Worried I'm going to be on a diet forever.

beeny83

hi all I have been doing the MVP diet for exactly 81 days and I'm just 600grams away from my goal weight.
I'm feeling guilty with everything I put in my mouth, at the start I wanted to eat more but now Im so paranoid about gaining weight I'm worried I'm never going to eat normal again or every time I eat I'm going to feel like I'm ruining my work. I really don't want to lose more then my goal weight but I think I have become obsessed with eating under 1200 calories. Does anyone else feel like this? Or has anyone reached their goal and continued to lose weight even though they don't want to just because of fear of eating more? ATM even when I have days where I tell myself that I can eat a bit more I always manage to be under. I think the fear is because I'm determined to no get back into my old habits. Any advice would be much appreciated.
I really don't want to be addicted to this diet.

rainbowtothesrarz

I feel extremely guilty for everything I eat and though I have days that I go over I tend to make up for them with many days way under. I know its unhealthy but I havent been able to find my medium. I have the fear that I am not enjoying my nights or my food anymore because I am afraid I am going to gain everything back. I feel like I will be doing this for the rest of my life and that I will eventually stay under calories and not have the fun I am used to.

cmriverside

These thoughts are teetering on eating disorder territory. Careful.

lucylou9701

I am exactly the same way Wish I could eat more but I feel guilty

GuruOnAMountain

I'm nowhere near the maintanance stage yet but yeah, I worry that I'll be like that too and will want to stay under 1200 calories every day.

Helloitsdan

Diet=way of life

Food=fuel

Guilty?
Really?
Dont buy crap and eat it!
It's simple!

BPayton27

These thoughts are teetering on eating disorder territory. Careful.

My husband brought this point up to me. I've been doing this for less than 2 months now and have had big success in a short period of time. Up until about 2 weeks ago, I was VERY strict on myself. I would obsessively check cals/portions and the scale. After my husband mentioned it I started to realize he is right. What I've been trying to do now is eat things I enjoy, but within my calorie restrictions/portions. It has made this lifestyle that much more enjoyable. Anything you eat can eventually be burned off with exercise. Try not to focus on it being a "diet" rather than a whole lifestyle change. It's a part of learning self control.

jnanof

if you are to the point of measuring weight loss in grams, its time to take a break. Just focus on eating whole grains, lean protein and veggies. I hope that most of your weight loss came from healthy exercise and not just dieting. If you can't shake the feeling of obsession, try finding a local nutritionist to help you out.

beastmode_kitty

And you should be having 1200 cals a day MINIMUM...dont go under!

RoanneRed

With my regular workout routine I know I can maintain if I generally eat the usual stuff during the week/workdays and then eat a bit differently/relax without being stupid on the weekends or if I'm socialising. My weight might bump up a bit for first thing Monday morning but it's usually pretty much under control again with normal eating and the gym by Wednesday.

Sheltie4

I have been at target for about 12 weeks. My calories went up to 1500 before exercise when I got to target. I do not really worry about how many calories I have because I find just recording them on here keeps me 'in check'. I still weigh once a week and my weight does fluctuate but not by much. If I gain more than 3 pounds (2.5 kgs) then I have decided I will reduce my calories by 100 and see what happens.

This is the first time I have felt that I am not going to regain the weight and am really happy with how I feel and look, and I have not thought that for a long time.

ElizabethRoad

if you are to the point of measuring weight loss in grams, its time to take a break.

600 grams is well over a pound.

I don't get why you would feel guilty about eating? That's not healthy at all. Even if you go over your goal or gain weight, guilt shouldn't play into it. You might want to take a step back and think about why you are doing this in the first place.

asugar

Hey, you may want to talk to a counselor who specializes in eating disorders. I have helped several women in my profession as a counselor who start out obsessing as you are and then it gets out of control. You may want to nip it in the bud. Eating is supposed to be enjoyable.

Trechechus

Don't look at is as a "diet." A diet indicates that it will end. Look at your accomplishments as the beginning of a life-style change. Don't let yourself feel guilty about eating, because - as was said before- that could be bordering on an eating disorder. Allow yourself treats now and then, but otherwise try to make healthy decisions and you won't need to feel guilty. Lots of water, green leafy things and fruits can help.

snkeller24

Do you feel guilty because what you're eating isn't the best choice? If you're making good choices eating more then 1200 isn't going to harm you ... if you continue to eat under 1200 constantly you're body is going to go into all types of weird things. As you get closer and closer to goal weight you may need to adjust your calories, up or down, to jumpstart. At no point in time should you be below 1200. In my opinion, as I've seen others post, you're flirting with the line of having an ED, even if it's mentally. You're body needs fuel to survive, which is food. So feed it. It will thank you.

0SimplymeStacyLea0

I understand your concern and you should be concerned. I used to feel the same way. I have had to change my mind set and focus on having a change of life style and NOT consider it a DIET. We stumble and fall sometimes, it's a part of life in everything we do but you have to get back up, dust yourself off and keep in mind that it is a life style change. A change for the better to be a healthier person. I treat myself to the "not so good foods" occassionally, I have rest days but I know what I am doing now is going to last a lifetime not 6 months. If this persists after you reach your goal, you may want to talk to someone. Good luck :flowerforyou:

kiwianjel

"Try not to focus on it being a "diet" rather than a whole lifestyle change. It's a part of learning self control." This was first thought afte reading first few posts ... this 'place' is all about lifestyle change not just a diet

twolilbeans

I'm too lazy to read what everyone else has said. I used to have this same problem. I was obsessed with the #'s in game and would spend all day logging every bit of food I ate. I've since moved onto eating and living the Primal Blueprint lifestyle, which is basically a paleo type diet. While on that diet I no longer have to count calories and honestly I can eat whatever (within the diet list of foods, which is huge and includes things like bacon, butter, cream, lots of colorful veggies, etc.) I want and still lose weight. I've had days where I've eaten over 1600 calories and still lost 1-2 pounds a week. So far I've been on the diet for about 7 weeks and have lost 20 pounds with no calorie counting (except a few days in the beginning to look at my macronutrient breakdown). My energy levels are amazing and my skin, hair, and nails have improved.

