Fine line between counting/logging and obsessing?

ROBtheMFPmachine

I swear I was just thinking about this a couple hours ago, as I found myself almost obsessing because I wasn't able to precisely calculate the number of calories of some chicken I ate when I was hungry after exercising (I estimated roughly). I was wondering, am I obsessing like some people I know who have other obsessive/compulsive behaviors that annoy me (including but not limited to eating disorders)? I think the point is that, yes, tracking and counting calories is kind of obsessive--but it's important not to obsess while engaging in that kind of obsessive process. Sometimes you have to "let go" and not worry about being precise, or accounting for every last calorie eaten or burned. If you stop tracking/counting calories because you are afraid of being obsessive, then you'll gain weight again. The moral of the story seems to be that you should monitor yourself, make sure that you're not excessively obsessing, that you are being reasonable, knowing that tracking/counting IS a positive thing.

dakotababy

I dont know, it is similar to "obsessively" not eating carbs, or gluten, or dairy or whatever other techniques people use to lose weight. Exercising, taking diet pills or shakes...the list can go on.

I think people are ignorant when they DONT count calories, or at least take a look at the nutrition label before they eat. What is so wrong about being educated, and using that education to keep yourself healthy?

Icandoityayme

When you have eating problems and need to control them, yes you can become obsessive because you are having to learn a new way of living. You want to make sure you are doing things correctly and in a way that is healthy for you. Not everyone can just eat whatever they want when they want and how much they want without gaining a ton of weight. I know my guy can, but I can't. I think obsessiveness becomes a problem when you think you have to be perfect and seeing a red number throws you into a depression or ruins your whole entire day. Life happens, beating yourself up doesn't change it, you learn from it and do better tomorrow.

crystalflame

For me, I can tell I've crossed the line from diligent to obsessive if I feel certain emotions. Do I fear going out to eat at a place where I don't know the calories? Do I get anxious if a work emergency gets in the way of my evening workout? Does a less-than-ideal macro balance stress me out? And the overarching question: is my physical appearance more important to me than enjoying all the other aspects of my life? Seriously, what good is it to have the body for a smoking hot dress if I'm too scared to go out to a restaurant I can wear the dress to? What good is it to look killer in lingerie for a sexy evening with my husband if I'm going to spaz when he offers me a glass of wine?

I use this tool when I have goals I'm trying to achieve, and it works very well. But I also know that this tool can become problematic for me, and it's healthy for me to take breaks and practice intuitive eating from time to time. If I gain a few pounds, I gain a few pounds - I know how to lose them. I want a healthier me overall, and health goes beyond the body.

mccindy72

amandarunning wrote: »

Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated...

No, obsessed is the word used if it's taking more of your time than it should and you are preoccupied with it when you shouldn't be. Once you are done logging and you have your calories figured out for the day, you should be done. If you are spending a lot of time looking over your calories when you shouldn't be, you have an obsession problem.

sympha01

I think a lot of people who maybe have never had a weight problem or have only needed to maintain weight or just lose 15 pounds once in a while can be quick to slap the "obsessed" label on those of us who need to count calories. I love food, and if I'm not weighing and tracking my food then my estimate of portion sizes tends to grow over time, and my internal idea of how often I can eat cake tends to go up and up and up LOL.

The thing is, either you're counting calories ... or you're not. There's no middle ground. You can't count some of your calories some of the time and expect it to work. So if you're going to do it, you do it right. If that's "obsessive," so be it, I guess?

IMO it's only a "problem" if you're letting it control you, like having so much anxiety about not knowing the exact calorie data or portion sizes that you avoid social situations for example. Sometimes counting calories means making a good faith conservative estimate, making a plan for the day, whatever, and moving on with your life.

But yeah, I have IRL friends who know I've lost 160 pounds and are impressed by that, but also clearly "don't entirely approve" that I weigh my food at home and track my meals in a diary like MFP essentially forever. I try to quietly demonstrate that I don't let food control me -- they see me eat pizza or cake and drink booze, or take seconds of delicious dish, but you can't worry too much about what other people think either LOL.

