A Tale of Obsession and Burnout

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earlnabby
earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
This summer, I started to become obsessed with my step count. I spent as much time as possible out walking and getting my count high. My goal has been to stay between 70,000 and 80,000 per week but I found myself aiming much higher. Part of me was thinking "Oh, you can't sustain these numbers all of your life" but another part of me was "but more is better, right?". Well, not always. I burned myself out. I reached the point where I just did not want to work out no way, no how. I also went badly off the rails with my eating for almost a week, to the point where I was eating like I did to gain the weight.

I took stock and it is back to the beginning. I reset my numbers to NEAT to lose 1 lb. a week at sedentary (I had been eating TDEE - 500) and I am going to stick to my step goal rather than the high numbers I had been doing. Generally, I eat back most of my Fitbit calories earned and up to 50% of my swimming calories earned. I got back on track with the eating for a couple of days before going up north for a kayaking trip. On the trip, the food was provided and I took healthy, protein heavy snacks with me (eggs, cheese, jerky, nuts) because I knew the food would be a bit higher carb than I typically eat (fruit and things like bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, bag lunches with sandwiches, chips, fruit, and a cookie for lunch, etc). (I normally eat moderate carb, ie 35% of my total with a max of 180 total carbs.) I just tried to maintain on the trip while fueling my body for the heavy physical activity.

I am now ready to get back into the swing of things on a regular basis. I weighed myself last week and I put on 4.8 lb in the previous 2 weeks. I know some of that is water weight both from all the sodium I ate on my trip and because we are in a hot spell again and I swell up in the heat. I am not going to let it get to me. So what if it takes me an extra month to reach goal because of this? I have learned a few lessons about myself in the process. The biggest thing is that, even though it means I can't eat as much, I NEED to keep the workouts at a sustainable level. Physically, more can be better but, psychologically, it isn't better for me.

This morning I weighed myself and all of the excess is gone, plus I lost an additional 4/10ths of a pound.

Onward and Downward !!!!!!!!!!

Replies

  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
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    Congratulations on your recovery and achieving control over your obsession. Best part is: you are aware of it, you accept your responsibility, you are accountable and you will not let it happen again.
    Good luck in your healthy journey
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    socioseguro wrote: »
    Congratulations on your recovery and achieving control over your obsession. Best part is: you are aware of it, you accept your responsibility, you are accountable and you will not let it happen again.
    Good luck in your healthy journey

    Thanks. I will always be a duffer rather than an elite athlete. That is my "happy place" and I need to remind myself of that. I can enjoy the hiking, swimming, snowshoeing, kayaking, etc. I love to do. I just need to finish losing the excess weight and keep doing what I am doing as far as fitness goes. The only thing I need to add is something to strengthen my legs a bit since it is still a little hard to get myself out of a kayak without help (bad knees so I have trouble lifting my body weight from a crouching position)
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
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    Yes, congrats on nipping it in the bud before it got too out of hand. I also get a little obsessive with my Fitbit numbers. I start to feel bad if I don't make my goal and am considering just taking it off. I work out daily, but will get frustrated if I do a 45 minute strength training video and it doesn't give me the same steps as 45 minutes of a brisk walk or a run. It could be the difference of 4000-5000 steps, so then I have have to go for a walk to get my steps back up. With the kids back in school, their sports schedules and work I don't have time for double workouts anymore.

    I refocused on Sept. 1 and am doing much better. Kudos to you for catching it early and making changes. Keep up the great work!!
  • thetanyacam
    thetanyacam Posts: 35 Member
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    Wow im so happy you got this! I feel like im going threw this...right now. This post is great. Thanks for sharing.
  • naynaytater
    naynaytater Posts: 13 Member
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    I don't obsess about the step count on my Fitbit .. I have my goal to reach TDEE calories instead of steps, so I know that on days I don't hit TDEE, I need to eat less and on days I exceed I can have a treat if I want one.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
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    /rant/

    Step counts, by and large, are stupid. Most of that stepping is done within your TDEE anyway and I say this as a guy who owns a Jawbone UP (Father's day gift). That stupid "Smart Coach" (the AI... ha! Intelligent. Not!) is constantly urging me to "step more" you can "do it" but then if for some reason I didn't meet last week's step number I'm shamed by it. WTF? Excuse me AI, you have no clue as to my overall programming.

    And I can't turn off the stupid "Smart Coach." It won't turn off. Grrr. *facebrick*

    IMO, the only time your steps really matter is if you go over/under your daily (or perhaps) weekly number of steps which may allow you to eat more/less depending on whether you are cutting or bulking or not.

    And any steps over your average total would be called, exercise. Only planned premeditated exercise is what matters. Steps to the restroom is not exercise, dear Smart coach.

    /rant/

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