Counting Calories is an eating disorder?

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  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Considering 2/3 of the US population is either overweight or obese, counting calories is arguably not "normal" behavior. But perhaps it should be?
  • MamaEpstein
    MamaEpstein Posts: 16
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    SheldonNo_zps12bec133.gif

    omg. love this!
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
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    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'.

    You run into this a lot. People making rules out of their own story to feel good about themselves and incorrectly applying those rules to the rest of the population. That doesn't make it gospel.

    Many people will tell you that you are out of balance if you are not like them. In my favorite weight loss story, a doctor gave an obese patient four rules to follow, and one of those was "do not tell anyone what you are doing." It is so difficult to reach your goals around people who do not share the same goals, even when those goals are healthy.

    If you have ever taken a psychology class, most disorder "formulas" will apply to most of us to some degree. You have to know where you are and realize there is a problem versus a healthy behavior.

    I had two older people tell me I was going to make my children anorexic because I was concerned that they were eating too many junk snacks between meals, or in place of meals. They watched a talk show to determine this. I said, "You are diabetic, and you are overweight. You do not watch what you eat." I wasn't judging. I just stated it as a fact by comparison. But, I didn't hear any more about it.
  • MamaEpstein
    MamaEpstein Posts: 16
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    seriously..i read this last night and spent most of the night worrying I am STILL doing everything wrong to get healthy.

    as others of you pointed out here my fat disorder has a disorder and worrying about it is apparently a disorder;)

    xo
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    Considering 2/3 of the US population is either overweight or obese, counting calories is arguably not "normal" behavior. But perhaps it should be?

    I wonder how many are dieting, or have dieted (for weight loss).
  • Kushy8
    Kushy8 Posts: 103 Member
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    I disagree with the aforementioned post. Counting calories, including those you burn off, is a way to keep track and work toward your goal. Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia,binge eating disorder, etc. are TRULY disorders because they consume your mind, and instead of eating sensibly, you either starve yourself, binge and purge, or just straight binge. Watching your calories in and calories out is NOT a disorder!
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
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    I've not read that article and would like the full URL. But I personally totally agree. I do not log food at all and do not count calories. I've lost over 20 pounds by simply eating good food in moderation and doing very moderate exercise throughout the day. I hadn't thought of counting calories as an eating disorder but I can see why it would be considered as such.

    I remember counting calories when my mother was in the hospital dying. To me, that's obsession and that's very bad. I do so regret having done that.

    Interesting post. Please provide the URL.
  • wtdia
    wtdia Posts: 68 Member
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    This is insulting....I am a c.p.a. and have to make businesses accountable for their fiscal management, so this concept is absurd to me. I liken my counting calories and exercise to being accountable to myself. For years, I 'thought' I was eating healthy and being good by walking...but the weight just never came off or I would gain...I finally decided to make a change and be accountable, even in maintenance. So many times I succeeded in counting calories and losing weight and many times when I stopped, I fell back into bad habits and whalaa....there I was again. I have maintained my weight loss for a year now by taking the different approach of counting my calories and exercise, even in maintenance and am finally not falling back into old habits. I don't call that an eating disorder, I call that being smart. I wouldn't call it obsessive, I would call that being accountable to myself and being fair to my body. I don't want high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes. I was on that road and all the hard work to achieve my goals will not go in vain this time. MFP makes it so easy to check in....in fact then everyone playing the games on their phones, texting the world every time they fart, have disorders too. At least if I'm on my phone logging in my plan for the day.....I'm doing it for the good of my health and to make sure I don't make an excuse...well this time I can do this. YES I do eat chocolate, cake and ice cream too...I just make sure it falls into my daily plan....so if I then have an eating disorder, than the whole world needs to get it too so we all get healthier. This is just stupid to me.
  • hmc4
    hmc4 Posts: 27
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    I got fat by not counting and eating whatever the h3ll I wanted. Don't consider it obsessive or an eating disorder, has just become my way of life.

    This! When I am "obsessive" about keeping a very detailed journal of intake and output - I succeed at losing weight. When I just chuck it all - I succeed at gaining... Wrong direction for me!

