KEYS TO MAINTAINING WEIGHT ESP. DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON!!

One thing that I think is a constant problem with competitors or even perhaps models is the fluctuation of weight and not being able to maintain a good healthy weight for ones self year round after a competition or an event is over. I know when competitors do a competition as I have for the last 12 years the most critical thing is learning how to maintain your weight once that show is over. Too many people end up restricting themselves so much thru the contest prep that after the show they have no self control and can not stop eating. Later on those long eating spells turn into binges and then weeks go by and you've now gained 15-20 pounds.

I've learned thru my experiences that you need to know the right amount of calories needed for you body to maintain the look that you like. Once you have figured that out then you need to add in your food accordingly so that you are not constantly eating and binging throughout the day. If you know around how many calories you need to take in per day then your body will never change because you will be able to see that you are maintaining your weight. You will know this by looking at your body in the mirror as well as feeling how your clothes fit. Another important factor is knowing the calories you take in verses the calories you burn each day. I know not many people want to take the time to figure this out so what I would recommend highly is that you at least know on average how much your calorie count should be daily for your particular body.

Once I mastered that plan I was able to maintain the look I wanted so when I was called for a photo shoot, an event, casting call or whatever it may be I was ready right then. If I thought I may need a couple of days to drop a little water weight, no problem because I was already where I needed to be. Another important factor is when you do compete in any fitness event you should never be more then 15 pounds at the most from the look you need to have on stage. If you are what happens is most people jump on the crash band wagon and kill themselves taking off the weight yet to put it right back on when the show is over. I call that the infamous yo-yo effect which kills your metabolism and reeks havoc on your body.

When dieting for a competition or fitness event you need to ease into it slowly and give yourself the proper amount of time to get yourself ready. Only you know your body and how fast you can make results so start early don't wait till the last minute where you have to do 3 hours of cardio a day and cut your calories to nearly nothing. Dieting that way really leads to binging after the show because you are depriving your body of almost everything it needs to function normally. I've had great experiences competing as well as modeling in all the years that I have but the biggest lesson that I have learned is how important it is to maintain your weight and not yo-yo every time you decide to do something.

If you do not maintain you will lose out on many opportunities that will come your way because you were not ready for them. You also harm your body each and everytime you need to lose so much weight before stepping on stage for a competition. The model that is most successful is the one that is always ready at a moments notice not the one who needs months to get ready.