Dimitri Markoglu, Period 7, 5/22/2022

 Goal Setting & Growth

With the passage of time, my goals have altered greatly. On October 26th, 2021–the last time I voiced my goals publicly–my concentration was devoted to drafting quality, college writing pieces and producing music. Since then, I have been granted acceptance to the University of Miami on a merit scholarship, proving to myself I did a beyond satisfactory job crafting my college essays. However, my goal of becoming a capable music producer was not as successful and, quite honestly, fell short of my expectations. After months of fiddling with software, studying videos, and learning music theory, I realized that enjoying music and being musically inclined are not even the slightest related. Dropping my goal flat on its face after achieving little progress was tough, but necessary in order to move forward. After this experience, I took time to step back and reflect on my strengths and what is particularly important to me as of late. My current goal as of May 22, 2022 is to improve my body image and reach a physique which I would be happy to claim as my own.

Since freshman year of high school I have struggled with low self esteem,which stemmed from my “skinny-fat” body composition and lack of strength. I dreaded my appearance, as well as the fact I couldn't lift much weight, yet I made every excuse possible to avoid exercising–I was too busy, too tired, too invested in my academics. As a result I spent 3.5 years unhappy with my apperrence, and too afraid to confront myself; that was, until the end of this year, when everything changed. With graduation approaching steadily, I realized I would soon find myself in Miami, Florida, where I could no longer hide under sweatshirts, hoodies, and baggy pants. I was either going to accept who I was, or change for the better; I opted for change. I began eating 3500 calories a day with 200 grams of protein, entering a large caloric surplus in order to pack on size and strength. Additionally, I began a 6 day gym split known as PPL/Arnold, and purchased a membership to Intoxx Fitness. Since I began my journey a month ago, I have seen consistent size and strength development. I am no longer as ashamed of my body as I once was, and each time a friend or family member comments on my progress it motivates me to continue to pursue my ideal physique.

When I explain to people my newly found devotion to the gym and exercise, most will not understand its importance on both my physical and mental well being. However, those who do have been very supportive of my goals and continuously push me to be better. Particularly, my close friends and workout partners, Robert Albanesi and Anthony Torino have been a great help along the way. Not only have they taught me proper weight lifting form, they have helped me improve my diet greatly. At my lowest point, I ate wendys each day, drank soda with each meal, and snacked on junk all day; Rob and Anthony have shown me the proper way to eat and since then I have not touched nor craved fast food. Anthony even went as far as grocery shopping and meal prepping with me after workouts to ensure I have the meals necessary to reach my goal. I am beyond grateful for their support and if it weren't for their shared interest in the gym, I would never have been able to embark on this adventure.