u/Vilorx

Curious from a guy’s perspective.

In environments where people don’t really talk much (like the gym), what kind of behaviour makes you think someone might be interested in you, if at all?

For example things like: eye contact, acting a bit awkward or avoidant, ending up in the same area often.

Do you usually notice these things , or do you just assume everything is random unless someone actually talks to you?

I’m a bit confused about something I noticed at my gym.

There’s a guy I remember as being quite fit, but not particularly big. At one point he tried to talk to me, but I got anxious and avoided the interaction.

About a month later, I saw him again and he looked noticeably more built, especially in his upper body. It was enough to make me question whether I remembered him correctly.

Now I’m wondering if it’s perception/memory bias, a “sleeper build”, pump, clothing, or posture or it could just be an actual progress

I know muscle gain takes time, so I’m curious what could realistically explain this kind of difference?

I’ve been training consistently since late 2024 (lifting + cardio), and I have made progress (I look slimmer and I can see some muscle) but I still have a layer of fat that’s hiding most of my definition.

The main issue is my eating pattern. I go through phases where I eat very low calories, lose weight, then feel like I can “relax” and end up overeating. After that, I try to compensate with a lot of cardio or being extra strict, and then the cycle repeats.

I know this is probably slowing down my body recomp, but I’m struggling to stay consistent long enough to see proper fat loss.

I also compare myself a lot to people who bulk/cut successfully, and I don’t understand why fat loss feels so much slower for me even when I’m training regularly.

Lately it’s gotten to the point where I feel like quitting strength training altogether and just doing cardio to lose the fat faster, even though I know I’ll probably lose muscle doing that. I just don’t like what I see in the mirror right now, which is frustrating because I am training hard.

I’m not looking for “just eat less” advice, I know the basics. I’m trying to figure out how to stay consistent without triggering the restrict/binge cycle.

If anyone has been through this and managed to break the cycle while still training, what actually helped?