I've been dealing with depression since my mid teens and training and working out has always been a useful coping tool. I found that it helped me to deal with my sad feelings. I was also inspired by the greats like Arnold and always wanted to look like Stallone when he stared in Rocky 3 and 4. Recently, I noticed that my body weight was 135 pds. At least 5 pounds over my target weight that's between 125 to 130. I was eating lots of oreo cookies, rice chips, crackers, more cookies, and basically doing lots of emotional eating and no physical training. I didn't like the way I looked so I decided to give bodybuilding.com another chance and try to change the way I look. So far, it's been a tough road, but hopefully I'll be able to tough it out and stick with it.
Why I love doing it? The question should be why do I do it? I've always loved the movie highlander. And while we can't be immortal my true wish is to be immortal. To never grow old and to forever look young. That's what's really important to me and that's why I'm doing this. It's my ongoing reason for doing this. I don't train to win competitions, nor to be the best bodybuilder, and not to become something great and make my mark on the world. I train to feel as though I'm never aging and in some sense feel immortal. And unfortunately, good nutrition and exercise is the closest to come to achieving that.
It makes me feel really good when I look in the mirror and see a brand new me who looks completely different. I feel younger, more energetic, and more confident. As someone who deals with depression I find that it helps to preoccupy my thoughts and keeps me from thinking negatively. Basically it helps to keep me grounded. Also, it's hard not to dream about what you'd like to look like and await that day when all of that hard work pays off.