my rant for the day..anyone else feeling the same way?

jackiecroberts

i have come to the conclusion that i had to look at food differently. Food for me know is fuel with an occasional treat, but for the most part I have planned exactly what i will be eating that day. It may sound boring or regimented but when I think about how i disrespected my body, I had to come up with a new approach. Hope that helps. Good luck to you

MsMargie1116

Ok, I apologize in advance because I'm about to go on a little rant..but I need to get it out of my system and would love to hear people's responses! I've been on MFP for a few months now..started at 146, down to 130. I'm a freshman in college, and fell victim to the freshman 15. Well, now I've lost all the weight I gained, but I miss the way I used to feel about food!
I could take a handful of chips without caring. I didn't look up the menu for whatever restaurant I was going to, and figure out which meal has the lowest calories ahead of time. I could go out for pizza with friends and eat 3 slices without even caring. You get the idea..
Now, I constantly feel the need to log everything, and really feel like this whole 'counting calorie' thing has taken over my life.
Does anyone else feel the same? Or am I totally alone in this?

Well, that is how it is. Before we would eat what we wanted without having to think about it... That is how we gained weight... Sad to say, but you will be counting SOMETHING the rest of your life whether it be counting the pounds gained, or counting calories to lose/maintain. I would MUCH rather know what is going into my body and see my body getting smaller and smaller than not and see the opposite happen. I've been there, done that, don't plan to do it again... :-) After a while, it'll become habit and you will do it automatically!!!

joanthemom8

You are still a "young 'un", but I'm 46 years old and I know what you mean!! I remember when I was little (or a teenager) thinking "When I grow up, I can eat anything I want to!" And for a little bit, in my early 20s, I did, and it didn't seem to matter. But after college, I got a desk job and got married and the pounds started coming on, slowly creeping up. Add 2 kids into the mix and that just made it worse!!! I feel like I can never think (or not think about) food the same - I am obssed with tracking - even if I know I've gone over my limit for the day, I still record it all. It's probably a good thing, but I miss the time when I didn't have to "think" about food so much. The good thing is that I've been at this since the beginning of December 2011, I haven't lost a ton of weight (just abut 10 lbs), but I'm in my weight range for height, age, etc. I've been exercising regularly (5-6 times a week) since then, too. So I know I'm a lot healthier than I ever was. I still have a long way to go, but I know what you mean!!!

You are young, so maybe for you this will eventually become second nature. I wish I had started a lot sooner (and stuck with it).
Good luck to you - you sound like you've got a good head on your shoulders! :happy:

breakthecycle

I have days I feel like that too but for me personally I'd rather count, weigh, track for the rest of my life instead of going back to 300lbs. I also NEVER say NO to any food. I prepare ahead if I'm going out and exercise more so I can have a little extra of my favorites. It is without a doubt HARDER than it was when I would get a bag of chips sit on the couch and finish them. It was easier to go to a buffet and eat as much of anything that I wanted and not give it a second thought but what is easier now is going up and down my stairs, being able to tie my shoes easily, be able to look into the mirror and say yep this hard work is paying off!!!
Hang in there it's worth it!!!
Hugs!!!!

fragilegift

I did. I was sooooo sick of micromanaging the calories in food and out of exercise that I gave up in November. I restarted again in Jan (with no weight loss or gain in the time off) and gave up counting the calories in the basic things, like each and every slice of tomato or lettuce leaf in a salad roll, or every carrot and onion that went into a meal. I'm much better for it, and I found that the actual weight of 'about that much' in things stayed much the same anyway. As it stands now, I really don't give a toss if there is 95 grams of onion in a dish, or if it is 102. I don't count 54 mins of my morning walk, or 63 either. It stands at a steady 60 and that suits me fine. If it is less TIME, I walked faster, so it evens out anyway.

YMMV

JmeHarris

Well, I don't know how old you are, college freshmen come in all age groups these days. But if your 18-24, your still maturing into a womans body. Past that point, sorry to say, you just can't eat like you used to. Your body just doesn't need the extra calories it was using to fuel your growth. If you want to keep the freshman 15 off for life, learn to love counting calories.

cbeutler

I actually feel the opposite. I put on the freshman 10 every year for 22 years. When I finally found MFP and started eating just three meals a day and logging everything it freed me from the chains of a food obsession. I am starting to feel like I have gotten my life back. I can still eat almost everything I want I just have to adjust my other meals and exercise to fit it in.

