The Sacrifice to Happiness

My blog initially began as a experiment for my social media class, but as I began to grow fond of documenting my updates I decided to continue with the blog and continue documenting my progress as I began my 14 week cut into my junior national bodybuilding show in June.  With the consistent stress that I am under it is hard for an individual who is not adapted into the bodybuilding lifestyle to understand that this is not a hobby.  It is a full time job.  

The commitment and dedication needed to maintain in a peak performance state almost all year is crucial to become successful in this sport.  Within the past 3 years I have transitioned into a bodybuilder, sacrificed, relationships, friendships, and hobbies in order to train to become an IFBB pro bodybuilder.  Although I am not there yet, it will happen when my time comes.  

Many questions I get asked are why I turned to the sport of bodybuilding and what drew me into the sport of lifting iron, sweating my ass off in the gym and having to buy mens clothes in order for them to fit my arms...the truth....

I am recovering bulimic and the sport of bodybuilding helped me focus on something other than my eating disorder.  I suffer from clinical depression, bulimia, and body dysmorphia.  The sport of bodybuilding allowed me to focus my energy into something different and change my mindset on how I feel about my body.  I also was in an abuse relationship, which fueled me to fend for myself and eventually learn that I don't need a man in my life that isn't going to respect me.  

Then bodybuilder Shannon was born.  

Since then my life has changed, and now with my strict regimen, close group of few friends and my job.  That is now my life at the moment.  I am content with it and it's making me discover myself in ways that I never realized I possibly could have found out.  

I have so many thoughts on this and will continue on later...but my rambling thoughts are about to mesh together as I am about to pass out to bed....