[Jim Mills]

I guess this could have gone in any thread....
Has anyone noticed that when you look in the mirror, day in and day out over the years of your progress, your never satisfied... No mater if your lifting to build muscle or your working out to shred fat... If I walk around with my shirt off, all my friends tell me how great I look and what a great job I've done over the past 5-6 years, but when I'm looking in the mirror..... I see that little fat around my chest and lower abs, I see my biceps without the peak I'm looking for... Then some days I look in the mirror and say, damn nice job I've done over the years.... It's like a day to day thing.. Some days you think you look great and other days something doesn't look right.... Could this be some kind of mirror trick playing with you head, or does it all depend on the lighting your around?.... Hope somebody understands what the heck I'm talking about.

[futurepilot]

It's about wanting to be better. It's the same mentality that makes a business man succeed, or an athlete compete. There's no real intrinsic value to lifting weights, unless your a competitive bodybuilder, but we do it because we know we can do better. One more rep, one more plate, we push harder because we know if we dont someone else will, and well, we just cant have that can we.

[TonySmiles]

I hear ya bro. This is how we are. We are, our own worst critic. I do this all the time. I am a total mesomorph, so I can add muscle/strength easily and drop/gain weight easily, but at the same time I can't get shredded like others seem to do so easily (even with eating clean 24/7) and at times it drives me nuts....but then my buddy who is the shredded guy is always like..."bro I wish I could have your mass and strength"....crazy eh? never satisfied

[flytrapcan]

Hey I blame the lighting and only believe the reflections that I like.

[Chub]

A lot of the time when i look in the mirror i'll think, ahh look at that fat on my abs etc. Then other times i'll catch myself in a mirror if i'm out shopping or whatever and think i look ok, and that i'm pleased with the amount of progress i've made.

[epixep]

You're probably also a little insecure. We all are. Everyone. It's not a good thing, but it's human -- and it's good to recognize that.

[beebab]

I was talking with my friend about this exact same topic for the past hour probably. You are correct. We're never perfect. There's no such thing as perfection. I am never satisfied with my physique and I prob never will be. Even though everybody i know tells me otherwise, I am never happy and I always look at myself and in my mind go ew. Whether you are bulking or cutting you will always see faults in your physique. When you're big you lack definition and complain about not being able to see your abs. When you're cut you complain about not having enough size and being too little or weak by the weights. There's no in-between. Obviously, our one primary goal is to find that magical physique we are all happy with and can maintain. But the sooner we realize perfection like that is simply unattainable, the more sane we all will be. I'm not gonna pretend like I follow what I'm saying right now or that I still don't try to strive for perfection, but I do realize that body dysmorphia is a problem and the only therapy for it is to try not to worry as much. Set little goals and work to achieve them and be happy when you do as that's a sign of progress. I think about where I was this time last year and look at all the progress I've made and it pleases me. I'm not totally happy with my physique, but I know that I could look a lot worse and I am steadily improving myself. From a social standpoint, I'm searching for that pleasant equilibrium between perceived normalcy and this rigid lifestyle. I don't deny myself the pleasures of indulging in certain foods. I go out with my friends and girlfriend and stay out late. I go on daytrips and vacations and I take bb'ing w me to a certain extent, but you learn just not to obsess over it all the time. I make sure I eat every 3 hours and sleep enough at night and otherwise I try my best not to be so obsessive, even though it's hard. Sometimes I honestly wish I wasn't so aware of certain aspects of life. For ex, I will never be able to happily drink a beer without thinking about how the 5 something % alcohol content will negatively affect the rate of protein synthesis in my body. NORMAL people don't think about that or care about that when drinking a beer. It's hard because from a social standpoint sometimes it's hard to fit in. My friends and even my girlfriend don't really understand, even though they've learned to accept it. But I think the real problem deep down is that I don't truly accept it.

