I haven't been told that I'm obsessed, but I constantly hear that I'm "too rigid" and "need to live a little". I do, I indulge on Saturdays, so unless it's an occasion that was planned in advance, I follow my plan during the week and don't eat any junk.
Also, I hate when people say to "just eat healthy". Well, what exactly does that mean? That's a very broad term!
I've been told that I'm obsessed and well, yes, I am.
Whenever I see people and they comment and ask how I've done it, 10 minutes later, I get a "you're obsessed" comment.
Well, ya shouldn't ask then!
Either way, yes, I am obsessed, I am obsessed for wanting the best body I can get, and yes I am obsessed for wanting to be healthy and living a longer, better life.
Agree - I have to be "obsessed" in order to succeed at this. The sentry has to keep watch all the time. Hopefully as more and more habits form less obsessiveness will be needed.
I don't talk about food with anyone unless they ask, and it will almost always be followed by suggestions or advice which I listen to but don't necessarily comment on.
If I really end up wanting to talk about this stuff, I just do it here.
Obsession has implications in mental health, and given that nobody has ever said that to me, in four years of doing this, I might gently wonder if there is something in your behavior or attitudes that is tipping off that thought in your coworkers. You might be completely fine. You might be obsessed. The actions aren't necessarily the indicator.
But yeah, I've never been told this. If I was, I'd correct them that I am focused and dedicated to my pursuits, but that I am in complete and appropriate control and not at all exhibiting obsession by simply doing something they find unconventional.
I haven't been told I'm obsessed either, but that is so dependent on other people's places in their lives. Most of my friends/colleagues are health conscious, so they don't see exercise and eating right as anything unusual. A different group of folks might find it extreme and obsessive to ever think about counting calories!
I haven't been told I'm obsessed, but I've been asked when I'm going to start eating like a normal person again. And I've been told I've lost too much weight (BMI is 25 - what's up with them?) And I've been told I look like I've been ill. All of that from overweight friends.
On the other hand, my daughter recently told me (she lives 600 miles away and we see each other about 4 times a year) that my "now" face is what she sees in her mind when she thinks of me - it has become my "normal' face, and to her it's a healthy face. She no longer sees my heavy face (OK - I'll say it - my fat face) when she thinks of me. She is fit and healthy.
I think there is a real difference in how our thin friends and family see us as compared to how our heavy friends and family see us. And I think there are lots of reasons for it. One is we tend to put everyone in the same boat with us. We average things out a bit. Another is that we are slow to accept change. The biggest one, I think, is we are reluctant to accept when someone else is doing something we know we should also be doing at face value - we feel guilt, so the other person must be flawed in some way for following that path of behavior.
Know that what you are doing is the best thing for you. Just keep it to yourself if need be.
I think dieting (to lose weight) is a personal thing. Other people will have their opinions and that may be good or bad, but it's your decision and your the one that has to do the work. It's easy for others to say it's good or bad, but they don't have the same reason or motivation you have.
We all want encouragement from others, but sadly there are people that don't understand or care enough to give us that encouragement. They are too self centred and think about how it affects them.
The key is to stay focused on what you want, just keep moving forward and you'll break through the barriers and obstacles along the way and get where you want to go.
SilverAbstract and linJber, I think you're on to something.
So how can my behavior be an indicator of mental health issues for my friends/coworkers, Arctic Mama? Well, I've been dieting the entire time they've known me (I've been doing this for 2 years). I guess that's one thing. I wear my Bodybugg every day, and they see it. That's another thing. I might decline sweets or not eat the cheeseburger on burger day in the cafeteria and I might say why. There's another thing. I started a new diet which many would consider unhealthy and told them about it when they inquired (they knew about it due to a mutual friend introducing this diet to us).
At one point, the whole group got in to dieting and weight loss. They talked about exercising together during down time on weekends at work. We all got on the scale at work one day a week to try to encourage each other along. We talked about foods and recipes and one woman even brought her juicer to work.
Then it all fizzled. Before they jumped on the band wagon, I was obsessed. Now that they've all lost interest and have gone back to their old ways, I'm obsessed. I suppose it's like what AbstractSilever and linJber said. They aren't as dedicated to becoming healthy as I am, and perhaps I remind them of their inability to stick with something long enough to make progress.
