Mfp has cause more harm than good for me.

AhlaWahda

This sounds like Orthorexia nervosa. "Orthorexia nervosa (also known as orthorexia) is not mentioned in the DSM, but was coined by Steven Bratman to characterize people who develop an obsession with avoiding foods perceived to be unhealthful. Orthorexia nervosa is believed to be a mental disorder. Bratman claims that in rare cases, this focus may turn into a fixation so extreme that it can lead to severe malnutrition or even death. Even in less severe cases, the attempt to follow a diet that cannot provide adequate nourishment is said to lower self-esteem as the orthorexics blame themselves rather than their diets for their constant hunger and the resulting cravings for forbidden foods."

I think you need to talk to a professional. I actually have some of these problems myself. I go from periods of not caring what I eat to periods where I obsess with every little thing. Sometimes I even think that I don't care if I starve myself as long as I get where I want to be and this attitude has gotten a bit worse with the discovery of MFP. It hasn't developed into a real issue for me yet but it seems to be pretty serious for you so maybe you should consider seeking help before it gets any worse.

onwarddownward

I used to journal on my own, try to stay active on my own, read blogs for advice.

Now I find it all here is one very supportive package. I know I don't have to do the stuff everyone else is doing. It's all individual. But I have gotten some good ideas nd accountability.

Take it in moderation.

Jan

nessagrace22

Bump

brit_ks_89

take one day at a time !!! one day at a time !

mareeee1234

When I first joined here I too fell into the MUST EAT CLEAN all the time bull. I found out that it's too rigid for me to keep doing long term. We need to enjoy our lives eating some of the things that aren't perhaps thought so "clean" I felt much better knowing the odd treat isn't a sin but a good thing for me.

SAME here!

Honestly, don't over complicate anything! This is a biggg issue on here.

Eat a VARIETY of foods, forget strictly eating clean! Eat at a balance, and at a slight defiict of your tdee.. work out.. even lift a couple times a week... trust the process!!!!! You will get there :flowerforyou:

Kathy_Noring

Nope, I have not had that experience. I am rarely on the forums and logging just keeps me aware of what I am eating (calories, macro-nutrients, sodium etc). I do try to eat healthful foods, but I am not obsessed with it. I eat convenience foods and treats, too.

I agree with a PP who says it sounds like you may have a larger issue with food.

Good luck with whatever path you decide to take.

jdhoward_101

I have found MFP invaluable for losing weight; not only because of the accuracy of the database and the way it helps me log, but because one of the things i have taken away from the forums, probably the most IMPORTANT thing i have taken away during this weight loss journey is that it doesn't really matter what you eat, as long as you stay at a calorie deficit. Before, i couldn't eat even a small slice of cake or a fun-sized chocolate bar without feeling stricken by guilt. However, now i eat cake, i eat biscuits, i will have a portion of fish and chips for dinner, so long as i don't go over my daily calorie allowance, it's all good. And i've been losing more weight than i have been able to all year. It's a shame that it's had the opposite effect on you but i hope you manage to find that good place again

ktsmom430

You have to do what is right for you. If you don't like what this site has become for you, change it.
Excesses are bad on either end of the spectrum, IMHO.
Hopefully, for me, what I have learned, and am learning, through MFP, and my becoming healthier will be my new way of life. That is the main thing I have gotten from MFP, and for that, I am extremely grateful. I don't think it is exagerating to say that this site has helped me save my life. I am not competing with anyone else. I don't think I should be eating differently or exercising more because someone else does.
Ultimately, this is about YOU. Do what is right for YOU.

OddballExtreme

I agree with everyone here. I had already lost weight on my own before I joined MFP last June. With this, though, I can keep track of what I'm eating, and believe me, it's NOT always clean. Having Type 2 Diabetes AND high blood pressure, I really have to be careful. However, that doesn't mean I have to deprive myself. My only competition with myself...stay healthy but enjoy it! I haven't posted a lot lately because I've been busy enough in the past few months.

