How to balance between obsessive tracking and doing nothing??

gelise12

I've used MFP before, and when I track my calories right, I lose weight like I want to. But I've quit a few times because I would get too obsessed with it. Like, I would eat closer to 800 calories a day than 1200 (what my goal usually was), and if I went over I'd feel really bad about it. Most of the time, when I got to that point, I quit within about a week because I knew it wasn't healthy. Other times, I would start trying to lose weight again and then just kind of forget to track food and then stop altogether. In the last 21 months, because of a change in my environment and diet, I lost about 35 pounds without really trying, maintained it for five months, and then went back to where I was before and gained 40. So now I'm obese again and I know I need to lose the weight, but I'm hesitating to start. Does anyone have any advice for keeping it balanced?

itsbasschick

it's not a question of obsessive tracking, but if you look at it that way, i can certainly see why you don't want to do it.

for me, if i don't track, i gain weight. it's that simple - so i weigh and log everything. i was 242 lbs, today i'm 177.6. my blood sugar is down almost 100 points without meds. i feel better in general - a lot better - and more clothes fit. i can work out longer, walk without getting out of breath. isn't that worth a little food tracking? it sure is to me! and weighing and logging my food is easy, much easier and healthier than taking blood pressure pills and diabetes meds.

DeficitDuchess

I don't believe that any advice, besides having you seek professional help; is adequate because of the obsessiveness & the under-eating. These're serious issues, that must be addressed & not with unprofessional opinions.

dubird

For me, it's become habit to log. Took me a while to get there, but I feel weird when I don't log, even if my day is going to be over. Of course, I had to bribe myself, but it worked! XD

Probably the biggest help for me was realizing that I will mess up from time to time. Everyone does. One bad day isn't going to mess me up, so I log it, learn from it, and move on. Learning to forgive myself mistakes when I make them was a huge weight off me, and made it much easier to keep the logging casual.

For you, maybe work on guesstimating rather then being 100% exact. Yes, you need to weigh things to learn what proper portions are, but you said you've been able to maintain for five months, and that suggests you've got a good handle on that part of it. Start now logging everything and don't worry about the calorie goal as much until logging becomes habit. I think you'll find that even without consciously watching what you eat, just the act of logging makes you choose better foods and portions. You might also change your calorie goal. You may not need to go down to 1200; a lot of people don't. I've never been down that low and managed to lose weight just fine.

try2again

If I understood you correctly, you don't necessarily get obsessive with tracking but with the lure of coming in way under your calories? That's a pitfall common to new dieters- they're not satisfied to stick to the calorie allowance MFP gives them and push for more, unnecessarily, because it gives them something like a "dieter's high". I'd say first, make sure you have a reasonable goal- i.e., probably not 2 lbs a week. Get your numbers. Go ahead and be a little obsessive about tracking & logging- then you know you've really gotten the calories you think you have. Be committed to eating your full calorie allowance, however, and don't try to skip meals for an extra "boost" because that can then lead to binge eating.
It sounds like you don't have these behaviors at other times, so I'm assuming we're not talking about disordered eating in general. Wish you the best

jandsstevenson887

Pre-logging helps me. I pre-log for a few minutes the night before and then just eat what I logged. I make sure I give myself a healthy amount of food and stick to it.

Lounmoun

Prelogging your food for the whole day might help. You wouldn't skip meals out of fear because you'd know your food fit your goals. You wouldn't go over if you ate what you had pre-logged. You wouldn't forget to log because you already did it all. It doesn't take long to log a whole day the night before or in the morning. This does require you to think ahead about what you will eat that day.
You could try a limited rotating menu. A lot of people eat the same things pretty often so maybe you have 3-5 breakfasts, 3-5 lunches and 10-15 dinners you like to choose from most days to simplify things.
I usually eat about the same amount of calories for breakfast every day so I know my breaksat needs to be about that amount even if the food is different- same with the other meals. If you have observed your habits being like that it might make it easier for you to choose items.

Sgt_Pepper33

FridayApril01st2016 wrote: »

I don't believe that any advice, besides having you seek professional help; is adequate because of the obsessiveness & the under-eating. These're serious issues, that must be addressed & not with unprofessional opinions.

I agree with this. I had emotional issues surrounding weight and weight loss, and the only help that really got me anywhere was seeking a professional counselor to work out the core issues. You have to get at a healthy place emotionally before you can get there physically. I still deal with some issues surrounding weight, but I'm slowly getting better and it's made all the difference.

