Tips for Losing Weight with OCD?
I'm PRETTY sure I have OCD, though I have no proof of it. Now, I know a lot of people who have eating disorders actually have OCD as well, and so they keep dieting to extreme thinness, but in my situation this is not the case. I am (by 3 pounds) obese and actually do need to lose weight to get to a healthy weight, and I have no desire to starve myself or go down to an unhealthy weight, so I think it's safe to assume I don't have anoerexia. However, I know that dieting and OCD can be kind of fickle together. Anyone else here who's dieting with OCD? Any tips?
My biggest problem right now is pinching and scratching skin. I have a few certain patches I HAVE to scratch and/or pinch every 10 seconds or so, or it completely consumes all my thoughts. I also have a problem with things being uneven, or doing things to only one side of the body, having to balance it out by doing it to the other. I always have to check that I have my key several times even though I know I do, that my door is locked even though I know it is. I also have a problem with accidentally making bets in my head. Even if I don't want to I will think, "I bet my life I can do ____ within x amount of time." It's often like I bet I can cross the sidewalk tile before that car passes me, etc. And if I fail I HAVE to repeat until I don't, or I feel like I'll really die! I have other little things and I have things that come and go (with the compulsions I mean), but my main thing is the pinching/scratching, it's the one that really consumes my time throughout the day and drives me MAD. I CAN'T stop doing it, I go nuts if I don't, but I am just as nuts anyway. Anyway, so as far as dieting goes, I'm wondering what I should watch out for. I'm already starting to see one thing easy to get OCD about... the calorie counting. It's already started to affect me, and I feel as if I don't get every last digit in right (such as separating exercise if I take breaks, writing down the exact minutes, etc, or with the values in food), even though it's all estimation anyway (I'm eating 2000 a day so it's not getting caught up in the anoerexic way). I've been scolding myself and trying not to get caught up in it, but it's easy to lose myself. Anything else I might want to watch out for? Anyone else here with OCD trying to lose weight? |
Here are some obsessive tendencies that seem to commonly pop up in weight loss:
|
I have an in-law that has OCD; and he does the pinching & scratching thing and checking things over and over (I know stress can ascerbate this for him as well). We all do the checking thing a couple of times, but if it's way more than that, then it may be OCD. I can see how easily it would be to develop new compulsive habits while losing weight. Besides the ones already mentioned, worrying about what you are gonna eat all the time could become a problem too.
Try to keep things cool --- structure and planning are good, but not if you go overboard. Journalling is fine; exercising is fine, but 30-60 minutes of exercise a day (in total) is about right (this is the norm or average that is recommended). As long as you keep the 'average' in mind, you'll be OK. I'm sure you have tried DISTRACTION as a method to curb the OCD symptoms -- some people try to do other things that keep their hands and mind busy, to distract themselves. They used to recommend snapping a small elastic on the wrist as a 'distraction', but then that can become compulsive too. :lol: I'm only a retired social worker, but your symptoms do sound a lot like OCD; and you could get a diagnosis by seeing a specialist (ie, psycho-therapist). Have you GOOGLED -- OCD to see what comes up on the net? There might be a support group for that out there somewhere.:hug: |
I was diagnosed with OCD in 2006. I do have a skin picking issue but most of my other problems are obsessions and not ritualistic. I counted calories for many years with an obsession. My notebooks from college are full of pages with numbers...those were calories. I've stopped counting for the most part. It drives me insane. I would say if you think it's going to be an issue for you then don't go that route. One does not HAVE to count calories in order to lose weight. As for as any other concerns, I don't know what would be an issue. You've showed no signs of an eating disorder so I don't think it should be a problem.
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:17 AM. |
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.