I do have that competitive and perfectionist ideal at times, but definitely NOT here. I know I'm not gonna be perfect, and...I still have FOUR Gigi's cupcakes left to eat! It'll take me a week to finish those things.

SleeplessinBerlin

I think this may be an indication that there are other issues in your life that you need to take care of. Ultimately the website is a glorified calculator with a database- there really isn't anything that would cause this, except how you use the information presented.

A lot of people think that eating disorders start and stop with anorexia and bulimia, but they don't. What you describe is an unhealthy attitude towards food and diet, and that may be the start of an undefined eating disorder. You might benefit from speaking to someone. I don't know where you are, but in the UK, we have this- http://www.b-eat.co.uk/

A very wise advice.

You sound so much like me years ago. Not on MFP but on an almost identical website (which isn't free anymore). Perfectionist, insecure, obsessive, constantly comparing myself with others, constantly feeling not good enough about the amount of exercise or my food choices.
It took me years to relax about certain things and to educate myself to the point where I am no longer unhappy about not eating certain things simply by not really wanting them so much anymore. Sure, I still do have cravings, who doesn't. And I do give in once in a while. And it's okay, too. I eat clean most of the time and this is my goal: most of the time, not ALL the time. I use my obsession to educate myself and I use it in my kitchen whenever I cook or bake. I don't feel deprived anymore.
You are not going to be happy without letting yourself be a little bit more flexible than you are now.

I do not log every single calorie. I certainly do not burn 1000kcal during my workouts. And I do not work out every day. My friends don't either. And if I look at their diaries I don't see clean food only. Some of them eat white bread, some drink their coffee with sugar and some get a burger on the way home.

This here is a tool. Use it, do not let it dictate you how you should feel. Take it easy on the forums. Educate yourself if you want to but make sure that the choices you make are truly yours.

crisanderson27

I don't understand why people feel that clean eating equates to not enjoying their life??

If your enjoyment of life hinges on consuming fast food you may want to revaluate your priorities.

Or maybe you need to stop placing your judgments on others. In order to 'eat clean' I would have to shun most social functions with family and friends, completely reorder my life in a very unrealistic way due to my schedule, and otherwise obsess over something I'm simply not willing to obsess over. You bet that'd have an impact on my quality of life.

And last I checked...my priorities were doing fine, thank you very much.

NHoughton13

I've never had the kind of success before that I've achieved with MFP. I'm sorry you feel obsessive about it, but totally understand. I was overwhelmed at first. But once I got comfortable here, I've l gained a lot of knowledge and motivation. I've also had to step back and laugh at some ridiculous posts. What works for some might not work for others. I accept that. I still don't understand TDEE and all that :laugh:

I've learned to go at my own pace and not compare myself to others. I don't beat myself up over "bad days" because those will happen. If this is a lifestyle, then I cannot be expected to never have McDonald's again. I went from having fast food EVERY DAY to seldom/occasionally. I consider that a win!! I haven't found myself hungry and still eat processed foods. With my schedule, sometimes it's just a LUNA bar before lunch. I'm ok with that, it's better than what I was doing.

I strive for progress, not perfection.

JDBLY11

I have found that since finding mfp, I have spent every evening glued to the forums, obsessing on 'clean eating', have developed a fear of having any pre packaged meals, of allowing myself the treats I used to have regularly amidst my regular food, along with the fact I now feel impelled to workout everyday, regardless of anything else I might feel like doing, because everyone else seems to be working their *kitten* of obsessively on a daily basis, burning anything up to thousands of calories. Along with this, I have been having severe binges, only since joining the site. As soon as I started actively counting calories, obsession took over. Not to a point of starving myself or anything like that, but to a point of becoming totally consumed by analysing what might be the best diet for longevity, what might be the best diet for a lean body etc etc. It has removed whatever remnant of intuitive eating I had remaining. Sure, I did not have the best diet. I ate a lot of veggie microwave meals, alongside my fruit and veg, and mcflurries and chocolate were a fairly regular fixture in my life. I walked a lot, or swam, or rollerskated or cycled, and I was not overweight. Not 18% bodyfat lean, but not overweight either. I felt healthier. I felt happier. I was more relaxed and I was living my life and had space for other things. Now, every evening, all evening, is spent on mfp, reading more posts and feeling as if I am on some alien planet when I see people logging every bite, every calorie burnt. I go out for a long bike ride, and no longer feel able to stop off for a coffee and toast, or a slice of cake. No way jose, that is not clean, we are not meant to have treats more than once a week, once a month, once a year even, lol.

