Am I doing good or am I obsessed?

sarahazelnut99
sarahazelnut99 Posts: 307 Member
in Motivation and Support
I worry about my mental health when I log my caloric intake repeatedly. I worry about the amount of guilt I feel when I see those red numbers appear on the screen.

If I don't count the amount of calories I'm eating then I lose all motivation and I eventually gain weight. If I am counting calories it becomes somewhat obsessive.

I will work towards having a better relationship with myself and my eating habits without counting calories eventually but right now I'm want to weigh below 155 pounds. I've never weighed below that and I somehow always stay at 165.

At this point I'm debating what is more important; Losing weight, or my mental health. It becomes a cycle when my ability to have a positive view of myself is through losing weight...

Any kind words would help :-) thanks for reading.

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Unless you're morbidly obese, I think mental health is more important
  • mimigingerbread
    mimigingerbread Posts: 43 Member
    I found counting calories hard on my relationship with food and made me very obsessed. I do weigh myself daily and record it here. And read success stories to motivate me. It took me a long time but I think I finally found what worked for me mentally and was successful at losing weight. Keep trying up find a balance between the two.
  • brigbrux
    brigbrux Posts: 2 Member
    I don't think it is an obsession to log your food and would not worry at all about 'mental health' in this context. It is only a sign of strong will and good use of available resources to indicate what you eat and thus easily see how much you still can eat without overeating.

    I do log my breakfast every morning and then I make 'previsions' what I'll have for lunch and dinner, before even eating it. So I can see if it'll be over the top and then I cut the french fries at lunch or skip the dessert.

    This only shows a person able to plan ahead, and it helped me a lot since last year. Else I would never realise that I am still free to have a dessert and would have bad conscience for every piece of chocolate. Like this I feel good when eating an extra and feel free to enjoy it.

    If you are determined to loose weight, go on, girl !

    88015971.png
  • rsleighty
    rsleighty Posts: 214 Member
    Be sure that your weight loss goal isn't too aggressive and that you are getting enough calories for your activity level. You'll sabotage yourself by setting unrealistic goals.

    That being said, I have a tendency to obsess too. That's why my weight loss attempts are always short lived. Start off good, get impatient and try to lose faster then give up when I don't meet my own unrealistic standards. I CANT do that this time. This time is about my health, not fitting into that one perfect pair of jeans.

    Add me to your friends list, if you'd like. We can help keep each other from going off the rails.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    brigbrux wrote: »
    I don't think it is an obsession to log your food and would not worry at all about 'mental health' in this context. It is only a sign of strong will and good use of available resources to indicate what you eat and thus easily see how much you still can eat without overeating.

    I do log my breakfast every morning and then I make 'previsions' what I'll have for lunch and dinner, before even eating it. So I can see if it'll be over the top and then I cut the french fries at lunch or skip the dessert.

    This only shows a person able to plan ahead, and it helped me a lot since last year. Else I would never realise that I am still free to have a dessert and would have bad conscience for every piece of chocolate. Like this I feel good when eating an extra and feel free to enjoy it.

    If you are determined to loose weight, go on, girl !

    88015971.png

    feeling guilty for her numbers going red is not normal behavior?
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    edited March 2016
    Both, I don't think being obsessed is such a bad thing. But it depends how that obsessiveness is affecting your life. I worry about those numbers as well at times and have resorted to cutting several grams off something to not go over. And it's only through seeing what had previously been a satisfactory meal come up in numbers that I've seen it was about 300-400 calories and then felt unsatisfied by it. Sometimes ignorance can be bliss, as long as it's applied with common sense. It's a balance.
  • tb221
    tb221 Posts: 54 Member
    As for seeing those red numbers, I try to make sure that I'm in the green for the week. I do the math and try to plan my exercises to even out my calorie intake. I also do strength training about half an hr 4 times a week and don't log that for a calorie loss. I just write it in my exercise notes.

    I don't feel obsessed and sometimes it's fun seeing what I can fit into my diet-if I really want fast food or a milkshake I get it. I either save exercise calories or exercise it off by the end of the week.

