Calorie counting and OCD

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nintento64
nintento64 Posts: 17
in Health and Weight Loss
I've always been a fan of instinctive eating. I lost most of my weight that way. Only when I reached a plateau I decided to check out this website to accurately count my macronutrients. I've been counting my calories on this site on and off and it works but I feel I am developing OCD with counting calories. Do you mostly go for a round number when counting or try to remove a gram of a macronutrient to exactly meet your goal?

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  • shivles
    shivles Posts: 468 Member
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    No, I would go see the doctor about these OCD symptoms before it becomes more serious.
  • sbduvall
    sbduvall Posts: 42 Member
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    Oh I can so totally relate to this! I am totally that way. I have to really work at not freaking out about the calories. If I go out for sushi and I look up Tuna roll and there is one for 200 one at 280 and one at 370 there is a part of me that freaks out and is like "WHICH IS IT? WHAT IF YOU ARE WRONG? FORGET IT I can't so it if I am not doing ti 100%"

    Here is the solution (as best that I can come up with) pick the average number for what you are eating and try to let go. If you are watching it you are still doing more than eating a ton of junk and not paying attention. Try not to put too much weight on each calorie. My calc on here basicly says that there is almost a 1000 calorie swing before I don't lose or start to gain. 10-100 calories once a week isn't going to totally kill the overall progress.

    Good luck and take a deep breath.
  • cally69
    cally69 Posts: 182 Member
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    How funny that I read this right after removing 1 baked bean from my dish to make the food scale dead on 200g!!!
    I had this mental picture as I did it of my mum watching and just shaking her head...
  • Stuz359
    Stuz359 Posts: 81
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    Everyone goes through this stage at one point, usually in the beginning. As time goes on, you just get better at knowing what you should be eating and you educate yourself about portion sizes. If it keeps going on, then maybe you get worried.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    How funny that I read this right after removing 1 baked bean from my dish to make the food scale dead on 200g!!!
    I had this mental picture as I did it of my mum watching and just shaking her head...

    Hahahaha - totally this!!!! My boyfriend looked in wonder as I removed a pinch of cereal from my breakfast bowl the other day!! :blushing:
  • mrsains
    mrsains Posts: 104 Member
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    I am sure many people on MFP start to "obsess" over the numbers to some extent... but I'm pretty sure that you do not have OCD!

    Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a mental illness where one has unwanted obsessive thoughts and performs compulsions in order to alleviate the anxiety from the obsessive thoughts. OCD is not simply being precise about something (like your macro numbers) or being highly concerned over one thing. The key here is that the thoughts are highly unwanted by the individual. It is a commonly misunderstood illness!

    Anyway, just wanted to give you a little perspective so you know that it's likely not OCD. However, if you find that you are overly concerned about your numbers and it's becoming a problem, speak to your doctor about it. It's definitely better to err on the side of caution. It could be the sign of an eating disorder if you feel overly preoccupied with your food and it's disrupting your daily life.

    Take care!

    Edited to add: check out these online resources:

    http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/understanding-mental-illness/eating-disorders/
    http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/#.UBE7uURnRD0
    http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/Pages/home.aspx
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Everyone goes through this stage at one point, usually in the beginning.
    No.

    OP, if you actually feel you are developing the symptoms of a mental disorder, the calorie counting is not the cause of your problem, it's a symptom.
  • cally69
    cally69 Posts: 182 Member
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    Everyone goes through this stage at one point, usually in the beginning.
    No.

    OP, if you actually feel you are developing the symptoms of a mental disorder, the calorie counting is not the cause of your problem, it's a symptom.

    It's only a problem if it is detrimental to your life. There's a difference between wanting accuracy when you count calories and a mental disorder. Otherwise, a lot of us would be requiring therapy!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Everyone goes through this stage at one point, usually in the beginning.
    No.

    OP, if you actually feel you are developing the symptoms of a mental disorder, the calorie counting is not the cause of your problem, it's a symptom.
    It's only a problem if it is detrimental to your life. There's a difference between wanting accuracy when you count calories and a mental disorder. Otherwise, a lot of us would be requiring therapy!
    What? Why are you replying to me?
  • cally69
    cally69 Posts: 182 Member
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    I wasn't replying to you. I was responding to a post on this forum. Do not take offence as none was intended.
  • Princesskirara44
    Princesskirara44 Posts: 2
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    I agree. When there are several results with varying numbers, I will take the average-looking one, or the amount that occurs the most frequently.

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