As a newbie getting into the life of figure competition, I couldn't agree with your post more!!!! After getting the assistance with my workout regimen and nutrition regimen from some of the trainers at my gym who have competition experience, I can tell you...it's not easy at all. BUT...it's hard work worth doing if you want the results you say you want. I'm in my second week of training and okay....maybe I'm still on cloud nine, but week one was total CLEAN eating and it wasn't easy. I teach all day long and in order to eat six/seven times a day I have to eat in front of my students or drink my protein in front of my students (which as 7th graders they get a kick out of). Yes, it means taking your Sunday to prep your meals for the week and getting used to lugging a cooler around everywhere you go. But again, you have to ask yourself, "HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?"

When I began my training on 1/15/07 I weighed in at 156.2 and granted I have a really awesome muscle build...I still need to lose fat. This is where I tell people what people who have been doing this for years have told me; If you don't clean up your eating it's all a waste of time! I stuck with my workout regimen and my eating for week one, hell...even had a cheat meal on Saturday afternoon and you know what, I lost 2.2 pounds of fat!!!! Funny....because my measurements grew...hmmm...could that be muscle???? (that's me being sarcastic)

Anyways, great post and as a newbie myself I think more people just need to realize that eating isn't for pleasure; it's for fuel and that working out is a way of life; not a wham bam thank you ma'am instant gratification thing

Funny short story; a friend of mine, she's in her thirties tells me that she wants to start really thinking about having a baby but wants to lose weight first because she's a bit overweight. So I plan out a clean nutrition plan for her and email it to her. Her response...."That's too boring". Do you really think she wants to lose weight THAT bad????? And yet ladies and mostly gentlemen....here's to another overweight woman having kids and becoming even more overweight.....Makes me feel bad for her husband....LOL

Well that's my two cents.....