    Give the process a month and see how you feel then.
  • diana123xyz
    diana123xyz Posts: 18 Member
    I feel your pain, this obsession is my new hobby. I don't feel that bad when the numbers turn red because at least I am holding myself accountable for what I ate, and any indulgence I gave into. This control keeps me from losing control completely and slipping into binge eating, I know tomorrow I will do better even though the temptation to keep eating junk persists the next morning, too, but is gone one day later. It's a way for me to keep my addiction to food in check, now that I am slimming down again, I am a secret fat girl who will hopefully stay a secret (under control) for the rest of my life, although I know underneath she's always ready to come out and gorge herself. :s
  • 6pkdreamer
    6pkdreamer Posts: 180 Member
    I also fell obsessed but its working. Its been educational as I've learned about macro and micro nutrients and to plan my meals better with more self control. Its got easier as i pick heathier options (better nutrition/lower kj) and some exercise. Hope this helps.
  • stephanie20314
    stephanie20314 Posts: 81 Member
    Know your maintenance number. Red just means you went a little over your chosen rate of loss for that day. It doesn't mean that you aren't still on track for some weight loss. As long as you're under that maintenance number, you're going to lose weight. A mix of mostly green days with a few red is normal. You need to check your math and adjust your expectations. Some form of in person group therapy like weight watchers or oea might help you if your guilt is that out of control.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I think a certain degree of obsession is necessary for success. I also believe you can eat healthily (including losing weight if you are overweight) and take care of your mental health at the same time. Whether you are doing what's right for you at the moment, boils down to what you actually do, and how you feel about it and how it impacts your daily life. Calorie counting will not in itself make you crazy - lots of people use it as a tool and actually get more in tune with their eating and emotions around food calm down. Some of us even make it a hobby. Do you restrict too much - ie cut out food groups or certain foods you like, or did you pick the most aggressive calorie goal? If those things are off, you are bound to struggle, and no talk therapy can fix that. But if you eat a well rounded diet, get 8 hours of sleep every night, and you still worry so much about your eating that you feel it's not the way it should be, and all your self-worth relies on what you weigh, it's time to get in touch with a professional.
  • 6pkdreamer
    6pkdreamer Posts: 180 Member
    I can see over a long time you lost a lot weight-fantastic. Just a bit of fine tuning can make all the difference. I notice from your diary that you do plenty of exercise and have a varied diet. As a suggestion just reduce the size of your sugary drinks, fries and alcohol. this could make a big difference as it seems to really add up. I feel its an underlying issue that's holding you back from reaching your goal. Anyway stay focused your on your way- it will be worth it!
  • sarahazelnut99
    sarahazelnut99 Posts: 307 Member
    6pkdreamer wrote: »
    I can see over a long time you lost a lot weight-fantastic. Just a bit of fine tuning can make all the difference. I notice from your diary that you do plenty of exercise and have a varied diet. As a suggestion just reduce the size of your sugary drinks, fries and alcohol. this could make a big difference as it seems to really add up. I feel its an underlying issue that's holding you back from reaching your goal. Anyway stay focused your on your way- it will be worth it!


    Yeah...only problem is I would need AA meetings, therapy, and a 12 step program to cut out the alcohol. Who has insurance to cover that cost? :-/ I'm a piece of work
  • stephanie20314
    stephanie20314 Posts: 81 Member
    AA is free and may have local resources to help you. It wouldn't hurt to attend a few meetings and see what's available.
  • pootle1972
    pootle1972 Posts: 579 Member
    sarahazelnut99 wrote: »
    6pkdreamer wrote: »
    I can see over a long time you lost a lot weight-fantastic. Just a bit of fine tuning can make all the difference. I notice from your diary that you do plenty of exercise and have a varied diet. As a suggestion just reduce the size of your sugary drinks, fries and alcohol. this could make a big difference as it seems to really add up. I feel its an underlying issue that's holding you back from reaching your goal. Anyway stay focused your on your way- it will be worth it!


    Yeah...only problem is I would need AA meetings, therapy, and a 12 step program to cut out the alcohol. Who has insurance to cover that cost? :-/ I'm a piece of work

    AA is free.....and you only need you to cut it out.
  • wisenbsd
    wisenbsd Posts: 87 Member
    sarahazelnut99 wrote: »
    6pkdreamer wrote: »
    I can see over a long time you lost a lot weight-fantastic. Just a bit of fine tuning can make all the difference. I notice from your diary that you do plenty of exercise and have a varied diet. As a suggestion just reduce the size of your sugary drinks, fries and alcohol. this could make a big difference as it seems to really add up. I feel its an underlying issue that's holding you back from reaching your goal. Anyway stay focused your on your way- it will be worth it!


    Yeah...only problem is I would need AA meetings, therapy, and a 12 step program to cut out the alcohol. Who has insurance to cover that cost? :-/ I'm a piece of work

    I stopped cold turkey 5 weeks ago and I've battled addictions all my life. I decided to place my mental and physical health over everything that was holding me back. You can do it, just tell yourself you can!
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    Agreed- AA is free! All you have to do is show up and grow from there. :D I sent you a friend request. I'm 5'8" and need to lose about the same amount of weight. Logging can become an obsession, but there are worse things to be obsessed about. At least you are obsessed with becoming a healthier person.
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    ^i'm not sure why my smiley face turned out so creepy. Was intended as a cheerful grin!
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    I would say both. Obsessed is a word that the Lazy use to describe the Dedicated.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    I don't consider regular logging an obsession; it's a tool that helps me stay on track, nothing more. I'm not 100% accurate and I don't stress about getting EVERY. SINGLE. OUNCE. weighed and logged. I've accepted that I'll be logging in some way the rest of my life, and since I've been doing it a while, it's pretty quick to do.

    Feeling guilty about going over is pretty common, espically among women. What you can work on accepting is that yes, you will make mistakes and have over days. Everyone does. When it happens, log it, learn from it, and move on. This is a really hard lesson to learn for most people, but finally accepting that made a HUGE difference in how I felt about myself and food in general!

    If you're feeling stressed at this point, set your calories to maintenance for a month or so to give yourself a break. Keep logging so you don't lose the habit, but take a mental health break for a while.

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