Obesity and addiction

[goldfinch]

Unfortunately, moderate still feels extreme to me and constant means having to be singleminded if not obsessive. So, normal, as in occurring naturally, isn't a term that fits for me.

I agree that building muscle will help the metabolism. And, exercise, whether it is building muscle or doing cardio, is psychologically rewarding because it is active and can give you a dose of endorphins. Exercise and endorphins are linked to feelings of well being.

Better living through chemistry.

[goldfinch]

You've had a major lifestyle shift in the last couple of years. It will take time for the mind to shift along with it. Just think moderate and calm. Eventually, it is possible to change perception. It is also important for the body to become adjusted to its current weight. It fights us after weight-loss. This, unfortunately, is normal for most people.

Whether the body ever really does adjust, and it is not clear that it does, I am content with my discontent. The older I get, the better I deal well with ambiguity.

[lph]

Whether the body ever really does adjust, and it is not clear that it does, I am content with my discontent. The older I get, the better I deal well with ambiguity.

This was a nice point.

I've been thinking about how to handle the gap between focusing to get what you want, and not letting that want take over your life. I realize that for someone struggling to control their weight, tracking intake is essential, maybe for life. But I also realize that if I had set myself a specific weight goal and started tracking my progress I would go from relaxed about food to pretty obsessive in no time at all. BTDT, with other goals. And I would probably not be content until I'd reached that goal, while if I hadn't had a specific goal I would be content within some kind of fluctuation, where I "felt" fitter or leaner or my clothes fit better. And time spent being not content has its price too. Am I making sense here?

Actually this goes for all goals. The more specific, the more black and white it becomes - either you make it and are satisfied, or you don't - boo. But when it comes to health, it's not like one certain spot is the only healthy place to be, it's a sliding scale, where one end is worse and the other end is better.

Any thoughts?

[Wahine]

Actually this goes for all goals. The more specific, the more black and white it becomes - either you make it and are satisfied, or you don't - boo. But when it comes to health, it's not like one certain spot is the only healthy place to be, it's a sliding scale, where one end is worse and the other end is better.

Any thoughts?

So this is a little off topic but this is a problem in my field. We are constantly being told to make clear and measureable goals with patients to trake progress. I'm all for tracking progress, but I think it's really disheartening when I make a goal with a patient like "knee will bend 120 degrees in 3 weeks time" and we don't get there for some very valid reason. Or maybe for no tangible reason at all, maybe it's just the way a person is built or wired. Then the patient gets upset because we didn't meet the goal, it often affects motivation negatively...

So I really like the idea of not putting such strict parameters on goals. For some people. I guess it might be very important for others.

[Catrin]

You've had a major lifestyle shift in the last couple of years. It will take time for the mind to shift along with it. Just think moderate and calm. Eventually, it is possible to change perception...

THIS! Even though I've lost a total of 80 pounds since my heaviest (and 50 of that in 2010-2011), in my head I still "see" myself as fat. I know what size I wear, I get people's reactions who haven't seen me in a couple of years - but that internal image is still there. I think it is finally starting to moderate, but still... It takes time & I begin to wonder if I will ever really be there and all I can see in the mirror is that excess body fat that I still have - but that is normal I think (hope). So Goldfinch, I hear exactly what you are saying.

Ambiguity isn't a bad thing - thankfully for me

It DOES help to be able to physically do things I once thought impossible for ME to do

[Owlie]

THIS! Even though I've lost a total of 80 pounds since my heaviest (and 50 of that in 2010-2011), in my head I still "see" myself as fat. I know what size I wear, I get people's reactions who haven't seen me in a couple of years - but that internal image is still there. I think it is finally starting to moderate, but still... It takes time & I begin to wonder if I will ever really be there and all I can see in the mirror is that excess body fat that I still have - but that is normal I think (hope). So Goldfinch, I hear exactly what you are saying.

Ambiguity isn't a bad thing - thankfully for me

It DOES help to be able to physically do things I once thought impossible for ME to do

That. I've never been significantly overweight, and while I'm only a little lighter than I had been in high school (where I was rather squishy), that still follows me around. I wore baggy t-shirts to hide the muffin top....and most of the rest of my clothing was a size larger than necessary. It has taken me a while to be able to buy clothing that actually fits following a weight "redistribution".

I'm trying to remove a few pounds at the moment. I want to stay away from the calorie counting and weighing and tracking every.little.thing. I tend to be obsessive and a perfectionist in other aspects of my life (except housekeeping!), and I know myself well enough to know that that would be a bad road to go down.

[shootingstar]

So I really like the idea of not putting such strict parameters on goals. For some people. I guess it might be very important for others.

+1 If I put super strict parameters on goals for myself, I would be completely demotivated for the times I couldn't reach the goal (temporarily).

Sometimes it's better I practice better "living" health-wise regularily and temporarily "forget" about tracking myself towards a certain "goal".