I'm leaving MFP?

kated930

So, I've been meeting with a dietician for a little over a month now. She's been giving me goals, mostly adding to my daily food intake, getting protein in there etc. I am (or was) a constrictive eater and she's been helping me to be a *normal* eater.

One thing she wants me to do this week is NOT LOG FOOD FOR ONE DAY. This seems so hard. I asked her " do normal people log everything they eat and measure everything as well". She said no. The ultimate goal is to get me to not log anything anymore. This seems so hard since I am definitely addicted to knowing every calorie breakdown of every little things I consume.

What do you think?

rfarinha

I would follow the "dietician's" advice, over any thing that this community may have to offer. Don't get me wrong... this community is great, but we are not "professionals".

May you experience continued success on your journey!

vickieross

You're payung for advice, you should heed it.

KLavallee322

I agree with the dietitian. Eventually we are all going to have to learn not to log every calorie we consume. I love doing it now because it's keeping me aware of how things can add up quickly. But I also can't see me doing this for years on end.

nomoremuffintop42

HA! no normal people dont log...my friends think i am bananas...probley think i am obessive but i say what else am I going to do all day..and it makes me accountable. I would do what the dietian says..she/he can't help you if you dont follow their program.
you can always come back if you feel like it's not working. best of luck to you..take care:)

roro73

I agree with the other posters. This site & community is AMAZING while you're trying to lose weight and probably even for a while once you're in maintenance, but once you've learned the habits of how to eat healthy, properly portioned meals/snacks I think it's important to not obsess over food/calories/exercise, etc. I know that's easier said than done, but it's definitely the goal I'm shooting for once I've dropped the weight and maintained for a bit. Good luck to you!

penrbrown

When yo'uve lost the weight you want to I think it's important to stop obsessing. Keep an eye on your weight (weigh once a month or something) but you do need to learn to eventually let go of the food logging so you can just live - worry free.

Realtygal

Good advice!

glenbabe

definitely go with your dieticians advice .......we are all here because we have food issues and need guidance.....I plan to stay with MFP until I can know what is a normal portion size without a second thought thats when I leave and take my first solo flight without a parachute lol

Circa1964

I agree with the other posters. Don't log. It may be that it's become a little OCD. Let it go. You will do fine.

thatlook

take the advice, it will be hard but you CAN do it :happy:
chances are you will probably be aware of what your eating so won't go over the top doing it, and i definately agree with nomoremuffin, normal people dont log their food!! my friends think im a bit nuts but understand why i am!! ive got a lot to lose..literally, in more ways than one!! :laugh:

Good luck with your one day, soon enough you will manage a few days then you'll cope with a week!! Dont be scared, embrace it, its your path to being a 'normal eater' :flowerforyou:

JoJoDoerr

I would stick with your dietician! I would love to get to a point in my life that I can live healthy and at a healthy weight and not have to worry about keeping track of every little thing I put in my mouth!

piyubole

wow this was a really eye-opening post. I've been imagingin myself using MFP for the rest of my life but you guys are right - we have to eventually become normal people. i've been so obsessed about my fat and protein breakdown for the last 6 weeks its crazy.

danabrash

I don't believe 'normal' people need to log calories in the first place: they manage to stay at a healthy weight. For me the habit is my accountability that keeps me on track, and without that accountability it would be too easy to slip back into old habits.

I've also worked with dieticians that swear by tracking religiously, so I think there is going to be a variety of professional advice.

If you are a normy and can make it work, then more power to you. I know if I stop tracking I'll be buying a blueberry muffin before too long, and after dowining it in 2 bites wondering what just happened....


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treetop57

Lie to your dietitian, don't follow any of her advice, and then blame her when you don't get the results you want! That's what you pay her for, right?

