Getting obsessive with calorie counts
rhichi
Posts: 133
Hey guys,
So, I find myself lately obsessing over exactly how many calories are in my food. I know that the point of a food diary is to keep track, but I think I'm going overboard. Like, if a snack has 100 calories or more, I freak out and feel like it's too much. The biggest issue with this is that I end up struggling at the end of the day because I've been trying to keep to 60 calories here and 50 calories there, so I'm way under for the day. I know it's not good to totally gorge myself at night, but I'm constantly paranoid that I will go over or not have enough left or still be hungry.
Does anyone else have this issue? How do you work around it?
So, I find myself lately obsessing over exactly how many calories are in my food. I know that the point of a food diary is to keep track, but I think I'm going overboard. Like, if a snack has 100 calories or more, I freak out and feel like it's too much. The biggest issue with this is that I end up struggling at the end of the day because I've been trying to keep to 60 calories here and 50 calories there, so I'm way under for the day. I know it's not good to totally gorge myself at night, but I'm constantly paranoid that I will go over or not have enough left or still be hungry.
Does anyone else have this issue? How do you work around it?
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Replies
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I was having this same issue as well and a few friends outside of MFP flagged it as quite a serious issue. So I have stopped logging... I exercise and lift weights, my metabolic rate is quite high these days. So I eat fairly clean... So no takeaways and so on... This way if I have a snack I do not feel guilty about it as I am not logging it
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Do you still log exercise, or do you have a good sense of that? I think my biggest issue is that I don't have the intuition on how many calories are in a food like I thought I would have after a while. So then when I see nutrition facts on something I wasn't expecting, I get freaked out and think that I can't eat it anymore.0
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Plan ahead - log what you think you'll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then add some snacks. If you still have clls to spare add extras to meals or snacks like fruit, avocado, cheese, nuts etc.
Don't forget to estimate your exercise too so you get a few extra cals earlier in the day if you have a workout planned.
If plans change - then edit your diary, but at least you can see what a healthy eating day looks like.0 -
That might work when I have any inkling of where my next meal is coming from, but what would you suggest for the many days I'm not home, have no idea where or when or what I'll eat, and if I'll have time to log it? Maybe that's all obsessive thinking too, though. I really don't know. I've been having a really tough time lately in general and I think this is all piling onto it.0
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At the moment I am just making sure I am fueling my body correctly... Being too concerned with calorie counting was just putting me in a bad place with muscle growth. And It was holding me back.. I see a PT who pushes me hard!! So for me I Just follow a nutritional plan that we have developed and seeing how that goes0
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Try this for a while: make a plan for your eating the night before that's spread throughout the day. Tweak it until you're within your calories and macros, then eat that. It may help you feel comfortable with getting some calories in early in the day.
I'm not suggesting you do it forever - just until you get comfortable with what a normal day's eating feels like in your calorie range.0 -
You can also get the app for your smart phone if you ahve one so you can log through out the day.0
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Exactly. Pre-plan your meals to fit and make adjustments as you go along. Planning keeps you in control. No need to obsess.
Even if you are away from home, you have to plan your meals the day before. You can make sandwiches, snacks and small meals in the morning or the night before.
You have to take control of your eating and NOT leave it up to chance.0 -
I usually enter the meals I do know about and add some quick add cals if I don't know whats for dinner.
Or you could allocate 400 cals for each meal and 2x 100 cal snacks, for example, then you know you have 400 cals for lunch, no matter where you eat.0 -
Just keep in mind that food IS your friend. Food is fuel and our bodies need it. It's just about making better choices about the calories we put into our mouths.0
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My only concern is that by pre-planning my day, I leave no wiggle room for myself in case my plans change. My day-to-day life can get rather hectic, and I'm worried that I'll begin obsessing about planning out the perfect meals and then if I don't stick to them I'll get very angry at myself.
