Possibly time to stop using MyFitnessPal :(

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thelittlebluebox
thelittlebluebox Posts: 22
in Health and Weight Loss
I think it may be time for me to stop using this site. It's only been a week and I've found that I'm developing a kind of paranoia about calories. It's been very interesting to find out more about what I eat. I've found out why I've been losing weight. As it turns out, I barely make it over 1200 calories some days and rarely get over 1500. I'm losing weight anyway and I think that being hyper-aware of my calorie "allowance" for the day may lead to a potentially serious problem. This is such a positive site and I'd hate for my slightly obsessive tendencies to turn watching what I eat into an unhealthy situation.

Replies

  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    I wish you well! Adieu!
  • misssuperstitious
    misssuperstitious Posts: 178
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    I kind of know what you mean, it's shocking at first, but you'll settle down after another week or two. Give it a month, then decide.
  • Sirenism
    Sirenism Posts: 100 Member
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    I feel the same way most days. I know that I've developed an obsession with calorie counting and being aware of how many calories each has. if I go over I get depressed. I choose to continue tracking because I like that I know what is going into my body. I shoot to make my allowance by at least 200 calories.
  • CuteAndCurvy83
    CuteAndCurvy83 Posts: 570 Member
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    If you are trying to lose the idea of logging everything you eat makes you more aware of what you are eating, the goal is to keep within your limit. If you are becoming obsessive about it by tracking your intake, theres really nothing more you can do.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Good luck whatever you decide! We'll be here if you decide you miss us......:flowerforyou:
  • AmeMahoney
    AmeMahoney Posts: 232
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    I've been kind of thinking the same thing. Eating Clean doesn't worry about exact calories because as long as you are eating healthy foods in the number of servings given in 5-6 meals a day, there's no way you won't lose weight. I can eat 2000 clean calories a lot of days and it's way better than starving myself (and yes, I lose weight). I'd rather track my servings. Many people one here are completely paranoid about getting more than 1000 calories. It's very sad.
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    I think that we all have an obsession to some extent -- before it was on food, now I have been told I have an obsession with running! Ummm if I had to chose I would pick the second...

    So yes its possible you might be obsessed with calories... but only you can determine whether its healthy or unhealthy for you.

    Good luck though - and if you need a friend you can always friend me!
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
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    I'm with you. but i dont have the willpower to stop.
  • salto
    salto Posts: 30 Member
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    Have you considered talking to a psychotherapist who specializes in eating disorders? Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes, and can be as seemingly simple as an obsession with what you eat. Talking to someone may just help you to understand why you're so hung up on your calories.
  • reginafloyd
    reginafloyd Posts: 14 Member
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    I like the awareness of knowing what my calorie intake is and having the ability to tweak it if I need to and be in control of my diet. If I end up taking in too many, I just get back on track the next day. Sounds like you are doing great if you are still losing weight even when your calories fluctuate. Wish you the best what ever decision you chose to make. :)
  • MemphisMarly
    MemphisMarly Posts: 215
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    *hugs* :flowerforyou:
  • EdyeAnne
    EdyeAnne Posts: 2 Member
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    The idea here is to make you aware of what kinds of foods you are eating... whether they are healthy based on your own profile. You probably need to sit down and develop a menu for each day of the week AHEAD of time. That way you can adjust BEFORE you eat it if you have too much sodium or too much fact OR too few calories. Good luck with whatever you decide.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
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    Keeping track of what goes into your body is a healthy way of making sure you are eating the way you want.

    The obsession is obviously not healthy.

    But this isn't the fault of MFP. As someone who has had problems with eating in the past you need to address the underlying problem to this, not just quit MFP. I'm not saying you should stick with it but you are channeling issues of control in your eating which is extremely unhealthy and the issue won't go away unless you address it either by yourself, with friend and family or through a professional. This is NOT just about the food or the calories.

