What It’s REALLY Like to Do a Bikini Competition [feat. Deanna Wolfe]

What It's REALLY Like To Do A Bikini Competition Feat. Deanna Wolf blog

Bodybuilding and bikini competitions are completely alien to me, so having someone on the podcast who does have experience with them was probably just as enlightening to me as it will be for you! Join me as I interview Deanna Wolfe – a speaker, a writer, an entrepreneur, a body confidence activist, a food freedom coach, etc.! (She has quite the resume!)

Deanna shares with us her story of how she used to be very involved in bodybuilding and bikini competitions which also caused a cycle of food obsession and counting macros. She was obsessed with thinness and counting calories but eventually realized that her obsession with body image and what she was and wasn’t eating was unhealthy, and that realization led to her changing how she viewed her body and how she ate.

Because of all of the good that her journey has resulted in, Deanna tells us, she doesn’t regret her previous lifestyle. She now has a healthier relationship with body image and with food and learned how to market and start her own coaching business. She doesn’t shy from the past either, as she hopes that her past will inspire people and show them that change is possible.

We also get some advice and some actionable tips from her, as she stresses that bodybuilding and bikini competitions are not as glamorous as they might seem. People who actively participate in diet culture are often reduced to that one singular persona which can be very limiting, so she encourages us to think of the bigger picture if we are going to exercise – do it to feel good rather than just striving to look good. It is also important, she reminds us, to take rest days.

Be sure to check out Deanna’s social media pages at dietitiandeanna, and please do reach out to either one of us (or both of us!) to share your stories, tips, and ideas!

Time Stamps

[1:22] – Colleen introduces this episode’s guest, Deanna Wolfe, giving us some of her background information. She also introduces the topic of this episode – bodybuilding and bikini competitions.

[4:12] – We learn how Deanna first got involved in bodybuilding and bikini competitions.

[8:28] – Deanna blames some of her past obsession with food and body image on social media platforms like Instagram.

[10:53] – Colleen applauds Deanna for leaving old posts online up from before her transformation, since it demonstrates change.

[13:35] – We learn what made Deanna realize that something in her life needed to change.

[17:48] – Deanna describes how bodybuilding and participating in bikini competitions felt at the time that she did them, describing it as a mind game.

[22:18] – Deanna offers advice to listeners who might be considering bodybuilding and/or bikini competitions.

[25:12] – Colleen and Deanna discuss old photos of ourselves being triggering and how we tend to romanticize the past.

[30:14] – Colleen and Deanna list some of the health benefits of properly nourishing yourself, such as the appearance of your nails, the appearance of your skin, and getting your period back.

[33:00] – Deanna offers actionable tips on what to do if we want to be involved in fitness but not let it be an obsession.