EDIT: If I did have a smartphone, it might be easier, but sadly, I don't.0 -
Plan a daily food menu of what you plan to eat and calculate it like that. That way you'll see exactly how many calories you'll consume for the day
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My breakfast and lunches are typically the same ish every day, which leaves me 1000 or so cals for dinner. Pre plan some of your meals and get a feel for them. If i try to eat less during the day it just bites me in the butt with a binge at night0
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What types of places do you eat when you are not home? You can plan for healthier choices at a variety of your usual places you might end up. Or, get a lunch box and take food from home that you have measured and already know the calories of.
Learn what is healthier and what is less healthy so you can make better choices when out. Grilled chicken instead of fried and battered. Mayo on the side instead of whatever sauce they put on. Steamed veggies instead of fries. Water instead of cola.0 -
I was having calorie counting issues as well, so I actually just stopped. I shifted my focus to intuitive eating, and eating when I was hungry. I made sure the food I was putting into my body was healthy, even if it was higher calorie, like peanut butter or yogurt. It's been a struggle, and sometimes I still log my intake on here just so I have a ballpark idea of what I'm eating, but I think in the long run it'll be better for me. My relationship with food was beginning to hinge around relatively arbitrary numbers and not giving my body what it was asking for. Now if I crave something sweet, I eat fruit. Want something savory, peanut butter with healthy fats.
I still struggle with it, and not knowing the number at the end of the day can be rough. But I know in the long run this will be what's best for me.0 -
Plan ahead - log what you think you'll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then add some snacks. If you still have clls to spare add extras to meals or snacks like fruit, avocado, cheese, nuts etc.
Don't forget to estimate your exercise too so you get a few extra cals earlier in the day if you have a workout planned.
If plans change - then edit your diary, but at least you can see what a healthy eating day looks like.
^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^
Reposting it so you read it again!
I bag a lunch and I'm OK with eating the same thing every day, especially at this point when I'm trying to lose weight and learn lessons I thought I already knew about food.
Sit down and spend some time with the foods you like, and maybe a few you want to try, and work up a day that:
1. Has you eating things you want to eat.
2. Has you eating frequently enough that you don't go through hungry times when you go searching for a snack (PLAN those snacks as part of your day!!!)
3. Has a good balance of proteins, fats, carbs, fresh fruits, veggies, etc.
Now take that meal and mix it up a little, and build out a half-dozen meals and snack combinations that all meet that criteria.
TODAY, plan what you will eat TOMORROW. TOMORROW, eat what you planned. Learn when you need to eat what to stay satisfied and happy.
Example - my daily routine:
- Breakfast: Half a bagel with cream cheese, coffee. I rarely deviate from this. It's enough to pick me up and get my day started.
- Lunch starts at 10:30 with half a lean turkey-and-cheese wrap
- 11:30 the other half of the wrap
- 12:30 or so - workout or walk, followed with eating a banana.
- 2:00 or so - nut and sesame stick mix, about 1/4 cup.
- 3:00 and 4:00 - Apple and Clementine
- 5:30-6:00 home for dinner, not tremendously hungry because I've been grazing ALL DAY LONG so I can eat a reasonable meal. What I eat for supper is heavily dependent on how much I was able to work out.
- 8:00 (if my budget allows) small glass of wine and 10-20 dark chocolate chips.
EDIT: And, yes, I do occasionally get "surprise" invitiations to lunch or dinner. Plans change. Be flexible, log the variances, and you'll learn your body's signals for "we're done" once you start eating healthier.0 -
@deks: It can be anywhere from a friend's house, a restaurant, some random thing I got from the store, or places like my fiance's work (which was where tonight's round of anxiety came from, seeing that all the snacks they had were calorie-dense).
