How to breed eating disorders in Figure Competitors

OK, I'm going a bit psycho here (see pic) when I hear of supposed "experts" that put their clients on ridiculous diets of less than 1000 calories per day, expect them to add lean body mass on such rations and then chastise them for being over fat at the same time. This sort of carry on is rife in the bodybuilding industry and shamefully not the first time I have heard it happen. SEVERE CALORIC RESTRICTION + STRESS + SELF DOUBT (it's hard not to be nervous about wearing next to nothing on stage) + ELIMINATION OF MANY FOOD GROUPS = RECIPE FOR DISASTER. It is really "competitor beware" when choosing a coach. If they cannot come up with a good reason for what they are telling you that is firmly based in science, then it may be time to rethink your trainer.

The most important concern is that if bodybuilding (including figure) are to be taken seriously as a bona fide sport, then we must start treating our competitors as athletes and recommending them to eat like athletes as well. In prepping for a competition there are some changes that need to be made to effectively shed body fat but these aren't any of them.

1) cutting out dairy
2) only eating certain forms of protein
3) extremely low carbohydrate intakes (hello, we use carbohydrates as our main source of fuel - how can we train properly if we don't have some carbohydrate in there)
4) living on protein shakes instead of real food.

It really upsets me to see girls being asked to go on such weird diets and how they blame themselves when they "fall off the wagon" - ever thought it might be the nutrition plan, not the competitor?

Anyway I'm off my perch now.

Here's my intake for the day. How nice is this food?

Meal One: oats, scoop protein powder, skim milk
Meal Two: fruity chicken curry, rice, 2 cups green beans :)
Meal Three: veggie and egg scramble, made using 1 egg and five whites and many different veggies.
Meal Four: Slim Secrets bar (starving!)
Meal Five: Rice cakes with cottage cheese (usually I whack veggies on them but ran out).
Meal Six: 200g prawns in lime chilli marinade, barbequed with 100g smashed potatoes, veggies
Meal Seven: punnet of strawberries and 1/2 protein shake.

I'm often asked - do I change this at any point? My answer is no, unless for some weird reason I plateau, then the sauces go and a little bit of carb but not too much.