The Fine Line Between Motivated and Obsessed

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waster196
waster196 Posts: 138 Member
in Motivation and Support
So I'm around 9 weeks in now (5 with MFP) and things are going fairly well on the whole but I'm finding myself constantly, I mean CONSTANTLY checking my MFP diary or thinking about how this whole shebang is going. I'm putting added pressure on myself and I'm feeling like it's making things more difficult and causing my motivation to wane a little.

How do you all cope with self-inflicted pressure and how do you stay on the right side of the fine line between motivated and obsessed?

Replies

  • Willstephens1
    Willstephens1 Posts: 45 Member
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    I work in IT and am sat at a computer all day, and i find myself constantly on the MFP forums. Definitely obsessed.

    But i think reading about it all the time encourages me to try harder. I don't see it as a bad thing... yet.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    I think there are worse things to be obsessed with than your health. :)

    One thing that has helped me to not constantly think about it is to plan my meals and snacks the night before. After I close out my food diary for the day, I'll skip ahead to tomorrow and fill in what I plan to eat. Sometimes things change, and then I'll just roll with it, but having that plan in place means I don't have to obsess about what I'm going to eat, because I already know. I already know what to prepare, how many calories, carbs, protein, etc. are in it, where my diet might be lacking for the day, and so on. That keeps me from having to constantly remember and calculate and think ahead to the next meal.

    That said, I'm still on MFP quite a lot. But for me, that's a separate issue with laziness and the unfortunate habit of sitting at the computer when I really should be doing something else. And there are ways to deal with that too, if that's your issue. But if it's just the thinking about food that's bothering you, planning ahead could help a lot.
  • carolyne2
    carolyne2 Posts: 109
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    Hi hun,

    Maybe your just not used to putting yourself first and see it as something you feel guilty about, hence the pressure. You are the important one and if doing what you are doing is keeping you on the straight and narrow (which presumably you want to), then just ditch the stress, you don't need to feel that way. Enjoy the fact that you are doing something that is important to you, and reap the benefits.
  • Cbellphotos
    Cbellphotos Posts: 2
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    Great topic... Yesterday I was feeling " owned " by mfp! So I planned a schedule. After each meal I post... If I am hungry the I can preplan meals so I see what I will eat..... Just a roadmap. I must stay the course this time.... So a little obsession is ok.
    Watching that bar drop lower is just a must..... So far so good, so I put rewards out at 25 lb marks! Mentally. Goals,instead of the only focus being food.... Contents. Calories, nutrition values etc. Enjoy the day!
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
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    I call it being focussed. :wink:
  • Charlea1981
    Charlea1981 Posts: 72 Member
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    LOL, I cannot help you there, I am always on MFP too! Whether at home, work or using my Blackberry!!! I really feel MFP keeps me motivated, I exercise more and I am more aware of why and what I am eating, it also motivates me to drink water too!!

    I love MFP friends they are so encouraging, I am definitely obsessed but not too bad!! YET!!

    If you are worried maybe, restrict yourself when to go on or how long you will spend on here. The novelty will wear off I suppose, like when I first discovered Face book now I rarely go on, and at least this site is beneficial and informative!!

    Keep up the good work and do not be too hard on yourself!!!
  • kym117
    kym117 Posts: 315 Member
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    Hmm I can fully understand where you are coming from, I have been fully into MFP since the first week in January and I am also tredding the fine line between motivation and obsession! I check MFP morning, noon and night tracking food and checking posts etc, however I have to say I am not going to let it worry me as I think the whole pressure thing has on a whole left me a lot healthier, fitter and feeling better than this time last year and I guess if I am going to be obsessive then healthier living is a good thing to do it with, it has helped me a lot with now over a stone lost and you are doing great at 25lbs, infact quite an inspiration. If you feel however that it is becoming a problem try just setting by say 1/2 an hour or so in a day to check in and log, I personally feel that the checking in is what keeps me from falling of the wagon as everone here is on the same boat and the support and motivation given from fellow MFP members is what keeps me going on a daily basis. Good luck.
  • hemlock2010
    hemlock2010 Posts: 422 Member
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    I started with 75 pounds to lose and a bunch of really unpleasant health issues in the offing. For me, getting a little obsessed with my health seems to be the only way to combat all the problems caused by years and years of neglect of my body. But there is a similar thought in the back of my mind somewhere--which is that life is going to be pretty boring if I have to spend the rest of it thinking about what I eat and how much exercise as much as I'm thinking about them now!!

    Maybe eating right eventually becomes automatic and not a constant struggle?
  • waster196
    waster196 Posts: 138 Member
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    Thanks for the encouragement guys - it's nice to know I'm not the only person feeling this way!

    The worry isn't the obsession with being healthy - obviously that's a good thing to be concerned about (especially after years of neglect). The real problem I'm having is coping with the pressure. I have a lot of weight to lose so obviously I'm aware this should be steady and take a long time to be considered a healthy life change. It's difficult to align your thinking to accept that this obsession is healthy but not get carried away to the point of being dissapointed with a 1.5lb a week weight loss, for example.