Has anyone else hit this issue with mfp?
I know it works great for people who are endangering their lives with their weight issues.
But for me, sadly, it seems to have just kicked in my competitive, perfectionist streak, and made me feel compelled to have a perfect diet diary, to burn 600 calories + in exercise a day to not feel lazy compared to everyone else, to revolve my life around eating the best I can for a long life and health, which ironically, is making me feel less healthy. Yep, eating a pile of veggies everyday, and fruit, and greek yoghurt, eggs, fish, chicken, beans, almonds and sweet potatoes, has left me feeling more crap than when I had baked potatoes, microwave veggie meals, quorn(horribly processed), smaller amounts of veggies, ice cream, chocolate and some fish.

I have lost 20 lbs in the last month and a half not eating clean not exercising, just tracking my eating on WW etools. Don't obsess and don't be perfectionistic. You can lose weight or maintain just by logging your calories and getting normal activity levels. It is impossible for me to lose weight or maintain without tracking my calories so I would not give up on that completely if you need to lose which it sounds like you don't. Just track to maintain , eat normally and keep up your normal activity levels and you should be fine. You don't sound like you were eating that unhealthy to begin with.

EmmaKarney

I don't understand why people feel that clean eating equates to not enjoying their life??

If your enjoyment of life hinges on consuming fast food you may want to revaluate your priorities.

Or maybe you need to stop placing your judgments on others. In order to 'eat clean' I would have to shun most social functions with family and friends, completely reorder my life in a very unrealistic way due to my schedule, and otherwise obsess over something I'm simply not willing to obsess over. You bet that'd have an impact on my quality of life.

And last I checked...my priorities were doing fine, thank you very much.

Hold on now - I wasn't personally attacking you...

You can strive to eat clean at home and still partake in the odd fast food dinner with family if you really want to - it's not a prison sentence.

If you're not willing to "obsess" over it then fine - do whatever works for you. But please don't try to make out that eating clean is a life of brown rice and no fun.

JDBLY11

Why do you think you came here to begin with? You said in your profile that you have never really been overweight, so are you just trying to log to maintain? What are your goals? Achieve your goals and block out any of the extra noise.

I have had issues with bulimia in the past, never really was addicted to it, so I stopped pretty easily. I have more issues being a compulsive overeater and lazy than anything else. I have never been my ideal weight so I can see how it would be easy to start thinking I want the best body possible or a "perfect" body and then start pushing yourself too hard. Find a lifestyle you can maintain and don't beat yourself up about not being perfect. You sound like a perfectly healthy woman to begin with. You exercise. you are in a healthy weight range. you eat relatively healthy.

nimbuk

I'd agree that intuition is important but MFP can play a really good role in double checking that intuition. My intuition was telling me to snack healthy but, as it turns out, my healthy choices were really high calories.

As for 600 calories a day - why on earth are you being limited to that extent? I'm allowed 1200-1400 and more if I exercise during the day. Are you sure this calorie goal has been calculated right? It sounds completely excessive and dangerous to me. Maybe check that first of all...

As for personality versus app efficacy, well, that's for you to decide. If it really isn't helping you, then get rid of it. (If you're using an Android phone, the 'Noom' weight-loss app is pretty good and far more educational about what a healthy food is.)

