counting calories=eating disorder?

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13

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  • msaestein1
    msaestein1 Posts: 264 Member
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    I am concerned. That I am starting to look at food in an unhealthy way, and that that won't stop when I reach my "goal."

    Focus on the positive. Counting the calories just means that you are in more control of your health. I understand how you feel about becoming obsessive. Everything I put in my mouth, I have to consider its value and affect on my overall daily calorie goal and health. Doing that won't give me an eating disorder. It will just make me a healthier person.
  • msaestein1
    msaestein1 Posts: 264 Member
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    I'm 26. (fourteeners refers to a goal of climbing 14.000 ft. peaks. :)
    I am afraid that my perception of portion sizes, of how much I eat, have gotten abnormal, and yes, I do panic at the thought of eating more than that. For example, for breakfast I had a kiwi and about 2 ounces salmon, and I thought in the back of my mind "wow, that was a lot- NO MORE" before realizing that it actually probably isn't a lot. But I feel powerless to eat morel

    MFP is giving you the power to know that you can eat more and still be healthy. A kiwi and a couple ounces of fish won't make you fat.
  • BobbieLee1959
    BobbieLee1959 Posts: 605 Member
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    nope...eventually you will slack off a little and be less obsessive about it...at least that seems the norm...I felt crazy at first, too...not so much anymore!
  • jessicaclairel
    jessicaclairel Posts: 54
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    I suppose it COULD, but only if you take it to an extreme. I am not worried about it for myself, I love to eat.
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
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    Is anyone else worried that counting calories will end up in an eating disorder?

    No.
  • amandapye78
    amandapye78 Posts: 820 Member
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    I think an eating disorder is caused by many things that need a psychiatrist to help with, Counting calories might adversely affect someone who already has that tendency but not people without that predisposition. I personally love food and am not worried about getting having a problem/
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    nope. I love food too much to be anorexic and I have a very strong gag reflex which would make bulimia too much work. maybe an exercise aholic, but there are worse things I could be addicted to...

    Actually, having a strong gag reflex would make throwing up your food LESS work... just sayin.

    But to get back to original question: no, not unless you are already predisposed twd obsessive behaviors and bad body image.
  • honu18
    honu18 Posts: 294 Member
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    Yes. It can happen. It happened to me and a few other people that I know. But, I have a perfectionist personality and I know I was predisposed to it. A lot of people keep saying 'it'll never happen to me because I love to eat'. So do I. I don't suffer from anorexia or bulimia, but EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). It's a terrible cycle of binging and restricting and having food on the brain all the time (because yes, I love to eat too). Just because my physical health isn't in danger of being too thin or making myself throw up, I'm consistently stressed and hold on to weight because of it, lose control and binge a bit because I spent a year being really restrictive on myself, and I spent hours looking at myself in the mirror and scrutinizing my thighs. I have feelings of guilt and shame when I eat 'not safe foods'. So yes. If you see yourself going in that direction, do something about it NOW. Don't say 'oh it's fine' like I did, because I don't wish this upon anyone.
  • thatsillyshana
    thatsillyshana Posts: 141
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    Counting calories in a mindset of food=fat and not food=life could be extremely dangerous. But counting calories that way is a symptom of an eating disorder. If this is happening to anyone, even just a little, I suggest getting counseling or talking about it with people you trust. Eating disorders and other mental illnesses are like cancer or the flu and should be treated as such.

    If counting calories becomes obsessive, I suggest quitting a site like this and just focus on eating healthy and exercising without looking at numbers.
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
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    I think this can only happen if your state of mind is already influenced by disordered thoughts, altered self image, low self esteem and so on... An eating disorder doesn't really come from a single habit.
    You should be very careful with your diet if you think this might trigger you into developing an eating disorder...
  • krissy_krossy
    krissy_krossy Posts: 307 Member
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    Nope. As someone who has had an eating disorder (recovered about a year and a half ago) counting calories alone will not "give" someone an eating disorder. An eating disorder isn't just about weight. There's a lot more to it than that.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    Math in general makes me lose my appetite.






















    But the answer to your question is no.
  • AusteenaHayes
    AusteenaHayes Posts: 91
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    Yes, I struggled with anorexia because of counting calories. Although I am back to counting calories to prove to myself I can overcome anorexia.
  • fit_gal
    fit_gal Posts: 167
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    It nearly did for me years ago when I lost weight. I was so strict with myself it was scary! Hoping I will be older and wiser this time round.
  • swimmerwinner
    swimmerwinner Posts: 9
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    I know someone who said that their eating disorder began when they had to count calories as part of a health class assignment, however she had other issues prior - seasonal depression, anxiety - that made her susceptible. Eating disorders are a disease, counting calories will not make you anorexic/bulimic/any other form of eating disorder any more than thinking about sex will give you an STD.
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,051 Member
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    I know that I don't have an issue with this, but an MFP friend from when I first joined did end up developing one.... So I definitely know that it is an issue. Luckily she was smart enough to get herself help and (hopefully) on to a better road, but she had to leave MFP to do it.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    In my case, it does not equal an eating disorder. It's a tool, nothing more, nothing less.

    However I do spend a lot more time thinking about food, than when I was fat. It takes time to plan healthy meals, research recipes, buy the food, prepare the food. Then do it all again, several times a month.

    I do think a tiny bit of obsessiveness has helped my huge weight loss, and now maintaining over a pretty long period. Not concerned though, at 56 I pretty much know myself. I have had a long history of being me, and having good mental health.
  • sherrydm1966
    sherrydm1966 Posts: 5
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    I actually posted a similar concern on another site and got smacked! But the concern was not about counting calories as the gateway to an eating disorder-which I don't see happening, to me anyway-but about all the places people were counting things. Like Weight Watchers for this, MFP for that, fitbit, pedometers, Spark People for the other and I thought- jeez, what is going ON???? How do people live functioning lives when they are counting here and there and everywhere all day long??? Pick one place, use common sense, and most people will be fine. Those that are not and who take it to another level already have some psychological issues in place which contribute.
  • fourteeners
    fourteeners Posts: 35
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    It seems a lot of unhealthy eating disorderish habits and thoughts were triggered for me the last time I used MFP. I couldn't control my obsession with restricting.

    Which leaves me with this question: what is the best way for someone who has these tendencies to lose weight? Does one have to really love and accept oneself before starting a weight loss program for it to be done healthily? How does one begin to do that?

    Thanks....
  • FaylinaMeir
    FaylinaMeir Posts: 661 Member
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    No I'm not.

    Some people though have an addictive personality and take things to an extreme. Like my husband tried to do something like this and he'd take it to the extreme of barely eating because he wants to do it quicker or whatever. It's his personality, he takes things too fast and doesn't think things through.

    I also dare say a lot of us probably have some form of disordered eating in the first place if we're obese because he were obviously eating too much. Some people have binge eating disorder.

    I think that in order to do this properly you need to learn about food and proper nutrition and set goals in place NOW about how you'll transition back to a normal amount of food and etc when you're done so that you have that goal in mind. If you focus just on the number, yeah it could cause trouble for some.

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