AmandaJuneFit

I started out in February at 217 and now i am down to 190 lbs. Im extremely proud of myself however, i am always on this app !! I can't get enough of it which i don't think is a bad thing. My weight losse journey consists of loosing 55 pounds so i can get down to 160 . I'm half way there. I also fear of going over my total calories that I am supposed to consume. Some days I range in the 900-1100 hundred calorie intake but, i don't think its too bad. I eat so i am full. I dont want to keep eating if im already full.

try2again

Lounmoun wrote: »

Prelogging your food for the whole day might help. You wouldn't skip meals out of fear because you'd know your food fit your goals. You wouldn't go over if you ate what you had pre-logged. You wouldn't forget to log because you already did it all.

I actually hadn't looked at it that way- that OP was skipping meals for fear of going over later in the day- but now that makes sense and this would be good advice.

Also, the post didn't strike me like OP has food issues in general- just when trying to count calories- but if I am mistaken, absolutely some counseling would be in order.

gelise12

Yeah, I only tend to have problems with undereating when I'm tracking calories, and I typically notice I'm doing it right away and that's why I end up stopping. Ideally, I could just eat healthier and less without recording everything, but if I'm not tracking I tend to go overboard because I'm not paying attention, and I gain weight.

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I'll try to go a little easier on myself (10 calories over a daily goal still leads to losing something, after all), and I may try pre-recording meals. I really want to make a permanent change this time.

capaul42

Just remember that the number MFP gives you has your deficit built in. You don't need to add more to it.

vivmom2014

By consistently under eating, you're risking more muscle loss & diminished exercise/stamina ability. Taking the long view - is this really what you desire?

Eat enough food to fuel your body.

RacheLoko

I've got like this many times before. And truthfully the only thing that helps is taking a break from tracking and just living life. And talking about. But feeding your body with fuel is the end goal and you need a good balance of foods to do that.

Lizzy622

jandsstevenson887 wrote: »

Pre-logging helps me. I pre-log for a few minutes the night before and then just eat what I logged. I make sure I give myself a healthy amount of food and stick to it.

This pretty much - By having a plan in place I don't need to think about it as much.

ARGriffy

I find periodically logging helps me not to obsess, after you have logged most of your diet 100+ times you tend to become a mental calorie counter so I just ease off tracking and eat what I'd consider to be healthy and balanced for a while, maybe logging a new meal or so then start tracking again for a few days just to check i'm not over estimating too badly. It's worked for a good while now and I've not gained in the last 2 years or so x

FitChick_FroQueen

I agree with the pre-loggers. It's really helped me this week. For the past 3 years I either logged everything or didn't log at all. When I kept track, I lost weight. When I didn't, I gained it back. But pre-logging the night before really takes some stress off me, because I already know what I'm gonna eat for the whole day.

I am struggling a little with being way under my calorie goal, though. Right now my calorie goal is at 1,300. I'm usually between 1,100-1,200, which is only a couple hundred under. But after I log my exercise it gives me back the calories I've burned and I don't know what to do with them! I'm not comfortable being 500 calories under my goal so I try to fit them in somewhere since I work out before lunch.

ashleyjongepier

For me I get obsessive when I over restrict my diet or calorie amount.

Last spring I was doing 1200 cals a day which worked out to more like 500-600 net cals. I lost 18 lbs in a month and I was so happy (wrongly so) I tracked everything, was super super obsessed and felt badly if I ate "too much." Well I burned out and then didn't want to weight anything or log anything. Basically for the next 6 months I would lose and gain the same 5-10 lbs.

I raised my calorie amount to lose 1 lb a week vs 2 and I find I am not so obsessive any more. Going slower gives me more calories so I feel more laid back, but still accountable.

Pre logging deff helps!

lauraesh0384

I'm also in the boat that I'm a fan of pre-logging. It saves you from being surprised. There were a few times I logged as I ate then soon realized I only had 200 calories left for dinner, and that sucks! With pre-logging I have plenty of time to plan a dinner that falls within my calories.

rsleighty

Lounmoun wrote: »

Prelogging your food for the whole day might help. You wouldn't skip meals out of fear because you'd know your food fit your goals. You wouldn't go over if you ate what you had pre-logged. You wouldn't forget to log because you already did it all. It doesn't take long to log a whole day the night before or in the morning. This does require you to think ahead about what you will eat that day.

This is pretty much what I do. I often change things a bit during the day (adding tomatoes to my lunch salad, for example) but for the most part I stick to what I've logged.
I tend to obsess too. I often come in under calorie goal because I've met my sodium limit and am already significantly over my vitamins and fiber, lol. I really don't like those red numbers.