am i obsessed with my weight or am i doing the right thing??

Question

i have lost 4 stone since october last year,i want to get to my ideal weight of 11.5 stone.
i go running every night almost 4-8 miles depending on if im tired.
my partner thinks i am losing to much weight and might be obsessed with losing weight but i feel that if i miss one day of running that i will put weight on.

Answer 1

hi there gary! well i have to say your question sounds just like me just a few years back, following the birth of my fourth baby (i have had five in total? i think whatseems to happen is once we lose as much weight as you have we seem to go on a high! do you feel this way? and then it becomes a habit and to not go out running would drive you mad infact you would feel so guilty that you find you have to go! i have to congratulate you on the loss of so much and i truly believe you will only lose the weight you have got to lose, trust me taking a day or even a week off wont put any weight back on you! i found i was actually suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder! just google OCD, you will soon recognise the signs as you read the symptoms, i needed anti depressaants to calm my dissorder down a touch however i do still exercise but not to the extent were it is making others concerned, i feel sure you will be fine and perhaps instead of having your wife become a dithering wreck why not take it gently and perhaps you may be able to persuade her to join you? i wish you all the best with the new you but try not to take it to such limits, see if you can enjoy your runs instead of allowing them to rule you , lots of love and luck to you both julie xxx

Answer 2

Ok, I just went and looked up what a stone was ... it is about 14 pounds ... so I have to do some math now.. hold on... So you've lost 56 pounds in one year ... that's good. And 161 is a GOOD weight to be ( depending on your height of course ) ... I don't see a problem with trying to lose weight in the way that you are. Running 4-8 miles a day is AMAZING - it keeps you fit which keeps you healthy ... I guess the only problem would be if you weren't eating. If you miss one day of running you will not put on weight .... in that way I guess you might be coming up against a problem. I would suggest that if you come to the point where you can't NOT run for fear of gaining weight, than slowly start to run less every day until you're running 2 miles per day or so and then ... I don't know.
I guess what I am trying to say is your goal weight is healthy, running is healthy, the only way it is unhealthy is if you feel like you can't not run for fear of gaining weight and or if you are not eating.

Answer 3

4 stone since last October works out at about 3 pounds per week, which is a little high, but not a problem. 2 - 3 pounds lost per week is fine. try to keep it like that. If your weight is coming off in massive amounts like on that silly American show "The Biggest Loser", that would be a worry. You don't say anything about your diet though. You need plenty of complex carbs (pasta, rice, potatoes, etc) to fuel your running and make sure you keep your protein up, roughly 1g of protein per pound of body weight. Drink lots of water; at least two litres a day and get plenty of sleep. Also, rest days are important, so make sure you factor in a couple of days where you don't run. If it bothers you that much, just go for a walk instead. Don't lose too much weight. You want to be lean, but in the right range for your height and body type. A BodyStat machine is best for measuring this. BMI is not always useful. Try not to obsess about weight loss. If you put some on, so what? It'll come off again. Once you get to your ideal weight, you can step off the gas and maintain it. Plenty of sleep and rest though, OK?

Answer 4

Well done for the 4 stone weight lost you should really be proud of yourself.
Yes your getting obsessed and maybe you might consider that your body needs a rest from pounding the streets for 1 day you will not regain the weight it does not work like that at all.
Instead of running why not try something else a trip to the gym,swimming,dance classes these are a brilliant way to exercise and have fun! a simple walk to visit a friends, or even a day doing nothing.

Becoming obsessed can be unhealthy for your relationship and for you I have experience with a gym junkie who really became an addict all for the sake of looking good unfortunately her relationship ended so please think hard about what might happen.

Athletes will take one day out of their training as a rest day to allow your joints to recover from running and pounding the pavements.

As for your weight loss keep doing what your have been and it will continue to fall 1 day will not put your weight back on.
Good Luck

Answer 5

going running is not a bad thing and neither is losing weight but if you are not eating properly then that isnt right! keep up with the running but don't pressure yourself to go everynight as your body needs a break and time to recover for excersise. Why not just go 3 or 4 times a week? that combined with a health eating plan is a good way to still lose weight. oh and congrats with losing the 4 stone, thats a great achievement!

Answer 6

I'm not sure what you mean when you refer to weight as "stone", but I agree with your partner about you being obsessed about your weight. When a person is afraid to miss a day of an activity because of what could happen if they do, then they are obsessed about it. Relax. A healthy body does not require you to work out every single day in order to be healthy. It makes no sense. Our bodies are meant to be in balance. When one activity can't be missed or else the body will suffer, then the body is out of balance. A healthy body will benefit from a reasonable amount of sleep (i.e., 7-9 hours) a night, a reasonably healthy diet (enough carbs, protein, fiber & fruits and vegetables), and a reasonable amount of exercise (2-3 days per week of moderate cardiovascular exercise). If you are worried about your weight, then your doctor can tell you what is a healthy weight for YOU. My opinion is, that if a person doesn't huff and puff while doing normal everyday tasks, if they don't suffer from back or joint problems as a result of excess weight on their bones, if their blood pressure and blood sugar levels are within a normal range, if they have energy to do things, if they are not lightheaded, faint, or nauseous, then they are probably within a good weight range. A person can be TOO SKINNY too, and can experience dizziness, weakness, heart problems etc. It's okay to eat unhealthy foods on occasion, as long as it is in moderation. It's okay to miss a good night's sleep sometimes, as long as it doesn't become a pattern. It's also okay to miss a day of exercise. As long as the body is accustomed to healthy living as a general whole, then the day-to-day stuff is not as important. I would focus more on accepting you for the person you are on the inside, and not be so preoccupied with what's on the outside. It sounds like your partner accepts you in this way. Remember that anything, even healthy things, done to excess can actually be harmful to you. Find that happy balance, and you will be fine!

Answer 7

When you lose weight very quickly its far more likely for it to return quickly, you've obviously lost a lot already and quickly, so it would be wise to slow the rate down a little so that you have a better chance of keeping it off. As another person said, give some time to your partner, let them enjoy the new you!!

Answer 8

There's nothing at all wrong with trying to lose weight and be healthy, but yes, it can become an obsession.

"i feel that if i miss one day of running that i will put weight on."

That is not a healthy attitude. A statement like that suggests to me that you've crossed the line between wanting to be healthy, and being obsessed.

Answer 9

Be careful because if you do become obsessed your health will go downhill. It happend to be, I developed exercise bulimia. My grandmother was especially concerned that I was loosing too much weight too fast. I didn't worry about it too much and kept swimming up to 500 laps around the pool. Eventually my health started going downhill. I started to stop menstruating and then my period just stopped coming all together. Then I started to get sick real easily. Then I started to calm down a bit but my period never came back so I had to go to the doctor and I had to take medicine for months and finally my health started getting better. I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just trying to help.

Answer 10

You are doing the right thing by exercising but I do think that you are obsessed with it. This could be very serious so you either need to cut back some or go and get some help. I am not trying to sound rude but I dont want to see you get hurt.