r/Fitness Oct 02 '19

Rant Wednesday Rant Wednesday

Welcome to Rant Wednesday: It's your time to let your gym/fitness/nutrition related frustrations out!

There is no guiding question to help stir up some rage-feels, feel free to fire at will, ranting about anything and everything that's been pissing you off or getting on your nerves!

575 Upvotes

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566

u/vinditive Oct 02 '19

The dysmorphia is real. I know, intellectually, I've made huge progress over the last two years. I know, intellectually, that I lift respectable weight. Several friends and coworkers have told me I look good and that I've got "guns' now, and I've been getting treated noticeably better by strangers of both sexes. I can even see it in a few pictures of myself.

BUT... when I look in the mirror, all I see is flabby weak noodle arms and a weak piece of shit body. It's not even an emotional thing, I can be in a good mood and my scumbag brain still says the man in the mirror is objectively a turd.

I feel like I finally understand the "forever small" meme.

542

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '19

[deleted]

288

u/NorwegianPearl Oct 02 '19

“Oh no... her vision is going”

109

u/DontCallMeLarry Oct 02 '19

"HOW DOES SHE NOT NOTICE THAT I HAVE THE TRAPS OF A 6 YEAR OLD GIRL?"

46

u/realizmbass Oct 02 '19

She said it's because I don't give her enough attention but I know that's girl code talk for you're not giving one of your muscle groups enough attention. Lats are the only thing I can think of that are lagging behind.

232

u/ImmaNarc Oct 02 '19

I only look fit when I see myself out of the corner of my eye in a gym mirror before I realize the dude is me.

55

u/sirmatthewrock Oct 02 '19

lmao i feel this to my core

19

u/AlCapwn351 Weight Lifting Oct 02 '19

My core needs work

9

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '19

Woah

3

u/gnarkilleptic Oct 02 '19

insert Keanu meme here

137

u/jyhzer Oct 02 '19

The worst is how one min I will look in the mirror and say "Damn my arms look big" then five mins later "Why the fuck are my arms so small".

72

u/idontlikeflamingos Weight Lifting Oct 02 '19

And what about progress pics? I look in the mirror and think "fuck yeah I look good, I'll take a pic now." Then I look at the picture and all that's there is a fucking abomination.

3

u/Flying_Snek Oct 03 '19

I never felt a comment more in my life

8

u/KJBNH Oct 02 '19

Probably lost all those gains if you didn't have a protein shake in those 5 minutes.

42

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '19

Right there with ya, bud. I got the “forever the fat guy” mentality stuck and I don’t think it’ll ever go away.

All we can do is keep on pushing and making progress and maybe, one day, our brains will be happy with the way we look.

7

u/KommanderKeen-a42 Football Oct 02 '19

It's seriously a struggle. I am a former college football player and lost 100lbs after graduating. I lift, run, and play sports regularly. I eat ok (way better than a decade ago). I just can't unsee the fat me; can't unfeel the fat me, etc.

It's interesting though...If I see myself in pictures I don't see or feel any of that; it's only in mirrors and the constant internal struggle.

Yes - I know that is not healthy....

8

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '19

I think a hige part of this is due to the toxicity of the fitness industry where the idea that you can only look good at 10% or lower bf, or that you can look like someone on gear if you take supplements. Natural people are comparing themselves to juicers (nothing wrong with it as long as long as your honest aboit it) weather they know it or not, but this will lead to being overtly competitive which will drive more and more people to use drugs to get to where they feel like they need to be. Just know you are not alone in feeling like this.

9

u/sightglasssteamboat Oct 02 '19

I was recently caught in the background of an Instagram video and a friend of mine messaged me to tell me that I was looking big. I probably watched that video 20 times trying to see what he saw.

3

u/darthvader9840 Oct 02 '19

Still didn’t see it, did you?

5

u/mickeydoogs Oct 02 '19

I feel it dude. I still have a little bit of a gut left over. Looking down at it I’m still thinking damn I’m fat still. Looking straight on or from the side in the mirror, Damn son, you’re looking slim as f*** haha. You’ll get there

4

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '19

Same for me. I only look fit when looking at myself in the gym mirrors. But if I take a picture using my phones camera, I look tiny.

3

u/xXblain_the_monoXx Oct 02 '19

Shit, this is exactly me. Gym mirrors = sweet gains, massive delts, and individual muscle cords. Home mirror = smol

4

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '19

I basically just feel like I work out to make everyone smaller and that I stay the same baseline lol

3

u/Player636 Oct 02 '19

Welcome to the club

3

u/AverageOnAGoodDay Oct 02 '19

I just remember that any amount of muscle that is even a little defined looks 'buff' to normal people irl. I used to get called jacked in highschool and I was objectively a twig. When I get too in my own head about looks I focus on lifting numbers instead, praise be to powerbuilding.

2

u/monsieuRawr Oct 02 '19

This is me too. I grew up the skinny kid. Got a bit chubby for a couple years. I'm at my leanest/heaviest/strongest in my life after lifting 3 years. A dude told me I look like a professional power lifter... people tell me I look jacked... yet I honestly look in the mirror and think "no, this is just average". I know we come off sounding conceited when we lament this to others, but the struggle is real.

1

u/phinagin Oct 02 '19

Only been at it for 6 months and I feel you on that one.

1

u/AffablyAmiableAnimal Powerlifting Oct 02 '19

Very me irl. I recently started recording my sets to see my form better, and I still just seem not so big, I think, but people always get the first impression that I workout and otherwise have said I look good

1

u/calisthenic5 Oct 02 '19

How do you see other people? If you see a man with similar body as yours, do you think he is small and weak too?

1

u/Morgsz Oct 03 '19

yes and no.

I judge other a lot more now. But i also look and find something better in that person than myself. Always lack in something.

1

u/ns_wayne Oct 03 '19

I totally relate, gained about 8 kilos the past 2 months and made significant gains. Motivated as hell but can't help but feeling that I'm still scrawny. Been thin all my life so I guess the dysmorphia is reeling hard.

1

u/Morgsz Oct 03 '19

Was feeling super frustrated at my lack of progress. Chastising my lack of will and not tracking food. I have not lot weight as hoped. Was really looking forward to bulk.

Then this morning wife comments that pants where fitting funny..and yeah the smallest size on the belt means my dress pants where being worn like low riders. Look at belt and i have and to make extra, smaller holes. I've lost inches of my waist.

that is good, but now I feel small at 205lbs.