:bigsmile:

CaptainMFP

Can't say I actually agree. There is actually a lot of evidence that indicates people who have been overweight can't eat the same amount of calories in maintenance as people who naturally maintain a healthy weight. I envision (without fear or regret) logging ad infinitum. "Normal" is a relative term, and I would submit that the vast majority of so-called normal people who never monitor their eating habits are NOT healthy. The number of people who actually can self-modulate is a pretty small percentage of the population, so I would argue that "normal" is an artificial concept. If I'm obsessed with staying healthy for the rest of my life and I know that I will have a great deal of difficulty maintaining healthy habits without help, I think that's a pretty healthy obsession to have.

I'm not saying ignore your dietician. (Admittedly, as someone who trains health care professionals, I don't trust nutritionists and dieticians as I've never met one properly educated on biology and would be dragged to one myself kicking and screaming.) If you trust this person, go with it.

But I really don't understand this obsession with normalcy. It's really unhealthy and so much focus on an unhealthy goal seems counterproductive to me. The majority of people who lose weight (regardless of tools) do not keep it off and the main reason is they stop focusing on it. I'm proud to be one of the "abnormals" who wants to be healthy and doesn't care if they need help to get and stay there. (Someone had to play devil's aardvark here.)

987Runner

I was just discussing this with my husband this past weekend. I can't use this forever. I logged for 30 days straight and felt burnt out. It got obsessive logging everything and when I ate at a restaurant, I had a little meltdown because I couldn't keep track of every little thing I ate. He suggested taking a break. I know my portions and I know the "this or that" food choices. Some people need it, some people can come and go (like I plan to) and some don't need it at all. Whatever works for you and helps you be healthy overall is the way to go!!

I didn't log Friday or Sunday. Quite proud of myself that I can do it! :bigsmile:

lhoerres

I disagree with your dietician. Even if you don't use this site forever, you may need to log your food consistently for the long haul. I have done Weight Watchers over and over again...and the ONE thing that I keep failing at is logging my food! As soon as I stop logging, I start gaining. Maybe your dietician sees something we don't see...ARE you obsessive about it? Maybe that's why she wants you to stop. But even at my WW meetings, I have a leader who has faithfully logged her food for 15 years. And she says the same thing I do...when she stops, she gains...so, I would try what your dietician says...but if you need to log your food in order to maintain a healthy weight...I wouldn't beat yourself up for it. Good luck!!

chachita7

MFP is a tool which allows you to see what you consume, I don't see why she would ask you not to log. I understand that the end goal is for you to make healthy choices without having to have MFP as a "crutch" <--- how most people see it. The whole "normal" people don't log is because they perhaps eat a complete clean diet - if you are not there yet then it might not be a good idea to stop MFP.

I would think that MFP could help you see the difference in your eating habits as you follow her/his instructions. Just my thought...

cmriverside

If you are restricting, that's not healthy. That's an obsession and she's helping you learn to let go of it. If you obsess over every calorie and measure everything you eat, that isn't emotionally healthy.

kated930

Thanks for all your input guys!

So when I say "normal" I guess I'm referring to eating based on your body's needs/signals, not based on logging, which is what I have been doing. My dietician recommended these books "Rules of normal eating" and "Intuitive eating" which were really eye opening. I got to the point where I wasn't eating because I was hungry, and not always eating what I wanted to, but by what could fit into my log, I guess. For example, if I was still hungry after lunch, I'd be nervous that if I ate any more then I might not have that many calories at the end of the day to eat an afternoon snack/dinner, so I'll just wait. Or if I pre-logged everything before and I got hungry after eating my allotted foods, I would ignore the hunger and stick to my plan. I think that is pretty obsessive, is anyone else like that?

I am nervous that without logging that I will eat more because I won't be tracking everything that goes into my body, but I genuinely enjoy healthy food which sort of makes me confident that I will make healthy choices without the approval of MFP.

Another good source is Nancy Clark dietician for athletes.

* Also, she did say that she asks other people to log their food because they are not aware of what they are eating and how often. She just doesn't want me doing it.