Do we have to be obsessed?

TheBigShe

TheBigShe

New member
I have a little point to raise and would be very interested to hear from anyone feeling the same way or not for that matter!
I have a pretty addictive personality, I have been truly serious about this diet for 5 days only and am starting to feel a little obsessed. Now, i know that feeling this way will surely get me to my target weight eventually as I am suspiciously eyeing up every piece of food that i think about putting in my mouth.
Is this good or not? Is it going to esculate?
Is this the way you have to be when on a weight loss regime?
Is everyone here feeling as I do? I literally cannot stop thinking about my target weight and what i am and am not eating.
Is it just because I am new to it and soon it will clam down as it becomes less of a novelty?
Is anyone out there finding it easy to live their lives' around their diets and not the other way round? If so, please do advise. i am sure I cant be the only one.

XXXXXXXX
 
There's healthy obsession and there's unhealthy obsession... only you know where you fall...

Getting to your goal weight is one thing... Staying there is entirely different... If the path and mind set your taking will only get you to your goal weight - and you're only focused on the destination... then you really need to re-evaluate your plan...

Being mindful of what you're eating and portion sizes is important and helps to educate you but if it's all consuming then there's a problem (I've seen people on other sites who can tell you exactly how many minutes of jumping jacks it will take to burn off one bagel - this person claims to have recovered from an eating disorder but all signs point to she's deluding herself that she's recovered...
 
I think being conscious of what you're consuming is good, as you'll need to recruit your "higher thinking" and "decision making" to override automatic behaviors. On that note, though, focusing on the weight loss process (as opposed to target weight) will increase your chances of goal attainment. Additionally, having something else that eats up your attention (projects, work, family, etc...) can be a great distraction, which is effective in minimizing snacking and things of that sort.

Have a plan written out somewhere so that you don't have to put too much thought into it every day, and keep yourself occupied with other important things that don't involve eating. That's what I've been doing, anyhow.


Plonki:hat:
 
Im guessing you'll get bored with it eventually (the obsessiveness, not the diet!)

I was the same way at first. Constantly googling diet site and reading info and planning every little part of my diet out for months.

You want to keep aware of every calorie you consume, just to track how many calories you are eating so you aren't eating too little or too much. However, if it becomes a problem (a problem would be where it interferes with other aspects of your life) then that is when you should look into calming yourself down.

I'm sure you'll do fine.
 
It depends really. Some people will look at a person who is serious and interested in their health and call it an obsession when they compare it to their own lifestyle and way of thinking.

I'm sure some people think I am fanatical about how I and my family eat. But there is so much reasoning behind it. I truly care and am interested (have been my whole life) about optimum health and creating the best opportunities for my mind and body from how I eat and live.

It really is a huge part of my life and how I am suppose to be. If it is an obsession it is something worthwhile to be obsessed with. There is no harm coming to my family, we are not isolated because of how we live and eat, people constantly ask our advice on healthy living as a family when they meet us.

If what you are interested in starts hurting yourself, or you're not able to focus on other responsibilites or important things in your life then it is time to step back and find a balance.

I guess I have a healthy obsession. I enjoy focussing on my health and thinking about it when every choice I make.
 
I was the same way for a while but when you start to get to your goal weight and you start getting new clothes you obsession turns to different things...like getting a GF :)
 
Obsessing over my diet and exercise program is the only reason I am loosing weight. I have to think about it all the time or I will fail like every other time I failed. It's not so bad now that I have been doing it for 4 months and I have changed my eating habits.
 
The only time that I lost a significant amount of weight was when I was completely obsessed over it. But of course I gained it all back because I didn't change my lifestyle. I've tried various things to keep my obsession under control, but oftentimes it backfires on me. For example, you'll hear people say that you should only weigh once a week, once a month, or not at all because you know if you are eating healthy. I've found that doesn't work for me. I seem to have greater control over my weight if I weigh myself every day. I don't like to because it is depressing (and stupid because your weight naturally fluctuates), but it reminds me every single day of where I am and where I need to be. The only time that I won't weigh myself in the morning is if I have been awake the entire night studying. I always weigh more without a good night's sleep. So I haven't weighed myself today because I had a test. Anyway now I'm rambling but yea, try to keep your obsession in check but it varies from person to person.
 
Well in my own personal debacle with trying to not be obsessive, It took me 6 months to be consumed by thoughts of dieting.

Never, ever, ever, let yourself reach the point of dieting is all you think about, and turn it around when you realize it's getting rediculous, if you ever do realize. (Sorry for that massive run on sentence.)

Anywho, I started out just half-ass doing the diet, when I realized that, low and behold, it was working. Then I went crazy and it's all I thought about <- making a longggg story very short.

Bottom line, I got too skinny (104 pounds), all I thought about was food and when I could eat, which I set pretty tight limits, and how horrible food was.

Now I'm 116, wouldn't say the healthiest, but a hell of a lot better than I used to be. (and no, I dont restrict myself on a bogus diet, I just eat like a normal person for once)

Btw- It royally messes up your metabolism when you basically starve yourself, and now I'm very prone to gaining weight.
So, basically, dont sqrew yourself.
=) :willy_nilly:
 
TheBigShe said:
I have a little point to raise and would be very interested to hear from anyone feeling the same way or not for that matter!
I have a pretty addictive personality, I have been truly serious about this diet for 5 days only and am starting to feel a little obsessed. Now, i know that feeling this way will surely get me to my target weight eventually as I am suspiciously eyeing up every piece of food that i think about putting in my mouth.
Is this good or not? Is it going to esculate?
Is this the way you have to be when on a weight loss regime?
Is everyone here feeling as I do? I literally cannot stop thinking about my target weight and what i am and am not eating.
Is it just because I am new to it and soon it will clam down as it becomes less of a novelty?
Is anyone out there finding it easy to live their lives' around their diets and not the other way round? If so, please do advise. i am sure I cant be the only one.

XXXXXXXX
Click to expand...

Obsession is never good. "Everything in moderation", isn't that what they say?

Anyway, I get the same way everytime I start working out and eating better. For the first week or two, I feel like I'm getting obsessed with my new found lifestyle. I can't look at food without thinking about it's nutritional and caloric content. I can't sit around without wanting to do some push-ups and sit-ups. It just consumes my mind.

BUT, after a week or two, I get tired of "obsessing" over it and it ends up going away, because I get sick of it.
 
I know how it is to have an addictive personality. I'm horrible about latching onto things. It's been a constant source of amusement to me that I think about food more now that I'm watching what I eat than I did when I wasn't. I think about it constantly. Not thinking about eating, per se, just... thinking about recipes, planning meals, tracking my progress and reading forums... it's like the Food Network in my skull.

To an extent, I think that the increased level of awareness is important for someone trying to eat better but there is probably a point where it does become unhealthy. As long as you're eating well, sleeping well and taking care of other day to day life commitments (work/school/etc) then you're probably doing just fine. :)
 
I agree that there is a healthy and unhealthy obsession.

For me, because of course everyone is different, I'm obsessed in a "healthy" way. I'm determined! But I allow myself to make mistakes and think that it's perfectly normal and okay if I don't eat on target for a day, to take a day off from hitting the gym, etc. I obviously am still persistant enough to keep going and not lose focus or get off track so that I can still reach my goals! We can't forget that this is all about getting healthier, mentally and pyshically, and HAVING FUN living our lives!
 
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