Dealing with ocd and weight loss . how did u manage it

F4Tdestroyer

Looking for modavation

shans34

It's tough. Being OCD I have to be very conscious not to fall into destructive patterns. Like everything else, weight loss becomes an obsession that easily gets out of control. It's been a lifelong battle for me that I still struggle with daily. You have to be very aware and confrontational with yourself regarding your patterns. You have to be hyper aware of thoughts and overall moods. I many times had to stop myself and purposefully sabotage myself to stop a destructive pattern. Then refocus and start again. I'm aware it will always be a battle but not one I can't overcome. Same for you. I have lost 103lbs so far. You can do It!

Oma827

I don’t have OCD but I feel completely determined to eat as my dr. prescribed, meet my step goal, and drink as he directed. Today I was upset because a storm prevented my walk to complete my step goal. It broke my 6-day streak of 10000/day.

Even without a diagnosis, people can feel as you do. It’s important to remind ourselves we are human! We have a life to live! Some days will not be perfect.

I hear you both.

-140 and still working.

gaelicstorm

shans34 wrote: »

It's tough. Being OCD I have to be very conscious not to fall into destructive patterns. Like everything else, weight loss becomes an obsession that easily gets out of control. It's been a lifelong battle for me that I still struggle with daily. You have to be very aware and confrontational with yourself regarding your patterns. You have to be hyper aware of thoughts and overall moods. I many times had to stop myself and purposefully sabotage myself to stop a destructive pattern. Then refocus and start again. I'm aware it will always be a battle but not one I can't overcome. Same for you. I have lost 103lbs so far. You can do It!

YES!

I have OCD as well and weight loss/exercise/weighing food can quickly become an obsession. I have to be very careful because I find that if I can't weigh something properly I will obsess over it and it is horrible. My husband helps to keep me in check. He helps to warn me when he sees that obsessive/destructive pattern happening.

I also do take medication for OCD and it truly does help. It "softens the edges" so that I can use other coping skills to get my brain "unstuck".

ValentinePamplemousse

I’ve just started a new fitness plan, and your post has reminded me to keep my OCD in check. I tend to over excercise which inevitably causes injuries. I’m also going to try to use this app without letting it run my life, which is a possibility.

mortuseon_

OCD here and former bulimic (two are v much linked). I have deliberate monthly cheat days to break up the obsessiveness of my logging - similar to the concept of deliberately sabotaging yourself that someone mentioned above.

zenartist24

This is a very interesting topic. Though I do not have OCD, when I start a course of healthy eating/exercise, I feel that overwhelming pull of having to follow everything PERFECTLY. For me it is a very strict ‘all or nothing’ way of thinking.

Mortuseon- Just reading your response about planning deliberate cheat days gives me a feelin if uneasiness. But, at the same time, that feeling of unease probably means that that method would most benefit me. Being able to allow yourself a cheat day and then get yourself back in track the following day is a HUGE achievement!!

Thanks for this insightful thread!

Bill

mortuseon_

zenartist24 wrote: »

This is a very interesting topic. Though I do not have OCD, when I start a course of healthy eating/exercise, I feel that overwhelming pull of having to follow everything PERFECTLY. For me it is a very strict ‘all or nothing’ way of thinking.

Mortuseon- Just reading your response about planning deliberate cheat days gives me a feelin if uneasiness. But, at the same time, that feeling of unease probably means that that method would most benefit me. Being able to allow yourself a cheat day and then get yourself back in track the following day is a HUGE achievement!!

Thanks for this insightful thread!

Bill

Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful to you It's definitely a difficult mental hurdle to get over, but I think it helps because it destroys those catastrophic thoughts that anxiety brings along. You might think 'a cheat day will destroy all my progress', but actually HAVING that cheat day and seeing that the worst effects are only temporary water weight can be a really useful experience. It's like a 'safe' way to explore taking a break, so you can understand that catastrophe is not nigh. On a separate note, having monthly cheat days makes the 'cheat' more worthwhile. I usually plan to go out to a nice restaurant with my boyfriend, which makes it into an occasion rather than a regular occurrence.

Not quite the same, but this thread might also be really useful, as it talks about the mental effects of dieting and the benefits of taking breaks: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

laurenbastug

I struggle with the crippling quest for perfection when it comes to hitting my macros. I get super uneasy when we go out to eat and I can’t track 100% and I have to bring my own food to holiday events because i’m so worried about not being able to properly track macros for my family’s homemade meals. It’s so frustrating and annoying and I am trying to get better at it but it’s so hard. I feel like, because I’m trying to get to my goal weight by my wedding in September, I feel the need to keep strict because I am seeing results so I am fearful of letting the “flexibility” part of all this snowballing into falling off track completely. It’s totally a control / remaining where i am because it’s comfortable and easy sort of deal but I really hope I can find a balance soon because it’s putting such a strain on my relationship with myself as well as others.