Counting Calories is an eating disorder?

I think there is a line that exists between whether or not it is an eating disorder issue. Eating disorders are incredibly serious and I hope 'calorie counting', and becoming aware of what food is and what nutrients and food you're putting into your body on a basic daily or weekly basis isn't becoming apart of this 'serious' medical condition because of simply having an awareness about your own health.

I mean, maybe it could have been seen as being an issue back in the 'day', but in today's day and age with the obesity epidemic that has occurred worldwide, I believe people SHOULD be thinking twice or maybe for two minutes instead of one about what their actually putting into their mouths and the consequences (both good and bad) of eating particular foods if we're going to somehow control this unhealthy food and weight-gaining worldwide disaster!

The fine line that I believe that exists is if you're planning your days/weeks worth of food obsessively, constantly thinking about food and exercise multiple times per day, eliminating particular food groups or foods and just if your relationship with food goes sour in a way that you're stressed about food, if having what some people call a treat/cheat meal and emotionally unable to cope, etc. I have seen this and it's not pretty.

I am a calorie counter, I plan my meals daily, I have however reached a healthy weight and a goal weight and no longer restrict myself from the occasional cheat meal or even cheat days. I feel my reationship with food is healthy on the basis I try to do an 80%/20% ratio of good/bad and I enjoy a celebratory occasion here and there. I do exercise a lot, but it's not the end of the 'world' if I can't burn all naughty calories off or even don't gym at all. There's always tomorrow.

I live life daily and feel like food is apart of my life and as well as being used for 'fuel' that should also be enjoyed. Love and live life.

Well I'm no psychologist but from personal experience, counting calories actually HELPS me to stay stable and sane and feel better about myself in general. Self control equals self respect.

If it's disordered to count calories (yes I'm in maintenance) then I'm disordered. *Shrug.*

No.

I plan what my family and I are going to eat...so I know what groceries to buy at the shop.

The person who wrote this article has, according to her site, no qualifications in anything related to psychology or nutrition except personal experience. She's just given up dieting herself and wants to make herself feel good about that decision. That's fine, if it helps her. But it says more about her than about the rest of the people in the world with a 'eating disorder'.

Don't think it's an eating disorder. However, I don't think it's the most healthy way to live mentally. I wish I was able to always stay a healthy weight without having to track calories or feeling guilt or plan way ahead and what I could do to make up for unhealthy decisions. A lot of people can stay a very healthy weight without ever really thinking about it and that probably shows a very healthy attitude to food.

Don't mean it as a criticism because I don't think there's anything wrong with counting calories if that's what works for you but I wish I could live a healthy lifestyle without counting calories. Unfortunately my attitude to food isn't healthy enough but hopefully one day it will be!

I actually sort of agree. For the last 20 years I've dieted, restricted, tried this, that and the other thing. I don't even know how to eat anymore. MFP helps me "relearn" to keep me in focus. There's fine lines and gray areas all over everything in our lives. I think we all know where our personal ones exist.

To go so far as saying ED, well that's a stretch. But if I find myself 50 years from now still logging calories because I haven't learned in half a century how to eat healthy given the PLETHORA of tools available to me today, then maybe it's is a type of ED. or maybe I just can't learn....or trust myself.

I will say that it can get a bit obsessive and some people seem more prone to that than others. I think if a person feels that tracking calories is hurting their mental health then they should absolutely try to find a way not to have to do it. At this point I feel like I've learned enough about portion sizes to do reasonably well at maintaining. I still track though because of macros. My natural tendency is not to get enough protein. Also at some point I'll be doing cutting and bulking cycles and I think that's really difficult to do without counting in some form. Bottom line, people should do what works on an individual level.

I will say that it can get a bit obsessive and some people seem more prone to that than others. I think if a person feels that tracking calories is hurting their mental health then they should absolutely try to find a way not to have to do it. At this point I feel like I've learned enough about portion sizes to do reasonably well at maintaining. I still track though because of macros. My natural tendency is not to get enough protein. Also at some point I'll be doing cutting and bulking cycles and I think that's really difficult to do without counting in some form. Bottom line, people should do what works on an individual level.

