To eat or not eat...

sweetNsassy2584

Here's my dilemma.. I eat 1200 calories a day, sometimes a little less. I rarely eat any of my exercise calories. I am currently 148 pounds. The last couple of weeks I have been losing no more then a lb a week. If I don't exercise I feel very guilty. I have exercised every day for the past couple of weeks. I used to take a day or two off. I KNOW I need to eat more. Its just hard to bring myself to do so. How do I do it? I'm thinking 1400 calories for as much as I work out would be about right. I have already lost over 50 pounds. The problem is its just not good enough in my eyes. I know I do not give myself enough credit for how hard I have worked thus far. I do not want to always feel like "its not good enough." I tried to explain this to my BF and his idea of making me feel better is taking me clothes shopping. He's trying to show me how much weight I have lost. Although it did work that day, I still feel this way. How do I get out of this mindset? Its driving me crazy! I have become obsessive with counting calories every since I found this site. I absolutely love MFP! If your comments are going to be negative, I can handle it. I've dealt with criticism all my life. Any encouragement and suggestions would be appreciated.

bsoxluvr

I'm sorry to hear you are not happy when it seems like you have accomplished so much! It's amazing how far you have come and you should be proud of that, easier said than done though. I would suggest taking a few days off from the constant counting and obsessing and do something that makes you happy! Something you love to do that can get you in a positive mind frame. A few weeks back I was feeling the same way, not happy with my results, just wanting more and obsessing over how much I needed to workout and what I ate. It had gotten so bad that I literally started crying at work. I decided I was going to enjoy myself that weekend and not think about anything weight-loss related. For me, that break was what I needed to remind me of how far I have come. And as for the calories, I would say you should definitely eat a little more. Even if it's just a handful of nuts at some point in the day. Your body deserves it and so do you! Good luck and big hugs :flowerforyou:

sarahliftsUP

Maybe you should take a day away from MFP if you feel you are getting too obsessed.. I like to be obsessed with it because it keeps me on track.

As for the food, you don't have to go out and get a quarter pounder to increase your calories. Have a glass of chocolate milk, or add some avocado to your wrap/sandwich at lunch, have a small handful of almonds for a snack, etc. There are a lot of calorie dense foods that you can eat that are healthy for you that will promote weight loss without you feeling like you are stuffing your face with food. I think in order to lose weigh you will need to eat more.

Another suggestion for realizing how far you've come is to look back at pictures. Do you have any pictures of yourself in your 'before' state? Maybe revisiting those will make you feel better about your progress!

jwd28

I hope nobody will post negative comments about this question... it's a great, honest, important question. Here are my thoughts.

I agree that you should be eating more than 1200 calories and I think 1400 calories/day sounds about right (depending on how much you burn per workout you may even be able to go higher than 1400 but 1400 sounds reasonable).

You may actually lose weight MORE quickly if you eat a bit more - sounds strange, I know, but it takes energy for your body to burn calories and if it doesn't have enough, it doesn't burn as efficiently.

You're more likely to stick with your lifestyle change long term if you're realistic and healthy. 1400 per day with your workout schedule seems much more realistic and healthy and (I think) you're more likely to KEEP the weight off with a more realistic plan.

Regarding your mindset. 50+ pounds is a HUGE accomplishment and I wish you could feel proud of all your hard work. Do you have pictures of you at your highest weight? Maybe looking at some before/during comparison pictures would help you actually see how far you've come. Also, I have heard a lot of people say its helpful to look at their measurements rather than just the scale to recognize how much progress has been made.

You mention you've dealt with criticism all your life. I would guess that is playing a big part in your current self esteem. I don't know your situation, of course, but I would bet that those criticisms were largely unfounded and were heaped on you by someone(s) who has their own issues and were directing their own unhappiness at you.

Best of luck to you and CONTRATULATIONS on you fantastic progress so far!