By Rachel Eckler

Just hours after competing in the bikini division at the Arnold Classic 2010, I found myself at Cheesecake Factory anticipating when the waiter would come and take our order.  I didn’t need to look at the menu since I had already preselected a huge cheese laden pasta dish, white pizza and cheesecake to top it off from the online menu.   I had been dreaming about this meal for WEEKS while preparing for my show!  About a quarter of the way through my pasta and two slices into my pizza I asked the nice waiter to box it up and send it home with me along with my cheesecake (of course).  I had completely stuffed myself and didn’t even have room for the grand finale!  I tried to eat the cheesecake later that night but got a terrible sugar rush since I had not had any sugar for several weeks (which made my face and lips feel tingly) and I couldn’t finish that either.  

The next day I felt absolutely terrible!  It’s what I would like to call a competitor’s hang over, meaning you feel crappy because of all of the bad food you ate and you are starting to have regrets.  Most all competitors partake in a “victory meal” after the goal has been met and the show is over.  You diet and constrict your calories for several weeks before your show and then after the show you gorge in all of the foods you’ve been craving for the last 12 weeks.  I started thinking about the whole concept over the next several months and eventually decided I had completely distorted my relationship with food. 

 Yes – I said relationship.  Let me explain – In the weeks following my last show I no longer had to think about all of the foods I couldn’t eat.  I found myself obsessing over foods that I was now “allowed” to enjoy carelessly knowing that I wasn’t going to have to get on stage in ”X” number of weeks.  I would find ways to justify eating out instead of eating what I had packed for lunch, etc.  As you can imagine, over those few weeks I had the “competitor’s hang over” more than I’d like to admit.  Finally I took at step back and really looked at the situation.  For the first time I truly evaluated my relationship with food.  I have studied food and its effects on the body and I was a little ashamed of myself for becoming so overtaken. 

 In a nutshell, here’s what I decided- We spend a lot of time working on relationships in our lives with those people/things that are most important to us.  Most of us, at one time or another, have tried working on relationships with significant others or a family member.  Some of us spend time working on relationships with money or alcohol or other objects in life.  We put a lot of effort into these things because they will make our lives easier and make us better people.  While I can’t say this is true for everyone, I can say that many of us probably spend time thinking about food but few of us think about the actual RELATIONSHIP we have with food.  So what’s the difference?  Thinking about food is not the same as knowing the effect it has on the body and choosing wisely based on informed decisions.  Put another way, thinking about a Big Mac, and eating it because that’s what you wanted at the time, is not the same as knowing what it does to your body and driving past McDonald’s instead.  I know that is an elementary example but I think you get the point.

 The truth of the matter is this – Food is the essence of our life on this earth.  The cells that make up our bodies are constantly replenishing themselves with, you guessed it, the food we eat.  I don’t know about you but I’d much rather have a body made of sexy fresh fruits, veggies and whole grains than the pasta, pizza and cheesecake I crammed in that night after my show.  Humans were created to eat whole, fresh foods.  It’s no wonder I was “hung over” the next day.  I decided that when choosing what foods I would eat I had to think about the long term effects and the actual value it was giving to my body.  The tongue is only one very small part of the body and yet it was the only part being satisfied with my unhealthful food choices.  Looking at it from that perspective really made me feel pretty foolish.   Then to think about the broader picture, the foods we consume can literally determine what kind of lifestyle we live long term.  Food alone can keep you healthy or walk you into a slew of health problems including diabetes, heart disease and cancer (yes, cancer).    These were definitely reasons enough for me to move my relationship with food to the forefront of my mind.

 So I decided I had to do something and the best approach for me was to treat my relationship with food like any other important relationship in my life.  Here’s what I did: 

 First – I had to get to know food again from a different perspective.  I spent hours studying and reading books about food, its origin, what vitamins/minerals we need for survival, best sources of nutrients, etc.  I also studied food from different perspectives meaning from that of vegetarians, vegans, those who believe it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as you manage overall calories etc.  At the end of the day, I had to explore because I had to develop a relationship that I truly believed in and would stand by. 

 Second – I made a plan based on the research I had done.  I felt really excited about the decisions I had made about my relationship with food and what foods I would eat because I had invested the time to get to know it.  I still study food today because it keeps me excited about my relationship and allows me to make small changes over time to make the relationship even better.  Any relationship worthwhile requires constant attention and this one is no different. 

 Third – Follow through.  This one was easy at first because of the excitement factor.  Over time that wears off a bit, but the biggest downfall with the follow through wasn’t my excitement – it was external influences.  First, the world of convenience that we live in has put unhealthy foods everywhere but we tend to have to search for the good stuff.  Second, it seems like even our closest friends and relatives are the first to try and sabotage the newly found relationship.  They say things like “It’s not going to kill you”, “You’re not going to get fat from one piece” etc. (the list goes on).  Both of these are true statements but that’s not the point.  Like any relationship, you wouldn’t cheat on your boyfriend because “It’s only once” or “He probably won’t find out”.  Take a look at your relationship with food that way and it takes on a whole different perspective, huh?  That’s not to say that you can’t ever splurge and enjoy something out of the ordinary, my point here is, plan those splurges and make sure they are on your terms.  Don’t allow others to interfere with your relationship.  Be in control and you won’t get off course.

 Since I started evaluating my relationship with food until now, I have developed a whole new appreciation for my body, where food comes from, food preparation, social eating, creative cooking…. The list goes on.  It has really been a great experience.  I am told fairly often that I look very young (usually about 7 to 8 years younger than my actual age) and I attribute that to the food I eat.  Not to mention, no more “hang overs”.  I feel amazing because my body is getting what it needs to keep up with my busy lifestyle.  I sleep better, I feel better, I am better.  Like any relationship, mine isn’t perfect, but I’ve made it a big focus and it has literally changed my life and the lives of close friends and family.  A few of my close relatives were intrigued by what I was doing with food and have now lost 20-30 lbs just by looking at their own relationship with food and making changes they believe in and that they can stick with (May I add, this was without setting foot in a gym).

 So here’s the challenge – How’s your food doing?  Have you thought about it lately?  Maybe you need to get to know it a little better or maybe you just need to spice up your current relationship.  Whatever the case, make it a priority.  It’s one of the most important relationships you have in life.  You won’t regret it!