Men who experienced body dysmorphia, how did you overcome it?

11 comments

1. Cut off my arm and everything was fine

2. I lift weights

3. Tons of masterbation

4. I learned to take pride in the areas that I excelled in, which was lifting heavy and putting on size quickly, and use that to nullify the dysmorphia that came up when I saw guys with shredded abs and low body fat.

   It took a long time, but I eventually accepted that truth that I was bigger and stronger than most people and that people constantly commenting on it and complimenting me were actually being sincere and complimentary in their comments. I would always look at guys who were cut and jacked in the gym and think I wasn’t stacking up to them because I wasn’t a full-on bodybuilder. I used to compete in Strongman and have cut weight on a couple occasions, but always gained weight back. As time went on, I realized that I was pushing more weight than most of those guys. Those guys were coming up to me and talking to me and commenting on how much weight I was putting up, and how big I looked. Nobody cared that I wasn’t 9% body fat or didn’t have ripped abs. One guy was an IFBB pro and he regularly went out of his way to talk to me. I think the biggest little thing that helped was that when those guys needed a spotter for a heavy lift, they all came up to me for the help. As the years have passed, plenty of teenagers and college kids have talked to me and asked for advice. That was a good reinforcement that I don’t need to have the mental complex that was always lingering in the back of my mind.

5. Lifted more weights. It got worse, so now I lift more, and more, and more.

   I haven’t overcome it, I’m not big enough yet.

6. I do all the time. I just train and maintain a strict diet.

7. HRT is one the of a drug

8. I was insecure about my body so I started lifting weights. Now I’m more insecure

9. When I started exercising one reason was to get rid of my unsightly beergut. As I went on, learned and gained experience, the beergut went away, however those intrusive thoughts regarding my body got arguably worse.

   I was getting obsessed with “perfection.” I wanted to get what was my dream body. Focused way too much on documenting everything all the time and getting pissed at any backtracking in progress. Nothing was ever good enough anymore.

   I thankfully realized where that was heading. I already went through a miserable depression, didn’t want to head back that way, fuck that. Had some long and insightful talks and (I guess this’ll be the best word to use for now) meditations on it. Came to my senses and learned that I can still have my goal “dream body” but I shouldn’t let it take over my life. I work efforts to achieving my goal physique into more aspects of my life, like having fun at the climbing gym. Everything I’m doing there is exercise, but actually fun.

10. idk I’m still trying as its a daily struggle for me but I’ll get there 🙂

11. Still sort of have it, I feel like I’m not big enough, even though I’m in decent shape and have muscles and broad shoulders to a point where even 2 XL shirts done fit me well. You don’t really overcome it, you actively work on achieving what you want to see yourself as, while simultaneously working on your mental health to be more realistic and practical.