The Cost of Getting Leaner
Photo by Risen Wang on Unsplash
I was out of shape from when I was a kid up until my early 20s, and bodybuilding has been an eye-opener for me to start being conscious of my body and health.
My fitness journey has been slow and steady ever since I started training and lifting weights. My goal is better health and longevity, but as I know more and more people who are into bodybuilding as a lifestyle, I was somewhat influenced to try the competitive side of it.
A Little bit of History
For years, I've been in the gym four to five times a week. It has been my second home and a chunk of my time was spent sweating and lifting heavy plates. I've met and become friends with a lot of like-minded people, some of whom are into competitive bodybuilding. I've been getting remarks about my good genetics, like how thick and wide my back is and how big my legs are, which made me consider entering the competitive scene. Due to other commitments, I wasn't able to push myself, until I became good friends with someone who's heavily into the sport itself.
He was really helpful and transparent in critiquing my physique, even helped me identify my weak points and how I could improve them. Through him, I learned the importance of religiously tracking what I eat, pushing myself further with proper training, and this really changed my perspective and gave me significant results. He kept pushing me to compete, but I opted to just do a mock prep to test the waters and see how I would go.
I started doing my prep at around 160lbs (72.5kg), with an estimated 20-23% body fat. My goal was to at least keep all my muscle, possibly gain some on my weak areas while trying to burn most of the unwanted fat on my stomach, lower back, and legs. I started slow by eating less and less, but in a very controlled manner, and implemented a weekly check-in to adjust my calorie intake as necessary. In about seven weeks, I lost around 10 pounds and looked significantly better with somewhat visible abs while keeping most of my gains.
As I pressed heavier on the gas pedal to lose more body fat, I started to realize how difficult competitive bodybuilding is.
Everything Feels Heavy
As of this writing, I am at 147lbs (66.6kg), at an estimated 12-15% body fat, more or less. I can't get a proper estimate as I was clocked at 5% body fat on a body scanner on my local gym, which I believe is way too off. My abs are visible, with some fat on my lower belly and back. My arms and face have dried up, but my legs and glutes are still holding a chunk of body fat.
I am now consuming 2000 calories a day, which is too low for my body and activity level. As the weeks went by, I started to feel like everything is heavy, in a physical sense. Despite adjusting my feeding hours close enough before training, I can't lift the weight that I used to anymore. I had to humble myself by lifting lighter weights, all while knowing that I still needed to push myself harder.
I've become weaker and I tend to take longer breaks due to fatigue. I feel tired and sleepy most of the time, but I can still manage due to the excessive caffeine in my system, which I know is unhealthy, but it's one of the few options for me to suppress hunger and keep me energized to survive the day.
Getting a complete night's sleep has also been a struggle. I'm often woken up by hunger, and even though I make sure to eat right before bed, I still have difficulty sleeping without interruption.
Apart from this, I've also noticed that my immune system has grown weaker. Though I am supplementing with multivitamins every day, I've been experiencing coughs and colds now, which I rarely got before. This has been noticeable as the weather became unpredictable and seasonal flu became more prominent.
Mentally Clouded, but Focused
One of my biggest issues while dieting has been brain fog. It got annoying to the point that I need to write down even the simplest things that I need to remember. I tend to lose context of things sometimes. But despite this, I am lucky that I don't suffer from far worse mental health issues relevant to dieting down. I have been able to keep myself focused on my goal, I don't crave or experience stress eating despite feeling more stressed due to hunger and fatigue, which is something I'm really thankful for.
Bodybuilding is Costly
When healthier, whole foods are more expensive than a typical fast-food menu, it becomes clear that eating and living healthy is a privilege nowadays.
I spend a good amount of money on my supplements, including multivitamins, creatine, pre-workout, coffee pods, and protein powder. Apart from this, I need to buy chicken, eggs, bread, and vegetables daily so I could fuel my body and go on with my day. At this point, I don't look much at the expenses anymore since this is an integral part of the lifestyle, whether I'm on a diet or not.
Looking Past the Mirror
This mock prep was never about winning anything, it was just for me to test the waters and see how far I could push myself. Through this, I realized that the goal I thought I was chasing wasn't the one that really mattered in the end. The real prize wasn't about hitting a low body fat percentage, but it was about learning more about my own body and understanding what I actually need to do to take care of it.
I've also started to appreciate the simple things again, like having enough energy for my day, being able to think clearly without the brain fog, and lifting weights because I enjoy it, not because I feel like I have to. This whole experience didn't discourage me, but it did change my perspective. It made my original goal of health and longevity even clearer, and I now know that the best version of my body isn't about being the leanest I can be. It's about being strong, capable, and finding a balance that I can actually maintain for a long time.