    I do have a lot of weight to lose and as such feel a little disappointed that my weight loss and slowed quite considerably, relatively early in the process. Is this normal?
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
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    Yup, normal. This morning, my weekly weigh-in showed me a 0.4lb loss. I eat right and workout 4-5 times a week. At first I thought "ughhh what the hell!" but then I realized - 0.4lbs is more than I was losing before, it's 0.4lbs more toward my goal, and hey, my inches are dropping so it doesnt matter. And then I looked like this -> :bigsmile:

    Stick with it!
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    Thanks for the encouragement guys - it's nice to know I'm not the only person feeling this way!

    The worry isn't the obsession with being healthy - obviously that's a good thing to be concerned about (especially after years of neglect). The real problem I'm having is coping with the pressure. I have a lot of weight to lose so obviously I'm aware this should be steady and take a long time to be considered a healthy life change. It's difficult to align your thinking to accept that this obsession is healthy but not get carried away to the point of being dissapointed with a 1.5lb a week weight loss, for example.

    I do have a lot of weight to lose and as such feel a little disappointed that my weight loss and slowed quite considerably, relatively early in the process. Is this normal?

    It could be normal. How many calories are you eating? You need to make sure you're netting at least 1500 calories a day (including eating your exercise calories) to make sure your body is getting enough fuel so you don't slow your metabolism. Depending on what exercise you're doing, you might also be building muscle weight and losing body fat, which is a good thing. Have you been taking your measurements? Progress pictures? Those things can help you to visualize when you're getting smaller, even if the scale doesn't reflect a loss. If you want more specific suggestions, you could open your food diary -- I'm sure you could get some good pointers if we could see what's going on.

    As far as the pressure, why not set some mini-goals for yourself? Maybe a small reward when you reach a certain number on the scale? For me, I chose not to set mini-goals with dates because it would be too much pressure, but it works for a lot of people. You could plan to reach a certain weight by a set date, or just set milestones for yourself that you'll celebrate whenever you hit them, without setting a date ahead of time.
  • waster196
    waster196 Posts: 138 Member
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    I'm eating usually between 1700-1900 per day, and I'm not consuming my exercise calories in addition to that. I worried that it might be a bit too low, but a friend of mine who is a PT said it's trial and error and I should try both ways to see what works for me.

    I haven't yet made my diary public but would be happy to do so to friends if you're in a position to offer any advice?
  • lesley1981
    lesley1981 Posts: 329 Member
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    Don't view it as an obsession... view it as being part of your lifestyle change. It shows that you're becoming accountable for what you are eating, and you're motivated enough to do it.

    I started on MFP just over a year ago, and I started inputting every morsel into my diary. I failed slightly, although I didn't put on any of the weight I had lost, and decided a number of weeks later that I would give it another go. I didn't add to my diary for a while, but I decided to start again.

    The iphone app is a godsend, as I add food as I eat it, I log my exercise as I do it, and I'm able to keep a true account of what I'm doing.

    This has been the only thing that has helped me to lose weight and keep it off...

    If I was truely obsessed I wouldn't have my "fat days", but I am still accountable for them, and when I see the amount of calories consumed on one of these days, it gives me the little kick I needed to get back on track.
  • DaddyMantz
    DaddyMantz Posts: 145 Member
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    Being dedicated is good and being obsessed is bad. There are a lot of bodybuilders and fitness models (if not all) who record their calories every day and could be considered "obsessed". But they are clearly getting results. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being dedicated to being fit and lean.

    If you think you are spending too much time on the forums and not enough actually exercising then I suggest you write down your 3-month fitness/health goals and your daily fitness/health goals.

    i.e. "On June 8, 2011 I am 20 pounds lighter." "My waist is 3 inches smaller". I eat 5 meals per day with enough protein. I am within 10% of my total calorie goal every day." "I allow myself one cheat meal per week", "I perform at least 20 minutes of Cardio 6 days per week".

    The forums are really fantastic but you might be better served reading some fitness books with the time you are not spending exercising and planning your healthy diet.
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
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    I’m of the opinion that nothing about this journey should make you feel bad. That doesn’t mean it’s all easy and sunshine, but that doing this work—the work of taking care of yourself and transforming your life—isn’t bad. What could be better than knowing you are removing something from your body that is slowly and steadily killing you (i.e. fat)?

    But…managing our food, making good choices, living differently than we did before can take us to some ugly places inside. It’s part of the process. We’ve abused or neglected our bodies for a reason, and there’s no stopping the abuse without going to the place that told us it was okay in the first place. We just have to focus on a single truth, one that is often hard to accept:

    You are beautiful and perfect now, even with your failings and imperfections. You do not have reach your goal weight before you are okay. You’re okay, right now. Just as you are.

    We’re all a work in progress and deserve a little compassion from the person who is with us 24-hours of every day, ourselves.

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