Eating disorder motivation

[Pumkin]

I'm new to this forum but I try to read everything you guys talk about because I think you all carry an incredible load of knowledge. I started working out in order to be healthy and it slowly turned into an obsession. As a teen, I had an eating disorder but quickly got better. Now, at 29, with the training and this site and all the information I can gather, I can't stop obsessing about food intake and looks. How do you guys manage to keep a healthy balance of food and workout when you feel you have bf to lose? What keeps you on the right path? I know I'm slowly falling off it by cutting my food intake, increasing my workout sessions, taking protein supplements and fat burners, etc. And all I want is to tone up! I don't want to fall back into some ridiculous eating disorder and low self-esteem!!

[SEADRA]

I can relate I also struggle with the same problem. It consumes your life all you think about is working out. I use to worry what if my workouts would be interupted and I wouldn't be able to workout. Counting calories. I've just started to cut back on working out and eating allot more heaithier and I feel better then ever. I think I caught my self before I truley developed a serious disorder. I hope I can continue but I know it's hard.

Good Luck
Seadra

[missmuscle]

Welcome- I also suffered from obsessive exercise and eating disorders and have after many years of hard work on myself and with the love and support of my friends and husband as well as a great therapist, have turned it around and become a figure competitor. It is a very hard journey and one that often can be alienating and frustrating. The most important thing it to find a network of people who care. Whether it be on this forum or through friends that you know, please keep talking about your feelings and your struggles. Many times, knowing that someone else has gone through the same thing and has come out on the other side can create a light at the end of the tunnel. Please email or post if you ever want to talk or vent. Glad you are on the boards!

[missmuscle]

Sorry - I never answered any of your questions! I found out the hard way about too much exercise and not enough food. For my last show I did 2 hours of cardio plus an hour of lifting per day 7 days a week and ate nearly nothing. I felt like death and didn't look anywhere near the full muscular girls on stage next to me. My new trainer forced me to make a very hard change. I fought it and still have trouble with it for over 6 months. NO CARDIO and MORE FOOD!!! AHHHH! My worst nightmare. Well, I finally gave in and told myself that I had nothing to lose b/c I could just diet it off if I got fat, but lo and behold, I looked better than ever and felt great too. I did cardio about 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes and increased my lifting and food intake. I gained muscle and learned that too much cardio and no food left me stringy and YES more fat!!! I lost more bodyfat in that short time eating more and doing 2 days of cardio a week than I did for the show! This will take you a long time to learn, but in the end you will be so relieved that life can actually be enjoyed and you aren't consumed with the worry of eating and working out. I was even able to enjoy my honeymoon and NOT workout!

[BuffedWildCat]

Originally posted by missmuscle
Sorry - I never answered any of your questions! I found out the hard way about too much exercise and not enough food. For my last show I did 2 hours of cardio plus an hour of lifting per day 7 days a week and ate nearly nothing. I felt like death and didn't look anywhere near the full muscular girls on stage next to me. My new trainer forced me to make a very hard change. I fought it and still have trouble with it for over 6 months. NO CARDIO and MORE FOOD!!! AHHHH! My worst nightmare. Well, I finally gave in and told myself that I had nothing to lose b/c I could just diet it off if I got fat, but lo and behold, I looked better than ever and felt great too. I did cardio about 2-3 days a week for 30 minutes and increased my lifting and food intake. I gained muscle and learned that too much cardio and no food left me stringy and YES more fat!!! I lost more bodyfat in that short time eating more and doing 2 days of cardio a week than I did for the show! This will take you a long time to learn, but in the end you will be so relieved that life can actually be enjoyed and you aren't consumed with the worry of eating and working out. I was even able to enjoy my honeymoon and NOT workout!

Great post! Please, keep sharing it because so many women are going (or about to) down the same path. You're a great testimony! :)

[Alicat]

I started getting obsessive about calories & ratios when I used www.fitday.com, so I stopped using it - now I don't count calories or ratios at all, and am making better progress cos I'm less stressed out.

[BuffedWildCat]

Originally posted by Alicat
I started getting obsessive about calories & ratios when I used www.fitday.com, so I stopped using it - now I don't count calories or ratios at all, and am making better progress cos I'm less stressed out.

I only WISH I could stop using fitday. I didn't use it for several months, took a break from counting calories and macronutrients and then when I had my bodyfat checked it had gone UP! EEK! It's WAY too easy for me to eat too much and gain fat back so I HAVE to use fitday to keep myself in check. Wish I didn't have to but it's either that or be satisfied with a softer body via having a higher bodyfat percentage. Must keep my six pack.

So I probably qualify as obsessive. But it's the only way I can keep my six pack as my body wants to be fatter, it wants to be higher than 18% bodyfat anyway. And I won't have it.

[Alicat]

Even if you are, there's obsessive and obsessive - as in unhealthy obsessive, and healthy obsessive... am I making any sense? If not, blame my hubby for eating KFC in the same house as me... it smells bad and is making me heave :(

[missmuscle]

I agree Ali- we can all use some amount of SELF CONTROL not obsessivness to keep ourselves reaching goals and acheiving a healthy lean look. I don't like to use the label obssesive, b/c then you begin to define yourself as an "obsessive person" which perpetuates the cycle. Instead, I like to think of it as having some temporary issues with food and feelings such as guilt etc that can be turned around. That way you don't think "I am going to obsess, I am an obssessive person". You can make it through to the other side! You may have to get to the heart of the matter though, befor trying a calorie counter as another way of channeling your feelings about eating. Some people do really well with precision and regimentation when trying to reach a goal, and others haven't learned an effective way to do that YET.In any event, progress can be made! It takes time and a lot of support and of course, believing that you can overcome it!

[Pinkmuffins]

This is so ironic.. I have the same problem..I'm 17/f.. and in the passed few months bounced back from anorexia and over obsessive working out.. I would eat maybe 2 to 3 small items a day and then get on the treadmill for 20 minutes after each meal, I was starving.. exhausted.. not too mention a drop in grades. Can u still do cardio just 2 times a week w/out gaining chub?

[missmuscle]

Only if you are eating enough! It is great to also lift weights , since building muscle burns more calories, thus eating more and working out with weights will boost your metabolism WITHOUT cardio. You can stay lean without killing yourself on cardio- haven't you ever noticed that the same people you see on the cardio machines ALWAYS look the same>??!!!

[SEADRA]

I'm trying to cut cardio but I feel so guilty when I do. How long would you lift weight for, say if you were just working 1-2 body parts at a time?

And once you start gaining weight is it alot of fat at first how fast does the weight come on when you cut back cardio and eat more. Also how much cardio is efficient enough.

[missmuscle]

Well, I work out quite heavy and hard for a good hour. I don't do any right now as I am bulking, but when I leaned down for my wedding, I did cardio 2-3 times per week for 30 minutes. You really need to not be afraid to lift heavy! And eat more. I gained mass, but I lost bodyfat. You have to put on mass before you can lean it down. You basically eat the same things when you bulk and when you diet, but less when you diet. I try to have 1 cheat meal per week( sometimes it turns out to be more than that!!)