Stress Center Peer Support

I'm a competitive natural bodybuilder.. If anything, this is something that changes based on my motivation... when im positive, it's just what makes me happy and is what i do... When im negative, it is my therapy and gets me through a day... Being a personal trainer with a master's degree, i make a decent hourly rate.. However, sometimes i get burnt out... I have to come to the library for 1-2 hours just to post on here... Everyone's situation is different, but i feel mine is easy and I'm still struggling.. I can't imagine if i were on my own, i'd really be in trouble... I was living high for 14-weeks having competed in 5 shows and placed 1st in 4 and 2nd in 1, now im rock bottom it feels.. This morning i woke up and felt nothing.. I just wanted to sleep the entire day or perhaps the week!!! But what motivated me is staying within striking distance of this contest im planning on competing in on Sept 13th... I'm just passionless now and for me, if im not into it, i cant be like a normal person and be into it in an average way... I'm very dichotomous like that.... My body feels like it's overtrained, i went through this last year and i found out how to manage my anxiety... I did exercise to heal the body... It's hard for me though... B/c i separate therapuetic training from bodybuilding training... When im training for a show, i have to control a lot of things, such as eating, what i eat, when i eat, etc... In the end it's worth it, but after 14-weeks of it, im kinda tired... I just want to compete in these 2-3 more shows (Nov 1st or 15th will be my last show this year) AND then i will relax and rest for 4-6 months doing therapuetic exercise and letting my body have a nice long break... But it feels like my body wants to take this break now and im not ready to do that... I want to compete in these 2-3 shows, and i want to b/c look how well ive done in these past 5 shows... These next 2-3 shows are an opportunity to possibly get my face on the cover of a fitness magazine and perhaps turn pro as a natural bodybuilder.... It takes about 6-8 weeks to get to a low enough body fat to do well in a show... And this next show is 5 weeks away, the other 2 are 6 weeks after the Sept show... So a total of 12 more weeks of training and eating very controlled... I'm just in need of some new inspiration... I'm not killing myself, in fact ive reduced the intensity a lot over the past month and my body has recovered and felt better, but it just feels like im dragging it out... I would be happy with either choice of:

1) You are closer than you think, hang in there and you will do well in these 2-3 shows!!!

OR

2) Take a break and compete in the Nov show only, since this is the show that you are trying to turn pro in.... The Sept show is for magazine exposure and is only once a year...

So im torn between:

1) Competing in all shows

2) Competing in Sept show only

3) Competing in Nov show only

4) No shows at all...

Can anyone help or provide some input please?

I must admit that don't know a great deal about body building competitions. But I have a couple of friends that are really into weight training. I have heard that low levels of body fat can adversely affect your mood. (i.e. make you more despondent and irritable). If ANYTHING you're doing is making feel run down and burnt out, it's definitely time to take a break or cut down. I think competing for the September show only is the best option given how you feel at the moment, as it offers dual rewards. Good luck with your training!

Wow someone actually exists out there!!! Thank you Louise... I am still strugglin with meaning for life... I really don't care for the logic of things of why I feel this way etc etc.. Life moves to fast for that... I just want to feel better and not hurt myself now or in the long-run... Right now, one of my clients suggested I compete in both shows... And that I could take 1-2 weeks off and train for only 2-3 weeks, as that is all it took for me to get stage-ready... I don't think it's my bodyfat being low that makes me moody.. If anything, my bodyfat is normal (8-10%)... It gets to 6-7% for a show... Maybe 5% sometimes.... Bottomline: I kind of just want to take it 1-week at a time, but during this time, I really want to be grounded and happy.. Knowing what I'm doing and living in the moment... I love this forum b/c I dont know what or where i'd be without it... It helps me A LOT...