what is the point of logging?

hilla1996
hilla1996 Posts: 19 Member
edited August 2020 in Health and Weight Loss
I am a binge eater.

But I dont just let myself be free and consume.

I keep track of what I eat and count the calories.

Does anyone else do this?

I will obsessively measure out peanut butter and chocolate spread but not stop when I reach my goal or limit for the day.

The point of tracking is to know when you should stop but how do you actually stop?

This is my issue with calorie counting.

Today I ate 3150 calories, I rode my bike for about 2.5 hours (30 miles) and I walked about 5 miles.

I should have stopped at 2500 to stay in a calorie defecit as I want to lose about 7 pounds ( I am 5'7 and 130-135 pounds depending on whether I have binged or not, usually around 133)

I dont have control to stop eating but I have control to count everything, its so frustrating and pointless.

I know calories in/out is the way to go but I feel so envious of people who just eat and dont even think about tracking.

Thats my rant....I used to be 150 plus pounds and 5 months ago I lost some weight and have been maintaning.

I binged then and I binged now....my body does not care where I am at weight wise it just wants calories.

people that are overweight binge eat as well, the body is requesting excess calories to numb emotional pain or who knows honestly.

anyone else relate to this?

I should be happy with my 20 pound weight loss but I still get bloated and feel horrible and regretful after a binge.
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Replies

  • hilla1996
    hilla1996 Posts: 19 Member
    harper16 wrote: »
    Have you thought about taking to a professional regarding your binge eating?

    I am scared...I dont want to be labeled.....
  • hilla1996
    hilla1996 Posts: 19 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    I just noticed that if you lose 7 lb, you will be on the borderline between underweight and normal.

    I hate that I conform to these stupid and pointless western beauty ideals....but being on the thinner side is more valued....When I was 150 pounds I was swimming 4x a week for two hours I was incredibly strong....But no one thought I was sporty or athletic, now I get complimented all the time and I guess it goes to my head

    I was a size 8 and I recently went to the store and the size 4 dresses zipped up easily and I could have worn a 2
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    edited August 2020
    hilla1996 wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    hilla1996 wrote: »
    I am a binge eater.

    But I dont just let myself be free and consume.

    I keep track of what I eat and count the calories.

    Does anyone else do this?

    I will obsessively measure out peanut butter and chocolate spread but not stop when I reach my goal or limit for the day.

    The point of tracking is to know when you should stop but how do you actually stop?

    This is my issue with calorie counting.

    Today I ate 3150 calories, I rode my bike for about 2.5 hours (30 miles) and I walked about 5 miles.

    I should have stopped at 2500 to stay in a calorie defecit as I want to lose about 7 pounds ( I am 5'7 and 130-135 pounds depending on whether I have binged or not, usually around 133)

    I dont have control to stop eating but I have control to count everything, its so frustrating and pointless.

    I know calories in/out is the way to go but I feel so envious of people who just eat and dont even think about tracking.

    Thats my rant....I used to be 150 plus pounds and 5 months ago I lost some weight and have been maintaning.

    I binged then and I binged now....my body does not care where I am at weight wise it just wants calories.

    people that are overweight binge eat as well, the body is requesting excess calories to numb emotional pain or who knows honestly.

    anyone else relate to this?

    I should be happy with my 20 pound weight loss but I still get bloated and feel horrible and regretful after a binge.

    You did a lot of exercise. I find that I can be ravenously hungry after that, then it calms down the next day.

    If you were over today, to maintain, you can be under a bit for a day or two. No biggie.

    I'm worried you're not enjoying eating after your exercise.


    The point of logging?

    To have some control over your weight, and to have caloric awareness.

    You have caloric awareness, but today it seems you have no control.

    If this is a big problem for a long time, take away the logging and see if it makes you change your behaviour, since it's not helping give you control. Perhaps you like doing the "wrong" thing.


    Check out the Maintenance forum. Maintaining is a whole different game, just as hard if not harder than losing weight. Good luck, and well done for asking in here.

    So for me I am actually hungry the day after I work out....Its like the hunger just hits me like a tidal wave

    I used to just eat anything in sight but now I buy nicer fresh food so at least the food I am eating is what I want and not random leftovers

    I'm always hungrier after a workout/run. Either that day or the next. That's normal.

    If you're dieting and exercising you need to eat back your exercise calories. There are hundreds of threads about that, so you wouldn't be the first not to know.

    Are you bingeing every day?
  • kmccrom
    kmccrom Posts: 74 Member
    Thanks for your post OP... it was helpful to me. I agree with everyone that professional help will empower you.

    You bring up an important issue about exercise and weight loss. I had some of the same issues as you. Ironically, exercising less led to me losing more weight. This is a head trip for me. I love big cardio sessions like long bike rides and walks, but yes they can at times make me ravenous. On the other hand, the bingeing can have nothing to do with hunger. So, it’s a complex issue. Thanks for bringing it up to the group. I echo what @thelastnightingale said about your bravery.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    hilla1996 wrote: »
    I am a binge eater.

