Introduction

I used to believe that I had to eat every 2-2.5 hours to get big, and to avoid throwing away all my hard work at the gym. That meant that if I had to eat 6-8 meals a day, I would prepare them in advance and eat them on time, regardless of what I was doing. If for some reason I was forced to miss a meal, I would get irritable, anxious, and even depressed that I was losing out on gains.

I clearly remember a trip to the casino where I packed two blender shakes in my bag, in case one shake was not enough, or if I took more time than I expected to get home and was stuck on a bus with nothing to eat. That should’ve been a relaxed time with my friends, something to enjoy, but instead it made me unhappy: bodybuilding was my only goal in life, and anything else was a distraction, a waste of time that I could be using to get bigger. I wouldn’t drink alcohol at all, even for special occasions or on a date, because I was afraid it would destroy my testosterone levels, wreck protein synthesis, and pillage my lean tissue. I certainly didn’t miss out on that extra protein synthesis, but I did manage to sabotage relationships that I had to work hard to repair.

But then I realised that I was making sacrifices that I didn’t need to make. It is possible to enjoy your life and pursue physique or strength goals, you do not have to become a hermit or a monk.

Advice

Fit training into your life, not the other way round. Only make sacrifices if there is a clear, rational, reason for them. Ask yourself these questions:

What are your goals?
Why are they your goals?
Do you have to be completely strict? If not, how relaxed can you afford to be and still achieve your goals?

When you have the answers clear in your mind, then you can decide whether or not that slice of birthday cake is really evil, or if a home cooked meal with your family is really going to ruin your diet. For most people, who train to look good and feel better about themselves, there are times when it is useful to be strict, and to avoid indulgence or distractions. But unless you plan on stepping on stage to compete in bodybuilding, it’s unlikely that you need to follow a diet exactly all year round to achieve your ideal physique.

Looking good is only worth it if you feel good about yourself too. And that’s difficult when you torture yourself every day and make unnecessary sacrifices, or punish yourself every time you do something that wasn’t completely planned or controlled. Remember that it may take years to develop the physique you want, or reach the strength levels you’d like, but it also takes time and effort to make friends and sustain relationships. Don’t sacrifice one or the other, try and maintain a healthy balance.