Anyway, once you realize that food and diet consists more than just the number of calories you're eating it will make a huge difference. I was so obsessive about it that it was starting to take over my life, but now I don't even think about it. It will take some time to reverse that thinking, but it can happen. For me, switching to a diet where calories aren't important helped me make the switch because I no longer felt the need to think about it. I was seeing results regardless of the # of calories I took in. I suggest finding a good book like The Primal Bluepring by Mark Sisson ($3.99 on Amazon kindle if you have the free kindle app) or Good Calories, Bad Calories.

1BCR

Some one posted this in a FB forum maybe this will help? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10772126

aregensb

1200 calories is not a sustainable diet, it's really the bare minimum of what you should be eating. If you've chronically been eating less than 1200 caloriest for a long time, perhaps it has slowed your metabolism or your body has gone into starvation mode. Since you are so close to your goal, you could try reading some books on nutrition and start to gradually up your calories. You can calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to find out how many calories your body will burn in a day and eat less than that to continue to lose weight. There are a few different ways to do this, but if you have an average build (not a lot of muscle, not a lot of fat), you could get a ballpark figure at this webite (http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html).

If you continue to obsess over calories, I would recommend seeing a nutritionist. Eating below 1200 calories for an extended period of time is not good and obsessing over your food is not healthy. Yes, continue to pay attention to what you're eating, but don't stress so much. Think of what you have accomplished so far!

1BCR

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10772126

DiamondRubyMom

I agree with asugar. You sounds close to an eating disorder. I would suggest focusing on getting healthier and not so much on weight loss. It's about life style changes not temporary changes. Maybe even try to stop loosing weight for a week and just maintain to prove to yourself you won't immediate gain it all back.

beeny83

I really don't know how to reply. I never though of it as a budding eating disorder. I think I need to take a step back and rethink what I'm doing. Thank you all so much.

asugar

Good Idea Beany. If you are constantly thinking about calories, food, what you are going to eat, what you can't eat, or where you can't go because of the food, or what you will eat if you go out etc. then you may have a problem.

asugar

TWOLILBEANS:I found that I feel much better on this kind of eating but find it very hard to maintain! How do you do it? I start out and then I get really hungry and I miss rice, bread, pasta etc. Any suggestions?

beeny83

Ok I have just opened my diary for everyone to see. And as you can see I have gone over the 1200 a couple of times. I have been living off mostly salad and I do give myself treats. I upped my calorie allowance a few weeks ago from 1200 to 1450 to slow down my weight loss but still can't seem to eat that much in fact I can't get anywhere near it, not because I'm not hungry but because the guilt kicks in. I find myself telling myself I'm going to go over today and eat what ever I want then I get half way through a meal and just have to stop even though I want more but the fear is too much for me to keep going. Like the other day I really wanted to eat a fredo frog chocolate and it took me about an hour of looking at it before I could convince myself that it wasn't going to undo my hard work.

rucks20

I really don't know how to reply. I never though of it as a budding eating disorder. I think I need to take a step back and rethink what I'm doing. Thank you all so much.

I'm glad to hear you say that. I've been worried about you, but afraid to upset you with posting on your diary with the low calories daily since your post about people saying stuff about your diary. You received lots of helpful advice from folks on here so I won't repeat what they have already said. Just know, I'm here to support you!!

snkeller24

Try making it a game ... make some different choices; almonds or really any nut. Fresh fruits/vegetables. Have you tried to supplement in a protein shake? You're really doing yourself a disservice by eating so little. It's time to start teaching yourself that making good choices, life long, isn't going to cause you to put all the weight on. You're body needs food/fuel to replish itself through out the day.

Since you seem to present it as a mental block, that is the first step. As you're eating think about how great it tastes, or smells. It seems silly but it works. Take the time to enjoy your food and telling yourself that you're fueling your body and you want to have energy to do the daily things, like playing with your children

Also, make sure you're taking a good multi-vitamin every day.

lambeas

I think you need to breathe and realize how far you have come, there is NO way you are going to slip back into your old habits... plus you have a young family that will keep you busy enough to burn it off without really having to try

Try building on the base you have made... so you have mastered the calorie intake control which is AWESOME. So now that calorie control is done, try making sure at least twice a week you hit your 1200 cal goal. The next week, try for three days... and see how that feels.

Give yourself credit for mastering the calorie goal, but try not to let it become a permanent fixation... you are doing awesome!!

kemptonc

Helloitsdan is the smartest comment. He has it right and to the point. Reread it several times.

kgs0201

I thought this when I reached my goal at first (back in June) and over the summer I was still pretty strict on myself but after a few months I increased my calories from 1200 to 1500 and I've been maintaining well. I think the main thing is making sure you continue to exercise. Having a fit body (not just skinny) is going to keep you feeling healthy and hopefully you won't feel as guilty letting yourself eat some of the things you used to. Just give it some time. The feeling went away for me as I finally accepted that I was now "skinny". I am aware of what role eating plays in my life and the different calorie values in items. So while I may have thought tonight "well the cheeseburger sliders aren't that healthy"... I also thought to myself, yeah but you've had a pretty good week and you've been active. The main thing is continuing to recognize the calories in items. It's when you stop thinking about the calories that you are going to go backwards.