Blurring line of healthy and obsessive calorie counter

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Makenzie0414
Makenzie0414 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!
I am not new to mfp, but I have decided to make a different account after recently overcoming an obsessively unhealthy relationship with nutrition and counting calories, that led to something similar to orthorexia. Luckily I have been able to get past these issues, but I am still looking to track my macros and other data. I would like to start this discussion by giving tips or signs to look for in yourself that could possibly suggest an obsession that takes calorie counting and diet tracking to an unhealthy place.
1. Allow yourself to skip counting every once in a while to take a step back and self-reflect on your diet and lifestyle.
2. It's ok to be over your calorie goal sometimes.
3. Treat yourself sometimes.
4. Do not let your life revolve around numbers.
How to know if you might need help:
1. You have a small group of "safe foods".
2. You feel anxious, regretful and angry if you eat a "bad" or "dangerous" food.
3. Your diet begins to influence your social life.

What are some ways you all keep the numbers in perspective? Has anyone else experienced obsessive behaviors? I would love to keep this discussion open to any and all advice, stories, or tidbits of info!

Thanks! :)

Replies

  • NadiaMayl
    NadiaMayl Posts: 495 Member
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    I've gone through obsessive moments, mainly with exercising though, so I can get more calorie allowances... I also have to log everyday or I feel like I've dropped the ball. It's gotten close to burning me out, but thankfully, I've realized the behavior and learned to regain a balance. It's tough though, it can easily become so engrossing.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    I get a bit obsessive when I'm trying to dip low in body fat percent. My deficit starts getting too big and I get a little cuckoo. I just took a two week break at maintenance and feel rejuvenated.
  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    I set my goals here to my maintenance calories when I'm losing so the red numbers don't drive me bonkers.

    I did that too! I felt such a feeling of guilt and "failure" when I ate only like 30cal over, which shouldn't look like eating 300cal over but it did. At that point it's like being sad about a 90% because it isn't a 100% on a test - purely ridiculous. I really wish MFP had a yellow gradient area for eating between maintenance and your goal or something like that. It's been documented that red is a stressful colour!
  • GMAC2016
    GMAC2016 Posts: 249 Member
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    samwiserabbit wrote: »
    I'd add watch out for the impulse to try to come in more and more under your calorie goal, rather than close to it.

    Big time. Even though I know I should be eating more, the worst thing about seeing that # is that the bigger gap mentally equates to doing better which I know it doesn't but it's still hard not to do.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I just want to give this a bump since I feel like it could help a lot of people out.
  • reinventingjessica11
    reinventingjessica11 Posts: 33 Member
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    I also try to take a step back when I think I'm becoming a little obsessed with my numbers. I struggled with binge eating for years, and have been free from it for over a year now, but something about dieting makes me go off the deep end sometimes. I try to remember that the world won't end if I go over my calories from time to time, and that I don't HAVE to step on the scale everyday to see my progress.
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
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    diannethegeek wrote: »
    My therapist called me out when she commented that I was describing more stress about eating out at a restaurant than the people she knew with actual food allergies and health problems. That helped put some things into perspective for me...
    Right now I'm stressing out about jury duty. I won't have my food with me!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,012 Member
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    2011rocket3touring wrote: »
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    My therapist called me out when she commented that I was describing more stress about eating out at a restaurant than the people she knew with actual food allergies and health problems. That helped put some things into perspective for me...
    Right now I'm stressing out about jury duty. I won't have my food with me!

    Ha. I got called for jury duty three times last year.

    You can bring your lunch, just like you would at work. There are kitchens and refrigerators...or just take an ice pack lunch bag. It's only eight hours, just like work.

  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
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    I try to make sure I always get the message "If you ate everyday like today, in 5 weeks you would weigh......". That means I have eaten enough, but not over my calorie goal. If I get the message "Based on what you ate today, you might not be eating enough...." I will try to find something that ups my calories by enough to be able to get the "If you ate everyday...." This is enough to keep me from being obsessive.
  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
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    I don't worry so much about going over my calories (I am way over like every day and still lose), but I have started to become a bit worried about my fat numbers... I hate that they sometimes bother me, they really shouldn't.

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