Good luck with your weight loss.

anacsitham5

I am that way too and have been that way since I started on MFP on 01/17/11. I actually love it. I consider it a way to keep my self accountable. I don't want to stray and find myself having to lose the 50 pounds I've already lost all over again. It's not to say that I don't have bad days. Yes, some days I do go over. I still love food. I just eat it in the right portions now.

MissAnjy

Yup. I hit that point. I no longer calorie count. I eat everything in moderation, make healthier choices & workout.
It works for me.

skb12573

Yes, EXACTLY! Nicely said, Marcie!

aproc

I miss those days too. Not having to constantly think about food and what is safe or will fit my calorie range. Even when I eat stuff like pizza and at restaurants, I just feel guilty the entire time.

Seokie

I hear you - sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in number and portions and calories. There a paragraph in The Best Little Girl in the World by Steven Levenkron where the girl can't stop thinking about calories and portions and she can have this much of something and its X calories but if she has this much is Y calories, etc.

When I start to feel like that, I focus more on nutrition - meaning I'm not going to beat myself up over my sugar content for the day if I had fruit and veggies (fruit always puts me over on sugar but its fruit!). I just try and incorporate healthier choices.

If you really want chips, try making Kale Chips (really good!) or making chips from sweet potatoes. I find the healthier option tastes better anyway

MoreThanMommie

I get it. But for me, I'd rather log everything I eat for the rest of my life than live the rest of my life in the body I have now.

arnfolly

i too have felt this way. then I realized one day this was a CHOICE I was making to make a change in my life. Instead of feeling like a prisoner, I needed to remind myself this was a tool I was choosing to aid in my goal. does it take more time and feel like a chore at times? Certainly it does! But at the end of the day I am AWARE of what I am doing with my body and the lack of guilt I feel is definately worth it. We all have moments like this but remember the long term goal is worth the time and effort.

Bevigal

I think we all feel that way at times. Its kind of like a job keeping up with stuff and yes its boring sometimes. Once I became a diabetic I really had no choice at all. MFP calculates your food intake. It may help to pick a fav food and treat yourself once a week. Its easy to obsess ovr food when you have to write everything down. A little ranting is good for ya!

Suziq1023

Well, a handful of chips is ok as long as you have just a handful or whatever the serving size is. I still eat pizza, I just have one slice and maybe a salad or something else. I haven't deprived myself of really anything during this process and that is why it has worked for me.

A serving is 11 chips. I truly doubt the day will come when I find that to be an acceptable serving size. I just hope the day comes when I quit enjoying food. Like I've said before I could quit smoking (16 months ago) but I can't quit eating...

AFitJamie

I hear you. But the truth is I'm learning to like the process. I was one of those people that could pretty much "set a scale by my weight". For years and years, no matter what I ate, did, whatever, I was exactly the same (healthy, low) weight. Then ... "something" seemed to shift a bit... then I hit 40....

Now I've learned that I can have days where I go way over, but I can't have them every day, or every other day, or even every weekend, but I don't feel "guilty" about food. I'm learning to manage how I live so I can live to the fullest - and a part of that, for me, includes a once in a looong while "beer and ribs" night. But it seems it is about moderation now....

If I wanted to, I could probably find a lot of other things I miss about not being 25-30... but the truth is, I love life now. I think I can even say I like me (I mean that positively and not arrogantly)... No turning the clock back - we all get one trip through - make the most of it! Counting calories is just a way I can ensure I keep making the most of it... But, for me it needs to stay in perspective - I can't and don't obsess about it...

Sharonks

Many years ago I lost some weight and kept it off without tracking it. I think I will reach a point once I hit maintenance that I can just keep an eye on things and not log stuff unless my clothes start getting snug. The only reason I'm needing to lose weight now is I got very sick and became bed ridden. Not exercising and eating like you are doesn't work so well.

beckylawrence70

I kinda have fun doing it, keeps me on track and really let's you see just how many calories are in the things we love.......hang in there, let it become part of your everday life.......you won't even notice after awhile.......

brittanidigby

I feel the same way. lol Although I lost more without tracking, I don't think I will quit logging.