Is anyone else ashamed to meet their daily goal?

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  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522
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    Hell no I'm not ashamed.
    I get mad when I readjust and they lower my goal. lol.
  • LADYDEBORAH1984
    LADYDEBORAH1984 Posts: 64 Member
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    I never reach my daily calorie goal because i seem to burn at least 600 calories per day in exercise and cant eat all of them back. I do eat a lot, anyone who looks at my diary can see that!!
  • Eisey127
    Eisey127 Posts: 15
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    No, I don't think you should worry about that, if anything you should be proud of who you are. I exceeded my calorie intake yesterday due to a dinner out at Outbacks (that I couldn't refuse) but it was worth it and right back on track today, you can't change yesterday but you can definitley look forward to tomorrow :) Too little calories will hurt you, you need to have something to burn for any diet to work, believe me I know been on the diet train for a long time. This seems to be the only one that motivates me so far.
  • gc_tweety
    gc_tweety Posts: 205 Member
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    No. I'm only sad when I don't work out and have fewer calories to eat. I agree that talking with a medical professional may be a good idea. Eating properly and losing weight could be a slippery for some - better to cut it off at the pass so you can be safe and healthy.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    Caloric goal 1,800-2,200, eat 2,200. Nope not ashamed to say I eat!
  • chubbygirl253
    chubbygirl253 Posts: 1,309 Member
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    You really should probably get some counseling if your aim is to eat 700-800 calories daily. I think unless you have an eating disorder you would probably be better served by meeting with a nutritionist than a psychologist. But if you do have an eating disorder you need to seek help for that right away. The reason I suggest a nutritionist is because knowledge is power. You could learn things like the fact that if you are eating under 1200 cals a day you aren't just losing fat, you're losing muscle and bone density. Remember, if you are under the misconception that you can worry about strength training to replace lost muscle once you reach your goal weight... that's a bad idea. You don't get to choose what type of muscle you lose. You'll be losing heart muscle, etc. That's one reason why organs shut down if you have an eating disorder and a 80 lb adult might go into cardiac arrest. You want to learn how to lose weight sensibly and safely without starving yourself. I wish you all the luck in the world.
  • jonnyuns
    jonnyuns Posts: 7
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    Am I missing something here guys - the clue is in the name: Achieving the goal is what you're aiming for - that's the whole point of having something to shoot at! It's kind of like feeling disappointed when you get a strike when you're bowling....
    Maybe try becoming goal oriented at some pastime or sport and really focussing on your feelings when you achieve your aim. It could be anything, completing crosswords or puzzles, hitting 20 on a dartboard - anything where you can clearly identify when you are successful. Recognise and try to accentuate the different feelings that you have when you fail or succeed, and then try to replicate this mindset when you evaluate how you've done against your daily calorie target.

    Feel proud every time you hit your number - you deserve it !! :happy: javascript:add_smiley('happy','post_body')

    The best of luck to you !!
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Am I missing something here guys - the clue is in the name: Achieving the goal is what you're aiming for - that's the whole point of having something to shoot at! It's kind of like feeling disappointed when you get a strike when you're bowling....
    Maybe try becoming goal oriented at some pastime or sport and really focussing on your feelings when you achieve your aim. It could be anything, completing crosswords or puzzles, hitting 20 on a dartboard - anything where you can clearly identify when you are successful. Recognise and try to accentuate the different feelings that you have when you fail or succeed, and then try to replicate this mindset when you evaluate how you've done against your daily calorie target.

    Feel proud every time you hit your number - you deserve it !! :happy: javascript:add_smiley('happy','post_body')

    The best of luck to you !!

    Lol, yes, you are missing something. In trying to reach her goals, she's developing unhealthy eating habits and even unhealthier emotional perceptions of food.

    I really think some of the comments on here, like, "Be proud of who you are" didn't fully read or understand the OP's post (or comprehend good nutrition).

    OP, if you need someone to talk to, message or friend me. I've been there, I know how scary it gets, and I've even dealt with triggers using this site. Don't go through this alone.
  • maedoll18
    maedoll18 Posts: 30
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    I'm really shocked at these responses. I didn't expect this. I appreciate the heads up though. I do feel very ashamed. I guess that's something I have to learn - to not cringe when I see the 1200 mark getting closer. I would like to say I can't really help it but honestly it's a mental thing & I'm certain that someday I will be able to not be so afraid of eating that much. The first real shock was when I was going way over 1200 calories and I started using this app last week. I was so startled at what I consumed.
    Now I suppose I'm becoming over-obsessive with how much I eat but I thought that unless I went under 300 calories then I wasn't headed towards an eating disorder :O
  • kathim429
    kathim429 Posts: 379 Member
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    I think I have a hard time eating my calories when I don't FEEL hungry. I gained my weight by being an emotional eater so there is a line there. I have to remind myself every day that I need those calories, it isn't the same thing.
  • maedoll18
    maedoll18 Posts: 30
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    I appreciate yours and everyone's concern. I didn't mean to worry anyone though :/
  • Grnhouse
    Grnhouse Posts: 254 Member
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    I have found that staying within a range of 1200-1350 works best for me. I used to beat myself up for going over1200 but I learned that1200 was not enough for me as I am doing 40-60minutes of cardio 4 days a week. I've bumped it up to 1500-1650. I was getting sick and feeble trying to stay @ 1200.