I think, perhaps, the reason I'm feeling resistant to pre-planning is because I really don't want to have to add that level of stress and organizing to my already anxiety-filled day. I guess maybe what I'm really asking for is coping mechanisms for the anxiety I already get, not a way to avoid it. I have an obsessive-compulsive nature and I don't want it to control my life to the point that I have to decide everything I want to eat a day in advance.0 -
At the moment I am just making sure I am fueling my body correctly... Being too concerned with calorie counting was just putting me in a bad place with muscle growth. And It was holding me back.. I see a PT who pushes me hard!! So for me I Just follow a nutritional plan that we have developed and seeing how that goes
I found the same thing - i became obsessive and actually began to react negatively - put ON weight, wore myself down, became reclusive and quite sick... Now i log but don't get too worried... I live to eat clean, excerise for endorphins and enjoy my life!!!
so far this mentality is going WELL!!!0 -
I used to be really crazy counting calories and at one point was only trying to eat up to 400-600 calories a day. I got very sick and then i found this website and found that you are supposed to eat up to 1200 calories so then at that point my problem was trying to get over my fear of eating too much and eat to at least 1200 calories. It took several weeks but I finally got into the groove of it. What I do like someone else has mentioned is plan ahead. Also it takes time to get used to counting calories, and soon enough it isn't that bad or stressful feeling. Good luck.0
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haha but really, if you find yourself doing this you may need to take a breather break from mfp. relax. food = NUTRIENTS not NUMBERS. try thinking of it that way. usually the nutritious foods are low cal. and everyone goes over their cals once in a while. food is meant to be nourishing and enjoyable while doing so, and while its important to watch proportions, if you become too obsessed with the numbers (cals in, cals out) part of this lifestyle its just not as enjoyable! so take it easy love!
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haha but really, if you find yourself doing this you may need to take a breather break from mfp. relax. food = NUTRIENTS not NUMBERS. try thinking of it that way. usually the nutritious foods are low cal. and everyone goes over their cals once in a while. food is meant to be nourishing and enjoyable while doing so, and while its important to watch proportions, if you become too obsessed with the numbers (cals in, cals out) part of this lifestyle its just not as enjoyable! so take it easy love!
This^
And this is why I love her 0 -
I had the same issue- I am fine during the day, and plan my breakfast and lunch in advance. But I know when I get home I will be more apt to eat too many calories. I have started to have some higher caloric items in my house. For example, if I'm having a good day and low on my calories I will use regular salad dressing rather than the light. I also started buying more foods that I would normally not consider- like cheese. When my day is ending and I am way under my calories I will have pita chips and hummus as my snack instead of fruit or lower calorie options. Hope this helps!0
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But if it is already routine, then you don't have to think about it, you already know, so then the stress is gone. For example, I have yogurt in the fridge at work, sometimes cheese sticks. And usually apples or bananas. This is breakfast, and the stash is there in case I miss lunch or I need a snack. I know those things are good for me and unless I eat a ton of them, it isn't going to put me over goal. For lunch I usually go out. I already did my research on what meals are okay at what places I usually go. Dinner is usually home made during the week, and I know some kind of regular meat, regular side and a vegetable is going to be around a certain amount of calories.0
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Try not to obsess. I know, easier said than done. The thing is..everybody needs a minimum of 1200 calories for the day. If you're exercising, you need more, and unless you're already a tiny person, you need more than that for existing. I wrote my own plan because nothing was working for me. I'm eating 6 times a day (this actually means I'm eating practically all day long). I usually have 2 or 3 items per meal to equal around 200 calories, except for one meal, which I try to push up to 350-450. My food diary is open for public viewing and I am keeping a blog at followkarisjourney.blogspot.com if you want to see what I'm eating. You'll see it's a similar list of foods each day, but it's working for me and I'm making small changes as I feel they're needed along the way. If I can help you, let me know. Feel free to add me as a friend here if you want.0
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@skinnylove: I always appreciate a good Barbossa reference.
*deep breath*
The more I think about this, the more I'm coming to realize that I think I'm starting to project my personal anxieties onto my eating. I've been under a fairly unrelenting amount of stress lately, and I think I'm now applying it to food as a means of trying to gain control over some aspect of my life.
I must wonder if this is the way some eating disorders start, and if so, at least I have the presence of mind to stop it now. Perhaps I will in fact take a few days of rest from this, just to get the other aspects of my life in order...0 -
My only concern is that by pre-planning my day, I leave no wiggle room for myself in case my plans change. My day-to-day life can get rather hectic, and I'm worried that I'll begin obsessing about planning out the perfect meals and then if I don't stick to them I'll get very angry at myself.