Tickwomp

More like- fine line between accurate logging and poor logging.

Sarauk2sf

dakotababy wrote: »

I dont know, it is similar to "obsessively" not eating carbs, or gluten, or dairy or whatever other techniques people use to lose weight. Exercising, taking diet pills or shakes...the list can go on.

I think people are ignorant when they DONT count calories, or at least take a look at the nutrition label before they eat. What is so wrong about being educated, and using that education to keep yourself healthy?

I do not count calories for much of the time, nor do I look at nutrition labels that much anymore. So, I am ignorant?

sympha01

dakotababy wrote: »

I dont know, it is similar to "obsessively" not eating carbs, or gluten, or dairy or whatever other techniques people use to lose weight. Exercising, taking diet pills or shakes...the list can go on.

I think people are ignorant when they DONT count calories, or at least take a look at the nutrition label before they eat. What is so wrong about being educated, and using that education to keep yourself healthy?

I don't know that it's helpful to divide the world into calorie counters and non-counters and then choose sides for a holy war. Like, I count calories and I respect that some people don't need to, or that they simply have other priorities. I hope that my friends who don't count calories respect the reasons why I do so. Everybody doesn't need to be the same and have the same behavior for us to respect each other.

I think the OP was a question not about whether people who don't count calories are wrong, but whether judgements some people make about calorie-counting are wrong or if they have a point.

ETA: I disrespect people for other reasons all the time because some people be crazy. I'm just saying this doesn't need to be one of those reasons.

nxd10

I actually don't see anything incompatible with logging and loving food. One of the reasons I like logging is that it usually tells me I have enough calories in my day to eat whatever it is I want to eat.

Serah87

I like to track my food, not obsessively, for instance we were at Disney World it was packed out, they have free internet but it's not that great and when a lot people are on it, it takes forever to get to the link, so I just said screw it and just enjoyed my day, now I do that when special occassions, birthdays, wedding, holidays and anniversaries, etc, I still lost 121 pounds doing that.

ETA: Just to add to my comment, we, hubby and I, are planning a cruise in May, I don't plan on logging, for one thing no internet, well take that back, there is but it cost an arm, leg and several toes, I rather use the money for something else.

karyabc

dakotababy wrote: »

I dont know, it is similar to "obsessively" not eating carbs, or gluten, or dairy or whatever other techniques people use to lose weight. Exercising, taking diet pills or shakes...the list can go on.

I think people are ignorant when they DONT count calories, or at least take a look at the nutrition label before they eat. What is so wrong about being educated, and using that education to keep yourself healthy?

and those who have never count calorie/read labels/had weight issue/have perfect health i suppose are especial snow flake to you.. you'll be surprise how many of those are out there.

jenilla1

bwogilvie wrote: »

SideSteel wrote: »

I would ask yourself how the logging behavior affects the quality of your life. If you find that it's creating problems then I would seek other methods that allow you to either stop logging or reduce the frequency of it.

These are wise words. I'm at maintenance and still logging food. It takes at most 5-7 minutes a day, most of the time: a minute each for breakfast and lunch (I'm pretty consistent in what I eat then), and somewhat longer for dinner. It doesn't bother me, nor does it detract from my quality of living. If it begins to do so, I'll seek alternatives.

(*)

Timorous_Beastie

crystalflame wrote: »

For me, I can tell I've crossed the line from diligent to obsessive if I feel certain emotions. Do I fear going out to eat at a place where I don't know the calories? Do I get anxious if a work emergency gets in the way of my evening workout? Does a less-than-ideal macro balance stress me out? And the overarching question: is my physical appearance more important to me than enjoying all the other aspects of my life? Seriously, what good is it to have the body for a smoking hot dress if I'm too scared to go out to a restaurant I can wear the dress to? What good is it to look killer in lingerie for a sexy evening with my husband if I'm going to spaz when he offers me a glass of wine?

I use this tool when I have goals I'm trying to achieve, and it works very well. But I also know that this tool can become problematic for me, and it's healthy for me to take breaks and practice intuitive eating from time to time. If I gain a few pounds, I gain a few pounds - I know how to lose them. I want a healthier me overall, and health goes beyond the body.

