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Forums - General Discussion - How to Cope with Body Insecurity?

Radek said:
the-pi-guy said:

Body insecurity is a tricky thing.

It would be easy to just say don't worry about it, but that doesn't make people feel better. That might be the answer, but it's much easier said than done. There's a reason why these things often require therapy.

I will guarantee to you that you spend more time thinking about your body, and your insecurities than anyone else will.

Most people will probably not even notice your hands in the first place. I genuinely can't remember the last time I gave a thought to the size of someone's hands. And even if I did think about someone else's hands, it would be something I would think about for a few seconds at most. "Oh neat, they have huge hands." "Oh neat they have surprisingly small hands." And then never have any thought related to those hands cross my mind ever again. 

The main person your insecurity is stopping, is yourself. Most people aren't going to care. There's probably a 1 in a million chance that some weirdo will stop being friends with you over your hand size. In that case, that person is the weirdo. Probably more likely a woman might care more, but even that feels unlikely.  

Again, the person that will care the most is yourself. It's not some unpleasant trait that other people have to worry about. It might even be a slightly preferable trait for some women. 

Thank You. I will try, but after years of thinking about them I'm scared to meet with women especially. While I realize some people have things worse, such as missing limbs or being blind or deaf, I still can't get over my hands as if it's the biggest deal in the world. I think my palm size is OK lenght, but the fingers are definitely short and thin, very unusual for people of every race and gender.

Here's my hands compared to Nintendo Switch, I'm very scared to actually post it :c

https://ibb.co/dbBmkSG

https://ibb.co/cDhG21W

Your hand is slightly larger than mine.  I'm married now, but used to be a very successful dater.  I'm also slightly shorter than you, and not especially good looking.  I'm also not rich.  In other words, your hands are fine.  Essentially nobody other than you will notice anything out of the ordinary.  

If your words here are an accurate representation of your thinking, then I'd say you need to get into therapy.  I don't mean to be too harsh, but your thoughts here are completely irrational.  And that kind of issue is very hard to deal with on your own.  You would benefit from professional help.  



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VAMatt said:

If your words here are an accurate representation of your thinking, then I'd say you need to get into therapy.  I don't mean to be too harsh, but your thoughts here are completely irrational.  And that kind of issue is very hard to deal with on your own.  You would benefit from professional help.  

Nah, he's probably in his early/mid 20s, it's actually pretty common to feel like this during teenage years, and now it tends to last until late 20s/early 30s.

I mean therapy would be helpful to realize that quicker, but at the end, no surprise in what he's saying, he doesn't picture himself being in his current body before being having his mind busy with other stuff (friends, family, gf/wife, work, children)



If you're shorter as a male you just need to do something to make up for it. Like hit the gym and get larger muscles. You'll be fine. Just level yourself up in other ways.



Radek said:
shikamaru317 said:

Yeah, I have the same issue. I'm a 6'3" guy with a wide frame as well, and yet my hand size is only at about the 40th percentile for males, so below average (mine are 3.5 inches wide measured across the palm, 7.5 inches long measured from tip of middle finger to the crease where the palm meets the wrist). Most guys my height and weight have much bigger hands, it's definitely an insecurity going through life with hands that feel too small, especially since probably at least 10% of women have bigger hands than me in all dimensions, and more than that are longer in terms of hand length since I have short fingers.

Here is my hand compared to a Switch Lite, don't have a regular Switch for closer comparison with your pic:

https://postimg.cc/BtrVDCcQ

The best way I have found to cope is simply to not let myself care what other people think of me. If I start having insecure thoughts I just brush them aside and think of something else instead.

I see, although You have much longer thumbs than me which is definitely useful. 

Have you ever had women notice or talk about your hands? Thank You for your input.

Hi, TC. Insecurities are a bitch. I'm shorter than shikamaru, but at 1.82cm almost 10 cm taller than you. Neither of you actually have small hands. You just have short fingers. I'm at the opposite side (long fingers, short hands), but nobody that I remember ever made a direct comment on that. Even so, having something that makes us self aware is horrible. But I can assure you that hand size is not something to be self conscious about. You are going to have to find something else that you like about you and focus your mind on that. Like, a lot! Make it a reverse obsession! when I was young, I was like, super thin! I couldn't reach 60 kilos for the life of me. It was terrible, and people would call me horrible names. Until I started doing exercises and practicing martial arts. In about six months I went from super, ridiculous thin to lean/fit, even if still not heavy for my size. And I would be loving myself then! I strongly suggest you go and do something similar for yourself that helps taking your mind from an aspect you don't care about in your body and shift it to one that you love! Worked for me big time.

