I can't decide if this site is right for me...

gbelltx

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill

Stinalynn121

Not sure if you have a "smart" phone or Iphone, but that has made it really easy, today is my 1st day on diet and tracking calories, and if you can just scan the barcode on the packaging of everything and sync this with your phone you can just alter the "serving size" ie: things that 1.0 "serving" is 1/2 cup, if I only had a 1/4 cup I just changed the 1.0 to .5, and it does everything else for me

_Kate_P

It's really up to you, but I totally know what you mean! Sometimes I get super obsessive about food and thats all I think about. It actually kind of aided an ED in me personally, since it became all I ever thought about and how I could eat less and avoid food. I had to take a break for a few months and then come back with a healthier perspective on things, but I'm thinking about stopping too because I can feel myself getting super obsessed again. If it makes you obsessive like it does for me, then you might be better off without it and just watching portion sizes/making healthy choices. I also find that when I'm counting calories, I binge way more often since I'm always thinking about food. Just something to think about. Your weight loss may be slower without counting calories, but you don't want it to turn into something like an ED. So if you think it makes you obsess, then try not tracking for a while, but don't go all out with the junk etc, just mind your portions and eat as a form of fuel, not entertainment

KareninCanada

I don't know whether tracking is really going to be a good tool for you or not, especially if it (a) causes you stress, or (b) is just a food diary, disconnected from the rest of your reality. And if it's making you focus more on food, in a way that is hurting more than helping, then there might be a better tool out there for you.

Keeping a record is good, if it is helping you to paint a picture of your life and what is happening inside you. To do that, you might need to be journaling more than just calories. Maybe you would want to consider opening a blog - likely keeping it private, but just as a place to record your feelings and what's happening in your day. Helping you and your doctor to address some of the issues that make you want to "eat your feelings" in the first place.

If you find the right people, MFP could be a good source of semi-anonymous support for you... but you are also likely to find "friends" who will encourage you in ED behavior, so please be careful out there.

That being said, how many calories are you allowing yourself? You may be feeling guilty about going over simply because your calorie goal is set ridiculously low. You are 18 and active and not technically overweight....so 1200 calories a day probably isn't the best goal for you (if that is what you are eating). Setting your calorie goal higher may make it easier for you in the long run, though weight loss may not be quite as fast.

^^^ this. It is really unlikely that you are eating enough if you're in the 1200's for calories. I'm pretty sure you're not just lying down/sitting on your tail 24 hours a day. This website is a pretty good one for accurately calculating your daily calorie needs based on your stats and estimated activity: http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

Try not to get really hung up on creating a big calorie deficit in the hopes of losing weight quickly. Healing yourself is going to take time, and it would be sad to see you get sucked into starving yourself to try to make up for overeating.

You're a beautiful girl, and really strong for admitting your trouble in the first place. You can get there.