I like this, and feel the same way.

letthekoalaseethebanana

amandarunning wrote: »

Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated...

Love this

mccindy72

letthekoalaseethebanana wrote: »

amandarunning wrote: »

Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated...

Love this

I don't, and I don't think a lot of other dedicated people do either. There's a very wide line between dedication and obsession.

bennettinfinity

If logging calories is obsessive, then I'm also obsessive about paying my bills and going to work... they're all just means to an end

Sarauk2sf

letthekoalaseethebanana wrote: »

amandarunning wrote: »

Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated...

Love this

What about the people who are calling themselves obsessed...are they lazy and dedicated all at the same time?.

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SideSteel

dakotababy wrote: »

I dont know, it is similar to "obsessively" not eating carbs, or gluten, or dairy or whatever other techniques people use to lose weight. Exercising, taking diet pills or shakes...the list can go on.

I think people are ignorant when they DONT count calories, or at least take a look at the nutrition label before they eat. What is so wrong about being educated, and using that education to keep yourself healthy?

I don't count calories. I haven't for several months.

Am I ignorant because of this?

dakotababy

What I meant was for individuals who have no clue the calorie values in food. For those who have tracked or made themselves aware of the calorie content in food and what that actually means, I could not say they are uneducated.

But yes, if you do not know the approximate calorie content in most food, or the ability to find that information or know what it means - I would say you are ignorant. Tough stuff if you dont like it!

Sarauk2sf

dakotababy wrote: »

What I meant was for individuals who have no clue the calorie values in food. For those who have tracked or made themselves aware of the calorie content in food and what that actually means, I could not say they are uneducated.

But yes, if you do not know the approximate calorie content in most food, or the ability to find that information or know what it means - I would say you are ignorant. Tough *kitten* if you dont like it!

Why on earth would someone even need to know it if they are not and have never been overweight?

SideSteel

dakotababy wrote: »

What I meant was for individuals who have no clue the calorie values in food. For those who have tracked or made themselves aware of the calorie content in food and what that actually means, I could not say they are uneducated.

But yes, if you do not know the approximate calorie content in most food, or the ability to find that information or know what it means - I would say you are ignorant. Tough *kitten* if you dont like it!

What about someone who has lost a substantial amount of weight by reducing carb intake? There are plenty of people who have been successful with this method without knowing or caring about calories.

Are they ignorant?

SuggaD

I get a little obsessive about it sometimes. But when I realize that I'm doing it, I stop logging. You have to know when to step away.

triciab79

People fail on these sort of things. Everyone preaches moderation in dieting but not in eating. Those same friends who want you to practice moderation in your counting will probably order drinks an appetizer entree and dessert. Ignore them and keep going. You have to lock yourself onto your path or you will not reach your goal.

Verdenal

SideSteel wrote: »

amandarunning wrote: »

Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated...

This is ridiculous.

I disagree. Many people who can't commit, who have no discipline, are the first to jump up and accuse someone else of being obsessive. We live in a country of lazy, unrealistic people who have no idea what it takes to change a complex behavior.

Verdenal

I think you have to do what you need to do. If weighing everything works, continue. Sometimes you can get by without counting by eliminating obvious high-calorie foods, such as alcohol, starchy carbs, fatty foods, and sugar.

Ladyhawk71

Hey, if you want to talk obession, lets talk about me eating a box of chocolates by myself and drinking 5 cups of coffee a day~ If calories are what we need to watch, in order to stay a little healthier, and live a little longer~ than hey~ I'm down with being obsessive! Fight on and don't worry about haters; they are usually just jealous of your control over your obessions.

Verdenal

Obese Family Member to Me:

You're obsessive.

Me:

I have to be aware of what I'm eating to maintain a normal weight. How many calories do you think are in ____?

Obese Family Member:

[Doesn't know or ridiculously underestimates.]

Me:

What is your BMI?

Obese Family Member:

[Has no idea.]

Me:

OK, what do you weigh?

Obese Family Member:

[Refuses to answer].

Unknown

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