Calorie counting making me anxious and obsessive

I reached a point like this in my logging. I actually broke down into tears in a restaurant because they were out of quinoa burgers. I meet with a therapist for anxiety and depression and at the time she wanted me to quit the diet entirely. Instead we came to a compromise. I reset my weight loss goals to a less aggressive goal (1/2-1 pound a week) to give me some wiggle room with my food. I made sure to incorporate sweets and treats into my diet so that I'd feel less deprived. And I stopped looking at deadlines and weight loss charts. The weight is going to come off on its own pace and obsessing over things won't help.

I still use a food scale. Right now I'm logging, though I'll take some time off or hide my diary if I get anxious about it. I go over my calories as often as I'm under my calories. And I try to get more exercise and sunlight to help with my depression.

I don't know what your particular issues are with logging, but trust me when I say that these feelings aren't worth it. If you feel like logging is ruining your sanity or your life then find a way to change it.

In for answers.

I get the same way sometimes. Right now, I am happy logging and doing what I am doing but I am sure that in a month or two I will be sick of it and want to quit. The one thing I did do this time was set my calories to maintnance calories instead of losing. I would get really crazy if my calories went over what I had allowed myself. Since I know that I am set at maintnance calories I try to eat less than that each day. I figure that if I never go too far above it and try to always stay a 100 or 200 calories below it then everything will work out fine and I won't have to freak out if I go over calories once a week. I just keep thinking that there is always tomorrow and that tomorrow I will be better - and normally I am!

take a step back and stop logging and counting. this is one of the very real and serious dangers of calorie counting. many people are just fine, but a lot of people end up with a lot of disordered thinking if not full blown EDs from this stuff.

I'd suggest just stepping away and really just focusing on your nutrition and fitness....giving up calorie counting was one of the best things I ever did. I really just focus on my nutrition and fitness...if I feel like I'm starting to put on some fat I take a look at my diet as a whole and find something or other to just cut out...

Also, give this a read...don't get hung up on the power lifting part, that's not the overall point of the blog...

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

This. Counting calories might not be good for you right now.

I get the same way...which is why I have been a member of MFP since 2012 and my ticker only shows 18 lbs lost. This time last year, it said 56 lbs lost. It sucks...and I always feel like just giving up because it is too much and I just wish I could eat foods, along side everyone else in my family and not have to say "do know what is in this? can you save the package for me?" etc...in for advice!!

I have the same experience... I long to get to a point where I can just eat intuitively and not track anymore.

I used to feel that way when I first started. It was an obsession! After a while I figured out that most of my anxiety came because I was depriving myself of foods because it wasn't fitting my calorie goal. I did a few things.

First, I figured out my TDEE and subtracted 20% this gave me more calories and even helped me lose weight.

I gave myself a calorie range to eat withing. If I eat within 1400-1500 I'm cool with that. I don't fuss about going over because there will be days when I don't reach 1500. Rather than looking at the day, I look at the week. This seems to help.

You just need to find what is going to work for you while still focusing on losing the weight. Not always an easy balance, but just keep asking questions and seeking support.

I hear you. Especially since I got my fitbit... I am constantly checking my phone and updating to see how many calories it says I've burned and making sure my log is under the calories burned.... then I hit a plateau for a few weeks and I sort of decided right there and then that I've had enough of letting food and weight loss run my life.

The last few days... I've only checked my fitbit once or twice/day. I eat a reasonable amount... to satisfy my hunger... and whatever It is, it is. Some days I've only had a few hundred calories for a deficit... some days I ate right up to maintenance. You have to live your life for more than that darn scale, you know? I just try to concentrate on eating good healthy stuff (the last week I've been PMSing so I kinda cheated a bit ) and do the best I can for my HEALTH first, weight loss second. Honestly... I feel like as long as I'm not gaining.... that's good... I'll just keep going and eventually the weight will come off.. because I'm getting exercise and eating healthy. Best not to live on a timeline.

I struggle with the exact same thing and it's why I stopped logging entirely. I decided to make it about eating clean, nutritious foods in modest amounts rather than about numbers. The obsession with logging is very similar to my obsession with the scale and the numbers there. It sucks. I'm really thankful I found this post and can know I'm not alone.

