No pressure, No diamond.

This is a term used to motivate NFL quarterbacks to understand they cannot be great QB's, unless they face the fire only another team can bring to them. Therefore, a NFL QB, must play to get better.

This is quite the same way I try and motivate myself to achieve new levels of fitness I have not been to since I was a Marine. The pressure is all internal and organic. I find this is necessary to motivate me to continue to do this lifestyle to it's optimal effect. I was stalled for three weeks, now I'm back in free fall and heading to my bottom weight. It's is weird having people now asking me how they can do what I'm doing. I do not know how to advise them.

I am beginning to have a worry about something though. I believe I just changed my addiction from food to fitness. The primary objective of my doing this was to remove addiction from my life. I missed that mark currently. I still feel the intense pull of an addicted mind dictating my movements. Only now, my addiction is beneficial to me. My job will be the next thing to grab me, I can feel that.

Question is, Is that dangerous? How can I rid myself of the feeling of being addicted to this? Or, am I bonkers?

One way AA works is it gets people "addicted" to meetings instead of to alcohol.  Is that a bad thing?  I think not!

As long as your exercise isn't causing you physical harm (e.g. chronic pain, injuries, etc) and as long as it isn't interfering with your quality of life (e.g. time with family/friends, getting your job done, etc), it sounds like a wonderful replacement for food!

I think that if an addiction is not harmful, that it's not necessarily a bad thing.  I have an addictive personality.  I have avoided alcohol and drug addiction, but fell back on food addiction.  I now also have the exercise bug, and am loving it.  I am a person of extremes though, so as long as my "addiction" doesn't harm me or my family, I'll continue on my path.  The moment that it becomes destructive is the moment that I address the situation.

I don't think I'll ever have the problem of being addicted to work... yeah.  No thanks!  

The funny part is, I KNOW that the working out does very little for weight loss. It is more of a ramping up thing I always do. First it was walking everyday, longer and longer distances. Now I do weights with walking, meaning I carry 30 pounds for three miles, stopping every 50 steps for 10 reps. Then a weight bear at home. I need to learn to slow down. I'm so light now!!

Exercise doesn't really do much for weight loss,  but it does wonders for my mood and energy level.  It helps build muscle,  and because I lost 114lbs without exercise, I know I lost a significant amount of muscle.  

Don't worry about too much exercise unless you are hurting yourself physically.  I plan on working out in some way 7 days a week. 

Hey Gary

What helped me was when my goal became:

"Have a healthy and happy relationship with food and my body." 

That made it about something other than the number on the scale or minutes exercised. This goal could also be a yardstick to see if your exercise is about caring for your body (remember that even normal weight people who have never been overweight still need to be active to be healthy) or if you are taking it too far and degrading your joints. 

Be kind to yourself - you've made great progress!!

Thank you Sharon

Hi Gary,

I think any of us that has battled weight gain has that mind set to run to the food when we are happy, sad, mad, lonely yada, yada.  When food is no longer the "go to" we replace it. It's our nature, is it addiction?  Not sure, we would have to spend some time on the couch to make sure.  That is why you see posts where some have replaced food with drinking and other activities.  The good news as long as you are not pushing yourself to injury your new "go to" is a good thing.

When I was about 40 pounds from my goal I started working out.  I can't tell you how that made me feel.  To go from a handicapped plaque, shuffling to my desk and at home on my couch to working out was a high I can't describe. I found I kept pushing myself.  I started body building and my lowest weight was 114 with 10% body fat. Yes, you read that right LOL  I spent a lot of time working out and don't regret it.  Boot camp was my biggest challenge, I think getting up before the birds was the hardest part.

Its part of the process, embrace it, don't fret...  you will find balance.  Working out was key for me keeping my weight off.  The more muscle I added the more I could eat.  It was a strange feeling to worry about not eating enough.  NEVER had that problem before.

Get the family involved with family biking, roller blading, swimming..anything they would enjoy.

You are doing GREAT!

I guess it's because I have really went at it pretty hard core since the third day after I got home. I've missed one day of working out, I was in the hospital with my wife. So I walked around the outside of the place. I HAD to workout some way.

I do need to involve my daughter more, she hates exercise. I need a solution to this. Maybe THAT"S where my uneasiness lies? I feel bad for not involving her. WOW! mini break through. Thanks Kathy. I need to think about this some more.

Make it all about fun, fun, fun... If you mention the E word she will run so fast you won't catch her. For example, going to the Zoo, just think of the steps you are taking.  What is she interested in?  My little grand son loves rocks, he is only 2 LOL  We go for hikes for the purpose of collecting rocks.  Let us know some of the things she loves to do and we can help with suggestions.