Bodybuilding.com - Shannon Clark - Take The Test - Do You Have Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

You go to the gym day in and day out giving 100% each time. You follow your diet to the letter, never letting a forbidden food past your lips. Take the following quiz to see if you are hurting your gains.

Take The Test - Do You Have Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

By: Shannon Clark

You go to the gym day in and day out giving 100% each time. You follow your diet to the letter, never letting a forbidden food past your lips. You are maximizing your results right?

That depends. There are certain times when people cross the line from being dedicated to their workout and diet to a point where it becomes an obsession and works against them. The case of body dysmorphic disorder is becoming more and more prevalent in the population today.

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Those With Body Dysmorphic Disorder

These are people who look in the mirror and hold themselves to an unrealistic standard of perfection, one that is most likely going to be unattainable for them.

The site they see looking back at them in the mirror only makes them more determined in their workouts and diets, becoming even stricter with themselves and further pushing their physical limits in the gym.

While perseverance is a great thing to have when it comes to fitness, something that the general population is very lacking in, it can work against you. Answer the following questions to see if you may have a problem.

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder Quiz

QUIZ: DO YOU HAVE BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER?

Pick The Answers That Best Match Your Behavior.
1.	If You Miss A Workout, You:
	A. Feel extreme anxiety for the entire day. B. Never miss a workout. Period. C. It bothers you but you figure the day of rest will be good for you. D. Don't think twice about it. Life happens.
2.	If You Are Finding That Your Performance Is Not Up To Par In The Gym, You:
	A. Push harder. Obviously you are just not training hard enough. B. Berate yourself for not being good enough. Mediocre is not acceptable for you. C. Rethink your workout; chances are something needs tweaking. D. Take some time off. Better to not risk overtraining yourself.
3.	Your Diet Consists Of:
	A. Protein, vegetables and healthy fats. Everyday. Always. B. A regimented plan from which you never detour. C. A combination of foods from all the food groups. D. Anything and everything you want.
4.	You Are At A Party And Someone Offers You A Piece Of Cake. You:
	A. Remove yourself from the situation because it will be too tempting. B. Tell them you cannot eat it as you are on a diet. C. Politely decline since you are watching what you eat, or, if you are really craving some cake, have a small piece. D. Inhale your first piece as fast as possible and then go in for seconds.
5.	Do You Compare Yourself To Others?
	A. Yes, all the time. It's impossible not to. B. Every workout is a competition for you. C. Sometimes. It helps for your motivation levels to have an idol that you want to look like. D. No, you just focus on improving how you look/feel.

Answer Will Display Here After Pressing "Calculate My Score".

Analysis

Never allowing yourself some slack and expecting perfection may be working against you for a couple of reasons.

Stress:

The first reason is because you are likely creating a great deal of stress for yourself on a daily basis. Having such a high standard is a stressful situation because you are placing extreme pressure on yourself never to have a slip-up.

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With this increase stress level will come feelings of fatigue and more important, elevated cortisol levels. Cortisol is a catabolic hormone so it will start to break down muscle tissue and is definitely something you will want to avoid. Additionally, high cortisol levels promote fat storage around the mid-section of the body which again is likely not on anyone's goal list.

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Risk Of Overtraining:

The second reason why being a little too obsessed with working out is dangerous is because you may start to seriously put yourself at risk for suffering from overtraining. Never giving your body enough time to rest, because you are so addicted with going to the gym, is only going to limit your gains and potentially set you up for some severe injuries.

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Psychological Health:

A final reason that you need to be aware of this condition is just simply for your psychological health. If you are constantly worried about every little thing about your workout and diet you are going to likely avoid all situations that may cause you trouble with sticking to your plan.

While it is perfectly fine to have this dedication when training for a competition, show or special event, keeping this mindset for an extended period of time is not going to be beneficial to you in any way, shape or form.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Constant Worry Will Only Cause More Trouble.

Conclusion

So next time you find yourself getting a little too caught up with your training, ask yourself what your reasons behind it are, if they are valid and if you feel like it may be taking over your life. Working out and eating right should be a lifestyle that you can live with, not something that you struggle to meet on a daily basis.

If that's the case you are likely to burn yourself out in a few years and then go in the complete opposite direction and give up on working out and eating healthy. Taking a moderate approach is much smarter in the long run.

Click Image To Enlarge.
Author, Shannon Clark.

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