Dedication V.S Obsession.

If someone told me I was obsessive in regards to fitness I'd just assume their definition of the word is different than mine. I don't care what anyone's opinion is regarding my life and health.

Otherwise, I agree with both @eeanneli and @MikePTY. There is a distinction between living a fitness lifestyle and letting it take over other aspects of your life.

Each person is different and trying to analyze why someone may call you or me obsessive isn't my call to make.

Any time a level of dedication is put toward a goal, people tend to become a bit obsessed. And there's nothing wrong with that. Wealthy people don't take a break from trying to make money, they're constantly thinking of long-term sustainability or accumulating more wealth.

Healthy people don't take a break from being healthy in the same way.

Now there's a difference between obsessed and completely neurotic. There are healthy obsessions where positive feedback results in a benefit that can be applicable to various aspects of life, relationships, society, etc. If the obsession results in pushing for a goal at the expense of any benefit, other than your own skewed perception, then it's problematic.

That said, I will freely admit when I'm obsessed about attaining goals, and I will consider it an invite to speak about it if questioned. Those who seemingly oppose it are welcome to speak their mind, as long as there is substantial reasoning and evidence that it's actually damaging. If it's just an opinion, take a look at the person saying it. If they have been successful in the same goal I have; i.e. body composition/business/etc. then there's some validity to it and maybe a reevaluation is needed, which still proves to be a benefit to yourself. If it's completely baseless and it's a subject in which they have no experience or knowledge, then let them speak as you keep doing what you're doing.

There are a lot of reasons why the latter have an opposition, whether it's because your progress illustrates their shortcomings to even begin or because they have some preconceived notion of fitness that leads them to fit shaming, but none of that matters if there's no benefit from it.

TL;DR: Eff 'em, do you.

People didn’t call me that, but I’m sure a lot of folks thought I was nuts.

I lost the last 40lbs on Weight Watchers. I attended meetings. I came to view meetings as the school of what not to do. Quickly noticed a pattern of people making GW, and coming back years later having regained everything. I vowed not to do it.

I made goal and kept attending that meeting for about 10 years. Never over GW. I only left the meeting because we moved away. This last year I finally started thinking that I won’t regain what I’ve lost unless I lose my mind.

I think a lot of the folks at that meeting thought I was crazy. I don’t care. I made my decisions about what I wanted for myself. It was my business.

Don’t know why folks feel free to comment about our behavior when we are losing. I weighed 285lbs and was killing myself with food and drink. No one seemed to think that was obsessive though it plainly was.

Maybe over doing it is just in my nature. Over doing weight loss is better for me than what I was doing before.