I don't believe the calories

Daisy_May
Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Lately I've had the crazy fear that somehow I'm ingesting more calories then I am, for example last night I made a recipe I found on here and I didn't believe the calories they posted so I entered the information in my own recipes. It came out even lower because I used some substitutions, I still refused to believe the meal was that little calories so I stayed under my calories just in case.
I have become so scared of eating over my calories that I always leave a 100 -200 unused or over estimate what I've eaten just incase I miss calculated or the information was wrong.
I realize that this could very well mean I'm not getting enough calories and could be the reason for my plateau but I just can't help it. In the past when I have lost weight I have definitely done it unhealthy and starved myself at times and I really don't want to go down that road again.
Any advice on how to get over this crazy fear?

Replies

  • ambie35
    ambie35 Posts: 853 Member
    I would say,allow yourself the extra 100 or 200. If you don't gain weight you will know your fears were in vain,if not then you will know otherwise too,but perhaps it might give your body that extra boost to get back on track,.
  • prov31ms
    prov31ms Posts: 62
    The only thing I can think of is to carefully weigh & measure everything. If you take the time to do that, and also enter recipes and foods carefully into MFP (double check your numbers & such). Then you should be able to confidently know the number of calories you are having - double check your facts - but don't second guess yourself! =0)
  • beatlemom
    beatlemom Posts: 250 Member
    Read the message boards about plateaus. Alot of people do a zigzag method to get past theirs, and it involves going over calories and then under calories. While calories are important to watch, as long as you are close to the goal and being healthier in your choices you are already in a better place than before and the weight will come off. It took me years to gain mine, so I am trying to be patient about it coming off. You have already lost 22 pounds, so you are headed in the right direction!
  • cconeill
    cconeill Posts: 54 Member
    I am the same way!!!
  • healthyandthin
    healthyandthin Posts: 104 Member
    Bump!
  • Daisy_May
    Daisy_May Posts: 505 Member
    Read the message boards about plateaus. Alot of people do a zigzag method to get past theirs, and it involves going over calories and then under calories.

    I'm realizing it's less about the fact that I'm on this plateau and more about how I've almost become afriad of food!
  • blakgarnet
    blakgarnet Posts: 343
    I think a healthy understanding of calorie content is essential to being healthy - I find it super frustrating when my fiance's mother complains that she can't loose weight, but drinks 2-4 glasses of wine every time we're there for dinner, has tons of pasta, cheese and drowns the salads in dressing! She's obviously not going to get rid of any weight when she's consuming so many calories. You seem to have the reverse, and I worry that it's almost just as unhealthy. You may not be feeding your body enough calories and your body is holding on to what you have because of starvation mode. Maybe it would be helpful to give yourself those last few calories with fruits or veggies, something you can't really feel guilty about! I don't know if there is anything any of us can say to help you get past this fear of food/calories (well, I don't quite know what to tell you other than it doesn't sound healthy, but I am not a therapist). Good luck!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Hmmm, it is a bit worrying when you are scared of calories - I think it's easy to get focussed on eating lower and lower cals, and forgetting what calories really are: an intangible, invisible measure of energy. You can't hold or see a calorie, so they will always be tricky to measure.
    Putting calories into your body is like putting fuel into your car, you have to do it if you don't want to run out of energy and not be able to keep going. To put it another way, calories are your friend, not your enemy!
    If this is really worrying you, I would suggest getting some advice from a professional, there is definitely an emotional component to losing weight as well as physical.
    Good luck!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I am like that in some cases. I ate dinner out on Tuesday and the calories only came to about 550. That simply didn't sound right for a restaurant meal, so I quick added 200 calories for hidden calories (butter, oil, etc.)

    But if I weigh and measure everything, and calculate it all together, I feel the end result is fairly accurate.
  • ladybg81
    ladybg81 Posts: 1,553 Member
    I've kind of become the same way. Example, last night I made lasagna. Lasagna here people. It was totally different than my old recipe and really good. I made a homemade sauce instead of jarred, used low fat ricotta and mozzarella instead of full fat mozz, cheddar and velveeta. It came out to only 265 calories per serving and they were pretty nice sized servings. I am terrified it was actually like 1265 instead so I did not eat some of the other stuff I had already logged just in case. I checked and rechecked my recipe and everything was entered but I just could NOT believe it was that low.
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