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Do I have an irrational body image?

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by sam the man, Mar 10, 2016.

  1. sam the man

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    I'll start by saying this isn't anything major such as an eating disorder. But I think my body image might be beginning to become a little unreasonable. I generally weigh around 145 pounds, which means at roughly 21 BMI I'm very comfortably in my healthy weight range. My friends and relatives mostly say I look pretty thin (or at least average for my age), and like I've lost weight, especially around my face (which tbf is much pointier than it was even just 6 months ago). I don't eat superbly as such, but I avoid too much crap in my diet, and on most accounts I'm healthy and fit.

    Still, every now and then I'll just "feel fat", and immediately as a result of that my appetite will reduce, so some days I probably eat less than I should. Sometimes I'll look in the mirror and judge that my belly sticks out way too much, feel pretty bad about it and get an urge to exercise. When I don't exercise for 2-3 days or more I'll start getting a little uptight. I weigh myself every day and get irritated when my weight's gone up by anything substantial.

    I've obviously built up a good habit of keeping myself healthy, but occasionally I think maybe I have a bit of a wayward body image, because *objectively* and *in the long run* I appear to be doing fine and shouldn't worry too much about exercise or strictly controlling weight. But I still get antsy about it and often feel like the weight I've lost is "not enough" or that I need to get rid of the last bit of fat which truth be told isn't really very intrusive anyway.

    Thoughts?
     
  2. As someone who has had similar issues, may I ask if there's anything in your life that's stressing you out? Sometimes, we focus on weight to avoid other issues. It helps us feel in control. It sounds like you feel like you're not thin enough, despite others telling you that you look fine. Do you think that you will be happy once you losing more weight? Even when people lose weight, they sometimes aren't satisfied. Nothing is ever enough.

    I would say this becomes a problem, once it starts to interfere with your life. If you're obsessing all day about your weight or avoiding photos, maybe there's a problem. If you take notice about what you don't like, but are able to let it go...it might not be a huge problem.
     
  3. sam the man

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    Thanks for replying Fullofsurprises :slight_smile:

    I'd say it's something that often draws my attention but I am capable of forgetting about it/getting on with my day in general (although sometimes I get annoyed if I really feel the need to run but plans/obligations/waking up late stop me). And I feel relatively comfortable in most photos.

    That being said, I'm quite focused on the idea of self-improvement, and feel the need to improve. You might even say I have a slight fixation on the idea. Back a couple of years ago, when I was thinking about it the most, losing weight was one of the first things I set out to do, because compared to overhauling your character, or finding what motivates you, or acquiring new hobbies/skills, it's easy. In terms of places to start for "improvement", losing weight was, in my eyes at least, low-hanging fruit. You can measure progress, at least at the start it's really pretty simple, and it has visible, tangible results.

    So originally the this was born out of a feeling that I need to better myself. I think the reason I'm so, uhh, "defensive" of the weight loss I've achieved is because I (mistakenly, but often inevitably) think: a) losing weight is the easiest "strategy" for improvement. So if I can't lose weight, how could I expect to improve anything deeper? - b) I'm worried about not making enough progress in other areas. Weight loss is one of the areas where I have more security/control.

    I'm beginning to appreciate that focusing on improvement isn't always a good thing, and that sometimes it's better to try to understand yourself rather than improve yourself. But yeah, I guess I just have a few insecurities which interact with the way I see weight :confused:
     
    #3 sam the man, Mar 10, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2016
  4. Your post sounds like you have a logical understanding of body image. Everybody wants to improve on something. I think it's okay to improve and be healthy, as long as it's not causing anxiety and depression. People with body image issues fixate on what they don't like and sometimes see things that others don't see (feeling like a size 12 when you're a size 6).
     
  5. sam the man

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    Thanks for the feedback!

    Yeah, I know I get hung up about body image sometimes but I guess it's just a normal reaction. The main thing is I'm still able to take a step back and look at the big picture when it comes to this. I feel a little less strange now haha XD
     
  6. MickTheMousie

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    I'e had my fights with Anorexia and bulimia, tho mostly with anorexia, and i'm having one of those more calm periods where i'm less obsessed with loosing weight and so on... and to me, what you just described sounds like what i'm going though right now :/
     
  7. Anderson Rome

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    Exercise is the solution of many problems like these. Yoga,walk and running all these exercises are best and good for mental and physical health and freshness.
     
  8. Calf

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    I would say that this is the bit of your post that stuck out the most to me. You know that you're not fat but you "feel fat". This could be your body telling you that it is unhappy with the food you're eating. Maybe you're not getting a good balance of vitamins and minerals which can lead to food cravings, making you feel greedy of fat. Maybe you are consuming too many carbs and fats that are making you feel sluggish and bloated.
    Being thin doesn't mean being healthy. Weight is a very general measure of your overall health. Do you also measure your muscle mass and body fat %? It is also good to consider your visceral fat level, a good set of scales can do all this for a reasonable price.
    Ultimately if you feel healthy then you probably are regardless of what you look like and in my opinion being healthy is more attractive than just looking 'healthy'.
     
    #8 Calf, Mar 16, 2016
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2016
  9. sam the man

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    Hi everyone, just noticed the replies.

    Calf, I think you make a fair point. I notice it's the carbs, like white rice or potatoes, that are the most likely to make me feel as though I've eaten too much. I don't do a bad job of eating, because I try to stay away from the "bad" breakfast cereals with added sugar and all that (in so doing I do try to eat breakfast), and try to have some control over portions and such. Plus I rarely if ever have takeaways, and incorporate some vegetables into whatever I cook. Also I try to use wholemeal pasta and started using red rice.

    Still, I think the point you make stands - maybe I should have a look at rebalancing what I'm eating. The approach I've used up to now hasn't been very scientific - just "move more, eat less and better". That's worked so far, but maybe it's just time to get more precise about it.
     
  10. I hate to say this, but honestly...I don't recall anyone ever telling me this. THANK YOU.


    People say eat healthy, but "feeling fat" being a sign of improving the diet is something worth considering.