I think MFP is making me fatter

Natihilator

I have been on MFP since January, and I find I have to take one or two days off from tracking to not go insane with all the numbers and counting. Also I would advise you to not weign in on your "bad days", when high water retention can give you temporary gains

Sidesteal

I started at 167 (overweight/borderline obese range) and now I'm 146 (healthy) but I want to lose another 10 lbs. For some reason when I have my "bad days" I gain like 10 lbs..

You do not gain 10lbs of fat in a day or even a full week. Water weight.

I'm afraid that if I take a week off, I'll be back to where I started.

You're also obsessing over food intake and mental health is of far greater importance than a few lbs. Additionally, you're very unlikely to gain anything substantial in a few days.

The only merit I can possibly see to not taking a break would be if you are morbidly obese AND you won't be able to start back up once you stop. Since you don't have both of these conditions I would shut off MFP and pick it back up middle of next week.

LokiOfAsgard

I've only been tracking since March. Well, Weight Watchers March-May and then on here since then. Sometimes (not often) I don't log everything I eat because I'm embarassed, but I at least log most of it. I've never taken a complete "day off".

Honestly, you should be logging everything, embarrassing or not. MFP can't tell if you're eating more than what you put into the system and therefore it's useless. And besides, being embarrassed about some of your food choices (being if they are junk food) Will HELP. It will make you not want to log, but since you have to log EVERYTHING you'll more than likely end up choosing to not eat it.

Purple_Orchid_87

I started at 167 (overweight/borderline obese range) and now I'm 146 (healthy) but I want to lose another 10 lbs. For some reason when I have my "bad days" I gain like 10 lbs..even though I don't go completely bonkers with it. I'm afraid that if I take a week off, I'll be back to where I started.

that 10lbs you 'put back on' will be sodium induced water retention
also the last 14-20lbs are hardest to lose as your body is clinging hold of them
think of a child with LOADS of toys - its easy to take 1 or 2 coz they dont notice, but get down to their last 3 toys, and try taking 1 away, and its a MASSIVE struggle
child = body, toys = fat sores

also, dont weight too often, weigh fluctuates every time you pee or drink/eat

also, quick question:
Is success for you size or weight? because the two do not always directly correlate - those who weight train can weigh a lot more, but be a lot slimmer than someone who just goes by the scale alone without weight training

for me, success is size, not weight

Amryfal

I have been on MFP for a year and a half now, so that doesn't happen to me anymore. It did happen to me in the beginning though... until I had to give myself a little break then get back to logging.

heh...i took a "break" and didn't get back to it for three months and gained 12 pounds i'm back down to 40 lost and i'm OCD about logging. i log EVERYTHING (ok, ok, with the exception of zero-calorie items like mustard or diet coke, sue me, lol) but i found that when i started and was just using the phone app for logging, i didn't care as much about going over, but now that i have friends and have increased my social activity here, i think twice about eating something because i know i'm going to have to log it. logging, support, and accountability have contributed to my success.

it also gets less tedious to log when you get used to it. i do think about food a lot, but it's because i'm planning my day and trying to make healthy choices (if i have chicken for dinner, how much popcorn can i have for a snack? do i need to exercise so i can have a treat?). i'll be honest, it's taken a year (minus those three months in the middle - heh) to get to a point where it's just second nature. but it's totally worth it.

NCchar130

I joined on 7/7 but only starting logging a week ago. The weeks prior to logging, I wasn't really trying to do anything but get my mind right lol to start making a change. I definitely obsessed this week, to the point of making myself a little crazy! But, I weighed in this morning, and I've lost the first 4 pounds. I believe I will feel less obsessive now. I think a lot of it was wondering if what I was doing was really going to work. Now that I've seen some evidence that it is, I expect to feel a bit more relaxed and positive about it all

odonogc

I had an MFP friend who went through this. She found a book on emotional eating that really helped her. She had to stop logging, it was making her upset. I think this site is great for some people (me!) but not everyone.

jillleanne

I agree 100% with the people who are saying to step away from the logging for a few days. Even if it does mean you go a bit overboard.

I started logging last summer, and it was the same for me. I was OBSESSED. And I would feel so guilty if I went over, and so guilty if I went under. And I'd feel so badly about myself if I didn't lose any weight in a week. I stepped away for about 6 months. Gained back 7lbs of the 14 I had lost, but now being back here is so much less stressful, and I can deal with it in a much more positive way.

I started with almost the same stats as you. 5'8", starting weight of 148, and my weight at the end of last summer was 134. I'm now at 140. But I feel so much better about my body, and about this journey. Give yourself a few days to breathe. and Good Luck!

virichi08

My first couple of weeks i didnt nothing but stress and obess and literally cry about food.
BUUUUUUUT one day i realized that I was stressing myself by trying too lose too much weight at once... i just tend to obsess about these things. So i went back and adjust my weight loss goals and now i can hve a beautiful 1710 calories a day and be satisfied. you've got to find that happy medium, and be patient. its not a race.

gorjus154

I obsess too...But when I do not track, I tend to not care and end up eating junk.

CyberEd312

I started at 167 (overweight/borderline obese range) and now I'm 146 (healthy) but I want to lose another 10 lbs. For some reason when I have my "bad days" I gain like 10 lbs..even though I don't go completely bonkers with it. I'm afraid that if I take a week off, I'll be back to where I started.

