by Nancy Clark, MS, RD

This feature is a continuation of the "Sports Psychology" column in the April 2002 issue of Runner Triathlete News. To get the full scoop on how you can utilize the winning strategies of Olympians, pick up a copy of the April issue of Runner Triathlete News.

"I know I exercise too much, but I'm afraid I'll gain weight if I don't." ... "My wife thinks I'm crazy for exercising as much as I do, but I go crazy if I don't." ... "I haven't missed a day of exercise in seventeen years--not even stress fractures stop me!"

Most of us are acquainted someone who is an incredibly dedicated athlete. You know, the person who makes you feel like a wimp because you take a rest day at least once per week and skip a workout if you get caught in a work jam. But he or she exercises every day, at least once, if not twice, per day. Chances are, these athletes get lots of praise for their discipline. ("I only wish I were as dedicated as you...") But the questions arise: Is this praise misplaced? Is this dedicated athlete really an exhausted compulsive exerciser who is caught in the vicious cycle of exercising to burn off calories and control weight?

As a sports nutritionist, I spend most of my counseling hours helping people bring balance to their food and exercise programs. The typical client confesses, "I just don't feel good unless I exercise for at least an hour every morning. I don't even mind getting up at 4:00 am if I have to ... otherwise, I feel too guilty to eat. I know I should exercise less and eat better, but I just can't seem to do it. I'm afraid I'll get fat or out of shape."

If these words sound familiar, keep reading. Perhaps this article will offer a new perspective to help you be gentler on yourself.

Dedicated vs compulsive: a fine line separates the two words. I define the dedicated athlete as a person who does quality exercise to improve his or her sports performance. In comparison, the compulsive exerciser simply pushes his or her body to do excessive amounts of exercise; rest days are taboo. The underlying purpose of the exercise is to burn off calories and control weight.

Compulsive exercise is often associated with a desire to control some aspect of life. That is, when you can't control your spouse, children, parents, health, job, or other aspect of life, you can gain a sense of control and stability by exercising. For some people, the price for this control is a rigid, structured life that lacks flexibility and spontaneous living ("Let's celebrate your birthday"). Instead, the compulsive athlete chooses to exercise-- again.

The desire to control one part of an unruly life is one component of compulsive exercise. The desire to control weight is another. Most compulsive exercisers believe the more they exercise, the leaner they'll be. Not true. As one woman lamented, "I should be pencil-thin for the amount of exercise I do." She reported having flab despite her punishing exercise program. She was very frustrated with her inability to control her body. Like many compulsive exercisers, she would eat spartanly until she lost control to her nagging hunger. She'd then binge-eat.

Compulsive exercise (and it's buddy, compulsive eating) is often a symptom of bigger life issues that can be defined through the question "Why do you have such a high need to feel in control?" The answer commonly is found in childhood scars. For example, many of my clients grew up with family alcohol problems. For them, the parent's drinking made life feel out of control; now they cling to situations they can control.

For others, family messages about weight left them feeling inadequate. "You know, honey, that dress looks nice--but it would look even nicer if only you'd lose a few pounds." And failing Weight Watchers at age 8 didn't help, either.

If you look back on your childhood, you can perhaps find similar hurtful situations. Resolving the hurt comes not in running another ten miles, sweating an extra thirty minutes on the stairmaster, or training for a triathlon. If your life isn't working, as symbolized by your being ruled by exercise, and if you are discontent with the situation, the solution comes in resolving the issues with counseling or self-help reading.

You can also soften the demands you put on yourself and change your daily self-talk:
--Instead of exercising to burn off calories, you can exercise to improve your performance. This means fueling yourself properly for high quality(not high quantity) workouts and planning one or two rest days per week. Rest, after all, is an essential part of a quality training program.
--When and if you allow yourself to take a rest day, don't try to cut back on food. You will be just as hungry because your muscles will be busy replacing depleted glycogen stores with the carbohydrates you normally burn off during exercise. For each 1 ounce of glycogen, you'll store 3 ounces of water. A rapid weight gain indicates better fueled muscles (not gain of fat).
--Trust that your body will not "get fat on you" if you exercise less. I even recommend you separate exercise and weight control. Enjoy exercise as the gift you give to your health. Control weight by regulating calories. Also note, the more you exercise, the hungrier you'll get and the more you'll want to eat. Why burn off an extra 500 calories only to devour 700 calories of frozen yogurt?
--Instead of trying to change your body into a perfectly lean machine, accept it for what it is and love yourself from the inside out. Who said you have to be perfect? Wouldn't life be easier if you could just be human--with bumps and bulges?

Nancy Clark, MS, RD offers private nutrition consultations at her SportsMedicine Brookline office in the Boston-area. Her books offer additional advice: the newly revised Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook, 2nd Edition (1997; $20) and The NYC Marathon Cookbook: A nutrition guide for runners ($23). Both are available by sending a check to Sports Nutrition Materials, 830 Boylston St., Brookline MA 02167.