How far is too far weight loss?

trejon

I reached my goal weight two weeks ago! However I am having a hard time with the calories to maintain - just cannot allow myself to eat over the weight loss amount. If I do eat something fun/higher calorie there is major guilt MAJOR! Even if I burn 2500 calories working out I cannot allow myself to go over my allotted weight loss calories. I talk about weight loss all the time, I walk around throwing out calorie counts with other people's food, and I measure everything. Had one night that I ate bad but not major just few bites and took a laxative b/c did not want it in my body. This is not living!

natspoiledbrat

I would say just as difficult as it is to change your lifestyle and what you consume to lose weight, you are going to have to change your lifestyle again to now maintain your weight. Its not gonna be easy but try to incorporate good healthy calories in. For example you could add small things here and there like avocados to salads, or an extra cup of yogurt. Avocados are high in calories but have a lot of health benefits. Do stuff like that and you don't want to stop caring about what you eat because it is so easy to go back to old ways and regain weight. Good luck and Congrats on reaching your goal weight!

DeathIsMyGift

No, that is not living. You've reached your goal, lighten up and enjoy your new body. If you feel yourself packing on a few....cut back on your calories. There should be no guilt. You should celebrate--you deserve it

vhuber

First off great job at reaching your goal weight!! I agree this is NOT living when you get obsessed about this, soon you will lose friends and family over YOUR way of eating!! I suggest you speak with a counsellor on eating disorders!! I wish you continued success!!

waguchan

Give yourself a good 6 to 8 weeks of maintenance to figure it out. Just add a few hundred calories each day over what you ate before for a week. If you lose that week, add 1 or 2 hundred more calories the next week. If you gain, reduce the calories. And if you maintain, try the same number the next week and see how it goes.

I don't think it's possible to stay the same weight every week for the rest of your life. Don't beat yourself up if you gain a pound or two. Give yourself a range of 5 or 10 pounds to stay within. If you go below, you need to eat more and if you go above the range, it's time to get back on track.

sabrinafaith

I wouldn't try to eat too many treats anyway yet. Maintain for a while with treats twice a week and see if that works. YOU ARE ALLOWING YOURSELF TO HAVE TREATS!!! that is part of the new plan.

Aside from that, Your meals should get slightly bigger now that you are maintaining instead of loosing. Add in a food that used to be restricted. Like if you were limiting carbs before, now add some roasted potatoes to your dinner and a slice of toast to breakfast. Add a morning snack, like a cup of fruit. Don't go crazy, just add in 100 calories to each meal and see if that works for you. Maybe then also add a vitamuffin for an after dinner snack. It tastes amazing, but its not high in fat. You should still be eating healthy, just a little more healthy food to now maintain your weight.

miqisha

Congrats on your weight loss.....but yes you are not living....you have to be careful you are on the verge of a dangerous lifestyle, if you dont find some way to control the guilt

As long as you continue working out and eating healthy, you will be fine....dont be so hard on yourself, or you will never get to enjoy what you have accomplished

Seeing as though its so hard on you to increase your calorie.....try doing it daily....meaning every day you up your calorie by 50 or 100 calories, until you reach your required calorie goal....maybe if you do it in baby steps, it wont be so difficult to accept

You have accomplished alot.....I hope you learn to adjust your mental state of mind, and understand that food isnt an enemy, and as long as you continue working out and eating healthy calories you will be fine

Even if you have one bad meal, you should have to flush it out.....make the rest of your day a good meal and continue eating good the other days

There are certain foods we love and we all have bad days....you need to realize one bad meal wont make you get fat

Goodluck

aippolito1

You're not living, you're obsessing. You have to change your mindset and your attitude or you could slip further and it could turn into an eating disorder.

drvvork

:flowerforyou: I had issues at first too... the talking about calories / nutrition hasn't stopped but my diet caloric intake has increased with finding out I can have variety in my menu now with the extra calories. I'm still adjusting to my maintenance mentality and yes, I still measure my foods and probably always will as I realize how easy it is to get off on the wrong road and I don't want to do that anymore. I'm happy where I am and wish to stay focused on my nutrition and not have to come back in 6 months to sign in for loss again. I just want to hang out here entering in my foods, reading and talking calories and nutrition, and keeping my weight issues under control. But that eating over the dieting calories... You will adjust, just give yourself some time and keep logging your foods and enjoy your new healthier life!!! :bigsmile:

trejon

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Symptoms and Treatment of Compulsive Behavior and Obsessive Thoughts

It’s normal, on occasion, to go back and double-check that the iron is unplugged or your car is locked. But in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors become so excessive that they interfere with daily life. And no matter what you do, you can’t seem to shake them.

