Thread: Does the Mirror Lie, or the Liar Mirror?

Originally Posted by JimSnow

Some days I say to myself... "Man, keep it up... you're looking gooood and getting even better!"

Other days I think, ... "Jesus, Christ, I look like... shit, shat, shatten - pathetic, who am I fooling other than myself?"


Curious if you all go through this cycle?

Yes.


Wait... No.


Maybe.

Yes, all the time.

Originally Posted by vortrit

Yes.


Wait... No.


Maybe.

perfect response. Flawless

Originally Posted by CowPimp

Yes, all the time.

So, it's common?

It's important in-so-much as it affects your attitude toward training. Yes, you realize these fluxes are normal... but the "down days" really are anti-productive to overall mindset.

Sometimes... I can't see the physical difference between myself and someone that's never touched a weight or exercised. I feel like I'm exerting way too much energy and food dollars for nothing. You can get so totally lost and absorbed.

?

I go through times like that for sure.

lol i go thru this all the time.
One day im like wow im doing great!
and 2 days later im like wow i think my bodyfat went up 3%. im loooking horrible..

Temperature changes and carb timing make me look different from one hour to another.

Yeah me too. Only I never actually look good, just better than other days. I'm an ecto yet still have fat. It's so damn annoying that I do work out yet you would not know it by looking at me. I wanna be Big yet I'm not even average.

no. i dont do that, i always i think i look "shit" by the bodybuilding definition. but i dont care, proud of who i am.

Originally Posted by gsxrK3

Yeah me too. Only I never actually look good, just better than other days. I'm an ecto yet still have fat. It's so damn annoying that I do work out yet you would not know it by looking at me. I wanna be Big yet I'm not even average.

I can't see myself most (hell any) of the time. I look for others to make observations, generally by indirect comments. Rough gage of progress.

Someone referred to my "guns" twice last week. He winked though, not sure?

Watching TV (a stupid dating show), on break at work, somebody commented, "he's even more buff than you Jim!" That was a great compliment! I didn't know I was "buff"! The guy in the show was an idiot.

I wore a razorback tee last week. This started the major influx I was fishing for.

The 6'5" meatcutter gal with shoulders 4 feet wide whistled at me and said, "bring it on, honey!" That was scary. Strangely, I've got a crush for this foul-mouthed, loud, obnoxious, hair-dyed big ass "thing". Always have. I wouldn't dare tell her.

What's the winking thing? A deli worker (about 99 years old) with painted on lips and eyebrows keeps winking at me.

Basically, my ego is "pumped now!" YEAH!!!


Good work, Jim.

Originally Posted by JimSnow

Some days I say to myself... "Man, keep it up... you're looking gooood and getting even better!"

Other days I think, ... "Jesus, Christ, I look like... shit, shat, shatten - pathetic, who am I fooling other than myself?"


Curious if you all go through this cycle?

The mirror lies, but the camera doesn't.

I'll look in the mirror some days and see the same fat asshole I was 10 years ago Then I'll see a picture of myself, or a shot of me in a camera at the store and not even recognize myself.

In the last 48 hours I've seen 2 people that I haven't seen in maybe 10 years. One said I was skinny and the other said I was big (muscular) looking. Both are better than hearing I'm fat.

Judging by your avatar, you're doing just fine Jim. Keep it up.

I get the same thing dude. Some days i'll be like ... "wow, i look pretty good and i'm seeing improvements" but other days i'll be like "wtf, am i shrinking or something". It drives me nuts.

Originally Posted by FatCatMC

The mirror lies, but the camera doesn't.

I'll look in the mirror some days and see the same fat asshole I was 10 years ago Then I'll see a picture of myself, or a shot of me in a camera at the store and not even recognize myself.

In the last 48 hours I've seen 2 people that I haven't seen in maybe 10 years. One said I was skinny and the other said I was big (muscular) looking. Both are better than hearing I'm fat.

Judging by your avatar, you're doing just fine Jim. Keep it up.

Yep, you're right. The camera doesn't lie. End all.

You measure how people see you by frequency of comments... the more, the better. Typically, your family notices a lot less than objective strangers.

I guess I'm sensitive now... working too hard, lost more BF... no muscular gains - sense I look better, but getting to a critical point.

Lord, being a bodybuilder is equatable to having a anorexia nervosa at times. It's a critical mass hysteria. A lot of investment.

Okay, I'm freaking out! ROFL

Do you ever notice how you look different depending on what mirror you look at. I look like shit in the bathroom mirror but if I look in the bedroom mirror i'm busting out of my shirt...........i agree that the best assesment of how your body looks is the comments from other people......you tend to be the worst judge

Originally Posted by the_general64

Do you ever notice how you look different depending on what mirror you look at. I look like shit in the bathroom mirror but if I look in the bedroom mirror i'm busting out of my shirt...........i agree that the best assesment of how your body looks is the comments from other people......you tend to be the worst judge

I look like Mike Mentzer in my bedroom mirror with overhead 100 watt light on.
I realize this... and it's fun to play around.

I hate store mirrors... I look like Barney Fife, without the hair.


