How to balance between obsessive tracking and doing nothing??

it's not a question of obsessive tracking, but if you look at it that way, i can certainly see why you don't want to do it.

for me, if i don't track, i gain weight. it's that simple - so i weigh and log everything. i was 242 lbs, today i'm 177.6. my blood sugar is down almost 100 points without meds. i feel better in general - a lot better - and more clothes fit. i can work out longer, walk without getting out of breath. isn't that worth a little food tracking? it sure is to me! and weighing and logging my food is easy, much easier and healthier than taking blood pressure pills and diabetes meds.

For me, it's become habit to log. Took me a while to get there, but I feel weird when I don't log, even if my day is going to be over. Of course, I had to bribe myself, but it worked! XD

Probably the biggest help for me was realizing that I will mess up from time to time. Everyone does. One bad day isn't going to mess me up, so I log it, learn from it, and move on. Learning to forgive myself mistakes when I make them was a huge weight off me, and made it much easier to keep the logging casual.

For you, maybe work on guesstimating rather then being 100% exact. Yes, you need to weigh things to learn what proper portions are, but you said you've been able to maintain for five months, and that suggests you've got a good handle on that part of it. Start now logging everything and don't worry about the calorie goal as much until logging becomes habit. I think you'll find that even without consciously watching what you eat, just the act of logging makes you choose better foods and portions. You might also change your calorie goal. You may not need to go down to 1200; a lot of people don't. I've never been down that low and managed to lose weight just fine.

Pre-logging helps me. I pre-log for a few minutes the night before and then just eat what I logged. I make sure I give myself a healthy amount of food and stick to it.

FridayApril01st2016 wrote: »

I don't believe that any advice, besides having you seek professional help; is adequate because of the obsessiveness & the under-eating. These're serious issues, that must be addressed & not with unprofessional opinions.

I agree with this. I had emotional issues surrounding weight and weight loss, and the only help that really got me anywhere was seeking a professional counselor to work out the core issues. You have to get at a healthy place emotionally before you can get there physically. I still deal with some issues surrounding weight, but I'm slowly getting better and it's made all the difference.

Lounmoun wrote: »

Prelogging your food for the whole day might help. You wouldn't skip meals out of fear because you'd know your food fit your goals. You wouldn't go over if you ate what you had pre-logged. You wouldn't forget to log because you already did it all.

I actually hadn't looked at it that way- that OP was skipping meals for fear of going over later in the day- but now that makes sense and this would be good advice.

Also, the post didn't strike me like OP has food issues in general- just when trying to count calories- but if I am mistaken, absolutely some counseling would be in order.

Just remember that the number MFP gives you has your deficit built in. You don't need to add more to it.

I've got like this many times before. And truthfully the only thing that helps is taking a break from tracking and just living life. And talking about. But feeding your body with fuel is the end goal and you need a good balance of foods to do that.

I find periodically logging helps me not to obsess, after you have logged most of your diet 100+ times you tend to become a mental calorie counter so I just ease off tracking and eat what I'd consider to be healthy and balanced for a while, maybe logging a new meal or so then start tracking again for a few days just to check i'm not over estimating too badly. It's worked for a good while now and I've not gained in the last 2 years or so x

For me I get obsessive when I over restrict my diet or calorie amount.

Last spring I was doing 1200 cals a day which worked out to more like 500-600 net cals. I lost 18 lbs in a month and I was so happy (wrongly so) I tracked everything, was super super obsessed and felt badly if I ate "too much." Well I burned out and then didn't want to weight anything or log anything. Basically for the next 6 months I would lose and gain the same 5-10 lbs.

I raised my calorie amount to lose 1 lb a week vs 2 and I find I am not so obsessive any more. Going slower gives me more calories so I feel more laid back, but still accountable.

Pre logging deff helps!

Lounmoun wrote: »

Prelogging your food for the whole day might help. You wouldn't skip meals out of fear because you'd know your food fit your goals. You wouldn't go over if you ate what you had pre-logged. You wouldn't forget to log because you already did it all. It doesn't take long to log a whole day the night before or in the morning. This does require you to think ahead about what you will eat that day.

This is pretty much what I do. I often change things a bit during the day (adding tomatoes to my lunch salad, for example) but for the most part I stick to what I've logged.
I tend to obsess too. I often come in under calorie goal because I've met my sodium limit and am already significantly over my vitamins and fiber, lol. I really don't like those red numbers.