Feeling like my weight-loss is time and energy consuming
Well, that's it. I am feeling really good on my second week watching my weight (again, and for good); I've not been binging, I've not been craving the bad stuff, I've been eating right and in the right amounts, I've been working out daily...
But for some reason that's all I think about. Weight loss is what I wake up thinking about, what I go to sleep thinking about; I'm constantly thinking about what I must eat next when I feel hungry; cooking healthy dinners requires much more preparation than just cooking the regular stuff, going to the pantry to get a healthy snack requires more creativity than just making a pb&j sandwich on white bread. Setting aside the time to work out requires planification.
Am I obsessing or everyone else feels like this? How can I turn this into a normal lifestyle? I am about to start my last quarter of grad school next Wednesday and I'm terrified to think that I have a thesis yet to write, an internship, and all the fall festivities... but all I can think of is: WEIGHT LOSS! It's mentally draining and I can't concentrate on anything else! Please tell me that I'm not going crazy!!
As far as being obsessed with it, well I do agree that you should plan ahead, this way you know for certain what you will be eating and there won't be much to contemplate or think about. You plan it out in advance and than everything's been already determined.
But you do have to recognize that there's nothing wrong with being concerned about fitting in your workouts and where your healthy food is coming from. Eating healthy, losing weight won't happen on it's own. It DOES require, planning, effort, thought, dedication, work, time, etc... This is not some frivolous way to whittle away your time. It's important!
I think as you get more into it, it will become more natural to you and automatic. It'll be just what you do. Just another day at the office. Same old, same old. You're creating a new normal. Keep up the good work
I'll just add that any time spent eating healthy, getting to a healthy weight and being trim and fit is time VERY well spent. You will be more confident, more active, more energetic, more productive. So, in the end, it really will CREATE more time for you to focus on all those other things and you will be at your very best to deal with all the other stuff. When you're at your best, you're able to DO your best.
There really is no better use of ones time.
But I do urge you to plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. And hang on tight till you get used to this.
I'm sure there are people out there who stay fit and thin without it being an all consuming part of their day. I would like to be one of them but I'm not, unfortunately.
Maybe someday I'll get to that place? I don't know... I've been consciously working on this for 6 years and it still is the foremost thought in my mind most of the time.
Like Robin said, though, it's a productive use of time. I'm hoping someday that brain energy, that effort, that physical undertaking will all pay off!
This just reminded me. I've had quite a few people (well loads really), ask me how I've lost the weight and kept it off. I don't get into too much detail, they get pretty turned off when I tell them I eat really healthy foods and exercise. But I can't begin to tell you how many of them say they "they have no time to eat/be healthy".
I tell you, I want to scream. "WHAT. You have no time to be healthy!!!???" How ridiculous is that? No. Time. To. Be. Healthy. Just about the most important thing a person could be. No. Time. To. Be. Your. Very. Best???? Again, just how ludicrous is that???
Things that are important, things that matter are worthy of that time. And effort.
The longer you do it, the more normal it becomes to use your time in this way.
When you stop concentrating, things go wrong, very quickly.
That, at least, is my opinion based on experience:
Lost 106lbs 2002-2004;
became so "used " to what I was doing, that I stopped the planning and logging;
woke up one day in 2009 and I'd regained 89lbs.
I am not a stupid person but I'd let the obsession slip.
What currently takes you alot of effort (like getting a healthy snack) will eventually become second nature and "automatic". It just takes time invested up front -- right now you are doing the hard work of retraining yourself (and your brain) in these habits, and it is worth the effort!
I am definitely already less obsessive a mere 41 days into my plan than I was during the first couple of weeks, so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. You're doing great, hang in there!
Granted, I'm only a few weeks into this, but am no stranger to losing (and regaining) weight. As long as I'm in a structured environment, like my own home, I'm okay. I accept that planning and logging in my food journal are key and don't mind the journaling. But where I get annoyed & discouraged is venturing out in the world, having to obsess over how I'll solve the food problem. There is an excellent post here by ValRock about her observations living in Japan. How people just eat for fuel. I get that. But for example I'll be going out shopping today with my cousins to help them find dresses for a wedding, etc., and I'm thinking of what I will or won't be able to eat. I think part of my problem is that I just don't trust the calorie counts of restaurant or cafe food. I don't always get to choose where we eat, and I don't want to be a control freak who is always trying to dictate where we eat.
I lost a fair amount of weight a few years ago (35 pounds, approx.) because I stayed focused on my goal, journaled, and basically wasn't around people too much. (I was between jobs.) Then I started a new job and instead of brown-bagging it and planning, I just deceived myself into thinking I could "just eat a little less" and maintain my weight loss. But I didn't. I ended up regaining it.
I know this will sound nuts, but many times what has prevented me these past few years from getting back in the saddle again has been the notion that I will have obsess again, and "forever." I realize it's much, much worse to carry around too much weight. I know that. But just saying, the obsessing is something that has always annoyed me.
This time around I'm keeping in my mind the memory of how elated and relieved I've felt when I've lost weight, and how utterly miserable I've felt when I've gained weight. The days of elation & relief are what keep me going on, one day at a time. I know weight loss doesn't "solve all my problems," but it does eliminate many of them.
I'm thinking of what I will or won't be able to eat. I think part of my problem is that I just don't trust the calorie counts of restaurant or cafe food.
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Me too! I don't trust the calorie counts of restaurant or cafe food. Which is why I plan ahead and bring food with me. Problem solved!!
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Then I started a new job and instead of brown-bagging it and planning, I just deceived myself into thinking I could "just eat a little less" and maintain my weight loss. But I didn't. I ended up regaining it.
