Before I started getting into physical exercise and set the goal for myself to acquire the best physique I possibly can, I was a completely different person. When I first began this endeavor, I was very quick to push goals back or say I'm going to do something and never do it. I was not a very happy person, in a way depressed. I was overweight, I was perfectly satisfied with just being another face in the crowd. I did what I needed to survive and put very minimal effort into things I did not really care about, but were necessary to pay my bills and take care of myself. Looking back I realized that I didn't respect myself, I looked in the mirror and didn't care for who I saw looking at me. I was ok with settling for less then my best. I indulged in a plethora of unhealthy habits eating, substance related or otherwise, I was reckless and self destructive. Once I was about 6 months into the life I noticed changes physically as well as mentally. In 6 months time I lost about 50 pounds and I started to feel better and more confident. It was hard in the beginning to keep going back, as we all know, results take an incredible amount of time. As much as I wanted to quit sometimes there was something alluring about going to the gym for me, subconsciously I was less stressed and I began thinking about the changes I have made when I began to notice this. I concluded that going to the gym had something to do with it. After about 8 months I started recieving compliments about how much weight I had lost but being the size I am and having broad shoulders, I looked like a stick. I looked in the mirror now and was very proud of myself, I never thought my abdomen would be flat or that I could fit into a medium sized T-shirt. I wanted more, I wanted muscles, definition, and strength. For the first time in my adult life I wanted something so bad that I was willing to do anything to get it. I began researching supplements, pre workouts, diet plans, anything and every bit of knowledge I can soak up. I noticed I didn't hate who I was anymore, I was more confident. The traits that I was applying to my training and dedication to that non-chalantley was rubbing off on all aspects of my life. No longer would I settle for less than the absolute best I can be and I thank the discovery of my love training for that every day. The meticulous nature I applied to my training was now something that became habitual for everything I did, it was the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I did better in school, didn't take shit anymore from myself or anyone else, I quickly found a better job and ran up the chain very quickly, I became a supervisor after working there for 3 months. Literally every single aspect of my life improved over the years, and it happened so fast. I have now been training religiously for 7 years and my life is the best it has ever been still to this day and I always find ways to make it improve. Anyone that has known me through the whole entire transformation can vouch that I went from standing in the shadows to being the most driven person they have ever come across, I absolutely do not settle for any less then the best possible outcome. Of course this is just a theory of mine, but my life seemed very average before training became my life, I had a "well I guess this is it..." attitude. Once training was incorporated, I noticed every single aspect of my life being effected by it, a lot of it in very positive aspects, it became an addiction and still is today. The one thing I can say is that sometimes I do have a tendency to neglect personal relationships because I put my training, school, and work above the people in my life. I understand that is not healthy either, you have to make time for those you truly care about but that is a work in progress, everything in moderation. Like I said this is my take on it. I am curious as to how many of you can relate? How many of you, once you became serious about your training saw it rub off on different aspects of your life? I became a the opposite of who I was. I am happy, confident, driven, an overall go getter and perfectionist.
Exercise and Mental wellness
- Thread starter Bigsteve5776
- Start date
I will actually be writing a paper on this topic once the topic is approved, so your comments will be greatly appreciated as I may be able to use them in my speech.
much props to this. truly inspiring. I also have a similar situation expect for me it was gaining weight. i have always been the abnormally skinny person. once i started training and gaining weight so much has changed for me. within the first year of training i made mad gains, went back to college, was always happy and optimistic, i don't settle for less. woman look at me differently and i now have a lot higher standards. I am a vastly different person than i once was. most common phrase, "you've changed". It's a compliment every time 
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much props to this. truly inspiring. I also have a similar situation expect for me it was gaining weight. i have always been the abnormally skinny person. once i started training and gaining weight so much has changed for me. within the first year of training i made mad gains, went back to college, was always happy and optimistic, i don't settle for less. woman look at me differently and i now have a lot higher standards. I am a vastly different person than i once was. most common phrase, "you've changed". It's a compliment every time
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Follow me on The Gram -- @justjaredd
It absolutely is brother, and I quickly realized that my dedication to this one aspect of my life somehow naturally rubbed off on the rest of the things I do, it's a chain reaction it seems, even unintended it somehow has a way of doing so.
Thanks for sharing this bro. I can relate a lot to this, but in another way. Many Years ago, I was the skinny shy kid with low self esteem that had trouble interacting socially with friends, girls, etc. I got myself in the gym and started hitting it hard, and as time went on I grew physically and mentally as well. It gave me the confidence I needed to help me succeed in a number of ways in life. His lifestyle has been a blessing for my body and my mind.