If you or someone you love has obsessive-compulsive disorder, you may feel isolated and helpless, but there is help available. Many treatments and self-help strategies can reduce the symptoms of OCD.
In This Article:
What is OCD?
Obsessions and compulsions
Signs and symptoms
Therapy
Other treatments
Self-help
Helping a loved one
Related links
Print Authors
Text Size
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?

Understanding obsessions and compulsions

Obsessions are involuntary, seemingly uncontrollable thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again in your mind. You don’t want to have these ideas – in fact, you know that they don’t make any sense. But you can’t stop them. Unfortunately, these obsessive thoughts are usually disturbing and distracting.

Compulsions are behaviors or rituals that you feel driven to act out again and again. Usually, compulsions are performed in an attempt to make obsessions go away. For example, if you’re afraid of contamination, you might develop elaborate cleaning rituals. However, the relief never lasts. In fact, the obsessive thoughts usually come back stronger. And the compulsive behaviors often end up causing anxiety themselves as they become more demanding and time-consuming.

Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder fall into one of the following categories:

Washers are afraid of contamination. They usually have cleaning or hand-washing compulsions.
Checkers repeatedly check things (oven turned off, door locked, etc.) that they associate with harm or danger.
Doubters and sinners are afraid that if everything isn’t perfect or done just right something terrible will happen or they will be punished.
Counters and arrangers are obsessed with order and symmetry. They may have superstitions about certain numbers, colors, or arrangements.
Hoarders fear that something bad will happen if they throw anything away. They compulsively hoard things that they don’t need or use.
Just because you have obsessive thoughts or perform compulsive behaviors does NOT mean that you have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people have mild obsessions or compulsions that are strange or irrational, but they’re still able to lead their lives without much disruption. But with obsessive-compulsive disorder, these thoughts and behaviors cause tremendous distress, take up a lot of time, and interfere with your daily routine, job, or relationships.

Signs and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Most people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have both obsessions and compulsions, but some people experience just one or the other. The symptoms of OCD may wax and wane over time. Often, the symptoms get worse in times of stress.

Common obsessive thoughts in OCD include:
Fear of being contaminated by germs or dirt or contaminating others
Fear of causing harm to yourself or others
Intrusive sexually explicit or violent thoughts and images
Excessive focus on religious or moral ideas
Fear of losing or not having things you might need
Order and symmetry: the idea that everything must line up “just right.”
Superstitions; excessive attention to something considered lucky or unlucky

Common compulsive behaviors in OCD include:
Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches.
Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe.
Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety.
Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning.
Ordering, evening out, or arranging things “just so.”
Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear.
Accumulating “junk” such as old newspapers, magazines, and empty food containers, or other things you don’t have a use for.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms in children
While the onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder usually occurs during adolescence or young adulthood, younger children sometimes have symptoms that look like OCD. However, the symptoms of other disorders, such as ADD, autism, and Tourette’s syndrome can also look like obsessive-compulsive disorder, so a thorough medical and psychological exam is essential before any diagnosis is made. It’s also important to note that OCD is an anxiety disorder, and in children, the symptoms of anxiety usually change over time. So a child with OCD symptoms will not necessarily have OCD as an adult. What’s most important is to make environmental and behavioral changes to reduce your child’s anxiety.

Therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
There are many effective treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), ranging from therapy to self-help and medication. However, the treatment for OCD with the most research supporting its effectiveness is cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder involves two components:

Exposure and response prevention
Cognitive therapy
Exposure and response prevention for OCD
Exposure and response prevention involves repeated exposure to the source of your obsession. Then you are asked to refrain from the compulsive behavior you’d usually perform to reduce your anxiety.

For example, if you are a compulsive hand washer, you might be asked to touch the door handle in a public restroom and then be prevented from washing up. As you sit with the anxiety, the urge to wash your hands will gradually begin to go away on its own. In this way, you learn that you don’t need the ritual to get rid of your anxiety – that you have some control over your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

Studies show that exposure and response prevention can actually “retrain” the brain, permanently reducing the occurrence of obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. This type of OCD therapy can even extinguish compulsive behaviors entirely.

Cognitive therapy for OCD
The cognitive therapy component for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) focuses on the catastrophic thoughts and exaggerated sense of responsibility you feel. A big part of cognitive therapy for OCD is teaching you healthy and effective ways of responding to obsessive thoughts, without resorting to compulsive behavior.

Four Steps for Conquering Obsessive Thoughts and Compulsive Urges
Psychiatrist Jeffrey Schwartz, author of Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, offers the following four steps for dealing with OCD:

RELABEL – Recognize that the intrusive obsessive thoughts and urges are the result of OCD.
REATTRIBUTE – Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is caused by OCD; it is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain.
REFOCUS – Work around the OCD thoughts by focusing your attention on something else, at least for a few minutes. Do another behavior.
REVALUE – Do not take the OCD thought at face value. It is not significant in itself.
Source: Westwood Institute for Anxiety Disorders