It is a question I have had to answer several times. Is it worth giving up so much to get on to a bodybuilding stage? Are the sacrifices really worth the rewards in the end?
My first thought is that I don't see myself as giving up much at all. The way my program is laid out, I eat 6 meals a day. That's 42 meals a week. 41 of those meals are extremely strict (just protein, veggies, some of the meals containing starchy carbs) and 1 of those meals is a reward meal (I get to eat whatever I want). To me food is just fuel. Thus, having to eat strictly for 41 of 42 meals is not a big deal. I see no issue with it.
At the same time, to some people giving up sweets and other food pleasures is a huge deal. I would tell them that in the end having the satisfaction of knowing you were able to shape and mold your body into a body people are in awe of outweighs anything you give up. There is just an intense feeling that accompanies the changes your body goes through. On the way to where I am right now I've had many comments from people. They are amazed at my progress. It feels good to hear those things.
I definitely see the sacrifice issue. I have to make tough choices. I can't eat the same meals my family eats. At first my youngest children were very bothered by this. At some point they began to understand what was going on and embraced it.However, it is definitely a sacrifice. It is one of many reasons the reward meal exists. It is the one meal that I can splurge and eat what my family is eating without having any guilt over it.
I believe in what I am doing. It has long been a goal of mine. I have had struggles reaching those goals, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Thanks to the help of a great adviser and my own discipline to get where I want, I am heading down the path towards completing this major life goal. I am excited to see the pictures of myself up on stage when the time comes. I am excited to see what my body will look like. Right now I can only imagine it, and that image is incredible if you ask me!
