How do you feel about the way you look?

[muscle_n_blood]

I have two versions of how I feel about myself. The first version is the one where I look very small to myself, I see deficiency in almost every bodypart, and a lack of rapid improvements everywhere. This side is my "pro bodybuilder" side, and I know it is not real, will never be real, but has a purpose in driving my motivation. Because I'm realistic about this version of how I see myself, it doesn't depress me, it just motivates me.

The second version of how I feel about myself is the satisfaction in what I have achieved, and the feeling of what I have built. This is my, "realistic bodybuilding as a hobby" side. Here I enjoy all the work I have put in, what I have accomplished with my physique, and how good it feels to have built myself this far.

I'll see you in the gym...... (I really like training with this cat)
I'm older; almost 60. I've been training in some discipline for over 40 years. Like so many of us, I go through dramatic swings in how I feel about the way i look and always have. Oddly, how I feel about my appearance has very little to do with how I actually look. If I'm OK with life in general, I look OK. If I am aggravated and insecure in general, I look like hell. Needless to say, when I have dieted for contests I've been mad at everything and look worse by the minute.
Right now I truly look bad. As age and injuries accumulate, so do excuses, if you choose to slip into them. I've had 3 orthopaedic surgeries in the last year and training has suffered, but I could have eaten better. Over this many years, though, I've learned to suck it up and get back in it. I want to compete again.

 

[kinglewy]

I am completely content with how I look. I am not a competing bb'r so for me this is all one big adventure. In my 20's I learned my body as far as training goes and then met an ametuer bb'r who taught me how to eat and I spent a few years learning what foods did what to my body as far as bodyfat and recovery. So now at 34 I am just starting to learn the drug side of the equation and I am tickled pink when I see different things happening to my body. Sometimes I stand in the mirror and giggle about it, it's great!

The fun of working out and eating is in the journey, the physical manifestations are merely side-effects.

 

[LS3 Power]

I love the way I look!

My height is exactly were I would want it (if it were a choice). Fully functional, not too tall, not too short.

Weight is damn good as well. Not too big, not too small. Again, fully functional. Strong for my size, naturally lean and great athleticism.

I'm happy with my frame, structure, vascularity etc.

I'm happy with my face especially. Great symetry, clear eyes, good skin and a good head of full, straight hair. I'm very young looking at 34 years old. I've never been guessed over 25!

This place gets weirder the longer I stick around. Vainity, eewww. People need to quit painting abondoned houses. It starts inside folks.

I would honor the aforementioned statement if I become the Phantom of the opera overnight. :star-:ars

Pardon the short diatribe but....

P.S. To answer the other thread, I'd be Marcelo Garcia or Rickson Gracie for a day. I want to see my (our) art as they see it. The fluidity, the vision, the innovative artist in them. It takes a lifetime, it's not so static and/or repetitive.

 

[Spegs]

At 370 lbs. and 24.6% body fat I wish I was more cut. I took this test in a bod pod about a week ago. In the same bod pod I got test almost exactly 3 years ago.

In those 3 years I've gained 2 lbs. of fat and 51.6 lbs. of lean mass at the same height. So I guess its not too bad.

 

[ds44]

You all are feeling small!!! Well i got the answer....drum roll...... UP THE DOSAGE!!LOL j/k

 

[The One]

At 370 lbs. and 24.6% body fat I wish I was more cut. I took this test in a bod pod about a week ago. In the same bod pod I got test almost exactly 3 years ago.

In those 3 years I've gained 2 lbs. of fat and 51.6 lbs. of lean mass at the same height. So I guess its not too bad.

STFU...370...holy hell bro. :headbang:

 

[Scottyd]

Nope not happy with my body.. too much fat around my midsection.... shoulders are too narrow... rear delts wont seem to grow...a bit of puberty gyno ( pre aas) forearms are long and look skinny..but every thing i see others dismiss when i tell them. Either they are being nice or im too hard in myself. Most ladys at work say i am handsome.. but i wanna be a FREAK!

 

[Massive G]

Sitting at the end of my mass days now and looking back-- I am completely satisfied with what I achieved.

Now-- getting to where I want to be @ 40 years old and beyond I got about 50-60 lbs to go. I'd love to get back in my 230-240 lb clothes of 20 years ago which are probably back in style now.

I personally just think FOR ME chasing the dragon past 40 plus years old is a death wish after almost 25 years of training.
Plus I wanna get rid of this damn CPAP.

 

[LIFTW8S]

I'm always striving to be bigger, faster, and stronger. Some days I feel great, and others the mirror and I enemies.

This sport/hobby is definitely a mind fuck at times.

 

[BushMan]

Happy but never satisfied.

I used to be a div 1 swimmer and was at a 4-5% body fat year around but only 165. Now I'm 210 but around 12%BF and I feel fat and bloated haha. My goal is to be under 10%BF and around 220 but once I get there I'm sure I will want to be bigger and leaner ah well, such is the sport.

 

[bieberhole69]

When I look in the mirror, I still see the old frail 136lb me. No matter what, I see myself as small and wish to be bigger.

And now that I've competed, I see myself as fat LOL But I know to ignore THAT and keep eating, what's the point of being shredded if you're small?

I keep thinking the seeing myself as a small guy will go away, but it's been 5.5 years and it hasn't. Maybe in time.

