Becoming obessed with exercise

...Has anyone else experienced the obsession of exercising? I find myself full of anxiety when I can't exercise when I want. Or if I spent an hour on the treadmill getting off and feeling like I could have done more or longer. My weight banner does not reflect my current weight correctly as I haven't been on a scale in over a month, I know I'm dropping it fast but I don't want to know the number because it feeds this feeling...Have you experienced this too?

Replies

  • BayAreaJunkE
    BayAreaJunkE Posts: 10 Member
    Definitely!! I've learned the hard way that I need accessional days off from the gym.. I would go and push myself everyday because I was afraid that if I missed one day, that I would stop going altogether. My problem with the scale is that I step on it at least 10 times a day lol ..I always check before I go to the gym and when I get back from the gym. Seeing that progress daily motivates me, but it's hard convincing myself that I need a rest day when I know that I won't see as much progress that day.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    You just started a couple months ago and your excited to be loosing the weight. Of course you think your workouts aren't good enough or you'd like to do more. If what you're doing is working, why not ramp it up, right? That may hurt you more in the long run though. I was this way when I first started also. I wanted to work out every day and then I found heavy lifting. Now I know the importance of rest days and I take them. You need to find a happy medium. Cardio is excellent for your heart and lungs but it also just gives you extra calories to be able to eat more during the day. I know some people with argue with me and they swear by cardio, which is great. I swear by heavy lifting. It balanced me out.
  • goalss4nika
    goalss4nika Posts: 529 Member
    Yes, when I don't exercise I feel so bad. It can be a good thing!
  • Broderick50
    Broderick50 Posts: 842 Member
    I've had a couple of friends tell me I'm obsessed with it. But I don't really care they never pointed out when I was obsessed with eating and not exercising.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    maybe try setting fitness goals that are independent of burning calories and what not....

    Often when people start setting fitness goals and working towards those, they discover that they're really been going about their fitness all wrong and rather than an obsession, they find joy in working towards those goals...and they usually realize that a proper training protocol as well as REST are going to result in the biggest bang for their exercise buck where fitness is concerned.

    I tell you, it's a lot more fun when you realize that rest days are as much a part of your fitness protocol as actual work days.
  • MagnumBurrito
    MagnumBurrito Posts: 1,070 Member
    You're getting high from the dopamine release in the brain that comes from exercising. It's happens to everyone. If you ever really struggle with thinking you could do more, give yourself a time limit at the gym. Get in, get out.
  • MeganAnne89
    MeganAnne89 Posts: 271 Member
    ...Has anyone else experienced the obsession of exercising? I find myself full of anxiety when I can't exercise when I want. Or if I spent an hour on the treadmill getting off and feeling like I could have done more or longer. My weight banner does not reflect my current weight correctly as I haven't been on a scale in over a month, I know I'm dropping it fast but I don't want to know the number because it feeds this feeling...Have you experienced this too?

    This happens to me a lot.

    I end up having to be counterproductive at times because I tend to obsess over a particular number and how many times I exercise a week to achieve said number. So there are days where I force myself to not work out or I have to force myself to eat a snack because I need to prove to my mind that it's okay to rest and to take a break and it will not inhibit my physical achievements because I am steadily working towards being a healthy person, so a break will not harm me.
  • cherrilovee
    cherrilovee Posts: 194 Member
    An obsession of exercising isn't bad, unless it's cutting from your normal life. You should still be able to go to work/school, do what you got to do. Also when it comes to exercise you should at least give yourself a day off from the gym every week.
  • I am well and truly hooked. I am a results driven individual and seeingbthe weight fall off, feeling fitter and stronger, being abke to go furher, faster, longer, arghhhh so many positive results to choose from!!!!

    I get mega cranky if i dont get my endorphine fix, hey i get crankybif indont get what i want at the best of times anyway!!!
  • YES!!!