Counting calories, weighing and measuring everything
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Jubee13
Posts: 132 Member
It seems as though counting calories helps me to not binge, but I'm still in the binge/restrict cycle, so I wonder if it helps in the long run. I feel like weighing and measuring everything keeps me focused on food all of the time and creates a lot of stress when I'm not able to weigh my food. Even though I'm trying to lose a few pounds (caused by a recent binging streak), I feel like estimating my portions removes a lot of the stress that comes from counting calories. My counselor says a person with an ED should never count calories, but I can't lose weight without it. I was hoping others could share their experiences with counting and weighing and measuring. I'm really trying to find a happy medium.
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Replies
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Well, it might help to realize that even with the most meticulous weighing, there is a margin of error, up to 20% or so is allowed by regulations. So there's that percentage of error there - and they can round up or down, so you never know. They can also manipulate portion size to be artificially lower to trick people.
Something that might help is to start mentally using approximate sizing cups or shapes in your purse or head. Like if you measure out a cup of taco meat at home, and it's the size of your whole hand, laid flat, and a half cup is the size of your palm, etc., it can give you an idea of the portions to estimate when you get home.
Another option if you're concerned about doing it in public would be to take a picture of your plate, before and after if you don't clear the plate. You can joke that you're starting and instagram page, tracking awesome food or whatever. That way you can estimate later...
Down the road, you might also consider switching up to a plan where you can eat without as much tracking... Most veggies don't have a lot of calories, etc., to them.. Bulking up that way might be a comfort zone.
But I agree, tracking tightly and counting calories strictly is a huge way for me to trigger...2 -
Thank you. That's very helpful. I guess I feel like I SHOULD be weighing and measuring everything, even though I know it adds so much stress to my life and eventually backfires. I think what I'm looking for is validation that loosely tracking is ok. (Yes, I am a grown woman. It's just so hard to know the right thing to do.)0
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@Jubee13 - My experience is that if you're tracking, no matter what method you choose, consistency is more important than method or strictness. So find something you can do consistently. You can always adjust if your method doesn't work well for you.0
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I find tracking helps - I am at a point where I have binge dieted for so long I no longer really know how to eat - I have increased my calories to 1800 and I work out 5 times a week. I try and eat healthy foods plenty of fruit and veg and build treats into my allowance.0
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@Jubee13 - and in re-reading this?
The right thing to do is what works well for you... To lose weight or not gain, to stay as sane as possible, and to live your life at a point where getting TO being healthy seems possible.
So forget what others tell you to do, and keep experimenting until you find out what works for YOU. I hope you're doing well!1 -
I haven't responded to this question because I don't know the answer and it is a very good question!
Are binge eating disorder and food restrictions really just two sides of the same coin (I have read that opinion). Does food restriction lead to binge eating and visa versa? Is it an never ending cycle?
Or, as some people think, do people with binge eating disorder have to maintain a tight set of rules that include restricting certain foods in order to avoid triggering the urge to binge? These rules would include weighing/measuring foods and logging.0 -
I haven't responded to this question because I don't know the answer and it is a very good question!
Are binge eating disorder and food restrictions really just two sides of the same coin (I have read that opinion). Does food restriction lead to binge eating and visa versa? Is it an never ending cycle?
Or, as some people think, do people with binge eating disorder have to maintain a tight set of rules that include restricting certain foods in order to avoid triggering the urge to binge? These rules would include weighing/measuring foods and logging.
Exactly. I wish there was an easy, concrete answer, but I don't think there really is.1 -
I think it is very individual to each person, and sometimes to each situation. So maybe try out each option, and figure out clues that you can cue yourself in on if you start thinking binge thoughts, then you can shift gears and grab another tool in the toolbox.
One of the only things that has ever helped me to blunt the compulsive edge of my binge tendencies is to supplement with l-glutamine. foodrenegade.com/how-beat-sugar-cravings-glutamine/ I didn't do that exactly, but a number of articles lead me to that idea... Once you blunt the edge, you can actually hear your own voice of logic sometimes.1 -
I don't have any answers either. All I know is that I am sick to death of being in this battle for well over half my life, I am tired, I don't want to fight anymore. Even 8 months in an eating disorder facility did nothing but make me heavier than when I went in. I am kind of done, I think.
I haven't responded to this question because I don't know the answer and it is a very good question!
Are binge eating disorder and food restrictions really just two sides of the same coin (I have read that opinion). Does food restriction lead to binge eating and visa versa? Is it an never ending cycle?
Or, as some people think, do people with binge eating disorder have to maintain a tight set of rules that include restricting certain foods in order to avoid triggering the urge to binge? These rules would include weighing/measuring foods and logging.
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