Danielson, it's a very good point, and many "normal" women would agree with you...but you must remember, we are competitive athletes, and our off-season building programs are part of our sport. When I was a gymnast, did I like 7am morning conditioning? No. But I did it because I knew it would make me better. Do football players like 3-a-day practices in the heat of summer. Probably not, but they do it because it prepares them for their season and makes them better.
It is a part of our sport, and it makes us better when we step on stage the next time. And besides, most off-season physique athletes are still in better shape than 95% of the population.
The diet needed to compete is so much more extreme than what a typical "skinny" woman eats to stay "skinny." There is no room for "moderation," or making up for a splurge by skipping a few meals, and the monotony of eating the same thing day after day, meal after meal is enough to drive someone insane. A competition diet requires perfection (or close to it), and it is so physically and mentally draining, that after a long competition season, you just need a break. And once you take that break, even if you are eating like a "normal, skinny" woman does, you will inevitably gain weight.
So, yes, I like being in competition shape, but I also like to be able to go out with friends and family and enjoy myself. And no, right now I don't look like I do in my photos from the summer, but I also don't mind how I look now either. There are benefits and disadvantages to both seasons......it's all just a part of the sport (and thats why it takes a special type of person to compete in our sport
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And I don't think any of us fit into "skinny jeans" anyways....we all have too much muscle on our legs
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