

For now just remember that a “commitment” to your goals can lead to emotionally destructive, obsessive compulsive behaviors, not just limited to food and eating. This is a huge concern for me as a coach, especially since I am seeing more and more of it. Some will continue to live in denial and go from one trainer to the next and just keep repeating the same behavior patterns.

 

You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

 

And though many often begin a certain behavior for one reason (such as dieting to lose weight) they continue it for another, (such as binge eating, compulsive eating or dieting because of obsessive compulsive induced behavior patterns)

In order to solve such destructive behaviors, you must at first own them for your self. From that point on, a professional such as myself can address thinking and behavior triggers, that are unique to you, that perpetuate the unwanted behaviors.

I will continue to discuss this very important topic in my next Blog. By all means please pass this along to anyone you think may be suffering in silence and could possibly benefit, from at least being able to identify this in themselves.

As usual when it comes to such a sensitive topic, “some of you will get it, some of you will not”.