Good luck

frugalafterfifty

It's true the forums can become addictive. I try not to come on too much (especially during work hours). I do enjoy catching up and cheering on the few friends that I have made and try to limit myself to that.

beachgod

.

lowerh22

MFP has been a bloody godsend for me. I was in total denial about my weigh 9 days ago. Til I got on the scales. I sat down to eat my dinner knowing it was my last takeaway for a LONG time. With the help of MFP, seeing what I'm eating and putting into my body has helped me realise that in fact I'm not taking care of myself. How can I expect to teach my daughter to take care of herself if I can't do it myself?
I joined a gym and READJUSTED my eating. I allow myself treats and I still am losing. I've lost 6lbs in 10 days because of being aware of myself and my eating, not just shovelling it in because I'm bored.

MFP is here to support and a a tool for calorie counting. Theres a little button to log off if you dont feel its for you. Good luck

Celestialfairie

When I first started I'd obsess over everything. I tried the 1200 cals or in most cases less. And it worked. I dropped fifteen pounds pretty quickly. Then stalled. Got frustrated.

Then I decided... everyone has great advice but I just need to follow what my body wants. It likes sweets and junk food and soda. And you know... I went back to eating that. And then lost an additional twenty-five pounds.

I just sat down and thought about what I was doing to make me gain the weight. I became more active. I wouldn't let myself put away bags of candy at a time. And now I just eat what I want, when I want.

I'm not out to be a body builder. I'm not out for a lean BF% or BMI. I'm sitting pretty comfortable, if I do say so myself, and now I just focus on not going back in the other direction. So I will read forums just to see how others are doing but I had to realize that this is my battle. I found tons of support here but the only thing that would lead to change is for me to fully understand myself.

Rockstar_JILL

I have found this place a little addictive. I had lost my weight and was almost at goal without MFP. I just started using it after Christmas out of curiosity...I needed a boost and some motivation to get me moving again and to lose that little bit of Christmas gain. I needed to get my head back in the game. It worked! I lost the Christmas weight and have some wonderful motivating friends on here. I need this site so I can see others losing weight and that motivates me. Seeing those calorie burns makes me proud and makes me want to do well too. It keeps me in the right mindset. I love MFP!

5ftnFun

MFP is a great tool, but if you don't tailor it to YOU, then it's worthless. Sounds like you are/were overly influenced by what others on MFP were doing. It's great to see a success story, or to learn something new about exercise or food, but we fail when we are not true to ourselves. I don't eat clean, don't always eat great every day, and I know I could do a lot of things better. Thing is, what I'm doing works for me and I'm generally happy & feel good.

The other thing is that you sound like you need balance. I love MFP & reading the forums, but it's only a part of my life. If you are spending hours upon hours here, then maybe you need to rethink that. Step away a bit. Spend more time with family & friends, watch a movie, read a book, you know, live! Sometimes I'll log off for days at a time and you know what? I survive. :laugh:

Do what you need to do, take care!

wareagle8706

You do realize you have control over yourself and whether you jump on MFP to surf the forums or not, right? Just put the computer down and stop complaining at us for "making you this way." It's not our fault.

Thanks.

zmzmzm19

For what it's worth - My advice would be to stay off the forums and surround yourself with supportive "Friends". I rarely come into the community side, tonight is just to be nosey

I've found that MFP makes me accountable for what I put into my body and my exercise choices, accountable to myself and the people I chose to have as friends on here - That's what works for me.

Choose the right support people that fit in with the lifestyle you want. If you have no intention of being a bodybuilder or a gym bunny, then don't surround yourself with unachievable peers

I hope you find a place where you can still make healthy choices that make YOU happy

I totally agree with this post...I have supportive MFP Friends, and don't usually spend alot of time on the forums, I just check them once in a great while. Best Wishes to you! :flowerforyou:

goldfinger88

I understand how you feel. I got the same way. I no longer log my calories. I do log exercise most of the time. Logging becomes obsessive. When my mother was dying ( many years before the Internet), I was in her room logging my food. So selfish and stupid. I'm ashamed to admit that. I knew then that logging can become obsessive as can exercise and the whole thing.

I'm now at my goal weight and quite fit. But I got that way with moderation and going at my own pace. No logging. And definitely no 1200 calories a day!

