Being Obsessive = Only Way to Truely Succeed

thedarkwombat

I am off to a good start so far, but there is one thing I have noticed that has kept me successful so far.

I am constantly "thinking" about what I am eating and what I am going to eat every second of every day. It has become my obsession. I guess you can say this is a good thing but this is till food. I am still obsessed by food but in a good way.

Maybe we can liken this to that nervousness you feel before a big date, a big speech in front of a large group of people, or even when there is a confrontation with someone. That nervousness in many ways is adrenaline, and you can actually use it as fuel.

So my question is, has anyone else noticed that with their success comes obsession, and better yet, can you sue your obsession with food (in a bad way, how I got fat) to channel it to a "good" obsession?

likitisplit

I find that lasts for maybe three weeks. Then you develop habits and become accustomed to what you can eat, portion sizes, etc.

It would really suck to feel that way all the time. I have a family to raise.

thedarkwombat

It has not gotten in the way of my family. In fact, when I cook, they are eating more healthy too!

likitisplit

It has not gotten in the way of my family. In fact, when I cook, they are eating more healthy too!

That's great! Cooking is a healthy habit to have. How are you going to make it low-maintenance so you can keep it up when everybody come down with the flu?

cwolfman13

For me, maybe not so much obsession...but I became a munch better planner. It was very important for me to start planning my days out...which I guess could be a kind of obsession. Eventually, the way I ate just became routine though...I maintained for 5 months without logging when I reached my initial goal. I'm logging again right now because I'm actively trying to drop a couple more points in BF and I want to make sure I don't under-eat and lose too much muscle. I've found that when I try to cut without logging I tend to vastly overestimate my consumption and end up under-eating.

yogicarl

Is it an obsession or is it just really engaging with your new way of life?

SkinnyWannabeGal

Part obsession, part intrigue. I have a new found lust for learning about health. Being more mindful about what I put in my mouth definitely affects me in a positive way. Some people think I'm a little crazy for wanting to eat healthier and be healthier overall. But for me, this isn't about dieting and purposely restricting calories. It is a healthy lifestyle that works for me.

KristinNicole82

I have become completely obsessed with my eating habits and my exercise routine. I have become that way because I love the results. I am always thinking about what I am going to eat that day and if I can make it to the gym. It is all a very delicate balance. I have my cheat days but always keep them in check. I enjoy talking with friends and family regarding my progress and never pass up an opportunity to help them accomplish their goals.

weightlossdiva1219

I am the same way! I've always kind of been like that, though. For me, in order to stick with something and truly succeed, I have to go all out. So I naturally become kind of obsessed with it. I track EVERYTHING I eat. I even try to track the Costco samples I eat when I shop haha. And I try to be innovative and all out with my fitness routine. I like to educate myself everyday on new ways to be healthy and fit. It's not bad to be "obsessed" it's a great dedication to yourself and your health!

LumpySpacePrincess1

How it works for me. I obsess during the early stages until what I'm doing becomes natural.

gale1089

"Obsession is a word lazy people use to describe dedication."

I like to think of myself as dedicated to being healthy rather than obsess :happy:

Maureen214

I'm happy that I've logged 26 days in a row. I don't think I'm obsessive, but I'm close; I'm very very aware. Even the two days I went over my 1520 cals I was very very aware and chose it. One it was my husband's birthday and two by logging it, I saw it was only a few hundred over not two thousand like my mind may have thought because if all of my years of truly unrealistic ideas of portions and calories in food. I think and hope there will come a time soon that these will e habits and I won't have to think and plan as much, but I am truly taking it one day at a time.
And for the family, my husband is training for a marathon so he eats healthy, just larger portions the days he runs 10+ miles and my teenage daughter is a bit finicky, but enjoys most if our dinners And again alters the portions or sometimes I make a different side for her, not an entire meal. I've also learned to cook roughly every other day so that on the days my husband Nd I eat fish which my daughter will NOT eat, there is leftover chicken, turkey, or steak for her to eat. :happy:

