anxiety when eating exercise calories

LabRat529

hello everyone
I am having trouble with feelings of guilt after eating back my exercise calories, my goal is set to 1200 net, and I like to hula hoop and my job involves a lot of walking, so some days mfp tells me I need to eat about 2000 calories.

I find this is making me very anxious on the days that I do eat that much, I find it hard to believe I could actually lose weight on days where I eat 2000 calories.

However, last year I dieted down to 123lbs, but I was eating around 600 NET calories a day, and now I am eating 1200 NET calories minimum a day, and weigh 133lbs, but DESPITE weighing a lot more, I am the same size and can wear the same clothes.

Am I right in thinking this is muscle weight? How can I get over this fear? Any advice is helpful xx

I have not read any of the other responses, so perhaps I'm being a bit redundant.

However, my first thought while reading this is that you might consider some cognitive therapy. I'm not trying to be mean... but it's clear to me that you don't have a healthy mental/emotional relationship with food (I don't either) and you need to change that. Food is fuel. If you burn calories through exercise, you need more fuel. You should not feel guilty about eating that fuel.

If you're really really having a hard time getting over the mental hurdle of eating your exercise calories back... then I suggest that you set your total calorie intake to 1500 to 1700 and don't change it. Don't eat your exercise calories back. Just stay at 1500 to 1700 and don't fret. That *might* be a more effective strategy for you on a mental level.

Then again, it might not be.

Regardless, you need to find a way to defeat the irrational side of your mind that makes you fearful/feel guilty for eating.

Good luck!

emilyisbonkers

i only work two days a week though, the rest i go to university. Should I just set my activity to lightly active and only log hooping and other exercise i do?