Alot of that has to be water retention cause there is no way you could gain that much fat... I had my spike day/cheat day yesterday and ate half dozen hot wings with celery/ranch, super nacho's, and a 10 in Pizza, and capped the night with a large DQ blizzard and even though I don't get on the scale but once a week I will guarantee I am up 5 or 6 lbs. but it is just water weight.. I get back on point this A.M. , already got my workout in for the day (burned 1526 calories) and by Monday I will be back at weight and pushing to lose my 1/2 lb. for this weeks goal... Remember that last 10 lbs. is always the hardest to get off..... Best of Luck...

sebastiana29

When I hit puberty, my mom gave me a book that calculated the calories in every food and the calories in every exercise. I became obsessed and it started a lifelong struggle with food. A calorie is NOT a calorie. They are good to keep track of, but that's only the surface. If you're getting out of control with it, walk away - there are other ways to watch what you eat, like writing down what you eat, how much, and how you feel about it in a paper journal

I have a nutritionist friend who hates MFP because it tracks your carbs/fats/proteins without looking at what KIND of fats/carbs you are eating. But it is an easy tool for me to watch what I eat - especially portion sizes. I can down a whole bag of trail mix thinking "fruit! healthy nut fats!" and then end up gaining weight in spite of all my training. That's where MFP is useful. I also like to log how certain foods make me feel - if they make me gassy, if they're filling, if they feel good before/after a workout.

Bottom line: this site is a tool. Eventually, the idea is to internalize your sense of portion sizes and nutrition and your awareness of the nutrients you are getting over the course of a day/week and not necessarily need it anymore.

Good luck...

mmychal

Though I can't see your diary, I'm guessing that if you are feeling hungry after reaching your calorie limit, then you must be eating some empty calories or not enough protein. I used to eat almost double the recommended calories MFP suggests before I started logging and I always felt hungry. The reason for that is I was eating lots of terrible empty calories (processed foods, chips, excessive sugar). When I switched to tracking calories I also decided to eat more whole foods and lean proteins. Even though I was eating fewer calories, I was packing in the protein and I really felt full.

WendyTerry420

This is my first time logging food, and it's the first time in more than a decade that I have set aside time in my day for exercise. I have experienced phenomenal weight loss in just under one month.

I hope you find something that works for you.

larosita57

I hear ya....MFP has really helped me see how much unhealthy crap I was consuming, but the down side is that it is making me way TOO much attention to my weight and food...which isn't so healthy either. We all have other, equally important parts of our selves/lives, right? Many years ago, I suffered from anorexia. Now I overeat...but the sheer numbers of people on MFP with active eatings disorders sometimes depresses me...I feel for them - but I don't want to ever be that obsessed with food or weight again. It's miserable.

So - there has to be a balance, right? I try to keep away from forums where there are an overabundance of people who photo their six-packs and talk incessantly about weight lifting and "pure" nutrition - that's their trip, that's cool, but it personally makes me crazy. You know what is healthy for you; you don't need to be fixated on calorie-logging to be healthy and happy with yourself!

PirateSushi

I've only been on MFP for about a month and a half. I totally feel the same way sometimes about the calorie tracking. But it's similar to a meal plan that any personal trainer or nutritionist would do. Maybe try giving yourself one "cheat" day a week where you don't have to obsess as much. It might be a good way to transition you into the next phase of your health and fitness plan. Meal tracking is meant to condition you into making healthier/ lower calorie choices and lower your portions. After awhile you will be able to recognize your portions and you won't need to track them.

Give yourself Cheat Day and see what happens! And good luck! :-)

avigneault

I wouldn't step away from the food tracker personally. If it's really stressing you out then ok, maybe for a few days. But I know from my personal experience that when I 'estimate' how much of something I'm eating or don't hold myself accountable, I go WAY over and actually weigh more the next time I dare to set foot on the scale.

I track every thing. Every bite. Down to a jolly rancher at work. You don't realize how much grazing adds up. Then you congratulate yourself for sticking to your numbers for the day but really, you're way over. And don't be embarrassed if you go over, make a note - to yourself - about what to change for the next day. Besides, unless you make it public no one can see your log except you. It's personal accountability and being realistic about your food with yourself.

I go over my fat every day - but I know they're healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, salmon) so I don't stress on it. And if I have a beer or go out to eat with friends, I add WAY more calories than I expect my meal really is into my food log and then make sure to burn some off at the gym!

MFP is for YOU and you only. You can't be embarrassed or not log because you're only continuing to enable yourself to overeat and not be accountable.

LiftHuff

I started at 167 (overweight/borderline obese range) and now I'm 146 (healthy) but I want to lose another 10 lbs. For some reason when I have my "bad days" I gain like 10 lbs..even though I don't go completely bonkers with it. I'm afraid that if I take a week off, I'll be back to where I started.

Sounds like you're talking about BMI ranges, which are silly, irrelevant, and sometimes even terrifying. Don't pay any attention to the scale at this point.

Look at the mirror, the measuring tape, how your clothes fit, and how you feel.

heretic911

I've been on for 7 months. I don't stress if my bust my calorie goal periodically. I feel like MFP has made me more aware and able to make better choices. And if I make the conscious decision to splurge - I log it but don't worry about it. Healthy eating needs to be a sustainable lifelong journey - not a temporary diet.

I agree, it has made me aware and less compulsive:)

MrGonzo05

I think of coming in under each day as a game, and try to enjoy the process. This game has benefits in real life though.