Maureen214

I'm happy that I've logged 26 days in a row. I don't think I'm obsessive, but I'm close; I'm very very aware. Even the two days I went over my 1520 cals I was very very aware and chose it. One it was my husband's birthday and two by logging it, I saw it was only a few hundred over not two thousand like my mind may have thought because if all of my years of truly unrealistic ideas of portions and calories in food. I think and hope there will come a time soon that these will e habits and I won't have to think and plan as much, but I am truly taking it one day at a time.
And for the family, my husband is training for a marathon so he eats healthy, just larger portions the days he runs 10+ miles and my teenage daughter is a bit finicky, but enjoys most if our dinners And again alters the portions or sometimes I make a different side for her, not an entire meal. I've also learned to cook roughly every other day so that on the days my husband Nd I eat fish which my daughter will NOT eat, there is leftover chicken, turkey, or steak for her to eat. :happy:

albertine58

I feel way less "obsessed" when I meal prep ahead of time, to some extent, and keep my fridge stocked with diverse healthy options. Then I'm only thinking about what I'm going to eat and cook 1-2 days a week, and the other days I can sort of be on autopilot. Before I started doing this, I felt really overwhelmed with choices, cooking and prepping every single day. Now, if I come home starving, I'll measure out a bowl of roasted veggies and throw some lentils on top- already prepped!- rather than being tempted to pick up something less healthy because it's easier.

I prep veggies, breakfast scrambles, and plan my lunch salads once a week so it's pretty grab-and-go. I'll eat pretty much the same breakfast and lunch all week, and 2 dinner recipes with leftovers for the other days (usually pretty simple, like fish and roasted veggies). This is just for Mon thru Fri- on the weekends I'll usually mix it up, make healthy french toast for breakfast, make "clean-out-the-fridge" meals, etc before it's time to prep for the next week!

SonyaCele

I'm obsessive and driven. I have a huge spreadsheet , i log everythign i eat , all my exercise, notes, calorie deficit, etc. I'm on week 61 and still as obsessed with as i was day 1. And im so glad i logged everytrhing because i can look back and see the progress right before my eyes. My goals have changed since i started, but my obssession has remained strong and hard. Its works best for me.

davert123

I deliberately obsess when I get going on something important so that it becomes part of me :-)

davert123

I deliberately obsess when I get going on something important so that it becomes part of me :-)

6spdeg

I am extremely OCD with fitness and foods. down 125lbs need to be. always thinking what needs to change new exercises, lifts, ways of lifting and always trying new foods and combos for macros etc. weigh, measure and take pics constantly.

cmacphee3

I find that lasts for maybe three weeks. Then you develop habits and become accustomed to what you can eat, portion sizes, etc.

It would really suck to feel that way all the time. I have a family to raise.

Well, I found that it lasts the ENTIRE time I am losing weight, and while I'm maintaining loss. The second I lose the obsession, I start gaining. I was obsessed to the point of thinking about what I would eat/exercise for an entire year when I lost 112lbs, mental health issues and whatnot distracted me from that obsession and I gained a bunch back (87lbs). I got focused again a couple years later, whenever I got "obsessed" I would lose weight - lost 69lbs. When I lost that obsession, I gained back 59lbs. Now I'm losing again, and obsessed yet again. I find it takes an ENORMOUS amount of energy for me to lose weight. If I let up on this energy, I fall back to overeating and being lazy as hell.

NonnyMary

I'm still obsessed with food.. after 3 months.. I dont want to bore everyone with the details, but it happens. I am getting more comfortable with food choices nowadays so maybe it will get better one day.

Nikoruo

I hear ya with that, i've been like this for over 3 months now? I obsess every day. Its good for now but later it may be bad. xD

highervibes

Health and fitness consume many of my thoughts these days, but it's not like I was thinking of ways to solve world hunger before. I mean, I was lazy and distracted and who gives a crap who the Bachelor ends up with? I'd rather be into health and fitness than what I was into before, just sayin'

jcmrax5

I find that lasts for maybe three weeks. Then you develop habits and become accustomed to what you can eat, portion sizes, etc.