Well there you have it. No, this journey is never over. If you want to keep off the weight that you've lost, maintain your weight loss that is - you will have to continue doing what you've done to lose it.
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I know this will sound nuts, but many times what has prevented me these past few years from getting back in the saddle again has been the notion that I will have obsess again, and "forever." I realize it's much, much worse to carry around too much weight. I know that. But just saying, the obsessing is something that has always annoyed me.
For me nothing was more annoying, bothersome, disturbing and miserable than being overweight.
I'm not sure why we think that adhering to a healthy lifestyle - forever - putting forth the ongoing, continuous, never-ending dedication, devotion and effort is not worthy of all that it entails.
I can think of so many other things that require life long commitment as well - marriage, children, relationships, careers, managing finances, paying taxes, personal hygiene, running a household. They TOO take time, effort, thought and commitment - forever - or they too WILL suffer.
I'm also not certain why so many think that being your optimal, being as fit and healthy as we can control SHOULD come without that thought, effort and dedication. I mean really, why in the world should it just come to us????
Last edited by rockinrobin; 09-18-2010 at 09:28 AM.
Reason: typo
Well, RockinRobin, you've annoyance at my post is very unhelpful and counterproductive. That's great that you don't get what some others are feeling or going through. Good for you! But your tone and comments to what I've tried to express is a real downer. Thanks a lot.
I think Robin, once again, has hit the nail on the head. I put effort each day into showering, doing my hair, doing my job at work well so I get good reviews, studying hard so I don't waste the money I'm spending for my Masters, setting aside time to make sure DH and I have a good relationship, keeping in touch with my family even though I'm busy ... these things don't just "happen", I have to make an effort. When I was a kid, I had to be reminded to take a bath and brush my teeth - now it's second nature. After a while, making good food choices will become more natural to you.
Will you still have to plan to maintain? Yes, but it will be much easier than the first few weeks/months of retraining your mind/body are when you change your lifestyle. Because that's what you should be working towards - a lifestyle change, not a diet. We're trying to lose weight, or maintain a loss, but doing so is more about changing behaviors, and that doesn't happen overnight.
It does get easier, but the obsession doesn't really go away. And I don't think it should - I "obsess" over how my hair looks, cleaning my house, my GPA, etc ... why shouldn't I also obsess over the quality of the rest of my life?
Well, RockinRobin, you've annoyance at my post is very unhelpful and counterproductive. That's great that you don't get what some others are feeling or going through. Good for you! But your tone and comments to what I've tried to express is a real downer. Thanks a lot.
Aunt Bea, I must certainly was not annoyed at your post. Not even a little bit. You are more than entitled to your opinions and to express them - just as I am entitled to mine.
And where did you see that I said that I "don't get what you're saying"? Because I did and I DO. I get it. And I even understand it.
I apologize sincerely if you took me trying to point how just how worthy this journey is, of the time and dedication that is required to get it done as a downer. My hope was to point out that it, like all things that matter, require such on going thought, effort, etc. For me, it was important to finally realize this. I was hoping the same for others. I certainly didn't mean it to be counterproductive or a downer and I'm really puzzled to how you thought it was. Hopefully others got something more from it. Sorry, that you weren't one of them.
I used to feel the same way. I was nonstop thinking about my next workout, what I would eat for the rest of the day, and the rest of the week. I'd obsess if I ate ANY extra calories. It was exhausting. Fortunately (as others have said) it has become second nature and I don't think about it as much anymore. It's still in my mind and I think about it at least several times a day, sometimes more, but I have to in order to keep my weight in check. It definitely doesn't feel like an obsession anymore. Plus, now that I'm maintaining I've learned what I can and can't "get away" with as far as eating and not putting on any weight. If I have an off day and eat too much, I feel like crap and it puts me right back on track. Just give it some time and it won't feel like such a chore. Good luck!
My hope was to point out that it, like all things that matter, require such on going thought, effort, etc. For me, it was important to finally realize this. I was hoping the same for others. .
I was thinking about this some more.
It was important for me to realize that #1, it WAS worthy of the time, effort, dedication required, #2, that it shouldn't just *come to me*, that if I wanted it, I had to work for it and #3, that it had to be forever, or at least as long as I wanted to be that healthy weight.
Because when I did realize these things (finally), THAT'S when I HAD to find the joy in this. That's when I had to make it enjoyable and become passionate about it - this way it would seem all that difficult. I had to stop looking at it as some restrictive, poor me, miserable thing that I would have to *be on*. I had to find delicious, delicious, tasty, satisfying, yummy, healthy foods to eat. I had to get excited about the journey and make it *my hobby* so to speak. I had to realize that eating/exercising well was nothing to fear or loathe or to dread. I had to make it something that I would WANT to *be on* and take part in - forever.
Of course from time to time, I experience the "oh man if I have to chop one more veggie, I think I'll scream/bust/explode", but - oh well. Luckily those moments don't come too often or last too long. Because I am quickly reminded just how much I LOVE living in a working, fit, trim, active, healthy, optimal me, body.
Every single time I lost weight in the past I was totally dedicated to counting calories, eating healthy foods and working out. But after I lost the weight I would think "Yippee, I"m done!" and I would stop obsessing and go back to my old habits. I'd maintain for a while but eventually the weight would come back.
This time around I've maintained my obsession. It's been five years since I began my latest (and last) weight loss journey. I still avoid certain foods and severely limit others. I still write down every single thing I eat. I still make time to exercise every single day.
Feeling like my weight-loss is time and energy consuming
