Balance takes work

Extreme behavior, aka addictive behavior, can also be applied to nutrition or working out. When it comes to eating, it has been labeled as orthorexia. So what is too much? How do you know if you or someone you know may have these excessive disorders?

When I started this wellness journey, I did not replace one thing at a time and make changes slowly; I was a jump in head first and just keep swimming. I was obsessively checking food labels, stopped buying certain foods, refused to eat certain foods, and worked out 45 minutes a day every week. My obsession turned into Orthorexia; this term was coined by Steven Bratman, MD, in 1996. This article is a good read for trying to understand it better.

I thought I was doing everything right. Then I got sick with an upper respiratory infection. After 2 weeks of feeling like crap, I went to the doctor to find out what I had. They gave me antibiotics to clear up the infection. They only somewhat worked. They cleared up the upper respiratory infection, but I had developed a UTI (urinary tract infection), so I had to do another round of antibiotics. After that round, I had a horrible cough and congestion. I went back in, and I now had walking pneumonia. So you guessed it, another round of antibiotics. By this time, I have been on antibiotics for 2 months now. After this round of antibiotics, I ended up with a yeast infection because the antibiotics had killed off all the good bacteria leaving lots of room for harmful bacteria to grow.

During this time, I lost over 15 lbs. because I was barely eating, sleeping a lot (all night long and 1-2 naps a day), and when I had enough energy, I was still working out. When I finally felt better after all those rounds of antibiotics and stepped on the scale, I was ecstatic about how light I was. That excitement and confidence did not last long. I began nit-picking the skin on my stomach and breasts. They were too saggy and wrinkly looking.

Knowing you have this behavior is the first step to balancing it out. This was when I realized that I had Orthorexia. I needed to find balance and stop doing things to the extreme. I still have slip-ups to this day of taking things too far. It is a struggle for me to keep everything balanced.

When it comes to working out, I am only doing a workout when I have time and energy. I do so much stuff in our yard and garden that I count that as working out. My garden is on the larger side; I spend 3-4 days a week pruning, weeding, watering, and checking for bugs. I count these as my workouts for the week. Plus anything else we need to do in the yard, like cutting the grass, stacking wood, or walking the dogs. You do not necessarily have to do a HIIT workout or yoga as your only workouts. I do occasionally throw in a yoga session. I like the low-impact nature and how it gives me more flexibility and clears my mind.

I also like to meal prep at the beginning of the week. I cut up all the fruit and vegetables we purchased for the week so they can be easily grabbed as a snack or to cut down on dinner prep time. Anything that we do not use up promptly, I lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for smoothies and soups.

I have gotten better at eating out places or with friends and family. I remind myself that it is ok to have a burger and fries or pizza once in a while. This will not completely derail your wellness. I utilize behavior modification and cognitive restructuring techniques to help me from taking things to the extreme.

Keeping myself balanced will be something I will always be working on. So what is a good balance? One that gives your body all the nutrients it needs, the rest it needs, and the strength training to keep your muscles strong. If you are anything like me and have those extreme behaviors, ask yourself if this is helpful or hurtful? This makes you stop and think about what you will do instead of just jumping in. Know that you are not alone and there are ways to be healthy without hurting yourself.

💖,

The Wellness Blondie

I would love to know, what do you think?