How do you respond (and deal with it internally) when someone asks you if you are “still lifting”?

[danielkibby]

I get it, we’re natties. Not being obviously muscular in normal clothes is our cross to bear. But, dangit, it’s happened twice this week and it sucks. I’m 2 years in and am still getting these comments. I mean, I’m relatively happy with my progress but still. Ugggg!

Edit: Thanks for the responses, folks! To summarize your responses:

1. Stop being quite so sensitive and worrying about others' opinions.
2. Keep on doing what I'm doing, realizing building muscle takes many years of discipline (2 years isn't actually that much in the broad scope of things).
3. Realize most of the population doesn't have a clue what a muscular body looks like due to unrealistic body standards.
4. Many comments like this are perfectly harmless and are actually the opposite - a way for folks to engage in a topic of conversation they know I'm interested in.

 

[kemada]

@danielkibby Almost guaranteed they are just making conversation.

For good reason a lot of people have reservations about commenting on someone else's body. So "I see you are still lifting" is iffy.

 

[vinayakc]

@kemada I can see this plus it’s a good ice breaker to strike up a casual conversation.

 

[jessie101]

@kemada

For good reason a lot of people have reservations about commenting on someone else's body.

This is the same when a woman is in the early period of being pregnant. It's when there's a little bit of weight that it could be pregnancy or she might just have put on a few winter pounds, and you don't know whether to say anything.

 

[andycook]

@danielkibby Take off your shirt and cry in front of the mirror every night. It helps me.

 

[purpleflower2]

@andycook haha great idea

u will probably start smiling rather than crying.

 

[danquah]

@danielkibby May just be a way for them to start a conversation about something they know youre interested in.
Dont read too much into things and stop relying on others for validation.
Put on aome epic ass music and flex in the mirror like the absolute unit you know you are

 

[shaddisi23]

@danielkibby ohp them

 

[purpleflower2]

@shaddisi23 like goldberg

 

[jparker]

@purpleflower2 Like in "Peanut Butter Falcon"

 

[houseprayer]

@shaddisi23 I measure my ohp in percentage of my roommates' bodyweight for a reason

 

[gracefortoday]

@danielkibby I just dont hang my self esteem on the opinions of others

 

[purpleflower2]

@gracefortoday true. if u r happy with ur own progress who really cares what a random on street thinks. even if arnold Schwarzenegger comes and says that u look terrible and that u've never worked out, in reality, u know that's not true, and that u actually look better than before.

so ignore such comments for ur own mental health.

 

[kjk11861]

@danielkibby Just need more time in the game my friend. A natty can definitely look like they lift in any context once you get a good amount of muscle maturity and size. The exception may be during something like content prep and fully clothed.

 

[fola]

@danielkibby What’s worse is when someone says that you’ve lost too much weight

 

[chubahughes]

@fola I’ve gotten this and I can see why. I lost bf and recomp with muscle and muscle is denser. So I jsut take it as a compliment since I know my scale weight hasn’t changed.

 

[renie]

@fola As an American, our perception of overweight is so skewed.

I’m 5’10, any time I get below 190 my mom tells me I’m “too skinny” when I go to to visit her. She about had a heart attack when I told her my goal weight for this cut was in the low 170s.

 

[kennycool]

@danielkibby You’re only 2 years in. The goal is to look big in street clothes and that takes legit 5 ish years. It’s very possible but it takes dedication.

 

[purpleflower2]

@kennycool it's entirely possible within 3 years

 

[kennycool]

@purpleflower2 you can look fit in 3 years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody workout for 3 years clean and look big ? Depends what your definition of big is tho as well. Big for me is you wear an XL shirt and it’s not baggy. If you’re wearing mediums I just don’t think you’re big.

Caveat being I’m not big either so, take with a grain of salt. That’s just always been my parameter.