“Why do you do this to yourself?” My well-meaning friend asks. I assume he is referring to my “sunken cheeks and recessed eyeballs”. I can see from the look on his face, he thinks I’m torturing myself. I think about my friend's question for about a half second. Why do I do it? I smile big and say, “Because I love it!” He smiles too, shakes his head and says, "I don't get it." I don't expect him to.
I glance in the mirror and see the crypt keeper staring back. That means I'm ready. When the body is stage ready, the face suffers. It's not a handsome look. Every skull looks better with a little fat on it.
There are a lot of competitors, both men and women who seem to "suffer" through the contest prep phase. They have that "suffering" look and I can tell it isn't fun for them. I probably do too, but for the most part, I don't suffer. There are those times when it is hard, attitude, energy, stamina, strength are in the toilet. But I see the majority of people have days like that too, who aren't dieting. It's just part of life. Figuring out how to make it work for our own life is key. I eat a little chocolate daily. I eat at a mexican restaurant most days. I eat whipped cream, muscle pancakes, and my own bodybuilding french toast. I'm rarely ever hungry for more than a half hour and I absolutely love the killer gym sessions. Pain is necessary, suffering is optional.
When I see other competitors suffering and going through their own hell, I think to myself, "why do this if it makes you miserable?"
I'm tempted to ask them, "Why do you do this to yourself?"
But I don't. They would probably just grin and say, "Because I love it."