Today I discovered I may have body dysmorphia. Now I am left wondering if I should trust a test result or follow my gut.
At this point, you know I’m doing 75 Hard and have only 2 weeks left. For about the past month I’ve focused more on cutting calories in an attempt to lose some body fat. I’ve definitely noticed the results and I’m pretty hyped by them. I figured I’d keep cutting and finish out the challenge because I still see some fat on my sides, but then I took a test today.
A gym owner offered to give me an InBody scan to test my body fat percentage. I was all for it because I wanted to hit between 8 and 10% before starting a long, slow bulk. When I took the test (twice) the number was 3.8% then 4.6%, so either way, incredibly low. I was shocked and so was the trainer at the gym.
There is absolutely no way my body fat is that low – even with body dysmorphia, I’d notice something like that. That would make me look incredibly frail and sick and I don’t think I’d feel as healthy as I do. Right? I honestly have no idea…
So now I’m left wondering if I should go with my original plan or trust this machine and just start increasing my calories again. I think ultimately it’s probably a good idea to start eating more – The past week at the gym I’ve been thinking about how bad I want to start building mass again. So maybe this test, whether accurate or not, is my sign to start going down that path.
So to try and wrap this into a lesson, I guess I’ll say this: maybe you’re being too har on yourself and not accurately seeing how much progress you’ve made. You are your hardest critic, so maybe it’s time to take a step back and follow a new path. Whether you get a sign from the Universe or have a gut feeling to make a change, take time to consider it. You’ve made a lot of progress and you can always return to where you are now if need be. So try to see your results from an outside perspective and make your next move wisely.
October 23, 2024
