yeah honestly it messed with me more mentally than i expected. i got way too wrapped up in how i looked, like every mirror check decided my mood for the day. relationships took a hit too because everything revolved around food, training, or being tired. i wasn’t fun to be around for a while if i’m being real.

physically i bounced back okay, but mentally it took longer to chill out and stop tying my worth to how lean or big i was. would i do it again? probably not the same way. i’d still lift, still care about my body, but i wouldn’t let it run my life. that part sneaks up on you way more than people admit.

yeah honestly it messed with me way more than i expected, and not in the ways i thought going in. physically i bounced back fine, but mentally it stuck around way longer. i got super obsessed with how i looked, numbers, food, timing… everything revolved around it. relationships definitely took a hit because i was either tired, irritable, or just not mentally present.

the weird part is the highs felt great, but the lows after were rough. confidence dipped hard once the cycle ended and it took a while to feel “normal” again. looking back, i don’t regret lifting or pushing myself, but i do regret how much of my identity i tied to it.

if i had the choice again, i’d probably still train hard, but i’d keep it way simpler and not chase that edge so hard. the long term peace of mind is worth way more than short term gains.

man, looking back, it definitely messed with my head more than i expected. physically i bounced back okay, but the mood swings and paranoia about gains, labs, and diet made life stressful. relationships got tense too because i was super focused on training and cycles. would i do it again? probably not the way i did it—there’s a lot i wish i knew first about pacing and mental health.

yeah i can relate a lot to this. for me the gym part was honestly the easiest part of the whole thing. the mental side crept up slow and i didnt even notice at first. i got more irritable, more obsessed with how i looked, more anxious when i wasnt training or eating perfect. relationships definitely took a hit because my mood was all over the place and i was always tired or distracted. coming off was the worst part though. motivation tanked hard and i felt kinda empty for a while. looking back i dont totally regret it because i learned a lot about myself, but if i could redo it id slow way down and not tie my self worth to progress or numbers. the gains fade but the habits and headspace stick around way longer than you expect.

i’ll be real, the physical changes were the least important part looking back. what messed with me more was the mental side… mood swings, short temper, always thinking about the next shot or how i looked. relationships definitely took hits because i wasn’t as present and everything felt more intense than it needed to be. health anxiety creeps in too once you start seeing bloodwork or weird side effects pop up.

at the time it feels worth it, like you’re finally “there,” but a few years later you realize how temporary it all was. if i could rewind, i probably wouldn’t touch it again. the gains fade, but the stress and consequences stick around way longer than people admit.

yeah honestly the mental side was way heavier than i expected. physically i looked better for sure, but mentally i was kinda all over the place. way more irritable, obsessed with food and training, always thinking about the next shot or cycle instead of just living. relationships definitely took a hit too, i was way less patient and kinda in my own head all the time.

health wise nothing catastrophic happened to me, but seeing bloodwork drift the wrong way was enough to make me rethink stuff. coming off was rough too, way more than people admit. if i’m being real, knowing what i know now, i probably wouldn’t do it again. the gains were temporary but the stress and headspace stuff stuck around way longer than i expected.

not saying everyone has the same experience, but it’s definitely not just “take this and feel awesome forever” like people make it sound.

honestly, looking back, it’s a mixed bag for me. gains were insane, but my mood swings were real and it definitely strained some friendships. not sure i’d do it the same way again

for me it was more mental than physical. my health stayed mostly fine, but the obsession with numbers, food, and training kinda took over life. definitely something i’d rethink

relationships definitely got tricky. some friends didn’t understand why i was so intense, and dating was a little complicated. it’s not all glory like the videos make it look

honestly the gym progress was cool but the mental side caught me off guard way more than I expected

relationships def took a hit for me- mood swings are real even if people don’t wanna admit it

health wise I didn’t feel it right away, it was more the anxiety about labs and long term stuff

I was way more obsessed with my body than I realized at the time. kinda stole some joy ngl

confidence went up at first then weirdly dipped later. started tying my worth to how I looked