I don't enjoy eating anymore

JustinAnimal

Didn't see your second post. One day, when this stuff is second nature, you won't need to count calories. If you stay active and eat generally healthful foods, keep your macros balanced, increase your protein intake, continue to eat raw veggies and hummus and healthy crap like that, you can still go out to eat and not worry about it.

You'll also be more in tune with your body and able to notice if you're sliding back and be more disciplined. The key is to create good, healthy habits now so they become automatic later. Like I said, it takes practice and I totally went through a long phase of feeling miserable. Believe that you will love the way you look and feel when you reach that goal.

Out of curiosity, what is your goal? Weight loss? Adding muscle?

WhisperAnne

I'm not trying to lose weight by the way. I'm happy at my 125pounds. I just want to STAY this size, eat healthy and not count. Is that possible? is it possible that one day I can sit down like a normal person and eat say a cheeseburger and fries, without worrying abut calories?

Again, I know how you feel. I think maintaining the weight is so much harder than losing it. You think "I worked so hard to lose it and I don't want to gain it all back." :sad: It's so frustrating!! You can eat a cheeseburger & fries like a normal person, but I don't think you/I will ever not worry about the calories.

That is so depressing. Yeah it's great being fit and healthy. But it comes with a price. I worked my butt off for years to lose the weight and now I'm so damn miserable with food. I see other thin people eat really unhealthy and stay their size! I want to do that!

WhisperAnne

Didn't see your second post. One day, when this stuff is second nature, you won't need to count calories. If you stay active and eat generally healthful foods, keep your macros balanced, increase your protein intake, continue to eat raw veggies and hummus and healthy crap like that, you can still go out to eat and not worry about it.

You'll also be more in tune with your body and able to notice if you're sliding back and be more disciplined. The key is to create good, healthy habits now so they become automatic later. Like I said, it takes practice and I totally went through a long phase of feeling miserable. Believe that you will love the way you look and feel when you reach that goal.

Out of curiosity, what is your goal? Weight loss? Adding muscle?

My goal is to stay at the size I'm at. I like my weight and body. I just want to be happy with food again. No more weight loss. I'm already fit enough to my liking.

chopper_pilot

stop thinking about food so much. replace those thoughts with thoughts of something constructive. like... what are you doing with the new body you are creating?

nothing?

i believe that is easier said than done. the more you try not to think about something, especially in the face of a disorder, the more you obsess.

i didnt say try not to think about it so you would become obsessed with thinking about it.

I clearly said to replace it with thoughts of what you will do with your new healthy fit capable body.

which was, of course, discarded as ridiculous.

Gettinghealthysarah

stop thinking about food so much. replace those thoughts with thoughts of something constructive. like... what are you doing with the new body you are creating?

nothing?

i believe that is easier said than done. the more you try not to think about something, especially in the face of a disorder, the more you obsess.

I agree!

Yep'!!!!

chopper_pilot

changed mind. dont want to get involved in conversations where people are more interested in talking about why they cant be helped, than what could possibly help.

diannethegeek

stop thinking about food so much. replace those thoughts with thoughts of something constructive. like... what are you doing with the new body you are creating?

nothing?

i believe that is easier said than done. the more you try not to think about something, especially in the face of a disorder, the more you obsess.

I agree!

Yep'!!!!

Just because it's easier said then done does not meant it isn't worth doing. Changing your mindset is hard work, I know, and it obviously doesn't work for everyone. Obviously it's not going to work overnight. It's a very long and difficult process that can take years to work effectively. I'm a different person today because of the work I've put into changing my mindset and I believe that it was worth it.

I'm sorry that it didn't work for some of you and I'm sorry that the OP feels she needs to eat well below her maintenance in order to maintain. All of the things that will change that are easier said than done. That doesn't make any of them not worth trying.

JustinAnimal

I'm not sure how much you weigh, but 1300-1500 calories is super low. Honestly, I got results from cutting calories but hated life the way you are right now.

Do it the right way! Eat approx 2000 (healthy, yet tasty) calories a day, calculate your BMR, workout hard and convert that fat to muscle. You can EAT and still lose weight. Keep the metabolism up by eating lots of protein!

awildernesslife

Please, please read up on Eating Competence. This is the second comment I've made on the subject today, but I just feel like it's so needed. Food is not the enemy, and when we think it is, or feel like our bodies are broken or have betrayed us, we're already in an unhealthy place. Having a disordered relationship with food is far more unhealthy than being above our desired weight.

http://ellynsatterinstitute.org/hte/eatingcompetence.php

Frank_Just_Frank

I'm kind of confused, you're skinny as a rail and you're upset about not being able to eat without thinking of calories?

Just learn about what kind of foods and their volume that fits into your lifestyle...and be careful about losing weight, I don't see where you need to lose it

WhisperAnne

I'm going to try my hardest to not count every calorie. Maybe, hopefully by now my mind knows what to eat and when to stop. I want to enjoy food and I know I can eat anything as long as it's a portion size etc. I really don't want people blowing up because of this topic.

vintagegoddess

Hi Whisper,

I know how you feel! I went to an Overeaters Anon meeting and I was telling them that chocolate chip cookies were like friends to me and they said that they were "bad" friends. True.

