Obsessing over weight loss

kaydeedoubleu1
kaydeedoubleu1 Posts: 567 Member
in Motivation and Support
Does anyone else feel like the more weight they lose, the more they want to lose, and the more the process of it all (diet, exercise, calories etc) starts to take over your mind and your life? I mean, i know its a good thing, but I feel like 80% of my thoughts revolve around what im eating, when im going to the gym next, and staring at myself in the mirror becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of results and at how far I still have to go.

I feel myself constantly talking about fitness related things to my friends who seem so disinterested :s
Can anyone relate to this?
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Replies

  • zenalasca
    zenalasca Posts: 563 Member
    Yes! Totally. I feel as though my mood is completely dictated by what I see on the scale and I crave foods all the time. I have to physically remove myself from an area with food in it in order not to eat it, and when I do, I feel miserable.
  • piratesaregrand
    piratesaregrand Posts: 356 Member
    Does anyone else feel like the more weight they lose, the more they want to lose, and the more the process of it all (diet, exercise, calories etc) starts to take over your mind and your life? I mean, i know its a good thing, but I feel like 80% of my thoughts revolve around what im eating, when im going to the gym next, and staring at myself in the mirror becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of results and at how far I still have to go.

    I feel myself constantly talking about fitness related things to my friends who seem so disinterested :s
    Can anyone relate to this?

    I think we are the same people
  • munchkin0518
    munchkin0518 Posts: 32
    Yes, I almost feel sorry for my mom, sometimes, when I find myself spewing diet-and-fitness-related mumbo jumbo to her for minutes on end. She doesn't care, she eats normally, has a normal body image, and is happy with her good foods and sensible daily walks. All she wants to know is if I'm healthy and doing well, and there I go again, talking about some stupid GI and BMI and high-intensity workouts and shiz that honestly makes no sense to her. But she listens, bless her dear heart. I should love her more. Yeah, I definitely should.
  • Buddhasmiracle
    Buddhasmiracle Posts: 925 Member
    I think once you are to a point where fitness and weight management are not akin to an out of body experience, that is, integrated into your psyche, the essence of who you are, then you will not experience it as an obsession.
  • TattedInStilettos
    TattedInStilettos Posts: 332 Member
    Yes I do...
  • kaydeedoubleu1
    kaydeedoubleu1 Posts: 567 Member
    phew, thanks guys, nice to know others experience this! i like the comment about it becoming a way of life therefore less obsession...a good thing to look forward to!
  • tomg33
    tomg33 Posts: 305 Member
    No more obsessed than many are "obsessed" with their particular hobby of choice. If it becomes harmful to your life however, you have to recognise that.
  • kitsiekitty
    kitsiekitty Posts: 166
    Right here! I obsess especially over my foods, because my foodie culture was my ultimate downfall of my weight gain in the first place. Beginning to scale back once I realize it got a bit out of hand though.
  • mspoopoo
    mspoopoo Posts: 500 Member
    I think the obsession helps keep me focused on change.

    I imagine it will go away eventually.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    It was for a while. Once I hit a healthy weight and started to maintain, the obsession eased a lot. I still log everything and make conscious decisions about what I eat, but it's not something I think about unless I'm actively in the process of making food. For me, once it became routine and I wasn't worrying about whether I was going to lose this week or not, I stopped thinking about it.
  • sexymuffintop
    sexymuffintop Posts: 636
    Yes, and thats after a year of logging as well. I am constantly thinking about food choices, where i'm getting my protein from, how I can get more decent fat in my diet, whether I can stay under my calories for yet another day. It's an obsession.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I feel myself constantly talking about fitness related things to my friends who seem so disinterested :s
    Can anyone relate to this?

    And, the first rule of fight club is?
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
    In the beginning of my journey, I was way obsessed. My main obsession would be eating too much too early in the day and then be left with little or no calories at night. Then I started preplanning my day and worked in my snacks. Also, now that I am so close to my goal, the obsessions have subsided. I still weigh myself daily, but don't get worked up if I'm up a pound or two. I refuse to let myself get back to where I was before, so I will continue to way myself every day from now on. I refuse to go back to wearing 26W since I'm now in a size 8.
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    I totally get this.... I hit my goal yesterday and I am left feeling empty! I still think I am dieting and am too anxious to up calories yet.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I think it's part of the internalization process. If you want to maintain your weight you'll always have to pay attention to what you eat, and probably, as you get older, eat less. But most of it should get to be old hat.

    One of my relatives accused me of being obsessive because I ask what's in dishes. Well, I've always been low normal weight and have no illnesses caused by lifestyle and he's the one who's had a quintuple bypass and Type 2 Diabetes and is obese so I guess obsessive ain't so bad.
  • 5pmsomewherenow
    5pmsomewherenow Posts: 163 Member
    I bet no one thought we were "obsessed" with an unhealthy lifestyle when we would eat 4-5 serving of potato chips, 2-3 servings of cookies, and a full-loaded COKE, standing at the kitchen counter -- and then heading to take a nap because we never felt like we had any energy. There are too many people who lead an unhealthy lifestyle, and I used to be one of them!

    Making a change in lifestyle is a major job for your brain to lead the rest of your body. You're making it constantly think about this change -- It does become easier. Changing your diet to more healthy foods and sticking to it, will actually make the cravings for the crap become less burdening at some point.

    I've been in maintenance for just about a year -- my brain has a habit of planning out the day: what am I going to eat, and how am I going to MOVE today? She's trained to look for the most healthy choices, and rarely (but sometimes...) makes a poor choice, because she's been working at it so hard and long (two years.)

