Motivation: for those in first and second year of exercize

baldmitch · December 2013

Got this from another site, but it's awesome:

It has been a pretty good time for me lately and I am enjoying a little 'high' from hitting recent training goals. The support people show is really something and means a lot. When I get the chance to help others out, it feels good and I like to think I can help others. I was answering back a PM I received and I realized something.

In the PM I was trying to express to the guy that it is normal for people around you to not understand what you are doing. He was struggling with lack of support from those around him (friends and family...etc). People not only not understanding, but antagonizing him for his dietary and lifestyle changes.

A giant light bulb went off in my head! This stuff is BY FAR the hardest for the first few years. The guy just starting out, to the point where you 'can tell they lift'. The deck is really stacked against them.

This is in stark contrast to what I experience. No one ever says a word when I choose to pass on food or alcohol at a public event. They dont make fun of me trying to get proper sleep. No one in the gym bothers me regardless of what I choose to do. If I ask to 'work in' they say sure. If I have an ice pack on my arm or a wrap, I dont get a speech from friends...."why are you even doing this?".

But it was not always like this. Prior to getting to where I am. Long before I looked the part, it took some MAJOR lifestyle modifications. People did not get it. After all....I was not 'jacked' or 'ripped'. Why should it matter if I dont get my protein in?....of if I skip a workout?. But it was these changes that led to getting to where I am now.

[Exercising and controlling diet] is all about an investment in the future payoff. It can take a loooong time and expect little support and understanding in the first few years. During this time, you will need the most resolve of any time. But hang in there. Pay your dues. If you do it right (and I believe that almost EVERYONE can make significant gains), you get to live in a body 24/7 that you only dreamed possible. You can feel good about what you have accomplished and set a great example for your kids of how life can be enjoyed.

What I hope to share, is this stuff gets A LOT easier over time. Habits are formed. People start to see just what it is you have been working at. They start to 'get it'. Soon, those around you see, and a few people will start coming up and asking questions about working out and advice. That is when you know you are over the hump.

Anyway.....just a little something I was thinking of.

I personally want to give a shout out to all the guys just starting out or in the first year or two of what will hopefully be a life long change. There are a bunch on here that are blazing the way and showing how it can be done!