severe guilt after eating

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savgar32
savgar32 Posts: 23 Member
in Motivation and Support
I hope I'm not alone on this one :c even though I'm well within my calories and everything I feel like I wasted my workout and the rest of my day because I had two scoops of spaghetti (ah the carbs???) I know that I need to eat to lose weight blah blah blah and I think about that a lot when I eat but mentally I am so scared of eating too much because that's how I got this way in the first place. Has anyone else struggled with this but managed to deal with it?

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  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    I feel your pain, all I can say is, it's not that serious, and you have to condition yourself to understand that. If you're within 100 or so cals you hit the mark, you didn't waste your exercise, you fueled it. Food is fuel, nothing more.

    Rigger
  • amandzor
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
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    Calories in vs calories out.

    If you have anxiety about food, because of food, etc, I'd suggest talking to a counseler. It's actually very helpful.

    I went for a few months to address my social anxiety, and ended up talking about all sorts of stuff.

    I wish there wasn't such a negative stigma about therapy. It's great to sort things out, aloud with a non-judgemental party. We all need a little help sometimes.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    I used to have really, really bad guilt after eating to the point where it ruined my whole day. Once I learned more about how this stuff works that never happens anymore. If I want a KitKat bar and I can fit it in I do and guess what I am still losing weight. As long as you are not eating more than you burn feel free to enjoy food it's ok, really it is.
  • slim4health56
    slim4health56 Posts: 439 Member
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    .. you didn't waste your exercise, you fueled it.

    Rigger

    LOVED this! Amen!:happy:

    Also, you can remind yourself that you are "resetting" the message from your stomach to your brain...for me, I know it's about slowing down when I eat and then stopping when I am satisfied instead of stopping when I'm so stuffed I can't move. Also, reset the message in your brain about eating to rid yourself of the guilt. When you eat a proper portion of food, CONGRATULATE yourself for doing so when those guilty feelings surface. Help your brain discern the difference between eating well (for good health) versus over eating.

    You work out a LOT (truly, a great inspiration for me!) so right back to the post about fueling your new exercise.
  • blondageh
    blondageh Posts: 923 Member
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    I get this way. If I would've had 2 cups of pasta even within my calorie goals, I feel like I set myself up for failure for the whole day and more likely then not, end up binging the day away going over. I wish I could find a happy medium where I can allow myself some non-planned foods and not feel guilty or that I failed.

    Makes me sad to hear others feel this way too. It's not healthy. It's not fixing anything in the the long run.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Pasta isn't the devil...carbs aren't the devil. If you're working out, carbs are actually very beneficial...try killing a race with no carbs. What all of this tells me is that you have a very bad relationship with food...you see it as good and/or bad...and probably, mostly bad if it's anything more than a piece of broccoli. I'd seriously consider some kind of counseling; it isn't normal to feel guilty about fueling your body.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    As long as you're hitting your calories and macros you're fine, don't trip. Don't develop a bad relationship with food. I routinely eat fast food and junk food, but stay within my macros and calories and don't feel an ounce of guilt, because why should I? I'm not doing anything wrong
  • erinpickering12
    erinpickering12 Posts: 22 Member
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    I hope I'm not alone on this one :c even though I'm well within my calories and everything I feel like I wasted my workout and the rest of my day because I had two scoops of spaghetti (ah the carbs???) I know that I need to eat to lose weight blah blah blah and I think about that a lot when I eat but mentally I am so scared of eating too much because that's how I got this way in the first place. Has anyone else struggled with this but managed to deal with it?

    I think everyone that struggles with weight loss has gone through this. Like other people on this thread mentioned, you just have to think about it in terms of calories that you need to eat versus how many you burn in a day. Right now, I'm not exercising regularly, but I'm sticking to my calorie intake and I'm still losing weight. But if you are working out, you will have to factor that in.

    Also, everyone needs a cheat day here and there to stay "sane". So, allow yourself that day. Don't give up on yourself JUST because you cheated once here and there. It's totally not worth it to beat yourself up over one meal and then throw away your diet/health/fitness plan because of the guilt. Trust me, I've been there, done that. Get over it and move on. (Said with the nicest intentions possible!) :):):):)

    Erin
  • savgar32
    savgar32 Posts: 23 Member
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    I really appreciate all the replies! I obviously don't have a good relationship with food. I wish I could find a balance between binging and stressing over a few bites of pasta. I definitely don't want to sabotage all my hard work at the gym because I'm only halfway to my goal. I know it's not THAT serious but it's hard not to obsess over everything.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    Don't worry about the pasta, especially if its paired with lean meat and veggies (like meaty-spagetti sauce). It would only be "bad" if you ate the pasta after meeting your goal, meaning it caused you to go way over, and if you eat it plain, causing blood sugar spike. But, either way, tomorrow is another day to get back on target. I feel guilt after eating things like ice cream, chips, or anything that I don't count and eat by the handful in front of the TV. Make room for the foods you want to eat, so that you don't have to feel guilty about them.
  • duckiec
    duckiec Posts: 241 Member
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    I get anxiety like this, too. Even if treats like cheese curls or cupcakes fit into my calories for the day, I still feel bad about eating them, because for some reason I think to lose weight I should be "good" all the time, and be eating maximum nutrition for each calorie. I think it's a "waste" to blow 350 calories on something that was just fat and sugar... even though I'm often way under my fat macro.

    If I don't plan out most of my day, I find myself "saving" calories in case I want something later, or to fit in an unknown meal, and then when I get to the meal/treat, I tend not to have them. It's a really depressing look at food, where the evaluation of it is not based on whether I want to eat it, but if I "should" or not. Way back in the day I was anorexic, and I think this "less is always better, must suffer" mentality partially comes from that disordered thinking, even though I don't restrict to that level any more. I agree it's not healthy, but not exactly sure where to go from here with it...
  • mab5338
    mab5338 Posts: 14
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    No, you aren't alone! i am the same way, usually happens when i'm hungry and lazy and order a pizza or eat some comfort icecream and I feel even worst the rest of the day! I haven't really come up with a way to get over it, I promise myself to do better tomorrow and make a food plan for the next day so I know what I will eat and that it will be healthier.
  • ucabucca
    ucabucca Posts: 606 Member
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    It isnt wasted and that thought process is very dangerous stop it from coming into your brain and thought process That can lead to a weight loss to a slipper slope of an eating disorder. Food is a positive and so is exercise. Relax and enjoy them both They are necessary as the air we breath

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