I was flattered by the positive responses I got on my post, 9 Things I’m Glad I Did Before I Get Married and 1 Ting I Wish I Had. I don’t always share so openly and I struggle with hitting publish on the more personal posts, so I really appreciate the feedback.
Continuing in the same personal vein, I’m posting today about a sensitive but important topic and one I have some experience with.
The other day in a media interview I was asked if there is such a thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to healthy eating/living.
The short answer?
Yes.
In nutrition school, I learned about something called Orthorexia Nervosa, an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. It’s not an officially recognized eating disorder but it is a type of disordered eating.
In this same category is exercise addiction, an unhealthy obsession with exercise, and something I’ve struggled with personally.
My struggles with exercise addiction go back to college and are mostly resolved now, but it’s something I’m always cognizant of.
My love of exercise and fitness started in high school. I went to a step aerobics class one day and loved it so much I became a regular three days a week after school.
Eventually, in college, three days a week didn’t feel like enough. So I increased to five days a week and then again to six. When classes started interfering with my afternoon exercise spot I squeezed in an early a.m. workout instead so I wouldn’t miss a day.
I had to have my fix.
It was during this time I realized that it could be a problem when I became obsessed with counting the number of calories I burned exercising compared with the number of calories I ate that day.
It consumed my mind constantly.
I sought help with an on-campus counselor and by the time I moved off campus my senior year, things started to improve.
But when I moved to New York, things eventually got worse. My workouts became two-a-days. Sometimes I would take two spin classes a day or take Cardio Pump + a spin class or do cardio in the morning and go back for strength training at night. On days when I couldn’t squeeze in a workout — or two –, I felt down, almost depressed.
If you think about it, it makes sense. Exercise produces feel-good hormones called endorphins. Like anything that gives you a high, it can be addictive and eventually you need more and more to get the same high. I was using exercise in the same way some people use food, drugs, alcohol, sex or even shopping – to fill a void.
Today, I still work out a lot and train for races, but I’m much more logical and balanced about it. I take rest days. I force myself to feel uncomfortable about missing a workout. I rarely workout more than once a day unless I have a fitness event to go to for the blog.
Exercise is an important part of my day and my lifestyle and probably always will be, but I’m much more realistic about how much I do it. Learning to listen to my body has been a key part of improvement and recovery.
Here are a few signs that Orthorexia Nervosa or Exercise Addiction may be an issue in your own life:
- You base your mood on whether or not you’ve worked out or what you’ve eaten that day
- You let your eating habits or exercise schedule interfere with your social life (i.e. canceling plans, missing important social obligations not eating with friends or family who don’t eat like you, fear of eating away from home)
- You exercise when you’re sick, injured or exhausted
- If you find extra time, you spend it exercising
- Exercise and/or an obsession with food has replaced other interests
- You spend the majority of your time thinking about and planning your meals and food or workouts
- You drastically eliminate foods from your diet due to health concerns
- You feel a sense of control and accomplishment when you stick to your healthy eating habits and/or workout schedule
- You feel a sense of guilt or overwhelm when you stray from your strict dietary guidelines or workout schedule
I’ve lumped the signs and symptoms of Orthorexia Nervosa and Exercise Addiction into one list above, but they are not the same thing. You may suffer from one or both.
If you do think you have Orthorexia Nervosa or an exercise addiction, please seek help.
You may wish to start with these resources:
Thanks Gene! xxo
Great article, Mriss.