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2004/12/06, 11:17 PM
Lately i feel i've been focusing too much on bodybuilding and not enough time on other things in my life that i used to enjoy. I'm coming back off a week off in which i was completely burnt out from being so strict with my diet and workout regime.I just turned 21 and feel like i should be doing more things at my age since i will only be young once. It's just with eating every three hours it kind of limits me on things that can be done, so now i'm reevaluating what my goals are, i still have a desire to workout but i also have a desire to still have fun i just need to find a balance between the two so that i don't burn out again. Looking to the FT community for some advice and suggestions...thanks to all in advance
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2004/12/07, 08:20 AM
Justin,
I feel where you are coming from. My advise would be to think about what your goals are and take it from there. I used to let myself get totally consumed by my diet and working out. I finally took a step back and realized that my goals are just to feel good, look good and be as healthy as I can be. I am not a competitive bodybuilder, so if I want a slice of pizza every now and again, by god I have it, and I do not fret over it. I get to the gym 4 times a week, I work hard when I am there and I eat as clean as I possibly can. I guess what I am trying to say is that I do not let myself get totally consumed with the fitness, it is just another part of my life. I hope I helped, lord knows I confused myself.
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I am not conceited; I am convinced.
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2004/12/07, 08:50 AM
Justin - it is important to take time off every few weeks and rest, have fun, recuperate.
If you are not planning on competing, than relax a little on your regimen. Keep lifting and eating clean, just not so restricted.
Exchange cardio for something fun like a sport you enjoy or dancing at the clubs.
Reevaluate your goals and figure out where you want to go with all of this. At 22 I was very happy and healthy because I worked out and ate clean, when i quit eating as clean, started drinking more and lost the drive to lift as much is when i got depressed and lost my sense of self.
rediscovering my fitness and regaining my health made me whole again, and every time I get burnt out and take a week off, I miss the routine and the crap I thought I wanted to eat doesn't taste very good and makes me sick, and my energy levels go down...
What am i trying to say here? There are worse things you could be spending your time on. Most pursuits of the average 21 year-old aren't that healthy or life-enhancing.
Only you can decide what is right for you. Loosen up a little, but don't lose your focus.
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"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Marcel Proust
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2004/12/07, 11:38 AM
I think most of us who have the mentality to lift weights and body build have the tendency to obscess. I know I do. I have had to work to make my lifestyle a generally healthy and balanced one.
If you're not going to compete or do pro sports, then I think Hec and Amy are right on. Try to make things balance and stick to the healthy lifestyle for the long run. You'll land on your feet Justin. Good luck.
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I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol
Charlie
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2004/12/07, 12:03 PM
You have to live. Stop staying in the box. Just maintain and don't go crazy!
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"A will finds a way, failure is not an option"
Ivan
carivan@freetrainers.com
Montreal Canada
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2004/12/07, 12:19 PM
Unfortuantely, obsession goes hand in hand with this sport. To be really serious in it, you have to be this way. This is probably the most obsessive sport there is, nothing else is near as regimented as bb. And if you decide to take things to another level, it gets even moreso.
Then again, it is alot like any other sport in some ways, those ballplayers for instance that wanted to be the best that maybe weren't blessed with all the natural talent practiced morning, noon and night. Depends on your goals.
But, even at this point, you can learn to live around it. Everyone has priorities in their lives, and you have to find yours. What we do is base our lives around this chosen obsession. It may even be a subcouncious obsession, but we all have them in some way. You simply need to choose what yours is. I find I feel the way you do sometimes, but I look at the bigger picture, and know I will in a few weeks or months want to do bodybuilding again, and I will hate myself if I let go and way out of shape. So, I stay focused in this way by staying focused on the big picture. This is my choice, I love this sport.
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/12/07, 01:50 PM
Thanks everyone for your advice i really do appreciate it. And i have been thinking about the aspect that i'm not planning on competing or being a professional so why should i take it as seriously as they do?...I'm going to try and be more spontaneous and enjoy things i used to but still working out and eating as clean as possible but if i can't eat as soon as 3 hours passes i will not fret about it or get angry over it as i used to. Because i know if i keep up the pace i'm at now i will end up completely burning out and like bb1 said stray off the path for longer than a week and a few months later get back into bb but get more mad at myself for getting off my path for too long and it'll just be a viscious cycle. I was having trouble sleeping as most of you know but after taking a week off and eating what i wanted and not worrying about it. I am sleeping great like i used to so that just goes to show that i need to change something. Thanks again:cool:
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2004/12/08, 01:45 PM
I think you made the right decision.
I've been at the stage where I wouldn't end up seeing my family for a few weeks because they always have a huge meal when I go round, and I once burst into tears when my husband cooked my dinner for me because it wasn't as clean as I would have liked!
I have found sanity in focusing on a different healthy pursuits (eg golf, cycling, hillwalking) - so that I'm not so obsessed, but I'm still keeping fit and active.
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2004/12/08, 06:13 PM
Remember, a change can result in some immediate benefits true, but those benefits will soon wear off and become old, and you will look toward different things. Keep in mind in other words that these "beneficial" changes are normally only beneficial for a short period, and they become the norm, and can actually lead to alot of bad habits....then focus will start to turn elsewhere. This is why it is so imparative to stay focused on a goal if you want it, because you will ALWAYS get tired of something, but if it is a passion, it will come back and then the kicking begins if you know what I mean. Just some food for thought.
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Quoting from JustinE22:
I was having trouble sleeping as most of you know but after taking a week off and eating what i wanted and not worrying about it. I am sleeping great like i used to so that just goes to show that i need to change something. Thanks again:cool:
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If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
bb1fit@freetrainers.com
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2004/12/09, 11:56 AM
I kick myself constantly...:)
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