Obsession?

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  • harvo
    harvo Posts: 4,676 Member
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    I equate logging my food and excercise to the words given to me by a nutritionalist. As a diabetic you start by measuring your portions EVERY MEAL, EVERY DAY as time goes they tell you to measure once or twice a week because if you don't you will forget what a half cup of potatoes, corn, peas, etc looks like and you won't understand why your diabetes is out of control...Log as much as you must to stay on track.....
  • petstorekitty
    petstorekitty Posts: 592 Member
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    Yes, and my wife gives me hell for being obsessed with logging,
    Its better than shooting up heroin, so I mean if I had to pick one or the other,,,

    I agree. There could be much worse things to obsess about.

    I wouldn't call it "obsessed" just entrenched. :wink:

    I like "entrenched."
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Yes, it's an obsession, and right now, I'd rather be obsessed with logging my food than eating it!! LOL ANd like someone else said - better than shooting up heroin! LOL

    My husband and I both towards the end of the day ask, "Have you logged your stuff today?"

    I don't plan on being obsessed about it as much after I get to goal, but I won't have to worry about that for a while since I'm half way there.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    No - can't relate; I hate logging and avoid it at least one day a week.
    I'm not happy with the way my weight loss is progressing, though, and am thinking I need to get a bit more obsessive with it.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    I for one am tired of logging, it's tedious and cuts into my family time. I still do it to keep me aware but my eating habits were not bad before I started MFP, I was just VERY SEDENTARY. my breakfast and lunch logging is pretty accurate. Dinner logging is kinda of half-assed; an approximation of portions and often not my own recipe. I just pick something similar from the database.

    I know how to eat responsibly and as long as I'm active and exercising, I think I will continue to progress. Logging aside, I like the community here so I'm not ready to part with MFP.
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    2683560a592d11e1b9f1123138140926_7.jpg





    COPY PASTE AND VIEW..... TO LAZY TO SAVE AND POST

    I think I fixed the pic
  • lollibowes
    lollibowes Posts: 1
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    Honestly, I love logging. I've dieted before and it got waaaaay out of control. This was in the days before smartphones and I was tracking in my head and, to be on the safe side, I'd end up only eating around 500 calories a day, maximum. This wouldn't be so bad, if I wasn't spending 2-3 hours in the gym 5 days a week. I was not a well bunny, to say the least!

    I did overcome all that, though my hubby still won't let me join a gym ever again, and I've now found that logging my calories lets me know that I still have to have a handful of almonds, or some peanut butter crackers to stay on track.

    Essentially, tracking rules, cos you can underestimate your calorie intake just as much as you can over estimate, and neither one is any good for your health because that can spiral out of control before you know it.
  • lax75
    lax75 Posts: 118 Member
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    By being diligent (sounds better than "obsessed" LOL) about logging I don't have to think about the process as much, because once it's logged I don't really need to try to remember it. I only need to make sure that the next choice is a healthy one. When I log in my dinner I check the totals, and choose my evening snack with an eye towards what I might be a little short on nutritionally for that day.

    When I first started really concentrating on "healthy" I did feel that it could have taken over my life. Someone on MFP suggested thinking about exercise as a "hobby", as a way not to resent the time that it takes up. That resonated with me, and I apply that approach both to exercise and to learning/tracking my nutrition and what I eat.
  • literatelier
    literatelier Posts: 209 Member
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    My boyfriend gave me a hard time about how obsessed I was for the first 6-8 months, but it makes me crazy sometimes when he says that he is keeping track in his head but refuses to log it :grumble: I'm not convinced that a person can really keep track in their head without forgetting some things. To each their own, I guess. I personally feel that it keeps me more accountable if I can see it.

    I find that if I don't log I become selectively forgetful later in the week. I'll think, okay I've been pretty good, I can have this croissant for breakfast as a splurge instead of my usual egg whites because I have enough calories for the week. Only to later remember I did that every day. So I need to log, and then check that I'm on target!
  • darthmolly
    darthmolly Posts: 26 Member
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    Hi,

    I was wondering if logging food and exercise has felt like an obsession to anyone else? Last week, it almost got me feeling overwhelmed! I'm not really sure why. I just felt like I HAD to log my food and stuff, probably goes to wanting to be honest with myself in order to reach my goals. But, frankly, it was just a tad scary - if that is the correct word. Just wondering if anyone else had felt this way and, if so, what did you do?

    It is very easy for food, diet, and calorie counting to turn into an obsession. It might be that it is an element of control, something that soothes you, or some way to relieve anxiety. You are your best barometer, and if things are getting a little panicky or obsessive you might want to consider what this process is doing for you, what it would be like to stop it, and if this is becoming an addiction for you. There are dieticians, counselors, and therapists who specialize in these matters, and even support groups if you do end up feeling like things are going too far.
    It has been my experience that if you don't treat the stuff under the unhealthy food habits (weather it is obsession, restricting, or binging) no amount of planning and controlling will give you genuine freedom.
    That being said - you might just REALLY like entering things into boxes and looking at numbers, that is the main appeal with most of the video games I play so....once again, you are your best barometer. At your heart you will know if something is up and needs to change.
  • CottonCandyKisses
    CottonCandyKisses Posts: 246 Member
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    I'd rather be obsessive than be part of the 95% of people that gain their weight back.

    Yup.
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
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    There is a big difference between obsession and a habit.

    There is nothing wrong with logging everything you eat or exercise. It keeps people on track. It is a way of my life now. I dont call that an obsession. An obession would be have 3 rooms dedicated to beanie babies or actions figures not waking up every day and logging in your fitness diary and doing it again throughout the day.. People wake up every day and brush their teeth ( at least the non skeevy people do :tongue: ) and do it again before they go to bed. How is that any different?

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