It would really suck to feel that way all the time. I have a family to raise.

this. ive been here before and was very obsessive about every little thing. it got old fast. who has the time for that?
i felt like it was all or nothing so i gave up. im back now and having to learn to balance things out. i cant obsess over food all day. and honestly thats why im fat to begin with. food is all i thought about. at some point youre going to have to let go and trust that you have learned enough to walk on your own!

JustSammi

I like to say it's more of a passion than an obsession. But yes, I'm obsessed. I think about food all of the time and it's good because it helps me stay on track but in the past it has been bad because it's caused me to starve my body.

While I'm on this mission to lose weight, I'm happy to be obsessed but I do worry about the future. I'd like to think that when I reach my goal I'll be able to stop logging as much and enjoy life a bit more. I'm not depriving myself but I still feel stressed if I know I'm going to a restaurant, even if I save calories for it. I guess I'd like to be mindful of my eating, rather than obsessed with it.

mamadon

Like another poster said, I am not obsessed, I am driven. I have been driven for around nine months and I plan to be that way for the rest of my life. If it is obsessive, so be it. Before, I was obsessed with food in a different way. I like this better.

nickalow11

I find that lasts for maybe three weeks. Then you develop habits and become accustomed to what you can eat, portion sizes, etc.

It would really suck to feel that way all the time. I have a family to raise.

^ This ^ I'm stuck in the feeling obsessed and I have a family to raise. It's really not working for me right now!

0somuchbetter0

I just posted about this a few days ago. I totally get obsessed and I find it completely mentally and emotionally draining. The last two or three days I haven't been eating so well, I guess in part as a reaction to extreme mental strength I need to stay in control. Now I'm headed out of town for the weekend to a place where "salad" is defined as a hunk of iceberg lettuce with a gallon of thousand island dressing. Feeling bleh...

Anyway, here's my thread about it -- I got a lot of nice and encouraging replies. Maybe it'll help.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1097735-a-little-worried

jvbrooks

I am off to a good start so far, but there is one thing I have noticed that has kept me successful so far.

I am constantly "thinking" about what I am eating and what I am going to eat every second of every day. It has become my obsession. I guess you can say this is a good thing but this is till food. I am still obsessed by food but in a good way.

Maybe we can liken this to that nervousness you feel before a big date, a big speech in front of a large group of people, or even when there is a confrontation with someone. That nervousness in many ways is adrenaline, and you can actually use it as fuel.

So my question is, has anyone else noticed that with their success comes obsession, and better yet, can you sue your obsession with food (in a bad way, how I got fat) to channel it to a "good" obsession?

I try to avoid being obsessive. I got fat by constantly thinking about food. I don't do that anymore

thepetiterunner

I would say in the beginning (perhaps the first 9-12 months), it was a very focused attention to fitness and health. But after that, it became *habit* more than obsession.

For me, I've reached a point where fitness and making healthy choices is simply how I live. Initially I was very goals driven in meeting my daily/weekly/monthly goals. Now, I don't constantly think about my next meal, what I'm going to "treat" myself with later in the week or how many hours or minutes I have left to exercise this week. However, I am very aware of what I'm eating and when I'm feeling like I need to exercise more or need more rest.

It's different. I don't think you need to be "obsessed" forever to succeed. At some point it just becomes HOW you live and not things you're changing or trying to do. It just is. And I think this is a much healthier (and more pleasant for others around you) perspective to have than being obsessed or having a controlling relationship with food/fitness.

dym123

I'll happily admit that I am totally obsessed with my nutrition and workouts, I preplan my meals, I am super picky about the foods I eat, read ingredient lables religiously. I have a workout schedule at my desk at work so I'll know what I'm doing when I get home. I was the same way when I got myself out of debt, I would read and learn anything I could about personal finance. I'm still somewhat obsessed about my finances which has kept me debt-free for 3 years so far, hoping my obsession over my nutrition and fitness will keep me fit for the rest of my life.

AMKelleyRN

I totally agree that success comes from "obsession" and maybe a better term to use would be "dedication." It is easy to become totally enveloped in your progress, when you are seeing the weight come off and your body changing, but it is more difficult for those who arent as quick to see the weight come off. The key is persistence. Don't let yourself burn out.