    This article is dumb. The idea that because you are trying to get healthy automatically means you have an eating disorder is ridiculous.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
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    2/3 of the population is overweight and obese because of the type of food they eat and the portion size. If they would simply get the sugar out, eat fewer carbs and get more good fat, they'd lose the blubber. Calories would automatically get reduced. No need to count.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Considering 2/3 of the US population is either overweight or obese, counting calories is arguably not "normal" behavior. But perhaps it should be?

    I wonder how many are dieting, or have dieted (for weight loss).
    Counting calories does not necessarily mean dieting. It can simply be a tool for paying attention to what you're eating.
  • Asimi7
    Asimi7 Posts: 13 Member
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    It's called awareness! It's really hard to make changes without tracking calories, food, exercise, and then being accountable for it. So while in some ways, I can agree...if you are needing to track, you have probably went wrong somewhere along the way. Tracking is healthy...admitting there is an issue, and figuring out how to change that issue.

    It's easy to get off track these days, food is overly processed, and we're bombarded with unhealthy foods, sometimes even disguised as being healthy.
  • slimbettie
    slimbettie Posts: 686 Member
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    Okay? What if I count the money in my wallet? What if it takes me more than a minute to figure out whether I have enough for my next purchase once I calculate the other purchases that are non-negotiable?

    What if I think about the fact that I have to put gas in my car at night before I go to bed to try to program my mind to remember that in the morning before I head out and run out of gas?

    What if my cell phone has limited minutes and I hem and haw over whether to call a certain person because I really really should but they are chit chatty and might cause me to bust the bank on minutes?

    What if I try to manage my time? What if I make a plan to do workouts for a certain percentage of my day, reading for another, tv for another and try to live a balanced life? Is all this obsessing and disordered? Or is it budgeting and resource management?

    Wow if I just lived my life all willy nilly and not caring about anything, I'd be myself in the 90's. Running out of gas all the time. Migrainey and hangry all the time. And way hay hay over my phone usage all the time. With some days of doing a lot and other days of accomplishing so close to nothing it negates the other days. Not to mention missing appointments and being late everywhere.

    I think life involves a certain level of paying attention, no?

    hangry? is that a word for being hungry and angry?
  • slimbettie
    slimbettie Posts: 686 Member
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    :bigsmile: I sure LOVE my eating disorder
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    It can be that way for some people, but I just look at it as a tool, not necessarily a way of life.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
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    You can google the link and it will pull up the post first thing.

    The OP called this an "article". It Isn't an article, it is a blog post. Big difference.

    The writer of the blog has a valid point: we do not need to glorify "skinny" at all costs. But, she is throwing out the baby with the bath water.

    The mass level of profanity in the article was enough to turn me off. It serves to weaken any argument for me. If you have to curse and swear to try to add weight to your argument, it's likely more about your own personal emotion. Kicking and screaming doesn't make it any more true.

    I'd encourage some of you with success stories to link your before and after photos on her blog and ask her which seems healthier to her.
  • hmc4
    hmc4 Posts: 27
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    I typically find the more profanity, the lower the vocabulary level. Total turn off.
  • CkepiJinx
    CkepiJinx Posts: 613 Member
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    " seriously" "legit" " hot bod" " you know what I mean" " you can quote me on that" and the actual title " the F@&$ it diet"

    Not to mention the run on sentences and in complete sentences in this "article" , and did I mention the ridiculous use of quotes around " buzz" words in it.

    I think I will get my advice else where but thanks for playing :laugh:
  • phyllisgehrke
    phyllisgehrke Posts: 238 Member
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    I totally Disagree.
    Since starting this program, I love my diary and counting my calories.

    First Am, I get up and plan what I am going to have.
    I get 1200 calories a day, then I can plan what to have for snacks.
    If I change my mind, or we go out to eat, I just remove what I have logged and put in what I have eaten.

    It works great for me.
    I have lost 9 pounds in 30 days.
    Very pleased with the progress.
    Even when I hit my goal, I plan to log to keep my weight maintained.

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