And, I cannot stress this enough, women don't really care about men hands size. If one or another do, it is just a whim or personal, individual idiocrasy that shouldn't affect your self esteem.



bowserthedog said:

If you're shorter as a male you just need to do something to make up for it. Like hit the gym and get larger muscles. You'll be fine. Just level yourself up in other ways.

You don't even need that much.
Imo, as long as you reach "normal" or fit & lean, your well enough off.

Like no one wants to be fat.
And people that go "i'm fine with my size" (while being heavily overweight) (are basically saying "I've accepted I can't make a effort to change").
I get "plus sized models", as its a way to sell clothes to normal people, most of which, are too lazy to do anything about their weight.
However its not healthy, being that big. And even though they preach accepting your body (size), they can be doing many a disservice with it (health wise).

If you have insecurities about your body, one thing is for sure though, being fat ontop isnt going to make it any better.

I walk like ~25,000+ steps at work, daily.
And honestly if I didn't, I'm sure my weight loss would have taken alot longer.
This is also why I think just going for walks ect, is a great addition to anything workout related.
Like squeeze in a hour or two a day, after work, or on weekends. Just go for a walk outsides.

You can walk yourself slim, if you want.
If your too big to run/jog, if you got bad knee's, ect ect.
Everyone can walk. Its not that hard on you, you just need persistance.

Last edited by JRPGfan - on 18 March 2023

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JRPGfan said:
bowserthedog said:

If you're shorter as a male you just need to do something to make up for it. Like hit the gym and get larger muscles. You'll be fine. Just level yourself up in other ways.

You don't even need that much.
Imo, as long as you reach "normal" or fit & lean, your well enough off.

Like no one wants to be fat.
And people that go "i'm fine with my size" (while being heavily overweight) (are basically saying "I've accepted I can't make a effort to change").
I get "plus sized models", as its a way to sell clothes to normal people, most of which, are too lazy to do anything about their weight.
However its not healthy, being that big. And even though they preach accepting your body (size), they can be doing many a disservice with it (health wise).

If you have insecurities about your body, one thing is for sure though, being fat ontop isnt going to make it any better.

I walk like 20,000-25,000+ steps at work, daily.
And honestly if I didn't, I'm sure my weight loss would have taken alot longer.
This is also why I think just going for walks ect, is a great addition to anything workout related.
Like squeeze in a hour or two a day, after work, or on weekends. Just go for a walk outsides.

You can walk yourself slim, if you want.
If your too big to run/jog, if you got bad knee's, ect ect.
Everyone can walk. Its not that hard on you, you just need persistance.

Man I want Spring already, where I live it has been raining pretty much non stop since December. It's much easier to walk when it's at least +10C outside and not raining. Today it was raining until 1 PM but then skies cleared and it was suddenly +16C and I walked 5 kilometers today. It was nice, but my shoe keeps rubbing my foot, it got hurt.



JRPGfan said:
bowserthedog said:

If you're shorter as a male you just need to do something to make up for it. Like hit the gym and get larger muscles. You'll be fine. Just level yourself up in other ways.

You don't even need that much.
Imo, as long as you reach "normal" or fit & lean, your well enough off.

Like no one wants to be fat.
And people that go "i'm fine with my size" (while being heavily overweight) (are basically saying "I've accepted I can't make a effort to change").
I get "plus sized models", as its a way to sell clothes to normal people, most of which, are too lazy to do anything about their weight.
However its not healthy, being that big. And even though they preach accepting your body (size), they can be doing many a disservice with it (health wise).

If you have insecurities about your body, one thing is for sure though, being fat ontop isnt going to make it any better.

I walk like 20,000-25,000+ steps at work, daily.
And honestly if I didn't, I'm sure my weight loss would have taken alot longer.
This is also why I think just going for walks ect, is a great addition to anything workout related.
Like squeeze in a hour or two a day, after work, or on weekends. Just go for a walk outsides.

You can walk yourself slim, if you want.
If your too big to run/jog, if you got bad knee's, ect ect.
Everyone can walk. Its not that hard on you, you just need persistance.

Died is key.  I have binge eating disorder so life has been difficult. I finally found success with Ozempic for the first time in my life i have appetite control. 



Radek said:
JRPGfan said:

You don't even need that much.
Imo, as long as you reach "normal" or fit & lean, your well enough off.

Like no one wants to be fat.
And people that go "i'm fine with my size" (while being heavily overweight) (are basically saying "I've accepted I can't make a effort to change").
I get "plus sized models", as its a way to sell clothes to normal people, most of which, are too lazy to do anything about their weight.
However its not healthy, being that big. And even though they preach accepting your body (size), they can be doing many a disservice with it (health wise).