    Good luck and know we are here to support you!
  • DaddyMantz
    DaddyMantz Posts: 145 Member
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    Don't think of it as obsession but rather as dedication. I had a number of people in my life telling me some negative things like "don't get too skinny" or that I shouldn't be obsessed. I guarantee you that there is nothing wrong with monitoring your calories and a great many elite people do. If I listened to those people, I would still be in the poor physical shape i spent most of my adult years.
  • thelittlebluebox
    thelittlebluebox Posts: 22
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    Thanks for all your support, guys. I really am not sure what I want to do at this point. I think I'll stick with it for another week or so and then see what I want to do. I'm not saying that any problem that I'm experiencing is MFP's fault. It's completely on me. I'll see if there's a way to adjust the "goal" on my food page. Maybe that will help. I'm probably just overreacting and I apologize for posting this in the first place. :P If I had a lot of weight to lose, I wouldn't have a problem with this at all, but it wouldn't take all that much for me to end up underweight and that is a pain to deal with, too. Ugh, and now I sound like I'm saying "like, omgosh, I'm going to get too skinny!" That's NOT what I'm saying. When I decide to do something, I sometimes have a tendency to overdo it a bit. I had a few years when I was fighting to put on weight and that was every bit as frustrating as trying to lose it.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    What is your goal while on this site?
  • 123456654321
    123456654321 Posts: 1,311 Member
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    You know yourself best so don't let anyone else influence your decision. Not all of us are the same. Calorie counting, for some, can turn into an unhealthy obsession and if you think you have those tendencies then I think you are making the right choice to stop now before it becomes a more serious issue.

    Good luck with whatever you decide!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,108 Member
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    Thanks for all your support, guys. I really am not sure what I want to do at this point. I think I'll stick with it for another week or so and then see what I want to do. I'm not saying that any problem that I'm experiencing is MFP's fault. It's completely on me. I'll see if there's a way to adjust the "goal" on my food page. Maybe that will help. I'm probably just overreacting and I apologize for posting this in the first place. :P If I had a lot of weight to lose, I wouldn't have a problem with this at all, but it wouldn't take all that much for me to end up underweight and that is a pain to deal with, too. Ugh, and now I sound like I'm saying "like, omgosh, I'm going to get too skinny!" That's NOT what I'm saying. When I decide to do something, I sometimes have a tendency to overdo it a bit. I had a few years when I was fighting to put on weight and that was every bit as frustrating as trying to lose it.

    I totally got what you were saying, and understand. After a few months of trying to lose weight, when I hit a wall and couldn't lose the last few pounds I was super obsessive about researching every ingredient and weighing everything I ate down to the gram.

    I have past obsessions that weren't as ...um......harmless.....so I understand where you are coming from. Anyone with an obsessive personality can have problems with eating - either too much or too little - so it makes sense that we then obsess over the details of losing or gaining weight.

    I've learned a lot more about myself than how to lose weight by being on MFP. This is a good place to get some cheap therapy. One big lesson I've learned is that I get in trouble with "All or Nothing Thinking." It's a problem with a lot of addicts, whether it's food, work, drugs, alcohol, perfection, you name it. I had to learn to step away from logging food whenever I caught myself getting obsessed about how much Calcium I was getting, or Vitamin C, or Carbs, or whatever...or even if I caught myself reading all the posts for three hours at a time.

    So if you can learn a little moderation in eating, and a little moderation in logging, and accept some imperfections in yourself, you may find peace you never had before. I know my life has improved a lot due to this site - and not just the food logging.
  • FireRox21
    FireRox21 Posts: 424 Member
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    I agree with what some others have said in regards to give it some more time. When I started MFP over a year ago, I was super obsessed with calorie counts. I would weigh everything to the nearest hundreth ounce, etc. I was really over the top. However, in about 4 weeks, the obsession abated a bit and I was more lax in the weighing. I was more aware of what I ate, and while I still measured/weighed my food, I wasn't so strict about it. This came from realizing that you can't weigh/measure every single thing, like at a restaurant for example. I say give it a little more time to settle in here at MFP. Good luck!

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