This site is wonderful if you use it to share information and to support others and be supported by them. Some wonderful folks here. But it can also be rough on you. Just don't let it. Do what's right and comfortable for you. Don't compete with others or try and keep up with them. Most of them know no more than you do.

Don't let this site stress you out. Use it but don't let it use you.

jaymesjourney

Its addicting to me in a good way. I've had to control myself with the forums to only at work which is perfect since the mobile app doesn't allow you to look in the forums. I only use it to track my calories to make sure I'm in the calorie limit or else I'd be eating tons of cheese, chocolate, sodas, and energy drinks. Its given me the tools to actually SEE how many calories I was consuming. Its helped me lose 50+ pounds and I will always be grateful to MFP.


If you need a break than take a break!

5ftnFun

You do realize you have control over yourself and whether you jump on MFP to surf the forums or not, right? Just put the computer down and stop complaining at us for "making you this way." It's not our fault.

Thanks.

You do realize that this is the "Motivation and Support" section of MFP and you can choosed whether to read a post or not, right?
Just skip over the topic, and stop typing if supportive or motivating words fail to come to mind. It's okay, we know it's not our fault that you can't.

Thanks

DeeDiddyGee

Nobody is telling you to give up anything. MFP is based on burn more calories than you take in and get your body moving. For many of us, we had been taking in more calories than we burn and sitting on our butts for years.

Personally, MFP has been more useful to me than WW, Jenny Craig or any other commercial "diet program" has ever been.

I hope everyting works out for you!

Helloitsdan

I have found that since finding mfp, I have spent every evening glued to the forums, obsessing on 'clean eating', have developed a fear of having any pre packaged meals, of allowing myself the treats I used to have regularly amidst my regular food, along with the fact I now feel impelled to workout everyday, regardless of anything else I might feel like doing, because everyone else seems to be working their *kitten* of obsessively on a daily basis, burning anything up to thousands of calories. Along with this, I have been having severe binges, only since joining the site. As soon as I started actively counting calories, obsession took over. Not to a point of starving myself or anything like that, but to a point of becoming totally consumed by analysing what might be the best diet for longevity, what might be the best diet for a lean body etc etc. It has removed whatever remnant of intuitive eating I had remaining. Sure, I did not have the best diet. I ate a lot of veggie microwave meals, alongside my fruit and veg, and mcflurries and chocolate were a fairly regular fixture in my life. I walked a lot, or swam, or rollerskated or cycled, and I was not overweight. Not 18% bodyfat lean, but not overweight either. I felt healthier. I felt happier. I was more relaxed and I was living my life and had space for other things. Now, every evening, all evening, is spent on mfp, reading more posts and feeling as if I am on some alien planet when I see people logging every bite, every calorie burnt. I go out for a long bike ride, and no longer feel able to stop off for a coffee and toast, or a slice of cake. No way jose, that is not clean, we are not meant to have treats more than once a week, once a month, once a year even, lol.

Has anyone else hit this issue with mfp?
I know it works great for people who are endangering their lives with their weight issues.
But for me, sadly, it seems to have just kicked in my competitive, perfectionist streak, and made me feel compelled to have a perfect diet diary, to burn 600 calories + in exercise a day to not feel lazy compared to everyone else, to revolve my life around eating the best I can for a long life and health, which ironically, is making me feel less healthy. Yep, eating a pile of veggies everyday, and fruit, and greek yoghurt, eggs, fish, chicken, beans, almonds and sweet potatoes, has left me feeling more crap than when I had baked potatoes, microwave veggie meals, quorn(horribly processed), smaller amounts of veggies, ice cream, chocolate and some fish.

I only allow myself on the forums once a month.
If anyone has questions about my methods they simply PM.
Otherwise ill sit here and read everything all day and argue and say crap like "your doctor told you WHAT?!?!?"
;D

MelsAuntie

MF is just a tool. I find it invaluable to keep track of calories and exercise, but I don't obsesss about it. Anyway, why should you give a rat's *kitten* for the opinions of strangers on the Internet? If you don't like the program, drop out. Nobody is forcing you.