is it a muscle anorexia kinda thing or no?

**lovestospooge23** · 02-17-2010, 10:48 PM

anyways i take a look in the mirror and i swear to god i look like the same 135 benchpressing weakling i was when i first started lifting weights, (im now doing 230) but anyways whenever i look at my before and after photos i see a huge difference, i look between strong and very strong, and much bigger. Anyone experience this? also when i look at after photos at myself i see myself as a pretty strong dude, but yet if i look at myself in the mirror i swear to god i look like the same person i was when i was benching 135. its a serious mind **** and does anybody else experience this?

**fattymcbutterpants** · 02-17-2010, 11:16 PM

I still feel like my arms look like im 12 lol yet I can bench almost 300 and actually got some compliments on them the other day but still to me they look very small I even started a thread about it the other day lol. But on the positive side, I see this making me work harder in the gym

**Kratos** · 02-17-2010, 11:40 PM

bigorexia/muscle dysmorphic disorder, yeah it's a poor body image mental condition

if you think your body image is a problem you should se a counsolor
you might even need medication...but like any eating disorder putting on more muscle is not the cure
just like someone with anorexia will feel fat no matter how thin they become

you might not have too bad of a case, I mean you may be able to just look in the mirrior recongnize you're never going to be completely satisfied and move on
but see someone if it's impacting your daily life

**Kibble** · 02-18-2010, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by Kratos

bigorexia/muscle dysmorphic disorder, yeah it's a poor body image mental condition

if you think your body image is a problem you should se a counsolor
you might even need medication...but like any eating disorder putting on more muscle is not the cure
just like someone with anorexia will feel fat no matter how thin they become

you might not have too bad of a case, I mean you may be able to just look in the mirrior recongnize you're never going to be completely satisfied and move on
but see someone if it's impacting your daily life

Bro, I believe that this muscle dysmorphic disorder is a good thing. It encourages you to train and eat right, to build more muscle. It is called motivation.... wanting to be the biggest guy in the gym.

Now... if you cry yourself to sleep because your arms are only 20 inches, then you might have a problem

**Nicotine** · 02-18-2010, 02:02 AM

well, there are people who like me - will never be happy with anything....

then people who are doing it to seek attention, fill a supposid void in their life of being looked at/wanted/appreciated.....

then the people who have a TRULY UNHEALTHY image of their body....

body image disorders can be very bad to health on both sides of the fence.... anorexia and people who have an inacurate self image of their body.

i love the look, and i do think i "dont feel big enough"... but at the same time, i still enjoy feeling better every day, physically and emotionally.

i have more self worth than ever, i enjoy the physicality, and of course i enjoy the getting hit on more

i think a lot of it stems from the media.

for women, they have to be unbelieveably (spelling?) thin... size 0 clothes....

for men, all of our "heros" and images of what is masculine growing up - were all guys who were huge/ripped.... he man, every wrestler ever, rambo, etc etc etc...

for myself, i wanted to lose weight..................but then i got a bit of muscle..................so i wanted a bit more.........and more.........now i jam needles into myself, and just spent a good chunk of change on my summer cycle..hooray!

it is addictive.

**lovbyts** · 02-18-2010, 02:03 AM

Yup I got it. MOST of the time I swear Im getting smaller but it seems every time I start thinking like that I get 2 or 3 compliment from people at the gym and I realize it's mostly just me.

One think I did not long ago is NOT look in the mirror for a few week. Actually I did it because I was on vacation for 3 weeks and only had a chance to work out a coule time. When i got hom and first workout I was looking in the mirror and though WOW, my arms are actually pretty good size.

A week later I though there were small again. lol As long as you are not obsessed with/by it I think it's not bad and you just need to realize it's all in your head.

**Friend** · 02-18-2010, 03:17 AM

My guns are 8 inches and i feel huge.

**kevinrudd** · 02-18-2010, 05:05 AM

Originally Posted by Friend

My guns are 8 inches and i feel huge.

lmfao 'spikey'

agree OP the bigger i get the smaller i always feel, it just doesnt seem like your growing, even though everyone tells you ur huge and asks you whether your using steroids , you still wonder why their asking when you still think your small

its really fukin weird

**Kiki** · 02-18-2010, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by lovestospooge23

anyways i take a look in the mirror and i swear to god i look like the same 135 benchpressing weakling i was when i first started lifting weights, (im now doing 230) but anyways whenever i look at my before and after photos i see a huge difference, i look between strong and very strong, and much bigger. Anyone experience this? also when i look at after photos at myself i see myself as a pretty strong dude, but yet if i look at myself in the mirror i swear to god i look like the same person i was when i was benching 135. its a serious mind **** and does anybody else experience this?