    But I dont just let myself be free and consume.

    I keep track of what I eat and count the calories.

    Does anyone else do this?

    I will obsessively measure out peanut butter and chocolate spread but not stop when I reach my goal or limit for the day.

    The point of tracking is to know when you should stop but how do you actually stop?

    This is my issue with calorie counting.

    Today I ate 3150 calories, I rode my bike for about 2.5 hours (30 miles) and I walked about 5 miles.

    I should have stopped at 2500 to stay in a calorie defecit as I want to lose about 7 pounds ( I am 5'7 and 130-135 pounds depending on whether I have binged or not, usually around 133)

    I dont have control to stop eating but I have control to count everything, its so frustrating and pointless.

    I know calories in/out is the way to go but I feel so envious of people who just eat and dont even think about tracking.

    Thats my rant....I used to be 150 plus pounds and 5 months ago I lost some weight and have been maintaning.

    I binged then and I binged now....my body does not care where I am at weight wise it just wants calories.

    people that are overweight binge eat as well, the body is requesting excess calories to numb emotional pain or who knows honestly.

    anyone else relate to this?

    I should be happy with my 20 pound weight loss but I still get bloated and feel horrible and regretful after a binge.

    You ask what is the point. For me, it gives insight into the true nature of what I'm eating. It helps me to know what is a correct portion size, and what a normal meal should look like. After measuring and recording for some time, you can almost guess when your plate is too full, or if you didn't have enough for the day. You also know if it's necessary to go for one more walk this week, it if you've pushed your body too much already.

    But you can't just record and ignore the summary on the chart. It is intended to drive change. Go for it. You can do it.
  • GreenValli
    GreenValli Posts: 1,054 Member
    What's the point of logging?

    Personally, I do not want to be 242 lbs again, EVER! I am now 171.
    Logging keeps me accountable, even if only I see my food diary.
    I still would like to be thinner.
    Since my gym is still not open, I am not exercising I am not losing weight like I have in the past. Just a pound or two a month. Right now logging keeps me from gaining weight again.
    I promised myself I would not ever, ever be over 200 lbs again.
    Logging is not hard to do, It makes a difference.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    As other said, consider professional help. You seem like you have a few issues that might benefit from it: possible binge eating, possible undereating to an underweight body, and possible self image issues about your size and appearance.

    Logging can accomplish a number of things.
    Done properly, it is an objective measure of food intake. This prevents a certain amount of self deception.
    Over time, the habit also builds tools that make one better at estimating food intake with less bias and more accuracy. For many that makes it possible to control weight even without needing to log.
    I also have found that logging can become a certain kind of road bump towards mindless consumption. It is easy to just eat something without consideration. Logging puts in a little friction where one is potentially justifying or least assessing what one takes in.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    hilla1996 wrote: »
    I am a binge eater.

    But I dont just let myself be free and consume.

    I keep track of what I eat and count the calories.

    Does anyone else do this?

    I will obsessively measure out peanut butter and chocolate spread but not stop when I reach my goal or limit for the day.

    The point of tracking is to know when you should stop but how do you actually stop?

    This is my issue with calorie counting.

    Today I ate 3150 calories, I rode my bike for about 2.5 hours (30 miles) and I walked about 5 miles.

    I should have stopped at 2500 to stay in a calorie defecit as I want to lose about 7 pounds ( I am 5'7 and 130-135 pounds depending on whether I have binged or not, usually around 133)

    I dont have control to stop eating but I have control to count everything, its so frustrating and pointless.

    I know calories in/out is the way to go but I feel so envious of people who just eat and dont even think about tracking.

    Thats my rant....I used to be 150 plus pounds and 5 months ago I lost some weight and have been maintaning.

    I binged then and I binged now....my body does not care where I am at weight wise it just wants calories.

    people that are overweight binge eat as well, the body is requesting excess calories to numb emotional pain or who knows honestly.

    anyone else relate to this?

    I should be happy with my 20 pound weight loss but I still get bloated and feel horrible and regretful after a binge.

    Here's my standard advice in regards to the bolded:

    What's your weekly weight loss goal? With only 7 pounds to lose, you should only be trying to lose a half pound per week. Undereating can definitely lead to overeating.

    9kjwnia17qv9.jpg

    However, because of other things you said, I echo the suggestion to seek professional help.

    I don't think of it as a label but rather a diagnosis, and as such a starting point for getting help :)

    ps - eating higher protein (and fiber) makes me less prone to episodes of uncontrolled eating.

    :flowerforyou:
  • deeshiloh
    deeshiloh Posts: 24 Member
    hilla1996 wrote: »
    harper16 wrote: »
    Have you thought about taking to a professional regarding your binge eating?