What I am doing is every five days I allow myself to eat up to my maintenance calories level. I eat 1500 calories a day when "dieting" and then up to 1750 on my eat up days. That way you have something to look forward to.

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What is a calorie and are all calories created equal?
Let us start with the basics, a calorie is an energy measure that is derived from foods. Calories are everywhere, from fruits and vegetables to cookies and cake. The only thing that varies is the nutritional integrity of those calories. Think of an apple, it has 80 calories that mainly come from all natural sugars and fibers. An apple has tons of vitamins that help our bodies absorb different nutrients. Now, compare it to a chocolate truffle where on average, these little treats have 80 calories as well; however, the calories that come from a truffle are very different than the ones of the apple. A chocolate truffle has a lot of plain and refined sugars (or simple carbohydrates) along with saturated fats in the form of cream.

A chocolate truffle might bring you that instant satisfaction, but ten minutes later, after your insulin levels have gone through the roof, your body will be asking you for more food. And additionally, that spike in your glucose levels directly produces the fatty hormone which is insulin. In this scenario, you can compare two foods, one being an apple and the other a chocolate truffle; same calories, but different nutrients. Essentially, the calories in each of these foods might be used differently in our bodies. Therefore, we have to be smart with the calories we eat and where they are coming from.

Since we just explained to you what a calorie is and how calories are different depending on the foods we eat, we can now discuss calorie counting. Calorie counting is a process in which we write out all the foods we eat throughout the day, in order to see how many calories we intake. Usually, depending on our size, weight, and activity levels, we can get an estimate of how many calories we need per day. There are many websites where you can find the calorie contents of many foods. This benefit of this process is subjective; it all depends on your goals and commitment. Below, you can find different types of people with the degrees of effectiveness after calorie counting.

To Count or Not to Count:
The Extreme Worker: If you are always working and have little time to go on the internet to look up the calorie contents for all the foods you eat, it might not be the right thing for you. Maybe, calorie counting does not work for you, but do not give up yet! Rather than calorie counting, you can take a different approach. Maybe you can add extra vegetables and proteins into your diet. By adding extra veggies and protein, you will not only be left more satisfied but you will be less tempted to eat a chocolate bar from the vending machine. The calories in veggies all come with a myriad of vitamins and minerals that will leave you full for longer periods of time. However, if you have the time during lunch or your break, check to see how many calories the foods you have eaten and keep track.

The Athlete: Depending of your workout goals, whether increasing mass or increasing athleticism, calorie counting might be for you. If you want to increase mass, you need to have a caloric surplus in order for the calories to distribute themselves all over your body, while ensuring bigger and muscular results. If you are part of a sports team, you need to eat the right amount of calories in order to perform your best and be left with energy, especially since you are burning quite a lot.

The Normal Folks: Calorie counting might be for you depending on your will. For example, people who sometimes struggle with cravings may want to count calories, because they may be trying to lose those last 5, 10, 15, or 20 pounds. The reason as to why people do it is to not sabotage results. Therefore, calorie counting works best for a lot of people, since it helps them keep track of calories throughout the day, without having to sacrifice results. However, if you are determined to losing weight and you say to yourself that you will eat healthy, calorie counting might not be for you. Since you already have the drive and will to say no to the sweet or fried foods cravings, then you might just want to focus on the types of foods you eat and where are you getting your nutrients from.

Takeaway:
Ultimately, all that matters is your health and your well-being. YOU can create the best version of yourself. If something works for you, it might not work for others. Therefore, just do what it is best for YOU. Just remember to eat until you are satisfied and not to the point of extreme fullness. Remember, if once in a blue moon, you are craving something, eat it, but the key is MODERATION. Also, when losing or maintaining your weight, remember to eat an all-natural diet made up of fruits, veggies, good fats, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates. You can read more on the benefits of an all-natural diet from previous posts.

I hope you find this post helpful in achieving your goals, whether to lose weight, maintain weight, gain mass, or simply determine whether calorie counting works for you. But remember, that YOU are the best person to make the final decision.

Reference: www.youarethebestyou.com

Time to take a break!

I'm similar, but instead of obsessing over the calorie logging part, I obsess over how much I've logged in for exercising. I'll work out two or three times per day just to see the total calories burned go up.