    Please eat. Your mind and body will thank you.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    I appreciate yours and everyone's concern. I didn't mean to worry anyone though :/

    Don't feel bad! Girl, you got to work on these guilt issues! :P It's okay to ask questions of us, and it's okay to eat close to your calorie goal, and even go over!

    Unless you have 100lb or more to lose, 1200 calorie goal at the get-go might not be the best for you, anyway. MFP automatically sets "1200" as the ideal calorie plan for those wanting to lose 2 lb a week. However, it is very difficult, and generally not sustainable, to lose 2 lb a week if you have a small goal to reach (say 50 lbs or less)--MFP doesn't tell you that, though.

    I'd try setting your goal to losing 1 lb a week. Your calories will be higher (but trust me, there will still be a deficit) so you have more room to eat. In my experience, seeing those red numbers can be incredibly triggering. This way, you can at least hit 1200 calories and not see any "red warnings," and still have room to eat more... AND lose weight!

    It's great that you are tracking so well, and even if you were eating quite a bit more than 1200 before and it's only been a week at this new goal, work on getting over the guilty mindset. Enough people on here have been through it to recognize it. When I was encountering my ED, it literally started out by just cutting 100 calories a day. I said, "I'll just cut 100 calories out, no matter what." Guess what that spiraled into?

    Again, it's not even the low calorie eating that's concerning as much as the mindset. Try raising your goal like I said, and if that doesn't seem to help, I'd recommend taking a break from tracking for awhile to see how you do/feel without "food" becoming "numbers."
  • mamabearcushing
    mamabearcushing Posts: 30 Member
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    When I started MFP I aimed for 1200 calories. I wouldnt meet that. It was hard. I would eat 700 calories. I have an eating issue. Once I realized that even a 130lbs woman who doesnt do much during the day needs around 1700 calories to maintain her weight. I knew I could get away with eating 1500 calories, go under or over and still lose weight. (im 210lbs) Once I upped my calories I started dropping the weight faster.

    But I do feel where you are coming from OP. Its a struggle, but its also a sign of an eating disorder.
  • kerchki
    kerchki Posts: 63 Member
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    Holy moley, do I ever agree with you! I used to eat around 700-800 a day for years, and I wondered why I wasn't looking weight! Even now, it takes a lot of willpower some days to get in at least 1200. I understand the feeling you're talking about, it feels like if you're meeting it, you're not losing weight, you're staying where you're at. At least for me, according to this site, 1500 ish is my allotment for a day, to lose 1/2 lb week. I don't think I've ever met that goal, but don't let that make you think I'm not trying!
    Since I've bumped up my intake, over time I've actually lost inches, even if I feel "fatter". It's mind over matter, just keep trying. I eat a dozen little meals because I still struggle with eating over 300 in one sitting. Just keep swimming, find a support system; it gets better.

    I'm thinking this was exactly what the original poster needed to hear!
  • mimiyo1980
    mimiyo1980 Posts: 37 Member
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    Question: If I go over on one day is it ok to go under the next day? I try to stick to my 1200 but some days I am over and I try to balance it out the next day.
  • sadein
    sadein Posts: 40
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    Absolutely! I've had a bad relationship with food ever since my mother put me on a diet in elementary school. It can develop into a full blown eating disorder or you can tell yourself, it's not rational and AT LEAST eat your 1200. I also found that weighing made me a bit crazy so I now judge my weight by how I look and how my clothes fit.
  • sadein
    sadein Posts: 40
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    If you go over one day, just go back to the plan the next day. I take a day off every week and don't worry about what I eat.
  • krnlcsf
    krnlcsf Posts: 310
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    I used to feel guilty going over my calories (which is 1300 or so i think) so i would just not clickk that "Finished" button after entering my stuff if i saw RED numbers on the calories column. I don't think any of my MFP friends would mock or judge if it didn't say "... and stayed under her calories" in my profile. So now I just go for it, and i'm over almost every day by about 200 calories... but the nice thing that i've realized is that it still says i'll weigh less than i do now in 5 weeks. :) That makes it okay with me!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Do you feel ashamed or guilty when you have to put gas in your car because you drove it until it was empty? Do you feel ashamed or guilty when you pay the electric bill because you turned on the switch and ran your lights and your computer and your television and your hair dryer? Do you feel ashamed or guilty when you feed your pets, because they need to eat?
    Food = Fuel
    Your body needs fuel just like your car does.

    No, I don't ever feel ashamed. I sometimes feel unhappy with myself if I go over my goal too much or if I am eating junk, but not shame.

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