The mirror you VS. The real you

[f4209211]

I'm 5'9', 200 pounds at around 15% BF. When people look at me. Their first impression is that i'm bigger and much more muscular than an average person (obviously). I don't have to tell anyone i lift weights and i get asked about my routine all the time.

Then there's the mirror me. When i see myself in the mirror. I think i'm so skinny, i need to put more muscle at least another 20 pounds. Funny thing is when i see a big guy in the gym. I say to some of my friends. Man, i wanna be as big as him and they're like, "you're bigger than him". but i don't see it when i look in the mirror.

Anyone else in here has that problem.

 

[The Almighty]

I think most of us do.

 

[gwl9dta4]

reverse anorexia.
muscle dysphormia, sp?

 

[Beezers]

You're not alone in the way you are unable to see the "real" you. I'm the same way. I'm supposedly a big mfer, but fail to see it. People don't ask if I work out. They ask how long it took me to get this big and how they can get big. So, needless to say others see something in me that influences thier willingness to converse with me about all things related to being a large human. I, however, look in the mirror and am on my perpetual critiquing mission. For me all the flaws are glaringly obvious and there is always that vision that I am just not near big enough. I have the same problem comparing myself to others as you seem to have. I think a guy is big and he may only be 210 or so whereas I'm 260. I comment to someone that "that guys big", and they simply state, "not really, at least not close to your size". I still fail to see the size differential though. I simply fail to see my true size. I consider it my fuel. That's what keeps the engine of desire cranking so perhaps, phsycologically, it is needed to keep our drive alive.

 

[feelin_kinda_saucey]

i think all of us have that problem....

 

[Priscoj]

true that, i feel like EVERYONE is bigger than me. I hate it, but as was stated above...it does make me work harder

 

[iceberg_1912]

This is an interesting topic hearing that from big guys, I hope I dont think like that later after I put on more mass. I think I have the worst physique from time to time, and sometimes not. I hate the mirror becuase it doesnt lie. Now I wish someone would answer my posts regarding my Omna cycle, help!

 

[DJtictac]

Muscle Dysmorphia

Oh great....they've gone and made my lifestyle a psycho-pathological affliction. Does this count as a handicap? Can I get special license plates, and parking privileges?


Some Muscle Men View Selves as 98-Pound Weaklings

October 01, 2002 10:32 AM ET


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite having the muscled physique of a Hercules, some men see a pip-squeak when they look in the mirror, study findings show.

The report, published in the September 30th issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests that as more men seek muscular bodies, more may be at risk of developing muscle dysmorphia.

Men with muscle dysmorphia have a distorted body image, seeing themselves as having tiny muscles even if they are heavily muscled. This concern can lead to an obsession with gaining muscle and definition at any cost, including over-training and using potentially dangerous supplements such as anabolic steroids.

In the current study, lead author Precilla Y. L. Choi of Loughborough University in the UK and colleagues evaluated questionnaires that measured self-esteem and body image, among other attributes of mental health, for 24 male bodybuilders diagnosed with muscle dysmorphia. Their responses were compared with those from another group of bodybuilders without the disorder.

According to the report, men with muscular dysmorphia reported greater dissatisfaction with their overall appearance, muscle tone and weight. While they saw themselves as less attractive than their peers without the disorder, their appearance was also more important to them.

The findings also suggest that men with the disorder may view themselves to be less healthy than their gym-going peers, but this finding was not statistically significant, the authors note.

"The findings confirm the nature of the disorder in that those with muscle dysmorphia syndrome have poorer body image and are less happy with their bodies," Choi and colleagues write. "Moreover, in addition to a desire for greater muscularity, they are very concerned not to gain fat."

The researchers conclude, "In a changing culture where men's bodies are becoming more visible alongside an increased acceptance of physical exercise as a desirable activity, muscle dysmorphia may be one negative consequence of physical exercise behavior, particularly weight training, being motivated primarily by physical appearance."

SOURCE: British Journal of Sports Medicine 2002;36:375-377.

 

[BigD50]

Basically you have issuses and at 15% you look like crap in the mirror with you clothes off.

 

[IPSON]

yep...

We all see ourselves much smaller then we are.

I just want to know I'm big damn it