    Good Luck, and stick to the good stuff -- the rewards are worth it.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I bet no one thought we were "obsessed" with an unhealthy lifestyle when we would eat 4-5 serving of potato chips, 2-3 servings of cookies, and a full-loaded COKE, standing at the kitchen counter -- and then heading to take a nap because we never felt like we had any energy. There are too many people who lead an unhealthy lifestyle, and I used to be one of them!


    I once had a big, high-calorie brunch with one of my siblings. We then discussed what we were going to do that day. She started thinking about where we might be able to eat and there was real anxiety in her voice that alarmed me. We were in a city with over 18,00 eating establishments, not to mention food carts, delis, bodegas, cafes; and grocery stores.
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    People forget how hard it is to learn new things. When you were a kid if you were serious about learning a language, you did drills and studied vocabulary and grammar all day. If you studied Chemistry, you had to memorize the Periodic Table, etc. You had to throw yourself into it often at the risk of looking like an idiot. But young people get a huge pass.

    Adults are made to feel self-conscious . And in America there's sometimes the pressure to pretend that everything comes easily. (""Don't let them see you sweat.")
  • FatAttorney
    FatAttorney Posts: 17
    Your obsession is your strength.

    Not thinking about things is what caused me to be overweight in the first place. Now I think about it every day. I think about what I am eating, what I am drinking, when, and what I am going to do for exercise. Even when I reach my goal weight I will stay this way. I believe that I will always be an over eater, just like an alcoholic that has stopped drinking will always be an alcoholic. My bad habits with food will require vigilance for the rest of my life. I am so glad to be obsessed with it now. Another ten years and it might have been too late.
  • pwittek10
    pwittek10 Posts: 723 Member
    YES!
    I am 61 years old and my Mom told me to knock it off on the weight and calorie talk.
    I have 5 sisters so someone must have said something.
    You'd think after 60 you could pull the old lady card and talk about anything!
    (but at 60 you do what your Mom tells you to do)
    BUT we can all talk about it here!
  • mlogantra76
    mlogantra76 Posts: 334 Member
    I figure everyone has a hobby or focus at any given time. I have a goal in mind and it involves being 100% committed. If that is considered obsession, I guess I have it:) However, on the flip side, if I was a healthy weight and I was still obsessed with losing, I think that is another issue. I do plan my meals. I do go out of my way to eat healthy. It is not always the easy route. But, I am pleased with the results. Twelve years ago I wore a size 26/28 pants and got down to a size 10(my goal size). Fast forward to two years ago, I allowed myself to regain up to a size 16W pants. I found mfp January 2nd and I'm now almost back to my goal size(I can wear half of my goal size pants). I've done this through consistent healthy eating and tracking as well as exercise. This obsession has produced positive results:)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    No. The only thing I think about regularly is what I am going to eat and when but I made that my first goal when I joined over 2 years ago to get a handle on portions first, so now it's really a non issue. It is part of my lifestyle to consider what I will eat and when so that I don't go off track, but it's not obsessing for me.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I feel myself constantly talking about fitness related things to my friends who seem so disinterested :s
    Can anyone relate to this?

    And, the first rule of fight club is?
    You just broke it, your out of the club :P
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I totally relate. I'm still not happy with how I look, even though I look so much better. I can't say I'm more obsessed than I was though, I guess I've always been since I started. I worry less about food actually (although still some, like 'should I really have this snack now and run out of carbs later'). My main issue is worrying about when I'm going to find the time to put my weight lifting workouts in, I always have to find a time around my kids' and hubby's schedules and it's a pain, I can't wait for school to start again so I don't have to worry about that anymore...
  • tachyon_master
    tachyon_master Posts: 226 Member
    Yes. I went through this, and it bit me in the *kitten* in the end.

    I hit my goal weight and just kept saying "just a little bit more, just a little bit more", until I got to a scarily unhealthy weight. I went from being borderline healthy/overweight, to being really, seriously underweight.

    I'm not saying this will happen to anybody else here, but just be careful. Obsession with the scales and working out and food can end up having negative consequences as well.
  • laurenz2501
    laurenz2501 Posts: 839 Member
    I can totally relate :flowerforyou:
  • bigjoost
    bigjoost Posts: 53
    In some respects, yes. I do weigh myself almost every morning even though I told myself to weigh only once a week. I look in the mirror to often if I walk by and when I'm alone lift my shirt or flex some muscles. I of course log every food and read a LOT of things online about food and metabolism and losing weight and everything. It's not that bad but I need to watch out I think. It doesn't sound as bad when I say it here but for me it's not that great.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I feel myself constantly talking about fitness related things to my friends who seem so disinterested :s
    Can anyone relate to this?

    And, the first rule of fight club is?
    You just broke it, your out of the club :P

    Bollocks! I'm such a noob.......
  • 43932452
    43932452 Posts: 7,246 Member
    Same. I drive everyone nuts ... they might think I'm
    like I'm obsessed over my goals and all that is
    weight related but I'm the kind of person who is all
    in or out. To get the job done, overboard it is! ;)
  • onwarddownward
    onwarddownward Posts: 1,683 Member
    I feel the same way as the original poster. I tend to obsess about a lot of things. When I am into painting, I paint a TON. When I am planning a move, I am like a general planning a major battle campaign.

    I seem to go along pretty much ok, then, with seeing the losses of others along the way, I just keep edging up my workouts and edging down my eating. I have to keep reminding myself not to over-exercise and under eat. It's not the shortcut to skinny, it's the shortcut to crashing.

    Sometimes I will read about a particular methodology, recently Wheat Belly, and try to incorporate it into my eating. I usually gravitate toward restrictive eating.

    Then, after a week or so of restriction, I bounce back, shake my head and say, "Wow, that was stupid."

    Sometimes I worry about posting stuff I eat in my food journal. What will other say? Isn't that stupid?

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