Thank you for sharing brother
Thank you for sharing brother
I can't really relate to a lot of this as how I grew up dictated the need to have some muscles to make people think twice about jumping on you... that and a pistol lol. Buy seriously I can see how and know personally that the level of commitment to this lifestyle and training makes you a more responsible person. Personally I wish my son would train additionally to what lifting he is required to do, but his physical make up makes him lazy. If he would put in an additional serious 30 min of lifting and eat like a horse the possibilities might be endless. It would IMO teach him something about doing what needs to be done versus what wants to be done. He goes to the gym with his GF in the evenings while she lifts and runs he shoots hoops.
Thanks for the replies guys, I personally believe that training played a major role in successes elsewhere. Not sure if starting out with low self esteem and gaining it throughout the process subconsciously makes you realize that success can be gained through hard work, or if the confidence increase makes you more confident with everything you do. All I know Is once I started to like what I saw in the mirror my whole outlook on life changed, and I can only assume training had a lot to do with that.
I can't really relate to beings too skinny, to ne being skinny would have been a gift at the time, sho wants to be fat.
when i was very young, 5th, 6th and 7th grade, i was overweight and it ate me alive... i mean, it was something i remember even standing in front of the mirror and crying when i was alone because i didnt know what to do... i played four sports, i was very popular in school but so ashamed of myself... i always felt like people said things when i was not around, that if they needed ammo on me, that was perfect... i was unhappy with myself and always thinking about it... then a funny thing happened... i grew about 5 inches, i lost all of my baby fat and became a very accomplished athlete... from that point on, i made this a lifestyle... now, of course throughout the way i made mistakes, i partied too much etc. but regardless, i was in the gym every day, aside from my rest days and i took it to an entirely different level about 6-7 years ago.. i quite drinking, quit partying, became the most disciplined and strict person you could find and realized nothing could impact me more than being in top condition and feeling amazing every day... now, there have been stumbling blocks all along the way, which is normal for anyone but how you respond to this, learn from it and what you become shapes who you are... trust me, nothing is more gratifying and satisfying than to constantly put in the work and see the results when you look in the mirror... there is always room to improve but when you see it happening and all from your hard work, it is simply amazing... every single day after i complete cardio in the morning, i feel so accomplished and then after my workout in the evening with weight training, i feel on top of the world... that's what its all about! great post and you just earned even more respect bro...
Looking in the mirror... Yep we all do it don't lie. I get criticized pretty often for looking in the mirror because I do it constantly but I always noticed small changes because of it. When I look in the mirror I take it all in and tell myself you know... I did this nobody but me, and there is an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. Especially when I look at my graduation picture and look at myself today that was 7 years ago, I can't help but to see how far I've come and what putting everything you've got into something can do for you. The ability to give things all I have came from my determination to want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and be happy with what I saw. I always want better and I have not reached all my goals yet, but the transformation I've made, I can't help but to be proud of how far I've come.
rightfully so... now, what separates the good from the elite is the desire for more... once you achieve a goal, you are only hungry for more... complacency is for the mediocre... determination is for the elite...
It's not in my genetics to be thin, mt sntire family is overweight with the exception of my brother very tall and too skinny. Before he got tall he was overweight as well and he does not eat enough at all... But when I first started losing weight I would lose like 5 pounds and decide I could treat myself to pizza or some other treat. And I would gain the weight back, seemed like no matter what I did it was impossible for me to be thin, but I started researching diet plans and tried to create one that worked for me. I also entered an extremely steep caloric deficit and eventually beat it. My metabolism used to be very slow but it sped up because I can eat pretty much anything and not gain, I actually have to eat, eat to gain when I bulk I eat so much that sometimes I almost can't even do it.
I will never stop wanting more, I'm still fairly young so I have a very good amount of time, one thing I've noticed is goals change a lot in this lifestyle, a lot. am I proud of how far I've come, yes but I am never satisfied, ever. And despite my metabolism that I've built I get very paranoid that I can lose it tomorrow and I refuse to let that happen... I don't skip days, since this cycle I barley rest which isn't healthy either. It doesn't happen, but it has, on a day if I miss one of my scheduled training days, probably best to stay out of my way because I will be one angry motherfucker. The only negative thing that's ever came of my lifestyle is I have a huge tendency to make my personal relationships with family, friends, girlfriends a last priority. My friends are still my friends and my family are still the nearest people to my heart but, I've lost many girlfriends over the years because I will work for 8 hours and get off and spend 2 hours at the gym, eat, sleep, get up go to the gym, go to school, to work, start the whole routine over again. I've been accused of cheating when I've never cheated on a girlfriend in my life. I've been told they don't feel important enough, been told I don't care about anybody but myself. But you know what, if I can't find someone that doesn't understand my lifestyle and accept me for who I am, I don't want them anyways. And I absolutely care about myself more then some woman, they can leave whenever, for whatever reason, all we have in this word at the end of the day is ourselves. The only people I care more about then myself are my mother and brother. That's it. All exterior entities have ever done was slow me down.
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