EDIT: If I did have a smartphone, it might be easier, but sadly, I don't.
That's not the point of planning your day. You plan your day so you learn what balance of foods you need to eat daily. That way, when things get hectic, you can say "well, OK, I had planned on X, which is a high-protein food, I'd better substitute something like Y, which is somewhat similar". Then when you get home you adjust your "plan" for the day to reality, and learn whether your on-the-spot decisions were good ones.
If they weren't, then you just learned something that you can use next time.
I bag a lunch and stick pretty slavishly to it, at least for the time being. But now that I'm eating a regulated, controlled diet, I'm starting to learn the cues my body gives me when it wants fat or protein as opposed to when a complex carb might be the right answer as opposed to when a few calories of simple sugar for a quick pick-me-up might do, and more importantly when I'm mistaking thirst or sodium overload for hunger (a common mistake, and the source of the myth that you get "hungry" 2 hours after eating Chinese food - actually, you are THIRSTY because the MSG has just hit your system and the sodium is dehydrating you badly).
One you start learning those cues, it gets easier to make on-the-spot choices. "Man, my tummy is all rumbly, time for some filling fats and proteins!" "Oh, my energy levels are dropping, time for a glass of water and some complex carbs!" "I'm just dropping on my feet and I have to be my best for the meeting in 10 minutes, time for a lifesaver, a big glass of water, then a balanced carb/fat/protein snack to keep the energy there when the sugar runs out!" The cues will probably be different for you, and your reactions might be different depending on the balance of foods you discover works for you (Atkins/low-carb fans will probably be burning off a lot of calories screaming NNNNOOOOO!!!! at my last two examples).
My bag lunch has all the calories I need to get through a day in decent balances. When my body craves something, I have it. But it's all in a bag that contains a set amount of calories. At the end of the day, I know what I ate because it all came out of the bag. I found the sequence of things to eat that keeps me the most satisfied, but I don't fear changing the sequence, adding the occasional off-list snack (cookie or something from a friendly co-worker), as long as I log it and keep track of it.0 -
I must wonder if this is the way some eating disorders start, and if so, at least I have the presence of mind to stop it now. Perhaps I will in fact take a few days of rest from this, just to get the other aspects of my life in order...
bingo. when a banana becomes 110 calories to you and NOT an amazing source of potassium, healthy carbs, and sugars essential for building up those potassium levels...thats the budding of an eating disorder. its like that scene in disney`s snow white when shes running through the forest and all the trees start scaring her and she collapses on the forest floor and cries. dont let food/calorie numbers scare you like those trees haha.
take a breath, step away from that mindset, and renew your way of thinking. WAY easier to start now and not further down the road. i wish you the best of luck with your and your family!! 0 -
It sounds like you are going to obsess no matter what you do. That means that food isn't the issue. The issue is your mental process that won't allow yourself some flexibility.My only concern is that by pre-planning my day, I leave no wiggle room for myself in case my plans change. My day-to-day life can get rather hectic, and I'm worried that I'll begin obsessing about planning out the perfect meals and then if I don't stick to them I'll get very angry at myself.
EDIT: If I did have a smartphone, it might be easier, but sadly, I don't.
Listen, life is all about wiggle room. So what if you plan a meal and something changes. That's life. Why are you choosing to fell bad about that.
You keep backing yourself into a corner and there's no way out.0 -
Just keep in mind that food IS your friend. Food is fuel and our bodies need it. It's just about making better choices about the calories we put into our mouths.
This.
Good food is our friend and good medicine. The obverse is obvious.0 -
Plan ahead - log what you think you'll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then add some snacks. If you still have clls to spare add extras to meals or snacks like fruit, avocado, cheese, nuts etc.
Don't forget to estimate your exercise too so you get a few extra cals earlier in the day if you have a workout planned.
If plans change - then edit your diary, but at least you can see what a healthy eating day looks like.
^ I do this too, it really does help!0
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