Being Obsessive = Only Way to Truely Succeed

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

i am obsessed. i have to be.

i am obsessed because even if i was not thinking about food from a healthy standpoint, i would be still be thinking about food.

i am an addict. food was always on a mind much like heroin clouds the mind of a junkie. food took control for years, gave me a place to escape, a place to hide and ultimately a place to destruct.

so i think about it all the time, but now i think about food with laser focus in terms of intake, output, energy and nourishment.

so until my mind has won all rights to my thought process, i will be remain obsessed, vigilant and acutely aware that while addiction lurks quiet inside of me, my will is much louder, incredibly stronger and currently dominating the *kitten* out of this battle.

I am totally obsessed with food intake and record keeping. I hear ya.

I am logging for myself and two others in my household, all on different calorie amounts with various goals to achieve. To get through the weekdays without feeling exhausted, immediately after supper, my hubby cleans up and I log everything but supper (and sometimes I log supper) for the next day for the three of us. I ask what they want for breakfast and lunch, confirm the amount of snack calories, and write it all down ensuring that there are a good amount of supper calories left for the next day. They track their own snack calories - I just tell them the amount of snack calories they have. This takes about 20 mins for 3 people (to make sure they are having variety, and are part of the process, and to educate them on making healthy choices). Then, I take a look at the log, make sure it is balanced and nutricious and then get everything ready that I can for the next day (veggies, fruit, lunchess, etc.). In the morning, I prepare any of the lunch items that we prefer made the day of rather than the day before (such as wraps). Oh - and I paper and pen log. It works so much better for me.

My husband is just starting his journey to healthy and he is also overcoming major food aversions and breaking bad habits, so I will be doing this for him for the next month or so and then turning it over to him more. However I am the cook in the house, so will liklely always be involved. Honestly, being a busy mom doing it all at once is the only way I maintain my sanity. Also, I don't feel like I am obssessing - its just a once a day routine, no different from taking a shower or going to the gym. Hope this helps.

I can relate, although sometimes I overdo it and get myself into uncomfortable situations, like refusing a slice of a colleague's birthday cake, I should be more flexible in those kind of situations.

I couldn't agree more. I constanty measured out servings,rounded up if i wasn't sure about tbe products calories... exhausting but paid off. skipped extra's (no mayo or cheese on sandwiches,no sugar in my tea... that sorta thing. excessive but it works... the list could go on and on. Nowadays its easier and i do a lot of estimating ...