So I am new to recovery once again. This is not my first rodeo by any means but I’m trying things differently this time around. I have begun working out again… cardio and weight lifting. I’ve noticed that I crave the gym and will get agitated if I’m not able to go. If I’m not careful I start almost obsessing about a healthy lifestyle (counting calories, weighing out food, weighing myself more than I should, and spending money on protein and preworkouts). To me it seems like I’m just putting my focus on something else. I want balance bcuz in the past working out became almost a negative thing… even though I was fit af. Any tips on gaining balance in this area?
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I’m pretty much the same way, and the counting caloriew and weighing food is something normal in order to maintain your goal. I buy prework outs as well. Just don’t over do it, get one and call it good untill you are almost out. I overly weighed myself as well and it kind of just went away with time, I think it’s bc I was making sure I was getting progress. But once I noticed the progress I stopped as much. And if you can’t hit the gym, just do something quick at home. Push ups, planks, lunges and squats. And get you’re self a pull up bar that can get on a door frame. Then u won’t feel as guilty… I’d rather be much addicted to doing this then going for a drink every morning, so I’d say you’re ok lol
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These aren’t necessarily bad things. I think it’s pretty central to taking care of yourself…being aware of what you’re eating. If you have fitness goals, doing this stuff is actually pretty important (although I don’t see much value in preworkout, personally).
Fitness/nutrition is my biggest passion. Do I tend to get a bit obsessive with it sometimes? Sure. But it saved my life, it gave me something to latch onto when I first started addressing my drinking.
I understand where you’re coming from, though. I used to be a bit too hardcore, never EVER missing a workout, even if I was hurt. I was scared of taking even just a day off, thought I would somehow magically deteriorate back to how I was before. I eventually was forced to take a month off at one time due to injury, and it made me realize that it won’t do any harm to take a day off here and there, and I also have a full week off planned every 8-12 weeks.
That full week gives my muscles and nervous system ample time to really recover and refresh. I keep my protein levels high and just adjust my nutrition accordingly. I’ve read in a few places that muscle doesn’t begin to deteriorate until 2-3 weeks of not working out, so that is always of some comfort to keep in mind.
The key, I guess, is to stick to your fitness stuff 90-95% of the time, keep yourself disciplined, consistency is king in fitness…but also keep in mind that it is OK (and often beneficial) to give yourself some slack sometimes.
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Thank you! I appreciate your input 
I feel like I always go to extremes with things and that it can start to become a negative thing… BUT your right! Fitness has made such a huge impact on my life already and I can see it honestly giving me something to latch onto (right now especially). And that’s great news to know that muscle doesnt deteriorate right away! I just so want to be healthy in my mind, spirit and body 
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You’re actually right! I could be doing what I was doing lol maybe I should stop overthinking about every little thing I do lol glad to know I’m not alone lol
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You’re right! I could be doing alot of other things that aren’t in any way beneficial for me lol I have to watch that I dont spend money on too many preworkouts or diff proteins etc. So I like your idea about finishing one first and I also love you’re idea about doing home workouts. I cant always get to the gym and then when i cant i get agitated so doing something at home might curb that
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Yes absolutely bc I was the same, bc I have two lil girls I can’t always hit the gym lol. So I got a jump rope, bought a couple dumbbells. And iust do lil things here at home. Burpees are really good workouts as well and you’ll feel them quick lol.
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Ahhhhhh burpess! Lmao there so difficult to do lol but ya they are a good exercise. I dont have Dumbbells at home but I have resistance bands. So that’s helped with exercising at home. Going to google other workouts today. Keep my mind busy lol
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I’m going to give a different perspective. I can only speak for me and from my experience and, of course, everyone is different. For me, there is a definite balance to be found. I know it is not healthy for me to focus obsessively on counting calories, weighing potions, working out and weighing myself.
For me, this leads to disordered eating and body dysmorphia. I obsess about how I look and treat my value as a person based on controlling what I eat and how I am making myself look. For me, this comes from an obsessive desire to control and a perspective of “if only I work harder, I will make myself look like xyz, and then I will be happy”.
The reality for me is that those things didn’t make me happy - that happiness only came when I started to loosen up my grip of control. Yes I work out and try to eat healthy. But I stuck my scale in the closet, don’t count calories or weigh food. I focus on being positive about my body. I think about wanting to feel strong and healthy and not about wanting to weigh a number or look a certain way. I tell myself I am strong and beautiful just the way I am.
A lot of issues around my addiction connected to a desire to control everything. That has, at times, spilled out into issues connected to my physical appearance and consumption. It was important to me to deal with those underlying control issues and learn to let go of them a little bit. I did that through many different means - twelve step programs (Al-Anon and AA, but there are many others), reading and working on control issues through codependency, working on my eating issues (I have vacillated between compulsive over eating and strict and punishing restrictions around weighing food), working on my body image issues, and therapy.
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I went to the gym six times this week lol. My back hurts haha
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I used to be the exact same way about 7 years ago. I was addicted to being healthy after having some medical problems. I worked out every day, sometimes twice, and if anything got in the way of my workout it was almost like withdrawal from the adrenaline/dopamine and I would be angry. I weighed myself every day, measured myself, and took a lot of pictures to compare progress. I was eating 2 salads a day, fish every day, no carbs and very little dairy and I honestly felt amazing. I would never drink to excess bc I couldn’t work out with a hangover. Whether or not it was an unhealthy addiction, my life was great. I do tend to put all my focus into one thing and excel at it. Since I’ve been in recovery this time for some reason cant will myself to workout. I know how good it will make me feel in every aspect but theres like a mental block I have to get past. I dont really have advice, bc I thought it was the best addiction I ever had, but I do understand that it can get in the way of other things in your life. Just dont over do it to the point of exhaustion or injury. Actually take rest days and enjoy them. Find another hobby to take up other time. All the best 
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I use resistance bands during commercials. Keeps my hyper down.
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Love this idea! Thank you
Your post really helped… thank you! And I really like those questions you posted about what I can ask myself with regards to my addiction. Something to think about… not just with addiction but with the gym, my obsessing over other things. You’re right tho, if I have to ask myself if something is a problem, than it’s worth looking into it.
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Gym 9 day in a row now
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