I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this and that others have experienced the same. Fortunately, it's not discouraging me but encouraging me. In the future, I suppose I can limit my responses to things like, when declining dessert, "oh, I'm just not hungry. I had a big lunch." If someone asks me what I'm doing to lose weight, I can tell them I have been eating healthy and exercising moderately. That seems to go over well with most people. That's what I've done the majority of the time anyways. I suppose I can refrain from sharing some of the more drastic measures I have taken.
I'm also not opposed to doing some drastic things to hurry things along now and then. So if that's what makes me obsessed then I guess I'm obsessed.
It is a personal choice and ultimately up to me. If I'm obsessing, then so be it. Focused and dedicated is more accurate, though!
I'm obsessed but not about actually dieting ... just talking about diet and exercise.
That is why I post here ... no one wants to talk about diet and exercise the way I do. I believe everyone should know the truth but the diet/fitness industry is built on B.S. and our desire for quick and easy.
Twinieten - You're on the right track. I've learned who wants to hear the "whole story" and who wants to hear that some miracle happened that allowed me to lose 90 pounds. And, of course, there are many in between. When I say I cut out junk and empty calories and started going to a gym, most people lose interest. If they ask for more info, I get into what I did in more detail. I agree with John - I do find I like talking about the process and want people to know that it really is a pretty simple thing to do once you stop looking for a quick fix. Personally, I think people who go on crazy fad diets are the ones obsessed.
Some answers I've found helpful to keeping the conversation from being obsessive:
* I USED to be obsessed with junk food - now I just try to strike a healthy balance.
* This IS the way normal people eat.
* Yes, I plan to eat like this forever - all I did was cut out the crap, really.
* What we see on TV and in ads are not normal serving sizes of anything.
* No, thanks - I'm not hungry. (And don't say even one more word to justify that statement.)
You get the idea. Most times a simple direct answer is all that's needed. And NEVER apologize.
I try not to refer to my "plan" when refusing food or when eating with others. I try not to say anything about the way others are eating. It takes practice to not say, "What's wrong with you? Do you realize you just ate 4,000 useless calories?" LOL Practice makes perfect. My friends have gotten used to the idea that I do things differently now. It just takes a bit of time.
I've had people tell me that, but I know the source! They are people who resent my lifestyle change, and they've told me as much by saying things like "oh great, you order something healthy and that makes me look like a cow. You're so obsessed with this, can't you just order something normal". Hmmm, not my problem, order something else then, I'm not going to order food I don't want to make another person feel better about their choices. It isn't coming from a person who is actually concerned that I am unhealthily, literally, obsessed.
Only OP really knows the person/people who said that, and if they are people who are actually concerned or if they're being snarky.
I think in *most* cases, when people throw around terms like "obsessed", they really aren't talking about the clinical, mental health, type of obsession. They're talking about the "you-are-annoying-me-with-your-healthy-choices" obsession.
People at my workplace ask how much I have lost. Then I tell them. Then they say I look too skinny and should stop losing weight, and that I'm going to the gym too much. I am not too skinny. I am 11 pounds overweight, and 20 lbs over what I was when I started working there. Also, I go to the gym about 4-5 times a week. I always rest adequately. I also got a new one today. I got a remark about how someone thought I might be now malnutritioned in some way since I lost weight because I have some dark circles and paleness. It doesn't really matter that I am almost at the end of my semester as a student and had a lot of work I needed to complete since I had little time to do it because of work and I ended up staying up really late and waking up early to complete what I needed to do. So instead of blaming lack of sleep, she automatically assumed I'm not eating enough. I eat the same things I did before, just with more veggies and in smaller amounts. I also take a vit/mineral supplement. I have been called obsessed more times than I can count. But they are the ones who ask. I just tell them. I've decided I'm just going to go with the standard answer of "about 1 elephant penis" from now on. You just do you and when they die from their jealousy 'cuz you look so awesome you won't have to answer any more inane questions.
This is such an excellent comparison! Someone should really sticky this.
I think it's quite easy to get carried away with the initial excitement of discovering things you never knew about food, calories, nutrition, blahblah, and want to share it with people. But that all dies down - if it's truly a lifestyle change, "on-plan" eating and activity just becomes habit and routine. Weight loss is almost as simple as a side effect of this!
