calorie counting obsession

I found I was getting really obsessed with MFP. Constantly on here, worrying about all the calories and carbs and protein I was eating. So I spoke to my trainer and she suggested I take a break from using this. I did and it was hard but it was I needed. To eat food not worrying constantly how many calories, how many carbs I had eaten. I have (obviously) started using it again but I think the break helped in a sense that I don't feel the need to count everything. I don't add in condiments or drinks (unless they are high calorie). And everytime I feel myself getting obsessed again I take a break from it. Hope this helps

I have counted calories for the past 3 years, pretty much religiously, always in my head before finding MFP a few months back. In college (around the age of 16/17) I became unhappy with my weight and saw the easiest way of dealing with it was to restrict my calories and exercise more. Soon, though, it developed into a full blown obsession and I would look at every single variety of an item in the supermarket in order to choose the lowest calorie one; I would look up restaurants online before going to see if they posted nutritional info about their dishes, and I would set myself unbreakable 'goals' like 1000 cals per day; and had silly rules like 100 cals for breakfast, 350 cals for lunch, 500 cals for tea etc. If I went over one day, I would 'take them off' the next days calories, same as if I drank alcohol, I would minus that exact amount of calories from the food that day so it still added up to the same thing.

I could see this was the start if going down a dangerous path, and I hated living life by numbers - I literally wouldn't even look at or think about what food I wanted to buy, I would make a beeline for the aisles and shelves where I knew my low calorie items were. If an item had no nutritional info on, I wouldn't buy it, end of. Hence I never ate at cafes, the college canteen, or bought things from deli counters in supermarkets. I want to try and escape the numbers by counting them in a healthy way, and not letting them dictate my life. I want to cook a meal from scratch and not rely on packet food that has everything already measured out. I want to go out and order whatever I want off the menu, without ordering what I suppose will be the lowest calorie thing, whether I fancy it or not. I'm getting better, and eating that bit more ensures I am losing those last few stubborn pounds in a healthy way, without subjecting my body to constant starvation mode where it hangs onto the fat and makes me confused why I'm hardly eating anything but still weigh 130lbs.

Counting calories is a great way of achieving weight loss, but I'd plead with anyone not to let it turn into an obsession!

OMG! I started a health plan 2 months ago. I am
Supposed to use MyFitnessPal to monitor calories plus do HIIT routines at the gym. The workout part is awesome, but the logging food is terrible. I need to lose inky between 10-15 pounds but it is more about decreasing body fat. I am 47 and perimenopausal and the weight is not dropping.
I have a lot of anxiety. I do not know what to eat anymore. I have developed a fear of food. I am constantly looking at the App checking calories and nutritional facts. I went to a restaurant with my husvnd husband and Just wanted to cry. I ordered a margarita and leafy it there because I almost had a panick attack thinking on the calories. I can't enjoy a meal anymore.
This morning I emailed my health oach and told her how I feel. I am about to go to a therapist because I feel extremely depressed by this process.

I appreciate your comment but every person is different. It's great that it's working for you. It's not working for me and I am trying to figure out why. I keep pushing, eating healthy and working out. A little empathy is also a healthy habit to have.
Best of luck in your process!

I understand how you feel, especially if you have a low calorie target (mine is 1400) you find yourself constantly thinking about your choices. You really do have to put a lot of thought into what you eat and plan ahead. Going to a restaurant can be an nightmare if you are truly trying to stay within your goal. I got tired of all the counting, quit doing it and gained all my weight back I lost. So for me I just realize that counting is going to have to be a way of life for me. Sooner or later you will start to remember and know what you can have in a day and it won't require so much thought. And for special occasions like going out with your hubby to a restaurant just give yourself a pass and enjoy it. Success isn't about hitting your target every single day, it is about the long haul. It will get better and the results both in your body and in your health will be worth it.

sarad777 wrote: »

I've found myself with a calorie counting obsession. I'm at goal weight now and still can't stop counting. Anyone else have this problem? I really think it's becoming an OCD.

I was like this for a long time (until I gained weight again). Never had a problem with counting calories as such but I had taken it to the point where I wouldn't eat anything unless I could get an accurate calculation of calories I was eating. I guess I did obsess over it which can be frustrating for those around you but it worked for me. If you're wondering why I gained the weight again well... I've struggled with binge eating for a while now and once the stress became too much for me I started to comfort on food again. So I'm back at counting calories and a lot of weight to lose again.

It's not a matter of empathy. It's perception. Not much of what I've seen described in this thread as obsessive are really bad things. When I'm working on a short term goal that can cost me money, I do a lot of these things and they don't have a negative effect. Right now I'm in the midst of a lot of birthday parties and holiday celebrations, so I'll turn down invites to other gatherings and dinners out if I'm not obligated to be there, because in this moment, I need to be in control of what I'm eating as much as possible. Living paycheck to paycheck, the money means everything.

When I'm shopping for a particular type of food item, it makes perfect sense to compare lots of labels and buy what fits my goals. Since I can't always remember how they compare, sometimes I have to go back through and compare again. And sometimes my goals change and it makes sense to have a few more calories to meet a higher protein goal, so I have to compare yet again. Sometimes I do go over my calories a little bit and borrow a few calories from the next day, or spread my overages out over the week to stay on track. Lots of people go by a weekly average on MFP, so how is that a bad thing? Someone above mentioned that they look up calorie information before dining out. It's such a common thing to do on MFP and it's encouraged, but it's mentioned here as a bad thing. Just because it seems like unusual behavior from the outside, and there's so much info to learn about what we eat it can seem overwhelming at times, that doesn't make it negative.

There's such a strange stigma attached to calorie counting. People think I'm neurotic sometimes. Even this guy up here ^ thinks it's somehow a bad thing to do long term (which is who my previous post was really directed at but I forgot to quote. My bad.). Why?

If you feel it's gotten out of control and it's harming your ability to function, I'm not saying to keep doing it anyway. If you find it to be extremely stressful, then it's not worth it.