Give it a Break...

I've been weighing all my food and counting calories pretty rigidly for about two years now. I think I'm going to stop, but the idea makes me a little nervous. I mean... I can't weigh my food forever.

I think, am I going to get fat? What if I don't eat right? Being vegetarian, I get nervous when I don't analyze all of the nutrition of what I eat. I get worried that I'm not getting what I need to grow... protein, calcium, things like that. Am I just being ridiculous? >.

Well, it is great that you know you cannot weigh your food forever or even count calories forever.  You even realize that you need good nutrition to grow.  All of that is wonderful.

Suggestions:

How close are you w/ the parents? If you feel comfortable, talk with them about your concerns and see if they'll take you to a nutrionist/dietician.  This person should be able to tell you how to eat vegetarian and get all of your nutrients.

If you cannot talk with the parents, talk with a councelor at school - even the phys ed teacher.  They should be able to guide you in a positive direction.

If all else fails, present your case the way you did here (minus 'being ridiculous') to your parents.  They should and most likely do care about their daughters well being and thoughtful nature.

Good Luck at ya'.

I agree with playergirl that seeking help would be best.

To help transition yourself from weighing food, try using those 3 sectioned plates like these http://shop.ccreplay.com/catalog/images/MARE0 1.JPG to help you learn portions. Or, measure out your usual amount of food and pay attention to how much room it takes up on the plate. After a while, you should be able to eyeball portions and be pretty accurate.

As far as nutrients go, make sure you get plenty of beans, lentils, pastas/oatmeal/cereals fortified with iron, fruits and veggies, and you should be fine. You can also check out http://www.mypyramid.gov and type in your stats; then, it will tell you how many servings of each food group you need. Good luck. :]

Thanks all. I guess it's off to relearn how to eat right! I've been too dependant on my food scale for far too long.

Lawlz, I'm going to act normally again!