You can still love food. Try the Whole Living website recipes. They're great and you can lose weigh and fitness pal has the recipes in they're database. I always go back the the 28 day challenge. Try it & let me know what you think. Bon Appetit also has a challenge that has great food that tastes great and is good for you.

WhisperAnne

You are developing a very unhealthy relationship with food. My guess is that you don't really understand how any of this works from an actual scientific and mathematical standpoint...if you did, you would realize that you're not going to gain weight from eating a peanut butter sandwich or a chocolate covered pretzel.

Honestly, you don't look like you have any weight to lose...I'd strongly suggest backing away from the food scale and calorie counting until you can get your head straight...seek out professional help if necessary. These kind of unhealthy relationships with food and disordered kind of thinking can quickly spiral into full blown ED if you're not careful.

This. ^ Time to ease up. I have been logging my calories for years, but if I am hungry - even when trying to lose weight - I eat. Logging it just helps me figure out why I'm gaining/losing.

That is so depressing. Yeah it's great being fit and healthy. But it comes with a price. I worked my butt off for years to lose the weight and now I'm so damn miserable with food. I see other thin people eat really unhealthy and stay their size! I want to do that!

That type of relationship with food isn't any healthier - literally or figuratively. No one on this earth can eat junk all the time and not suffer health consequences. In terms of weight, as I'm sure you know, it's calories in versus calories out. My wife eats junk 24/7 and maintains her weight. However, she only eats a couple times a day whereas I am constantly eating. If you eat healthier, you can eat more (by volume). Also, although some people have genetics that may allow them to eat a little more, it is for the most part just an illusion; most of those people are just skinny-fat. For example, I can eat tons and still look very skinny, but my body fat goes up just like everyone else. The way my body distributes the weight though, I can be at 25% and look like I'm at 15% (clothed that is). Again, it's an illusion though. It also comes at the cost of having to put on significant muscle before I really appear muscular. My point is simply that perceptions aren't reality.

You make perfect sense. I've been hearing about "skinny fat" and it surprises me that a skinny person can still have such high body fat..just amazing what our bodies can do.

tesha_chandler

If counting calories is super important to you, maybe you could try planning out meals each week and planning the calories out with them. That way you just do what's on your schedule and you don't have to worry counting them day in and day out.

I'm actually really happy that you posted this because I just realized that I have become overly obsessed with counting them as well.

DirrtyH

I don't enjoy food anymore either. If I had the choice I would rather not eat at all. When I'm hungry and can't ignore it anymore, I go for the easiest, most convenient thing which is rarely the most healthy thing. It makes this process difficult.

I don't know if it ever comes back. Maybe it won't. Maybe you'll need to find your satisfaction in other things. Eat to live and find your joy elsewhere.

tesstcool

Unfortunately I don't think most of us will ever be "normal." My boyfriend and sister are both those kind of people that can eat like 5000 calories a day and stay the same weight or even drop lbs! I know the reason I'm here is because I was living for so long with the delusion that I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. But unfortunately I'm built differently than "normal" people and have a slower metabolism. I've been learning to accept the fact that my body shouldn't have more than 1200 calories a day and that I need to exercise regularly. I want soooo bad to just go out to eat and have whatever on the menu, sadly I know I can't. I've even had to fight the urge to look up foods at the dinner table! I do believe however that one day I'll just naturally eat right and not count. Good luck to everyone on their endeavors!

LeahFerri

Do you really have to eat between 1300 and 1500 to maintain 125 pounds? I'm a little under 125 pounds and I eat ~1500 to lose. I don't think that's the real issue here, but it might at least feel a little easier if you have more calories to play with. I know I had issues when I had my calories set at 1200 (terrible, terrible decision) because I felt like I couldn't eat things I wanted without sacrificing things that would keep me from being hungry.

It seems to me that the problem isn't quite that you can't eat the things you want--because they can be fit in, I know they can!--but that you have to think about it if you do and you're tired of thinking about it all. the. time. I get that. I so get that. Some days I am just so utterly tired of thinking about food (and this happens to me with more than food, but that's not the focus here) and wish I could just say "screw everything" and eat all of whatever I wanted. And sometimes I do that. But I do it with the knowledge that I have to go back. It's an acceptance that if I leave off monitoring my food altogether, I won't be able to retain the physical and mental state of health that lets me enjoy life in other ways. Sometimes, as was previously said, that means you have to focus on those other ways to make things feel worthwhile.

I agree with the 80/20 (or sometimes 90/10) rule that's often posited around here: eat to live 80 to 90%, and then live to eat for the other 20 to 10%.

Message me if you want!

JustinAnimal

work out harder...........eat what you want........

thats how I see it.......I think about this past year when I have gotten in better shape.....and I think man if I ate better I would have be in incredible shape.......but would I be happy about it?

I love my pizza, fries, and beer.......I just consume it a different way sometimes. But I can't stop allowing myself to not have what I want.

This. Before I got way hardcore about my health, I used to work out like a mofo so I could drink beer. Mmmmmm...

knra_grl

I'm going to try my hardest to not count every calorie. Maybe, hopefully by now my mind knows what to eat and when to stop. I want to enjoy food and I know I can eat anything as long as it's a portion size etc. I really don't want people blowing up because of this topic.

we all know a bad day of eating is not the end of the world so why don't you just take 1 day off per week from tracking it doesn't necessarily mean you have to make poor food choices but the decision will be yours without having to account for every morsel that passes your lips.