When is it an obsession/problem?

[toadstool]

It's not that I'm addicted to working out... It's more that it seems to consume my thoughts a lot.

Reasons I'm concerned:

1. I keep a food log, including calories/protein/fat/carbs 7 days a week. (It used to be 6, but I am really trying to watch my food right now.) I typically know what I'm going to eat for my next meal before I finish the previous one.

2. I feel guilty if I only workout 60 minutes. (I exercise 6 days/week, plus 3 days/week of karate classes.)

3. I almost always think about karate (drills, katas, sparring combos) while lying in bed at night.

4. I am constantly checking my body. Upon waking, the first thing I do is rub my stomach to see if it's smaller. During the day, I frequently flex my arm to see if my biceps and triceps have gotten bigger.

5. Every night before bed I spend 30 minutes planning the next day's workout routine.

6. My favorite reading material is fitness and muscle mags. I subscribe to at least 12 health-related magazines. I also purchase a few fitness/health books from Amazon at least once a month. Every day during lunch I check the latest health news on the major news outlets.


So is this a problem? Or am I just health-conscious?

DH hasn't complained that I spend too much time working out. I stilll have plenty of time for hobbies and social life etc.

I just worry that I am a little obsessed in my mind about this.

[zoebird]

if you're worried about it, then it's definately worth looking into.

when my husband goes into his OCD exercising mode, it is really noticeable. He becomes crazy about working out. if he isn't 'improving' the way he thinks he should, he freaks out, throws tantrums and the like. he doesn't have any time for anything else. he goes to work, he exercises, he obcesses about exercise (the last one lasted 4 months--that was two years ago--and we didn't have sex at all during that time).

it can look pretty dramatic.

But, if you feel that what you're doing is a little too involved--not just fun or for the purpose of learning or documenting your progress (as opposed to using it to foreshadow or foretell)--then it may be too consuming and something that you need to consider.

[toadstool]

Hmmm...

Well... I'm willing to think that my behavior/thoughts are "normal" for anyone who has a high interest in health and fitness. (They're just "abnormal" compared to my friends/family. LOL)

I just wanted to make sure.

So you don't find anything startling or dramatic about the reasons I posted? Because if that's the case, I am going to stop worrying that I might be obsessed and instead just chalk it up to a serious interest in fitness. :)

[brownieB26]

I'm not an expert (:naughty: FT), but I've been through something similar. Does it look obsessive to me? Yes. Is that bad? No.

I don't know how many calories you burn, but if you burn..let's say 1200 calories from working out + karate, you need to be eating at least 1200 (a little above starvation) +1200 (the calories you burned). If you're below that, eat more. If you don't want to eat more because you think it'll make you fat....that's bad. If you miss an exercise and stay up until 3 in the morning doing workout tapes beccause you just can't go day without working out, that's bad. If you have a panic attack because something happy like getting together with friends prevents you from exercising, that's bad.

In other words, as long as your exercise is making you a happier, more rounded person, obsession is not bad. Once it becomes a burden, sto and take a step back.

[zoebird]

well, i buy yoga books every month. I spend a lot of time doing and thinking about yoga. Right now, as i'm getting into rock climbing, it's the same thing.

My husband and i read nutritional books for fun. We talk about and think about nutrition (though not necessarily via diaries and the like) quite frequently. Both of us have numerous exercise books such as weight lifting books, triathlon books, sports psychology type books, spirituality and sports related books, nutrition books of course. we tend not to read a lot of the 'main stream' stuff such as shape and what not, because most of that information is flawed at best.

i think you could have a high interest in fitness. If you think it could become a problem, then back off a bit. You know? Also, everyone has their 'thing.' i'm sure your family or your friends has something that they focus most of their attention on. our friends tom and jessica focus a lot of time and energy on technology and entertainment gadgets. they have magazines about it, they purchase and play with a lot of it, they even vacation regarding it (coaster tours). We think they're crazy.

Of course, they think we're crazy. so it all balances out.

[eggplant]

I think if it bothers you then it's a problem. If it compromises your physical or mental health, it's a problem. If you simply enjoy these activities a great deal, it's not a problem.

The two things that concern me about your initial post are that, 1. you feel guilt when you don't exercise for an hour or more and, 2. you're preoccupied with the size of your tummy and muscles. These two things concern me because they show that you feel badly if you don't meet some sort of self-imposed criteria for perfection. Feeling badly=unhealthy.

Ask yourself a few questions:

Do you do these things because they bring you enjoyment and fulfillment, or because you feel you have to in order to meet someone's (your own or other's) expectations?

Are you in good physical health as a result of these activities, or are you overexerting yourself? (Do you get injured, are you fatigued, etc.)

Do these activities and thoughts prevent you from doing other things you used to enjoy or spending time with loved ones?

Answers to these questions can help you determine if you have a problem or if you're just really into fitness.

[catswym]

2. I feel guilty if I only workout 60 minutes. (I exercise 6 days/week, plus 3 days/week of karate classes.)



4. I am constantly checking my body. Upon waking, the first thing I do is rub my stomach to see if it's smaller. During the day, I frequently flex my arm to see if my biceps and triceps have gotten bigger.



these seem like problems to me.

for number 2: guilt is a feeling for having done something wrong. how would you feel if you only worked out 30min or not at all? i think people can and do become addicted to working out in the same manner as they become addicted to drugs. it definitely gives both a physical and psychological high.

and number 4: so what if your stomach is smaller, larger or the same size? are you eating healthy foods? eating when you're hungry? stopping when you're full? balancing your meals? getting the rest and downtime youneed? then why does this matter?

anyway, that's just my opinion.

[toadstool]

Hmmm... based on some of your responses and interesting questions (and my answers, LOL) I'm going to self-diagnose myself:

High interest in health and fitness with a tendency to impose rules based on my perceived notion of what constitutes "active" and "healthy."

While I feel guilty if my exercise is less than 60 minutes... there are times (because of social engagements or even just general fatigue) where I cut workouts short. Yeah... I feel guilty... but it won't interfere with my having a good time that night with friends or enjoying a movie or whatever.

And yeah... I do check my body a lot. But most of the times it's in a positive way, such as "Look how big my muscle is getting."

My interest in health and fitness doesn't make me feel bad and doesn't interfere with my life... so I guess I'm okay.

I guess I'd say I'd say my intense interest could turn into a problem, and I should just monitor it to make sure that it doesn't.

[all zen]

I suffered an eating disorder for more then seven years starting when I was about fourteen years of age. Alot of the symptoms you have described here are just as i remember them to be while I was ill. Im not saying there is a problem with being health concious , however it appears to be consuming a great deal of your thought and time. I have since recovered for many years now ,however the thoughts are still there.. like thinking about my next meal while I have just started my first meal of the day .Seems alittle bit like I remember being.If you are worried at all about your behavier I would recommend you get a professional opinion, a third party opinion.

[roadrunner019]

something is described as abnormal when it begins to interfere with your daily life and cause problems in your daily living. So you have to ask yourself that. Is it to the point where it is causing you problems or not? for example if you ALWAYS turn friends and family down to work out. thats jsut an example of what i think would be an obsession but if you feel it is a problem i would just talk to someone about it. :)