[Jim Mills]

Originally Posted by beebab

I was talking with my friend about this exact same topic for the past hour probably. You are correct. We're never perfect. There's no such thing as perfection. I am never satisfied with my physique and I prob never will be. Even though everybody i know tells me otherwise, I am never happy and I always look at myself and in my mind go ew. Whether you are bulking or cutting you will always see faults in your physique. When you're big you lack definition and complain about not being able to see your abs. When you're cut you complain about not having enough size and being too little or weak by the weights. There's no in-between. Obviously, our one primary goal is to find that magical physique we are all happy with and can maintain. But the sooner we realize perfection like that is simply unattainable, the more sane we all will be. I'm not gonna pretend like I follow what I'm saying right now or that I still don't try to strive for perfection, but I do realize that body dysmorphia is a problem and the only therapy for it is to try not to worry as much. Set little goals and work to achieve them and be happy when you do as that's a sign of progress. I think about where I was this time last year and look at all the progress I've made and it pleases me. I'm not totally happy with my physique, but I know that I could look a lot worse and I am steadily improving myself. From a social standpoint, I'm searching for that pleasant equilibrium between perceived normalcy and this rigid lifestyle. I don't deny myself the pleasures of indulging in certain foods. I go out with my friends and girlfriend and stay out late. I go on daytrips and vacations and I take bb'ing w me to a certain extent, but you learn just not to obsess over it all the time. I make sure I eat every 3 hours and sleep enough at night and otherwise I try my best not to be so obsessive, even though it's hard. Sometimes I honestly wish I wasn't so aware of certain aspects of life. For ex, I will never be able to happily drink a beer without thinking about how the 5 something % alcohol content will negatively affect the rate of protein synthesis in my body. NORMAL people don't think about that or care about that when drinking a beer. It's hard because from a social standpoint sometimes it's hard to fit in. My friends and even my girlfriend don't really understand, even though they've learned to accept it. But I think the real problem deep down is that I don't truly accept it.

Can't help but to give you big reps on that one.

[SFRANGER]

"From a social standpoint, I'm searching for that pleasant equilibrium between perceived normalcy and this rigid lifestyle."


I hear ya there bro! It is hard packing your lunches around and working out all the time, staying sore, carrying around powders and pills and everyone harrasing you over all of your 'weird' eating habits. "Why don't you just have ONE donut that Jim brought into the office, one isn't going to kill you.." etc, etc.

It's worth it to me though, or I would quit. It's the sacrifices and dedication you make that separate you from the masses.

[TonySmiles]

Originally Posted by beebab

I was talking with my friend about this exact same topic for the past hour probably. You are correct. We're never perfect. There's no such thing as perfection. I am never satisfied with my physique and I prob never will be. Even though everybody i know tells me otherwise, I am never happy and I always look at myself and in my mind go ew. Whether you are bulking or cutting you will always see faults in your physique. When you're big you lack definition and complain about not being able to see your abs. When you're cut you complain about not having enough size and being too little or weak by the weights. There's no in-between. Obviously, our one primary goal is to find that magical physique we are all happy with and can maintain. But the sooner we realize perfection like that is simply unattainable, the more sane we all will be. I'm not gonna pretend like I follow what I'm saying right now or that I still don't try to strive for perfection, but I do realize that body dysmorphia is a problem and the only therapy for it is to try not to worry as much. Set little goals and work to achieve them and be happy when you do as that's a sign of progress. I think about where I was this time last year and look at all the progress I've made and it pleases me. I'm not totally happy with my physique, but I know that I could look a lot worse and I am steadily improving myself. From a social standpoint, I'm searching for that pleasant equilibrium between perceived normalcy and this rigid lifestyle. I don't deny myself the pleasures of indulging in certain foods. I go out with my friends and girlfriend and stay out late. I go on daytrips and vacations and I take bb'ing w me to a certain extent, but you learn just not to obsess over it all the time. I make sure I eat every 3 hours and sleep enough at night and otherwise I try my best not to be so obsessive, even though it's hard. Sometimes I honestly wish I wasn't so aware of certain aspects of life. For ex, I will never be able to happily drink a beer without thinking about how the 5 something % alcohol content will negatively affect the rate of protein synthesis in my body. NORMAL people don't think about that or care about that when drinking a beer. It's hard because from a social standpoint sometimes it's hard to fit in. My friends and even my girlfriend don't really understand, even though they've learned to accept it. But I think the real problem deep down is that I don't truly accept it.

