Orthorexia and Bigorexia

The DSM-IV-TR, the diagnostic manual for psychiatry, describes mental disorders, mostly for billing purposes. There is a category which includes those who become obsessed with counting calories and many bodybuilders could be considered to have the "illness."

307.5 Eating Disorder NOS (not otherwise specified)

And now there is even a more specific term for the illness, called Orthorexia

Reading such things makes me feel better about myself that I still eat fast food on occasion; sometimes it's a reward to workout even harder, in anticipation of "cheat day."

Keep a cheat day once a week where you allow yourself to eat what you want. I think it's good for one's mental health and helps people avoid the obsession with trying to be "perfect" which only seems to backfire, ironically.

For males who want to improve their appearance, lose weight and feel better, but who also love to eat, and eat a lot--the best activity to consider, is weight-training, not aerobics.

The Rock, in a recent interview in Mens Health says the 3rd secret to his success is to have a large pepperoni pizza, a six-pack of beer and a shot of whiskey, once in a while to "cut" all the clean eating. Go figure.

Bodybuilding would be easier, if only it did not require eating so much food; eating all the calories that are required to keep the body in an anabolic state means eating clean all day long. The aspect of lifting hard in search of the pain is simple compared to the amount of food that has to be eaten. If you love to eat, you are already halfway there; just don't lift like a powerlifter and you can eat clean as much as you want; don't rest for longer than a minute or two between sets.

This applies to women also but most women assume that they'll get so muscular as to become "too big." Here is Arnold's reasoning to get around that myth: Try to get big! Try it! It won't happen even if you want it to, because there is simply not enough testosterone.

The myth comes from female bodybuilders (not figure/fitness competitors, but female bodybuilding competitors) who either: 1) take testosterone and growth hormone or 2) were naturally born with one more testicles in additional to their ovaries

Bigorexia: working out too much

Bigorexia or Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder in which an individual becomes obsessed that they are not muscular enough. Sometimes referred to as bigorexia or reverse anorexia nervosa, it is a very specific case of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

Muscle dysmorphia can cause individuals to:
- Constantly check themselves in a mirror
- Become distressed if a gym session is missed
- Take potentially dangerous drugs (e.g. anabolic steroids)
- Neglecting jobs/relationships/family due to exercising