Mental Health Monday: OCD and Working Out

“As recently as 2004, Kaye, et al., reported that 64% of individuals with eating disorders also possess at least one anxiety disorder, and 41% of these individuals have OCD in particular” (article found on iocdf.org). It’s Katie again, here to discuss OCD and weight loss. As someone with obsessive patterns of behavior, I’ve always had to be very careful about dieting and exercise so as not to develop an eating disorder. When I was in college, I would eat a dangerously low number of calories to lose weight. My mentality was all or nothing. I was either “all in” and starving or “all out” and binging. If I couldn’t do it perfectly, I couldn’t do it at all. I still struggle with this daily, but I have improved significantly. Before, I wanted to see immediate results. I would make goals to lose 30 pounds in 3 months and did what it took to get those results. On my birthday last year, however, I made a goal to get back in shape. At 204 pounds, I knew I was on a slippery slope. Things weren’t going to improve unless I acted. I gave myself a year to be at a comfortable, sustainable weight. Yesterday was my half birthday. I’ve lost about 15 pounds in 6 months. When I started, I felt panicked that I wasn’t losing weight quickly. I went weeks without losing a pound. But having a long term mindset really helped me persevere when I may have given up in the past. I only weigh myself on Monday mornings instead of daily like I would in the past. This helps immensely. I do a lot of self talk at the gym to remind myself not to get hung up on numbers. I’m about halfway to my sustainable goal weight and much stronger than I ever was when trying to lose copious amounts of weight really fast. I’m proud of the progress I’ve made in my fitness goals not just physically, but mentally.