I totally agree. When you're actively working towards a physical goal where it is imperative that you eat the macros at a ratio that will bring you the results you are specifically working for, then it makes sense, long after you've mastered simply "eating healthy" The author didn't acknowledge that.

On a side note: My MIL is 58 years old, won't put a speck of sugar or sweets in her mouth because she doesn't trust herself to stop. She "pseudo brags" when she is so hungry because "it's 3pm and, oh gosh, I've only had an apple today" If she were at all computer savvy and chose to learn anything other than how to starve herself, she'd be dangerous on MFP or any of the food tracking sites. She exercises compulsively every, single, day, even days that she's sick. THAT'S an ED and I think put her in a room with a majority of the people on MFP and most of us could clearly see the difference.

What a wonderful topic! How can learning to eat properly (the amount in portions sizes and what is actually IN our food to fuel our bodies to optimum health) be considered an eating dis-order, I consider it an ordered learning curve, or how else would we know how to maintain a healthy body? We all have to educate ourselves throughout our entire lives and most people today are not in the healthy bracket because of eating the wrong foods in the wrong quantities....I am all for learning, how about the rest of :laugh: you?

I dare say there is a line somewhere that when crossed makes it disorder-like.

And I know that folks are sometimes fired with a missionary zeal to convert all and sundry to their way of thinking.

Fior me - I'm MUCH more aware of how much I was stuffing away (damn you, late night mug of Horlicks)... and now I am much more aware of what I eat, and trying to be a bit more healthy, a bit less wasteful, and still allow myself to enjoy meals and drinks out.

I have found that being stuck in Paris for two weeks - it has been sheer guess work as to what's been consumed!

What are common signs of disordered eating?

Disordered eating can be one behavior or multiple behaviors that are either exhibited for long periods or only present during times of stress or extreme emotions. When certain behaviors are exhibited together for a certain amount of time an eating disorder may be present. The following behaviors are associated with disordered eating:

· A very strong fear of gaining 5 pounds

· Following strict food rules

· Dieting for more than three-quarters of your life

· Use of diet pills or laxatives

· Fasting or juice cleanses to lose weight

· Overexercising

· Cutting entire food groups from your diet, except for religious reasons

· Eating the same “safe” foods every day

· Extreme calorie restriction

· Thinking about food more than 50 percent of the time

· Obsessive calorie counting

· Intentionally skipping meals to lose weight

· Bingeing or vomiting

· Smoking for weight loss

· Lying about how much you’ve eaten

· Weighing yourself daily, if it becomes obsessive.

· Consistently overeating when you’re not hungry

· Eating a lot of no- or low-calorie foods

· Having concerns about your eating or weight that interfere with your life (e.g., you won’t see the doctor)

· Considering foods to be good or bad

· Visiting pro-anorexia or pro-bulimia websites

· Adopting a vegetarian diet solely for weight loss

I saw this article and thought it was interesting regarding the thread, you brought up a really interesting topic

This article sucks...Counting calories doesn't necessarily cause you stress in the first place. In our society's case, the #1 reason why people are overweight is because they don't think about the food that they are eating before they put it in their mouths. Mindless eating is bad because there is so much crap that you can eat without even considering how health or unhealthy it is for you.

i wish u would just post all of what it said
im not finding or s eeing any of this

Speaking as someone who has suffered from an eating disorder for twelve years I can tell you that counting calories does not an eating disorder make. If you do what I do and eat as little as possible and then binge and purge and obsess about the number on the scale then you have an ED.

I break down and cry if the number fluctuates. Yesterday I had a breakdown in Jason's Deli over eating a spinach salad and then went home and binged on pizza and threw it up. This morning I worked out to burn off anythng else and overdosed on laxatives to shed the extra weight.

/I/ have an ED. Someone who counts calories and plans their meals is just dieting. Don't worry sister. Unless you become completely consumed, you're ok. If it becomes a problem seek help immediately before you end up like me.

OH MY GOD I HAVE PLANNED MY WHOLE DAY TOMORROW, I MUST BE OBSESSED WITH LIVING! :sad:

*runs off into the distance screaming*