Anybody struggling with anxiety and frustration?

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duckiec
duckiec Posts: 241 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi all! I'm a few weeks in, and while I'm overall doing ok on the diary and scale, and have gone from no exercise, to committing to 5x/week (and to build off of that) I'm struggling with anxiety. Or at least that's how I best describe it.

I'm frustrated that I have to plan. out. everything. I'm not getting any enjoyment out of meals because I look at everything as a number, and when I'm done with something, am watching the clock to the next portion-controlled disappointment. I'm rarely satisfied. I'm constantly thinking about the next meal, the next day, having things lined up, checking rest. websites if we're going out, etc.

It doesn't help that I have a trip coming where I won't have much control over things like where we eat. I can of course choose to make healthy choices in these situations, and I will, but the numbers from even healthy choices add up quickly And, just having to stay within a set of choices is depressing, too. Yes, I'm mourning the loss of the "eat what I want" lifestyle, after all that got me where I am even when I thought it wasn't that bad.

Still, I'm having a hard time considering this a lifestyle change if everything is so regimented. How do others move beyond this mental block? Thanks!

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  • CloneSN
    CloneSN Posts: 42 Member
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    i understand the way you feel. Sometimes i find myself thinking about my next meal as well. This sounds silly, but i tell myself to enjoy the meals i have and feel satisfied with them. I know part of my problem is what i'm eating, but i figure as long as i keep under my calorie count and go hard at the gym, all will work out while my brain adjusts to the new lifestyle.
  • Sparkytron
    Sparkytron Posts: 1 Member
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    I struggle with the same thoughts, which is why I tend to lose weight while tracking things and then because I don't like to track, I stop doing it once I get close to reaching my goal and eventually gain the weight back. In the last 10-15 years, I've probably been through this cycle 5 times or so. So I'm still learning, but a few tips I've learned.

    This is a journey. If you get so focused on numbers you forget that if you can lose 1/2 a pound a week, in a year, you will have lost 25 lbs. When you track, it makes it seem like you are in a race to the finish. That's not necessarily so. If you do a decent job of sticking to the plan, in the long run, you should be OK. The long run is what counts--not any one meal or day.

    Also, don't beat yourself up if you go over one day--just try to get back on track the next day and the day after that.

    Take a 1/2 day off from tracking per week. Probably others will disagree with this, because it breaks the cycle and messes up your tracking--but the way I look at it is if you can take 1/2 day off a week and be on for 13 out of 14 1/2 days, and the alternative is you can't stay on the plan and drop out, then it is worth it.

    The sad truth is that for me, like for you, tracking is aversive, but that is clearly what makes this work. It is easy when you don't track to underestimate in your mind the effect of what you are putting in to your body and how many calories it adds up to. I think that in some ways the human mind's default mode is denial about what we eat (at least for people like myself who have the propensity to gain weight). Thin people that I know automatically adjust their intake before and after a big meal, but I don't tend to do that naturally. For example, I know people who will eat a very light lunch and breakfast if they are going out with friends for dinner or adjust their intake the next day. These people don't have to try to bring these thoughts to the forefront of their minds like I do by having a number staring me in my face.

    Once you have been on this plan for a while, it is possible that the thoughts about calories, planning eveything out may become less in the forefront of your mind and become more natural.

    Best of luck!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    It doesn't have to be so regimented. I don't plan much of anything-it's just not my thing.

    I have sort of calorie goals for each meal & snack. Say 250 for breakfast, 250 for lunch, 200 for daytime snacks, 400 for dinner, anything left is for night snacks. I have a bunch of meals and things that fit roughly into these guidelines that I like to eat and that fill me up. I have 2 packets of oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, usually a giant salad with chicken or tuna for lunch (or soup or a sandwich or whatever else I can cram down my throat for that amount of calories), I keep yogurt, fruit, string cheese, 100 calorie microwave popcorn, etc on hand for snacks (have a couple during the day), then have fish/chicken & rice & veggies for dinner. Night snacks tend to be not so wholesome, lol. I don't plan anything-it's just that I have go-to items as I know they will fit into my plan. If I have 15 choices on hand for a 100 calorie snack, and I know I've budgeted for 200 calories of snacks-I can just grab any 2 as the mood strikes me. No planning required and I totally don't care if my snacks end up at 230 or 250 because another day they will 150 or 180.

    Enjoy your upcoming trip. Unless it's a 365 day trip-just do the best you can. Have fun and enjoy and worry about calories when you get back home.

    And yes, it gets less obtrusive over time-particularly as you find the foods that you enjoy & that fit your goals.

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