Now that you've devoted yourself to the rituals of hypertrophy and dietary precision, would you say you've attained the validation you were seeking?

Internally, has the discipline translated into genuine self-worth, or is it just a controlled displacement of deeper insecurities?

Externally, are the fleeting affirmations (double taps, passing compliments, unsolicited attention) sufficient to sustain the image you're curating? Or does the need for approval remain as persistent as ever, merely dressed in muscle and routine?

>>76263747 (OP)
>would you say you've attained the validation you were seeking?
Yes.

>has the discipline translated into genuine self-worth?
Yes.

>does the need for approval remain as persistent as ever, merely dressed in muscle and routine?
I do not need approval any more. I have a girlfriend who I love, and she loves me. I will continue exercising for my health and longevity. I am happy now, and it’s because I put the effort in.

Any further questions?

Captcha: XKHH

>>76263747 (OP)
Yes
Yes
By virtue of not needing them yes

>>76263769
If the external goalposts have shifted (love, stability, companionship) would you still pursue this path with the same intensity if those were to vanish tomorrow? If the relationship dissolved, if the affirmations ceased, would the discipline remain as self-contained as you claim it is now?

Or has the muscle become the scaffolding that keeps the rest from collapsing?

>>76263747 (OP)
i wasn't really seeking validation. just trying to looksmax so i could leverage it for money and power. it's going well. the attention is nice but we're all marching steadily toward the grave and nothing can stop the momentum. i feel more capable of killing my enemies and that gives me hope and pride. i still have some work to do but it doesn't seem like an insurmountable task any more. i do feel like my self-worth is greater than it was before. but as i've progressed toward my goal i've been dealing with a lot of old memories and suppressed feelings (deeper insecurities, perhaps). it's very odd to be walking along and then a memory from three decades ago hits me and i realize why am i the way i am. it doesn't really hurt it's just surprising sometimes. where did these thoughts and feelings come from? why have they remained below the surface until i decided to peel off those outer layers of flab? there must be a connection.

>>76263805
>has the muscle become the scaffolding that keeps the rest from collapsing
The sick gainz were but a catalyst for me to realise my self-worth. I was already deserving of love, I just didn’t realise it. Now I have that love, and every time I step into the gym, every promotion I get, every success in my life is like a victory lap because I already have what I truly want. I am at peace and my mind is free to pursue fulfilling activities without worrying about questions of personal adequacy. If I were to lose all my muscle, break up with my partner, and move to a new city where I know nobody, then it would matter not because the transformation has already occurred. It would be like newgame+.

>>76263838
So the gains, the love, the success... they weren't the destination, just milestones that confirmed what was latent all along: worthiness, capability, peace. That’s a powerful narrative arc.

But indulge me: how do you distinguish between genuine transformation and the well-rehearsed conviction of someone who needs to believe the arc was redemptive? After all, even the most elaborate coping strategies can feel indistinguishable from growth until they're stress-tested.

Is it truly "newgame+," or is it just a cleverly disguised permadeath run with better lighting?

>>76263816
So you’ve reframed physical transformation as a tactical upgrade in the pursuit of leverage, dominance, survival. And in return, it’s begun peeling back layers you didn’t expect to confront.

Here’s the question, then: if the progress you’re making is awakening long-buried memories and unresolved emotional material, is that a byproduct, or is it the real work masquerading as aesthetics and aggression?

You say you feel more capable of “killing your enemies,” but what if the real struggle now is with the parts of yourself you left unprocessed for decades? Are they resurfacing because you're stronger, or because they finally think you're ready?

And when they speak, do you listen, or do you just lift heavier?

>>76263887
>how do you distinguish between genuine transformation and the well-rehearsed conviction of someone who needs to believe the arc was redemptive
From my perspective there is a night-and-day difference in my moment-to-moment experience. I am simply no longer insecure. I’m going to cook a meal for my partner and I, and I hope you experience the same transformation that occurred to me.

>>76263747 (OP)
It only exaggerated it slightly

Overintellectualising OP with a bunch of existential/psychology crap vs a bunch of happy chad anons

It's actually beautiful

You realize that some people get into /fit/ for the health benefits, right. Like, it does more for the brain than anything else. But people like OP will focus on the most vapid shallow shit imaginable. No, we don't work out to make literally-every-aspect-of-life-easier. Its for the BIG MUSCLES.

FAGGOT.

>>76263747 (OP)
>Now that you've devoted yourself to the rituals of hypertrophy and dietary precision, would you say you've attained the validation you were seeking?
Difficult to say if I was seeking validation. Maybe it's just semantics, I do believe I wanted to appear like I was trying, as in look like I didn't just eat and sleep.

But oh boy did I get validation. Wouldn't believe me if I told you.

>>76266414
a bunch of larping faggot self jerking off and overshooting their perceived worth

>>76266435
Gay men hitting on you doesn’t count lol

>>76266423
There’s nothing wrong with that, and it makes sense, but the extreme 18 girl to 35 year old male trope you see on here is almost always laughable when you see the proof they post. You’re not getting prime meat unless you’re paying for it.

>>76266447
>Gay men hitting on you doesn’t count lol
Haha!

>>76266443
If I had a power it would be to be able to see the face of Anonymous next to their posts so I can laugh about how delusional they are

I am a virgin retard incel and lifting weights makes me feel like a fucking GOD. The world can burn and I will be lifting in it's ashes.
Hide behind your pepes as much as you want little buddy, I know you look like a fat estrogenic basedboy.

>>76266535
why would you say and think that? why is it hard for you to believe so many anons are handsome and get attention from women?

>>76266535
>I know you look like a fat estrogenic basedboy.
So do you desu senpai

>>76266545
Probably because everyone in real life is ugly as sin, and men have an innate arrogance to believe they’re hot shit.

>>76266564
newsflash, the world is average. most men struggle to get laid, and the ones that do are banging mid women