The only therapy for it...is to go train! Seriously though, good post.

[Sunder]

Yep, somedays I hate what I see in the mirror, but there are days in which I'm happy with the progression.

I actually think I'm more comfortable looking at myself in the mirror than out in "real life" around people. I feel that I look better right after a workout in certain mirrors (due to the lighting).

I'm like "look, if I twist this way, angle over here, and stand over here with the shadow on me just right in the mirror - I look good. Don't look at me any other time. :P " LoL

I always want to improve what I see though, and I don't neccessarily think it's a "bad" thing - unlike my friends who think I'm crazy. It's not that I hate myself, or that I'm impossible to satisfy. I get satisfied when I reach a goal...then I just set another one. To me, it's the same as getting an "A" in grade 2, then wanting to up the ante by going into grade 3. It's not "wrong" to always want to improve yourself IMO, and doesn't mean I have a "problem". Are we supposed to stay in grade 2 for the rest of our lives?

I hate it when I say that I'm trying to lose fat, and ppl get annoyed at me saying I don't need to because they think I "have no fat" compared to them. Uhmm..."I don't care. My goal was NOT to lose more fat than YOU. My goal is to lose more fat than what I currently have. I compete with myself, not everyone else."

Last time I checked, parents didn't accept the excuse of their kid getting a "D" in class when they're friend is failing the same one; not sure why they treat their bodies that way.

[mapshooter]

Everyone has said a lot of good things here. Sometimes I look in the mirror and can't believe the progress I've made over the past year and I get a little bit giddy . . . sometimes I look in the mirror and become a bit discouraged because I know I am still years and years of hard work away from achieving my goals.

I am 190 at 10% bf. Last year I was 225 at 25% bf. I was never comfortable in my own body. When I was 225, I hid the weight well under shirts. One of my main motivations for changing my body was the ability to take my shirt off in public and feel CONFIDENT. Today I ran sprints on a track almost naked with a soccer game going on. For me, that was a huge stepping stone in not only my physical but my mental progress as well.

The sad thing about us bodybuilders is that we will NEVER be complacent. Unless you are Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler there is ALWAYS going to be someone bigger, stronger, and more cut than you. Do you think the guy that finishes 2nd at the Olympia this year will be complacent?

One thing I try and do is think of some situation, some scenario, that I want to put myself in as a result of my hard work. One of my big motivators right now is going running with my shirt off at school in DC, where there will be hundreds and hundreds of students, and feel CONFIDENT. Whether it being seen in public, doing it for a girl's reaction, or for simply being more comfortable in your own shoes, find something to motivate you every day, and try and stay away from the mirror.

[Chub]

Originally Posted by mapshooter

One of my big motivators right now is going running with my shirt off at school in DC, where there will be hundreds and hundreds of students, and feel CONFIDENT. Whether it being seen in public, doing it for a girl's reaction, or for simply being more comfortable in your own shoes, find something to motivate you every day, and try and stay away from the mirror.

I just want rid of my pot belly at the moment but i hate cardio! I'd rather just bulk for 10 years

[mapshooter]

Originally Posted by Chub

I just want rid of my pot belly at the moment but i hate cardio! I'd rather just bulk for 10 years

I hate cardio too . . . thats why I try and run hills and do sprints. It takes the boredom out of plain ol' running and completely sets your mind free. When I do sprints, I am huffing and puffing too hard to be thinking about how boring cardio is

[LT*]

Originally Posted by Chub

I just want rid of my pot belly at the moment but i hate cardio! I'd rather just bulk for 10 years

The best way to make improvements is to do what you hate doing. Whatever that might be.

[Jim Mills]

Originally Posted by LT*

The best way to make improvements is to do what you hate doing. Whatever that might be.

Cool, I hate to drink beer.....