Why The Only People Who Should Aspire To Be Like Bikini Competitors Are Bikini Competitors

If you have Instagram you will have stalked Bikini Competitors. You might not have been searching for them, but when a girl with a toned physique pops up onn your feed you can't help click on it. You've been distracted by the body, but then you see the food and suddenly the body isn't so desirable after all.

You're likely to come across the following; lots of Tupperware, chicken, veg, rice, more veg, gym selfies and muscle pumps. All of which are essential to a Bikini Competitor lifestyle, but are they necessary to yours?

The summer is approaching fast and we are looking for ways to tighten up, so when we come across  a girl who has abs and isn't afraid of posting absolutely everything they eat, it seems like the logical place to turn. They may post the numbers behind what they eat, the exercise regime that they carry out at the gym or something 'unhealthy', which they will quickly label as a 'cheat', making it easy to try to match your life to theirs. If it's worked for them it will work for you, right?

I'd love to say wrong, but in all honesty it probably will work. Providing you follow the same principles, but match the numbers to your individual needs there's a strong chance that you will see results, which is a good thing isn't it?

Don't get me wrong I seriously admire these girls. Not only are they breaking the stereotypes about what a girl is 'supposed to look like', but their dedication is ridiculously impressive. They certainly are a more favourable role model to have with the promotion of 'strong' being a desirable image, and the importance of eating enough to get results, but there's a whole other element to being a Bikini Competitor that isn't suitable for the everyday girl, and here's why...

The most striking aspect that concerns me is the level of pressure. If you have ever competed in a sport you will know that a few weeks before the competition starts you place pressure on yourself, and push yourself as hard as possible, which for the competitors is fine, but what are you pushing yourself for? To look good on the beach? That's fine, but it shouldn't be the same kind of pressure that is placed before a competition and this is where the lines get blurred. A cheat meal to you should not be the same as a cheat meal to a competitor, because what exactly are you cheating?

Adopting this sort of lifestyle is fine for a short period of time, but the competitors themselves are the first to admit that it can not and should not be maintained. A competition has a date, and once it's over the competitors diets change, but what's the end date when you are not a competitor? The trouble is that the lifestyle is addictive, and once you learn exactly what it is that your body needs to maintain a certain standard it can be impossible to stop. You start off thinking that chocolate is a cheat, but before long anything that doesn't consist of chicken and veg starts to become something that is seen as a treat, and as a result something that you are fearful of.

This is when the real problem arises, as it starts to interfere with other parts of your life. A Bikini Competitor is prepping for a competition and won't deny that they are strict on themselves, but it's for a cause. You don't want to go out for dinner, or have someone prepare your meal for you, you fancy chocolate but it doesn't fit with your diet. Without even realising you've become fearful of events that were once so normal, to the point that even going for a meal with your friends can be something you dread. What can you say? You don't have a competition that you are preparing for to use as an excuse, and it's reached the point where you're not even sure why you don't want to eat 'unhealthy' anymore.

Summers over, but your Bikini diets still there. The problem is the dedication that is required to be a Bikini Competitor is not required in everyday life. What started out as just trying to look like the girl you stalked on Instagram, or getting that summer body, or even trying to build some muscle quickly turned to an obsession. An obsession to fulfil a lifestyle that you do not actually lead. You are training for a competition that is never going to come, and if the competition never comes does the training ever end?

Kitch - Delicious & Fresh - A Canterbury Favourite

This week we are back in our home towns for reading week, however this didn't stop Em from visiting just for one day! As previously discussed, we've banned ourselves from our typical, mainstream restaurants and are only allowed to try new (mostly independent) places to eat!

Kirst lives in Canterbury, Kent which is full of mainstream restaurants, from your ASK to Nandos - you'll find it here. But it is also crammed with independent coffee shops and cafe's, you just have to search for them. Recently, we read a post on BuzzFeed called 21 Delicious Things To Eat In Canterbury and at #2 was Kitch! So on Tuesday, Em drove to Canterbury and we finally took our Kitch virginity.

It's situated towards the bottom of Canterbury High Street (#2 St Peters Street if you would like to be exact) and is intriguing from the outset. With a cute grey theme and big windows it's certainly inviting. We were welcomed by two lovely ladies and invited to sit down and take a look at the menu's. Firstly, the menu isn't exactly large. BUT this doesn't mean there isn't much to choose from. Although the food menu isn't 7 pages long, the wide range of variety from each dish to another is just right. We would safely say there is something for everyone!

Now, what really interested us about Kitch is that it is one of the only places around that source all of their food locally, make it right there as you order & use natural, wholegrain ingredients free from refined sugars, flours and artificial flavours. Delicious and good for you!

We ordered drinks (Chai Latte and a Green Tea - predictable from us). Despite typically ordering our usual, we are quite fussy with them. Whenever Kirst orders a Chai Latte she usually ask how it is made, as she's not so keen when it is made with powder and especially when it's not mixed properly. However, Kitch's was lovely!

Next up was the food. We arrived at Kitch at 11.30am so just in time for breakfast! We both went for the Full English (originally at £8.00) however being the fussy eaters that we are, Kirst switched bacon for another sausage and Em switched sausage for avocado. Typically when we ask to change items (especially on breakfasts) we are met with a grumpy look and a reluctant "ok". This was not the case at Kitch - the waitress was happy to change whatever and showed no signs of grumpyness- yay!

The food was amazing! When ordering the breakfast you have a choice of fried, poached or scrambled egg, it's so refreshing to be offered such an option. The baked beans are made fresh by Kitch and the sour-dough bread was indescribable - simply delicious. Something so simple but so enjoyable was the actual butter! It was so nice to not receive margarine. The sausages were gorgeous and the mushrooms were insanely good. We even asked what it was that they had done to them because they were that good! 

We absolutely love a good fry up, and have had many in our time, but one thing we cannot stand is the feeling that you get after. You know when your mouth literally tastes of oil all day, and you feel sick and uncomfortably full? Well not with this one. Of course we were full, but we were full of energy (not the usual sluggishness you normally feel), and felt completely refreshed and ready for the day. 

The cake selection was far too impressive for our liking, how could we possibly choose!? It felt so nice to be able to look at cakes and know that the ingredients are wholesome, with nothing artificial (who knew cakes could come without the guilt!?), but not compromised at all on taste. 

We absolutely loved our trip and will definitely be coming back to try the whole of the menu. Not only did it taste incredible, but it was lovely to know that the food we were eating was real, and that everything was either homemade or locally sourced. Not to mention the lovely atmosphere, and friendly owner who made us feel so welcome throughout the whole time we were there.