If you have insecurities about your body, one thing is for sure though, being fat ontop isnt going to make it any better.

I walk like 20,000-25,000+ steps at work, daily.
And honestly if I didn't, I'm sure my weight loss would have taken alot longer.
This is also why I think just going for walks ect, is a great addition to anything workout related.
Like squeeze in a hour or two a day, after work, or on weekends. Just go for a walk outsides.

You can walk yourself slim, if you want.
If your too big to run/jog, if you got bad knee's, ect ect.
Everyone can walk. Its not that hard on you, you just need persistance.

Man I want Spring already, where I live it has been raining pretty much non stop since December. It's much easier to walk when it's at least +10C outside and not raining. Today it was raining until 1 PM but then skies cleared and it was suddenly +16C and I walked 5 kilometers today. It was nice, but my shoe keeps rubbing my foot, it got hurt.

Yep, when I first started, I wasn't used to 10-11 hour work shift days (thankfully only 4days a week).
Just standing up for 10hours straight was new to me, walking around, pushing carts, lifting stuff, running up and down stairs.
When I got home, I basically just lay on the couch watching tv, until I fell asleep, for a new day of work.
By the end of the work week, my feet where killing me (throughout the weekend).
Like there was pain, blisters, aches. I would go to sleep in pain, and it would only be semi gone, by the start of the next day (morning).

I questioned weather or not I could keep it up (I was like 90kg+ there).
I choose to do so.

After a few months you grow used to it, and gradually, you get accustomed to it.
Eventually, theres no aches or pains anymore.
The human body is great at adapting to new things. 

My biggest take away is to just never give up, keep on pushing. Eventually it pays off.
Like I said before, you'll see your reflection in the mirror and marvel at how drastic the changes are.

~1,5 years ago, I looked very differnt, I wasn't used to this physical activity, I could only jog/run for like 2mins and be out of breath.
Today I can easily jog from my apartment down the to the train station (like a 7min decently paced walk), and not really be winded.

Honestly the pay isnt the reason I stay doing it, but I actually like that it's pushed me into shape.

-------------------

5km is like a nice walk, about a hour?
Just keep at it, even if its bad weather. Just gear up for it, dont let the weather stop you.

A colleage of mine, has a "step counter" (? not sure of the name in english), and its usually in the 25,000-30,000 step range pr day (he starts it once hes at work, and meassures it at the end of it).

I imagine I walk the same amount. We also go up and down stairs, and lift things thoughout the day.
If you just walked, I bet you could do that in like ~1/2-1/3 the time or so.

So just walk like 4 - 4,5 hours a day, and spend like 30mins lifting 15-20kg (carrying things) and maybe another 15-20mins going up/down stairs.
You would have "basically" the same workout as I do, at work.

(I realise this is alot of "time" to spend working out, everyday.... which is why I mention it feels like a side benefit of my work, that its so active. I wouldn't spend this much time working out everyday, if I had the choice not to (or a differnt job, at say a desk, I wouldn't have the time to afterwards))

Last edited by JRPGfan - on 18 March 2023

bowserthedog said:
JRPGfan said:

You don't even need that much.
Imo, as long as you reach "normal" or fit & lean, your well enough off.

Died is key.  I have binge eating disorder so life has been difficult. I finally found success with Ozempic for the first time in my life i have appetite control. 

Diet does matter yes.
However if your "forced" to burn like a extra 1500-2000 calories a day, at work.
You'll notice results, even if you dont change eating habbits. Unless you have a really excessive consumption of things.

Honestly I havent really changed eating habbits, I'd even say I snack more than I used to (I like chips, and chocolate....).

The thing with diets is they have to work for you.
It needs to be something you can easily accept, and stick with, not just for a month or two, but for years and be happy about.
Starveing yourself is a bad way to go about loseing weight imo (you'll bounce back in weight as soon as you stop).
So is forceing yourself to eat things, that just make you unhappy (its never going to last).

Somethings are easy though.
Like cutting out sugars (esp if its in drinks, drop the juice/soda+coke,pepsi whatever), and maybe giveing up white bread.
Drink lots of water, stay way from too much sugars and breads, and just workout for the rest.
Stop eating things that are deepfried (if your american, this isnt very common in europe).

I'd say its okay to have the occasion snack if you feel like you need a little treat or something though.
Again, your diet shouldn't be makeing your life misserable.



My advice would be simple and rather blunt: ignore it. You could have what society considers to be the perfect body and still, some people will find it unappealing. Yes, the majority rules the day. Always has. Always will. But when you look the IQ curve, do you really think it's wise to care much about what they think?