Starting to Develop an Obsession

shrinkingviolet1913 · May 2012

I started on MFP a few weeks ago on the advice of a friend. Let me say that this site has been just what I've needed. I've already dropped 10 pounds and I haven't even started my exercising yet. One thing that I've noticed, however, is that I'm starting to feel obsessed with weight loss.

I have 70 pounds before my goal weight, and I'm really excited about being that small again. Lately, though I've been totally consumed (no pun intended) with this process. I plan every meal. I think about weight loss all day long. I keep thinking about what I'm going to look like at my goal weight. I record every single thing I eat on MFP. Yesterday, my toddler tried to feed me a piece of her cookie and I refused to eat it. (Even though I had the calories in my budget)

My mom wanted to take me to lunch for Mother's Day, and I totally panicked. She wanted to drive to a restaurant, but I suggested we go to the mall instead because I knew I could walk around and burn off the calories. I even researched what restaurants were in the mall, then went to their websites and got the calorie counts of all of their foods. I picked out my meal in advance, based strictly on calorie content. Then, before she stopped by, I went for a walk and did a little cardio beforehand to put more calories in my budget. I still came in under budget but the whole thing made me anxious.

I feel like I'm developing an eating disorder. All I can think about is small clothes. I go virtual "shopping" online every day for small clothes. I just look at size 6's and 4's and think about them all the time. I'm pretty sure I have an eating disorder now. I have no idea what to do. I can't quit because I refuse to gain back another pound.

SerahLaffere · May 2012

At the moment, I'm literally the same.

I keep picturing myself at a healthy weight! Well My ideal weight!
Getting into sexy underwear and not being afraid of standing wearing it in front of my boyfriend.
IMO it's a motivator!

But I do this because I literally have nothing but weight loss in my life right now.
My boyfriend lives 100 miles away so I stay with him about 2-3 times a month.
And I don't think about it so much. But that's when I binge a little bit. (I don't anymore)

Try to introduce something else into your life like a hobby or something maybe?

Literally my day consists of me waking up.
Small breakfast
work out for 25 minutes
hour or so later zumba for 1hr
(I do this all through videos online btw)
No way am I confident enough to go to a gym yet!!!

Then bath and just chill going through success stories to give me more motivation!

I wouldn't be to worried about it, when you start feeling more confident in your body you'll enjoy life more,make more effort to go out more (not saying you don't) I have no idea. Just personal experience!

I even weigh myself daily! But I'm working on that.

Live your life like you've already lost the weight. And it'll drop off in no time, and you'll be like WOAH the time has gone by so fast!

Hope this helps a bit missy!

And well done on the 10lbs!

xo

leslisa · May 2012

Set a time for checking out the clothes, or maybe post pics on the fridge. You might have a bit of an obsessive / addictive personality and so when you are into something, you are really into it.

In any case, keep chugging away and soon enough those are clothes you will be buying, not dreaming of buying.

shrinkingviolet1913 · May 2012

Thanks for the support. According to schedule (tee hee hee, a schedule) I should be at my goal weight by New Year's Eve. I know it will go fast. I'm really enjoying this lifestyle change...

jen7eleven · May 2012

I get like this too, as another poster mentioned obsessive/addictive. The hard part for me is that I feel like it's always extreme. I'll get very motivated and focused to the point where it's all I think about, but then a slight derailment will cause me to fall of the wagon and completely lose interest for few weeks. Which is why I've been losing and gaining the same 5 lbs for a while now.

I'm interested to see what other posters will reply in your thread, as I'd like to learn ways to balance things out rather than jumping to extremes.

Right now I'm trying to focus on weight loss with my goals at 10 lb intervals. Hopefully it will help me from getting discouraged by the daunting "total" goal (70+).

Feel free to friend me if you'd like.

Erihppas · May 2012

Don't look at it as a bad thing.

Face the facts:

You've been losing the weight you've been wanting to lose for a while
You're excited about your future
You're starting to think differently about yourself (which feels GREAT), like "Wow, I can actually do this!"

As long as it's not preventing you from living your everyday life (You're not sacrificing school/work/significant other to obsess about weight, are you?), then hold on to this feeling, because it does fade after a bit!

I'm happy for you!!

gatorginger · May 2012

Try looking at this as a change of eating habits and set smaller goals like 5 or 10 pounds at a time. Allow yourself to indulge once in a while. Since you just started this I can understand why you had anxiety about going out to eat and that is understandable, but you did all the right things by looking up the menu before hand and exercising. We all do those things. So try to look at this like a change of life style with allowing yourself to indulge from time to time.

mfpcopine · May 2012

You need to give this your complete attention, as you appear to be doing. You have to educate yourself, relearn many habits and be vigilant. This will be the case after you reach your goal weight and long after. It's probably quite a bit to absorb and does at times feel overwhelming. It's nothing to be concerned about.

Starting to Develop an Obsession

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