Bodybuilding and body image issues

steveko89

deercrest wrote: »

sardelsa wrote: »

hesn92 wrote: »

I think this is why it's important to have other goals besides making your body look a certain way. And it's why I do another activity besides lifting weights. I've recently started to get into running and I actually am more excited about running than I am about lifting. I'm excited to get better and run longer distances. I do lift because I want my body to change to a degree but also because I just want to be stronger and healthier. This is why I am not a fan of bodybuilding competitions and bikini competitions. I think they just feed into too much self obsession. There are things in life more important than how you look. When it comes down to it, "looking good" doesn't really give you much joy in life. Being healthy, doing fun activities, spending time with your family etc. do.

Yea I hear you. But I love looking good... looking good makes me feel good, most of the time. I do understand it should not become obsessive, if it starts to crowd out other joys in your life yea that can be a problem. So far for me it is not there yet, but there are days where I get frustrated. Even if I was training for strength, I am sure there would be days where I felt weak or think "what's the point?" it is like that with anything.

With you 100%

Agreed. It's a nice sentiment to de-emphasize aesthetics, but the truth is I'm a disproportionately vane person for my default level of attractiveness and aesthetics are easily 99+% of the reason I ever came to be on MFP in the first place.

nay0m3

Bumping this thread

cupcakesandproteinshakes

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1557988318786868

No firm conclusions, but interesting.