Body image, social comparison, and personal exercise attitudes

¶ … well-built, big, athletic man who is 6 feet tall and weighs 250 pounds. I like being strong, I like how my body is well-proportioned and although I am large I do not feel fat. My weight also reflects a large amount of muscle mass. There is nothing I really don't like about my body, and if there were I would be able to work on it by exercising more.

I usually compare myself with people who look like me. I wouldn't compare myself to someone who was short or who had a totally different body type. Therefore, when I compare myself I am doing it to see what areas I am stronger in and what areas I am weaker in. I might notice that a man has bigger shoulder, chest, arm, stomach or leg muscles. The muscles are often what I end up comparing. However, I also compare things like face features or hair. Sometimes I'll notice a person is a lot fatter or thinner than me and I might compare myself in terms of conditioning too. The comparisons make me feel better about myself if I determine that I have better features such as bigger biceps. However, I will always feel worse if the person I am comparing myself to is better-looking in some department.

I would like to change some of my attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs about what I am supposed to look like, what other people want me to look like, and what society expects from me. The bottom line should always be health: exercise and eating right should be about how I feel more than about how I look.