    I am scared...I dont want to be labeled.....

    A professional isn't going to label you, though they may label your behaviour. I struggled with binge eating for years and when I finally got up the courage to ask for professional help, what I got were strategies and information on how to handle it, and not a label, even though I specifically went in prepared for a label, because the behaviours weren't clinically intrusive enough to warrant a diagnosis. But that didn't mean that they thought I didn't need help or that I should be ashamed for asking for it.

    Most likely, you'll be encouraged to keep monitoring what you eat, but on paper and without calorie counts. Along with this, it's likely you'll be encouraged to monitor outside influences and the circumstances in which you're eating. This is all for the goal of helping you sort out what it is that causes you to binge, and as a first step towards making changes.

    There is no shame in asking professionals for help, they have access to information on the strategies that work best and ways of questioning and listening to help you figure yourself out and make meaningful change.
  • scarlett_k
    scarlett_k Posts: 812 Member
    I used a book called overcoming binge eating by Christopher Fairburn. It's a cognitive behavioral therapy course and while you can use it in conjunction with a therapist you can give it a go yourself if you really want to. I'm in recovery now but I still stick to the principles of the book. It doesn't focus on calorie counting but keeping food diaries. However I continued using MFP throughout as I find it really useful myself.
  • RockingWithLJ
    RockingWithLJ Posts: 243 Member
    edited August 2020
    Hunger is a state of mind. It's good to take control of it in some capacity.
    Just keep in mind that in the long-term binge eating and weight loss do not go in hand in hand. Speaking as a former binger, it will catch up with you.
    So if binge eating makes you happy then don't be upset with how that lifestyle affects your body
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,130 Member
    edited August 2020
    scarlett_k wrote: »
    I used a book called overcoming binge eating by Christopher Fairburn. It's a cognitive behavioral therapy course and while you can use it in conjunction with a therapist you can give it a go yourself if you really want to. I'm in recovery now but I still stick to the principles of the book. It doesn't focus on calorie counting but keeping food diaries. However I continued using MFP throughout as I find it really useful myself.

    I've also worked through this book, it's very good and is used by the NHS in the UK to support those with Binge Eating issues.
  • LovelyYogaPants
    LovelyYogaPants Posts: 8 Member
    I think you’re binge could of been higher. Accountability even if you are eating many calories more than you would like for that day. You are monitoring it! That you should be absolutely proud the physical activity. You are exercising and that is wonderful to do despite the binge. Some might give up and lay on a couch. Not to sound cheesy... but tomorrow is a fresh start each time we open this app. Progress is progress... 🤍
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    I’ve struggled with binge eating, too, OP, and your description rings true for me. I’ve noticed 2 drivers of binges for me:
    1) emotional stress- CBT has helped me recognize and redirect eating urges with emotional underpinnings. The earlier I recognize what’s going on, the more likely I’ll be able to change course. I’m SOOO much better and more self forgiving than I used to be, but it’s a work in progress. Jumping the track? It happens. But the good news is it happens less often, and magnitude is less. most importantly, I can accept & move on without self flagellation, shame, etc. It’s work that’s totally worth the effort.
    2) excessive deficit- this is just about numbers. I can undereat a couple days, but a big deficit longer than that... I’m a binge waiting to happen. Like you, I’m most comfortable at the low end of “normal” BMI. Carrying less body fat, for me, means less ability to tolerate a deficit. I can eliminate 90% of my binge issues by eating at an appropriate level consistently. For me that a deficit not more than 250 cal.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member

    "Would I call my binge eating disorder a lifestyle? No. Its a mental illness."

    That's some straight talk right there. This is serious business. Disordered thinking and disordered eating. It can start in the teen years and by the early 20's it's a driver. Drive, drive, driving an individual down the road to constant dieting and food thoughts that are repeatedly directed towards dialing it in and reining the food in or eating all the things. It is a self-induced food prison and one that needs professional help to get a grip on it.

    WLS and constant dieting won't fix it. It begins and ends in the brain. Until you can turn around and take a good hard look at what's really going on it can result in doing what you've always done and getting what you've always gotten. Mostly nothin'. There are no benefits and positive side effects with disordered eating.

    It results in missed opportunities and an internal struggle. A battle for the rest of your life.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    Have you been doing this for a long time or only since you decided to lose those 7 vanity lbs? Perhaps a calorie deficit is too restrictive at this time and you should allow yourself to adjust to your maintenance level instead. Would that enable you to control or eliminate the binge eating?

    Are you binge eating every day? If not daily, is your weekly average calories in line with your deficit or your maintenance calories? (you can look at your weekly average via the app, but it's not on the website). Again, perhaps maintenance is the better place to be for the moment.

    I don't disagree with all the previous posts, but it's not clear to me if this is a reaction to under-eating vs long-term binge eating.

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