Thanks for the comments. Yea, that’s me int he avatar, but I was also pumped. My arms gain 1/2 an inch when pumped and the rest of me seems to grow accordingly. Perhaps it is silly, but I do not see that avatar so much as “me” because it’s not how I look on a day to day basis. I always seem to say to myself, if I could just be as big as I am now, but with the addition of the size of the pump, I’d be happy. The improvements are so gradual that it’s really never ending.
[quote]TS wrote:
Man… Reverse anorexia sounds like what most of America has. Keep on eating even though you’re fat…
Anyways, “208lb at 5’10 and 19 years old” sounds good. If that’s your pic in the icon/avatar, I think a lot of peeps would want to say shut up. You have good mass already, and you have many years left.
But really, I think X and Boom covered all the stuff. I’d just say, personally for me, being dissatisfied is the driving force. You get satisfied, you quit. Just don’t let it overwhelm your life. Use it like a positive force, sort of how they have aggression training. Using something that could be negative when uncontrolled as a positive force when focused. Multiple times a day might be too much, but honestly, if you’re actually keeping track of the numbers, it could be useful. Just take the average value of the past 7 days or so as it’d be less prone to noise.
[quote]Matgic wrote:
Logically, I know that my arms will not shrink in a day, yet I still feel them smaller at some points than others. Even though I know that they are not shrinking, it still feels like they are and discounts my logical side of thought. [/quote]
I know what you mean. Sometimes, I feel really small compared to normal. Sometimes I feel bigger. I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror and thought “Shit, I’ve got to start eating more”. I stepped on the scales and I’m a kilo heavier than yesterday.
These changes in perception are just that - perception. If you know that, but still measure your arms 10 times a day, you have issues that you need to deal with. Lifting weights should be a positive in your life, but being that obsessed is going to detract from it.
Not to mention that you would look totally gay measuring your biceps 10 times a day.
Great thread really. I kind of relate to that situation to a point. Remember the first reason we are getting to the gym each morning is to improve - to look and feel bigger and stronger. Some do it to increase confidence or self-esteem and it’s fine. But we need to improve outside the gym too; get some thinking going. Someone nailed it when he said “Apply the same dedication to the gym and in every life’s aspects”. As a competitive bodybuilder, keeping the mind-set of bettering myself feels natural, but the improvements I accomplish on my body are just that: improvements on my body. The mind must be treated to its own training sessions if you want to remain sane AND improve. You still have the same head you had when you were 30, 40, 50 lbs lighter. That’s what you do with it, just like your body, that determines how far you’ll go with it.
I know exactly what you’re talking about. i get compliments ALL the time from people saying im huge (5’6" @ 185-90), but when i wake up in the morning i see the 130 lb version of me, its even gotten to the point of having certain clothes that make me look bigger. But i dont think this is unhealthy, this “problem” is what keeps me eating right and going to the gym.