Counting calories stressful??? Need your help. :)

HoopFire5602

There was a recent study done that I got in my newest issue of GradPsych, the APAs monthly newsletter for grad students.

Janet Tomiyana says that the stress of counting calories often works against dieters. She had three groups: one that counted calories, one that ate low calorie food provided, and one that did a combination of both. She then monitored the subjects perceived stress and the cortisol levels...cortisol is a stress hormone that can cause weight gain.

The calorie counters reported high perceived stress levels, while the second group showed only increased cortisol levels. The third group showed a combination of both.

In conclusion she states that dieting is not proper to weight loss, but eating healthy meals is.

Now, for all my other Psych majors out there, and just everyone on here in general....do you feel that counting calories is stressful? I wonder about this study because did it take into account programs such as myfitnesspal or was it writing calories off the back of a label. At the same time, isn't eating healthy meals for many still considered a way of dieting because they have to cut the crap out that they were eating before?

Just some thoughts and I want to know yours. I would like to send a reply to this study to ask if they have used these resources or considered these thoughts. If they have not, maybe they can set up another study to monitor online calorie counting stress levels.

Fat2FitChick

I'm not stressed at all. I am more relaxed and happy than I have been in a long time. I think it all depends on your out look of the whole thing. If you see counting calories as a chore then of course it will feel stressful.

I actually love it because I feel in control and see that I determine my outcome 100%. I love it!

mingermany

I think it can be stressful, especially when you have really high expectations of yourself and do it with an all-or-nothing mentality. Counting calories works and it doesn't have to be stressful if you plan your meals ahead of time. I see some food diaries where the calories are so low that it's impossible to sustain long term and I can see that being stressful.

daddyzgurl

I love counting my calories. Being accountable for what I eat and burn keeps me in control of how I feel physically and mentally.

HolyinHim

The stress level of counting calories? I guess there is some stress involved, especially when you're just starting out. I also find counting calories an encouragement and a healthy challenge. Can I keep my numbers down? Kind of a competitive edge, I guess. (I wonder what hormones a competitive spirit releases, and do those hormones countermand the effects of the cortisol?)

Maybe counting calories will release a potentially weight-gaining hormone. But I think the evidence is overwhelming that monitoring caloric intake results in weight loss. It works! Probably don't need to worry about stress of calorie counting all that much.

HoopFire5602

The stress level of counting calories? I guess there is some stress involved, especially when you're just starting out. I also find counting calories an encouragement and a healthy challenge. Can I keep my numbers down? Kind of a competitive edge, I guess. (I wonder what hormones a competitive spirit releases, and do those hormones countermand the effects of the cortisol?)

Maybe counting calories will release a potentially weight-gaining hormone. But I think the evidence is overwhelming that monitoring caloric intake results in weight loss. It works! Probably don't need to worry about stress of calorie counting all that much.

That would also be another good study to conduct.

dragonbug300

Not a psyche major, but I am an Anthropology/Biology major. So let's see...

All I can say is that it would depend on the person and their setting. Since this was an experiment, the participants may have felt additional pressure from being held accountable to strangers (in a more intense setting than MFP). I wouldn't say that the study had enough of a scope to conclude what the definition of 'dieting' is.

Personally, I find calorie-counting can be stressful in some ways and helpful in others. Especially for those who are making a conscious change in their eating patterns, it may be stressful. You said that the non-calorie counters were given lower-calorie food? So the work was done for them. In real life, people would still need to read labels to figure out what food was the 'lighter' option.

Anyways, I love hearing about studies like this. Thanks for posting!

HoopFire5602

Not a psyche major, but I am an Anthropology/Biology major. So let's see...

All I can say is that it would depend on the person and their setting. Since this was an experiment, the participants may have felt additional pressure from being held accountable to strangers (in a more intense setting than MFP). I wouldn't say that the study had enough of a scope to conclude what the definition of 'dieting' is.

Personally, I find calorie-counting can be stressful in some ways and helpful in others. Especially for those who are making a conscious change in their eating patterns, it may be stressful. You said that the non-calorie counters were given lower-calorie food? So the work was done for them. In real life, people would still need to read labels to figure out what food was the 'lighter' option.

Anyways, I love hearing about studies like this. Thanks for posting!

I wonder if the group that was given low calorie foods is meant to resemble certain companies, like weight watchers, and the third group is doing both weight watchers on and off and counting calories too.
I also was curious about the type of setting the were monitored. I would be stressed out too if I had someone watching me write out my cals and such.