This is just too stressful

missfluffyuk

I only log /roughly/ what I eat -- and if I can't be bothered logging or if I'm not in a position to log (say, if I go out for a few drinks with the girls) -- then I don't. I only log to keep myself mindful of what I eat. I don't weigh or measure anything -- I just guess. I fill my plate at least half full with veggies.

When I first started, logging everything stressed me out too much. So I was just here for support.

shellimus

It was difficult for me at first also, but what I tell myself is that I am working on being ABSOLUTELY HONEST with MYSELF. I write down what I eat no matter how bad the day is because it's an exercise of being honest and acknowledging my behavior. I can't change what I refuse to acknowledge. If I tell myself "I eat pretty healthy" and then I eat twice the number of calories that I need in a day (real example), I am only fooling myself, but my body tells the truth.

Another thing that helped me is wearing a bodybugg. The bodybugg tells me how many calories I burn in a day, whether I sit on the couch, do no exercise at all but am active that day, or if I workout hard. It tells me the TRUTH about how many calories I have to work with. If I eat less than I burn, I lose weight. If I eat more than I burn, I gain. It's that simple.

The truth sucks! :grumble:

Hope that helps! :flowerforyou:

Florawanda

It is really difficult at the start, as others have said, but maybe just making small changes in your eating behaviours would be easier for you, noticing if you hit the chocolate or cookies when you're with a particular person or at a particular time. I have lost significant weight twice before in my life, and have carried through some behaviour changes into my regular routine, which hasn't stopped the weight going on again, but has meant keeping relatively healthy, despite hitting the chocolate and cookies again. So I wouldn't worry too much about calorie-counting at the moment, but try to observe your eating habits, and see if you can change to more sensible ones bit by bit. The point of calorie counting is simply to monitor your eating behaviour. Thinnies do this automatically - watch your skinny friends spend ages chasing food round their plates, or just not having those crisps (chips for USA members) while you have handfuls. At the end of the day, make a note of problem areas or times, and also note down things you've done which are an achievement, and pat yourself on the back... and keep your short-term goal in mind ... maybe hang up an outfit you can't quite get into yet where you can see it every morning, and celebrate bigtime when you can get into it!

NLThiele

My problem isn't just the numbers. It's the actually activity. Even now I'm struggling NOT to input my stuff. I know I'm having an obsessive-compulsive moment and while it is good to log my info, I feel like if I do I'll be giving in to the compulsion. It's kind of like a smoker giving into a craving for a cigarette.

Honestly I wish I had never even heard of calorie counting.

I know it may be difficult to do, but perhaps you can use this site for tracking just your weight and exercise. Use an easier, less precise way to track your food - a notebook where you write down what you eat without being so specific as to weight or calories. In this way you can still have the benefit of thinking about what you are putting into your body without triggering your OCD. Not all weight loss "tools" work for everyone so take from this what works and ignore the part that doesn't.

SusanMarie7777

Maybe you can try eating all the foods you were use to but in smaller portions. Don't let it stress you out. Do you like exercise; it can be a great stress reducer. Someone suggested boxing to me because my stress levels were so high at the time. I love beating that bag as hard as I can. We are not here to put pressure on you, heck we are all going through this together just trying to keep our heads above water. You are not accountable to us, just be true to yourself. Take one day at a time!