OCD and calorie counting

skbrodie
skbrodie Posts: 81 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone else here legitimately have OCD? Did this affect your weight loss journey in terms of getting way too obsessed with counting calories? I'm restarting.. Again... But last time I quit counting because I felt myself obsessing over the calorie count and weighing food / thinking about it consumed me. Right now I'm considering just not counting even though I know that's the best way to go. Anyone have tips? I will be discussing this with a therapist but unfortunately the wait time is out till April

Replies

  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,610 Member
    I don’t have OCD but I used to work for an OCD charity. The honest answer is that each person is individual, and eating disorders can go hand in hand with OCD. But - and it’s a big but - those eating disorders seemed to manifest with or without a tool to count calories. Anything which encourages regular habit forming behaviour can cause problems, but it depends on your compulsions and how harmful they are. As your appointment isn’t for a while, could you find a charity or support group and reach out to them? If you have an official diagnosis for which type of OCD you have, that could help to find the right group and similar minded people to support you. Good luck - it’s not an easy condition to manage!
  • jpvkind
    jpvkind Posts: 1 Member
    Yes, being ocd makes it very difficult for me to stick to any plan long term. I obsess over every little detail to the point where I can’t think about anything else. It’s real. As a mom of 3 and business owner, having this consume my every thought is very distracting and usually results in me beating myself up for dropping the ball in other areas of my life. Then I close this part of my brain off and give up. I’m all or nothing. Especially if I’m not seeing positive results.
    I don’t have an answer. I wish I did. I choose not to medicate because last time I tried I did not like the way it made me feel. Maybe things would be different now because that was a few years ago but in my head, they will be the same and I can’t afford to add anything else to my already complex thought process.
    I couldn’t NOT count. It would drive me insane. If I’m using MFP, then I have to use it all. I couldn’t even handle just being a free member. It was torture wondering what I was missing.
  • threewins
    threewins Posts: 1,455 Member
    edited February 2022
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  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    I've had to deliberately be more casual about weighing food. I try to find the level that doesn't trigger my OCD tendencies. For example, I weigh ingredients when cooking, but I just dish out equal-looking portions to each plate/storage container. Another example is that I never weigh single serve prepackaged items.

    I still successfully lost the weight I wanted. I've been in maintenance for 2 years.

    I would call my OCD "mild" (while it has been diagnosed, I've never needed to seek specific treatment for it), while my anxiety and depression are more moderate to severe.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited February 2022
    Athijade wrote: »
    I have OCD and Anxiety.

    I am currently not counting (again) due to negative obsessive behaviors and intrusive thoughts.

    For me, my OCD is pretty well maintained unless my Anxiety is bad. Once my Anxiety gets bad then I start having problems. Right now, my Anxiety is BAD. Like BAD BAD. Lots of work stress plus trying to buy a home (0 or 7 on offers at this point) and the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with that. It's not a good mixture.

    So for now, I just can't count. I stay on the boards for support and just try to eat better and take steps to be healthier in general. It stinks because I know in the past counting has been very helpful, but my mental health is just as important.

    I had a lot of anxiety last year when we sold our house. Fortunately, we moved in with family and did not have to suffer through the buying side as well.

    Our bidders had some interesting strategies. Presumably you are working with a realtor who can help you with this, but in case not:

    1. One said that he would beat the other bids by a dollar, up to X, which was 5% over ask.
    2. One said she would go as high as 16% over ask, but if the bank appraisal came back less, that would be the sale price.

    We went with # 2 and got 9% over ask. (We had showings on the weekend. More than half put in offers. We accepted an offer Tuesday.)

    Now I have new sources of anxiety. I'm in therapy and am also finding meditation very helpful. I get a live meditation 5 days a week which includes a short reading from Pema Chodron. I find her words on impermanence, fear, and suffering very soothing and helpful.
  • skbrodie
    skbrodie Posts: 81 Member
    Thanks everyone! Sorry for the late reply... Life has been so busy lately. It's just nice to know I'm not the only one that struggles with this. For now I think I'm going to ease back into this as I've been off here for awhile now. I got a gym membership and I'm going at least three times weekly in addition to eating smaller portions and healthier foods. Maybe I'll start counting again when I feel comfortable.

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