LOL

that happens to me all the time, but sometimes when I think I look like a weakling I will end up lifting harder that day. I agree about the camera not lying though, I took some pictures and I was suprised how much bigger I am now than one year ago. As far as people making comments my co-workers all noticed a huge difference over the summer and that really let me know my hard work and food dollars are paying off.

Originally Posted by JimSnow

Yep, you're right. The camera doesn't lie. End all.

You measure how people see you by frequency of comments... the more, the better. Typically, your family notices a lot less than objective strangers.

I guess I'm sensitive now... working too hard, lost more BF... no muscular gains - sense I look better, but getting to a critical point.

Lord, being a bodybuilder is equatable to having a anorexia nervosa at times. It's a critical mass hysteria. A lot of investment.

Okay, I'm freaking out! ROFL

Some people call it bignorexia, heh.

People do not actually see 'reality'. Neuroscientists and psychololgists have basically proven this.

We have a limited amount of 'brain space' to process all the incoming information so our brain fills in the details.

People go through this all the time, especially those that are working on the perfect physique

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I found lighting is a big impact - if the lighting is right I look fantastic - if it aint I look skinny - and clothes make a big impact for me. A fitted T-shirt works well - but a baggy one undoes all my good work. My avatar's have all been shot with flattering light! (secrets out!)

Jim - I'm glad you raised this mate - you always come up with fun posts even though your life seems to be quite wacky and amazing! keep it up!

I think it's a good motivator balance to tell you the truth. If one day I'm looking in the mirror before bed and think "man I need to step it up" then the next day I'll train like a crazy person.

Then other times I'll look in the mirror and think "this stuff's really paying off!" and the next day I'll be so happy with my results that THAT alone will be my motivator to keep training hard.

Competition can be great if you're looking for a motivator, when I finished my first marathon I didn't care about all the people who finished before me... when I was walking it off and drinking my recovery drink - watching the never-ending flow of people who finished AFTER me - you couldn't have beaten the smile off my face with a pipe.

what's a mirror?

Originally Posted by P-funk

what's a mirror?

Ah you're not tall enough to see in the mirror yet?

Just stand on the counter.

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Ah you're not tall enough to see in the mirror yet?

Just stand on the counter.

oh, you are fucking dead for that one.

Leave the door open and I will walk in.

At the start of this school year I got a lot of compliments. That really motivated me. "Are you on steroids?" "How does it feel to be the strongest kid in school?" "Wait... have you grown?"

A lot of kids asked me to show my biceps or go armwrestling with them. That was fun too. The jocks of my school actually started working out to beat me, lol.

My newbie gains are slowing down now though and people are used to my posture. I'm a lot less motivated right now. The serious lack of sleep is really killing me. I stopped doing cardio, too tiring. I don't get psyched up before a workout anymore either.

Anyway, have you guys ever been criticised for 'walking macho'? Since I've gained some mass, my arms don't touch my body anymore in a rested state. I seriously don't do anything for that, but everyone thinks I'm showing off. It sucks really. Then again, I guess it's a compliment. Do you recognize that?

Originally Posted by Witchblade

Anyway, have you guys ever been criticised for 'walking macho'? Since I've gained some mass, my arms don't touch my body anymore in a rested state. I seriously don't do anything for that, but everyone thinks I'm showing off. It sucks really. Then again, I guess it's a compliment. Do you recognize that?

It's called I.L.S (Imaginary Lat Syndrome) if you are in good shape and its actually the way your body sits then theres not much you can do about it. I think its pretty damn funny when people that are 130lbs and 5'11 look like they have barrels under theyre arms. It also depends on posture as well, you can hunch over and walk like a hermitt and then you wouldnt be called "macho" but whats the point, you are proud of what youve done so strut it up.

Originally Posted by Witchblade

At the start of this school year I got a lot of compliments. That really motivated me. "Are you on steroids?" "How does it feel to be the strongest kid in school?" "Wait... have you grown?"

A lot of kids asked me to show my biceps or go armwrestling with them. That was fun too. The jocks of my school actually started working out to beat me, lol.

My newbie gains are slowing down now though and people are used to my posture. I'm a lot less motivated right now. The serious lack of sleep is really killing me. I stopped doing cardio, too tiring. I don't get psyched up before a workout anymore either.

Anyway, have you guys ever been criticised for 'walking macho'? Since I've gained some mass, my arms don't touch my body anymore in a rested state. I seriously don't do anything for that, but everyone thinks I'm showing off. It sucks really. Then again, I guess it's a compliment. Do you recognize that?

I'm in the same boat as you dude. I received lots of compliments and i was growing like an animal. My newbie gains have slowed down and it's harder to gain weight and get bigger so my motivation has been lacking and my diet/sleep has been inconsistent.

I did and still do get criticized every so often for trying to act "macho" just because i have good posture and my arms flare out a little bit. Not to mention, i carry my gallon of water around with me as well so that doesn't help either. I don't give a shit anyways.

I go through the up and down cycle all the time...

Have any of the gals noticed that the mirrors at the higher-priced stores are considerably better - or make you look better - than bargain-basement shopping places??? Crazy