Don't worry bro, it's normal. When I compare before and after photos, there is a huge difference. I think because we're accustomed to seeing ourselves everyday in the mirror, and judging what needs work etc, we get used to a specific look (muscle building takes time), so we feel small after a while. That only changes when we make drastic changes to our bodies like getting on cycle, or cutting a lot of fat in a short period, or getting a lot of complements.

**Kratos** · 02-18-2010, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by BigKuntry1984

Bro, I believe that this muscle dysmorphic disorder is a good thing. It encourages you to train and eat right, to build more muscle. It is called motivation.... wanting to be the biggest guy in the gym.

Now... if you cry yourself to sleep because your arms are only 20 inches, then you might have a problem

Sure being motivated to be a better person is a good thing. Unless the reason you work out is being unhappy with who you are. Life is too short to be unhappy.

**jbran23** · 02-18-2010, 02:58 PM

I actually just looked up muscle dysmorphia the other day because Im always complaining to my girlfriend about how small I am and how I work my ass off in the gym and never get any bigger and she tells me Im nuts. I think it stems from always being skinny and 150 lbs my whole life that I became obsessed with getting bigger and Im just never satisfied now.

**aaronk88** · 02-18-2010, 03:38 PM

I've always had problems with my body image, I think everyone does to some extent.

**Bossman** · 02-18-2010, 06:07 PM

When I look in the mirror I see a tennis player. When I stand next to someone else in the gym I see a bodybuilder.

**DS21** · 02-18-2010, 06:11 PM

I was a fat kid up until the age of 17. I'm 27 now and still think I'm fat. I got down to 150 lb and still thought I was fat. I'm 235 lb with a descent 6 pack and still think I'm fat. This is just something I've learned that I'm going to have to deal with for the rest of my life. The way I try and look at myself is if I keep my abs visable, then I'm leaner then most people

**F4iGuy** · 02-18-2010, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by BigKuntry1984

Bro, I believe that this muscle dysmorphic disorder is a good thing. It encourages you to train and eat right, to build more muscle. It is called motivation.... wanting to be the biggest guy in the gym.

Now... if you cry yourself to sleep because your arms are only 20 inches, then you might have a problem

Agree 100%

Motivation governs EVERYTHING you do. How motivated would you be to keep crushing the weights if you looked in the mirror and felt completely satisfied? I think Charles Glass summed up the bodbuilder mentallity in Bigger Stronger Faster when he started critiquing the interviewer and himself.

**F4iGuy** · 02-18-2010, 06:15 PM

BTW I still see myself as a 140 pounder. Thats what I wrestled throughout highschool. Then I see photos of myself and think wtf, when did this happen lol.

**lovestospooge23** · 02-19-2010, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by BigKuntry1984

Bro, I believe that this muscle dysmorphic disorder is a good thing. It encourages you to train and eat right, to build more muscle. It is called motivation.... wanting to be the biggest guy in the gym.

Now... if you cry yourself to sleep because your arms are only 20 inches, then you might have a problem

i think theres a difference between body dysmorphic disorder, and body dysmorphic traits.

**MuscleScience** · 02-19-2010, 01:45 AM

I have body image issues. Like probably most everyone else on this board. It doesnt effect my life much other than it drives me to eat healthy and stay in shape. I always look at myself in disgust. If you aint growing your dying.

**marcus300** · 02-19-2010, 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by MuscleScience

I have body image issues. Like probably most everyone else on this board. It doesnt effect my life much other than it drives me to eat healthy and stay in shape. I always look at myself in disgust. If you aint growing your dying.

I agree^

I also have body image issues, I never thought I was big enough even when I was at my heaviest I thought I wasn't that big, I do think we have to take stock sometimes and just look at ourself against other people, when I did this I realized that I was bigger than most.

**stevey_6t9** · 02-19-2010, 04:45 AM

Just train at a gym where you are the biggest there and you won't feel small.

**MuscleScience** · 02-19-2010, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by marcus300

I agree^

I also have body image issues, I never thought I was big enough even when I was at my heaviest I thought I wasn't that big, I do think we have to take stock sometimes and just look at ourself against other people, when I did this I realized that I was bigger than most.

The funny thing is, people that I know I am bigger than still look bigger than me in my eyes. Even if they are 30lbs lighter...

**jbran23** · 02-19-2010, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by MuscleScience

The funny thing is, people that I know I am bigger than still look bigger than me in my eyes. Even if they are 30lbs lighter...

Same with me MS. I am constantly looking at other peoples arms and shit and they look bigger than me. The only way it gets into perspective is when I look at a pic of us standing next to each other then I can see Im considerably bigger but in person, it looks the other way around. Wierd.

**Tambit24** · 02-20-2010, 06:20 PM

yeah I'm the same, but can go either way. Either I feel way too small or way to fat. It varies day to day. I'm about 6 feet and feel short. I'm taller than most of my buddies, but if we go out and someone is the same height or just a little bit taller, I feel wicked short. My buddies, who are 5'8 at the tallest, hate it and think I'm a dick.