 

[ryanbCXG]

I am happy with what I have accompllsihed so far. Put on about 40lbs of very solid weight from where i started very skinny. But I have so so far to go and end up doing what you shouldnt and that is look at others and judge yourself off of that. I look at the physqiue and size/leaness i want and see how far i am from that and it gets disspointing. All i see in the mirror is a skinny person with a bit of muscle then i try to gain weight and put on 10lbs and i swear its all water and fat and i just look bloofy. End up saying well shit i better cut back and hold this weight and recomp and end up losing a bit and just look small again. A terribly vicsious cycle that i need to break out of. I am sure i am too hard on myself as i am in every aspect of my life but that is just my personality

 

[GazXL]

I've been known to compulsively throw up a double bicep flex every time I see myself in a mirror or reflection

Its either a) OCD thinking that im going to loose all the progress i've made over the few years of semi-serious training i've done

or much worse b) Being afraid of having other people see the doughy quiet pothead semi-alcoholic loser I was for a long time

Being a gym junkie has helped me kick a lot of bad habits and I like the way I look most of the time...

but like everyone else, when im bulked i want to be shredded and vice versa.

Its the worst when someone compliments people like me/us and the first thought in my head is "they are so full of shit, i can't tell if their a dick or just trying to boost my ego or be nice..."

damn you internal undercutting.. damn you

 

[Kaladryn]

When you are critical of yourself, it is important to remember that you are being critical on purpose, with the intent of creating motivation, nothing more.

 

[kyleb]

I'm extremely happy with my physique after 6 years(4 educated) of training in the gym. I wouldn't change anything. I'm going to start competing in physiques soon so we'll see if I'm mentally stable enough to not mind f myself.

 

[1love]

Its taken me a long time to have the peace that I have today with myself. For years I was always trying to improve upon what I have (physically), wether it was a self conscious thing or because of what someone else said or did (in essence almost the same thing). A lot of how I judged myself was by looking at others and wanting what they had. This can literally destroy us because there is no end in site with this mentality. It is one thing for wanting to better oneself and is another for not feeling good about yourself and comparing what you have and don't have. I always tended to be the latter(sp?) of the two. After spending the last 5 1/2 months in this wheelchair and losing 60lbs. I began to get a whole new perspective on things. Now, I would be happy with getting back to the size I was before, but have come to accept that if it never happens I am going to be okay no matter what. I have so many other things that I am greatful for today.

With that said, I do think I will still continue to push myself and to see just where my recovery will take me. Just now I am doing it with a new perspective. I completely agree and understand where many of us are coming from and hope we all find a medium somehow, where we will all be at peace and happy with where we started and where we will end. Even if it means we may have to become more realistic of what is possible. And I don't mean stop pushing for the best, just be the best that we can be without passing the rest of life by in the process.

 

[Queefer]

When I look in the mirror, I still see the old frail 136lb me. No matter what, I see myself as small and wish to be bigger.

And now that I've competed, I see myself as fat LOL But I know to ignore THAT and keep eating, what's the point of being shredded if you're small?

I keep thinking the seeing myself as a small guy will go away, but it's been 5.5 years and it hasn't. Maybe in time.

Unfortunately your thinking may never go away. I still see myself as that lanky teenager sometimes.

Its taken me a long time to have the peace that I have today with myself. For years I was always trying to improve upon what I have (physically), wether it was a self conscious thing or because of what someone else said or did (in essence almost the same thing). A lot of how I judged myself was by looking at others and wanting what they had. This can literally destroy us because there is no end in site with this mentality. It is one thing for wanting to better oneself and is another for not feeling good about yourself and comparing what you have and don't have. I always tended to be the latter(sp?) of the two. After spending the last 5 1/2 months in this wheelchair and losing 60lbs. I began to get a whole new perspective on things. Now, I would be happy with getting back to the size I was before, but have come to accept that if it never happens I am going to be okay no matter what. I have so many other things that I am greatful for today.

With that said, I do think I will still continue to push myself and to see just where my recovery will take me. Just now I am doing it with a new perspective. I completely agree and understand where many of us are coming from and hope we all find a medium somehow, where we will all be at peace and happy with where we started and where we will end. Even if it means we may have to become more realistic of what is possible. And I don't mean stop pushing for the best, just be the best that we can be without passing the rest of life by in the process.

I see you understand the reason I started this thread. For a while I had been getting kinda down because I'm not making the improvements that I'd like to. I'm extremely critical of myself to the point of being discouraged. In the last few days I backed off of that thinking and tried to be more positive of what I have accomplinshed instead of what I haven't.

 

[bbxtreme]

Bumping this old thread on here instead of starting a new one. Seems to be a pretty hot topic on here lately.

Am I happy with how I look?

What I tell people- YES

The truth- Absolutely not.

Why not? Because I know this is not my best. On some level IMO this is the mindset you must have to become successful in this sport or life for that matter.

If you lose the ability to be humble or think you’re at your best then you’re done. Somebody is always out there hungrier, willing to work harder and wants what you have. It’s the hard truth.

And some some day the younger, hungrier guy will prevail likely because age is a reality as are injuries, but I prefer to set those terms and decide when that time is.

On a side note- I grew up and have a mother with raging bulimia so as a teen when I got into this spot it terrified my dad and made him think I had “an eating disorder.”

It was the furthest thing from that, but in many ways this sport may be how I channel that as growing up with that is unlike anything you could ever see or go through.

But IMO there is a large difference between obsession over becoming the best at something and a disorder. And it can be easily spotted in someone else.

IMO you should be obsessed over the things you want the most. In a healthy way.

Enough rambling. Curious other guys HONEST thoughts on this subject.

 

[Samson250]

Now I’m sad about Vander.

 

[Tomgrass]

I was always impress by classic bodybuilding class in ifbb and was always working to have that type of physique. These guys are not huge but have amazing physiques. I like the way I look , if needed I can put suit on , shirt , jeans and still look athletic and somehow jacked for general public. Kinda best of both worlds. However year by year i am doing small progress and will be doing till I can.