Is my calorie counting obsessive?

If I count the calories in a few packets of ketchup, or a Hershey's kiss, is it obsessive? I use a lot of ketchup, which can add 50 - 70 calories. I am eating 1700 calories, and I find that when I count the little things (mints at a restaurant, a bit of butter on my bread, etc.) they can account for up to 200 calories. 200 calories every day for a week is nearly half a pound of weight lost! 

Is it normal to count this closely? Do most people counting calories include the little things?

I'm the same way.

I've found even the little things add up after a while... especially higher calorie items like butter or that one tiny Hershey's kiss.

i count it all. seems that is the point. what am i really putting in my body, and what am i really using. if i don't count it, i dont know my deficit and can't make informed decisions about my food choices. especially when talking about fats and sugars. 

it all adds up. 

i make an exception for the occasional radish, raw mushroom, or dill pickle slice, but rarely. 

when im out, i'll write down what im eating on a scrap of paper. some people find this odd, some smile, some are impressed with my determination to watch what i eat. im a fat girl with quite a bit to loose tho, so my obsession seems well tolerated by those who love me. 

im the same way! i weigh EVERYTHING i eat on a food scale.

Same way here. I nibble and snack a LOT at work, and it all adds up really quickly. So when I make my meal plan for the day I start with 300 calories for wiggle room and plan around that. If I'm a good girl and barely touch it, I'll treat myself with something fun and tasty after dinner or I'll add an extra side dish to my meal. It keeps me in check. The little things DO add up, and this is what a lot of people don't realize and can sabotage their hard work and wonder why the weight isn't coming off. Heck, I add 5 cals to my sandwich for 1 leaf of lettuce. lol

Weighing was like an epiphany when i started! And, I actually get to eat more lean meats than i would have otherwise guessed. weighing and measuring are key. its all about knowledge. you cant make good choices if you aren't in touch with reality! :D

As someone who did get truly obsessive last year with calorie counting, let me tell you that counting everything you eat, no matter how small, is NOT obsessive. 

Having crying fits and massive anxiety because you're about to be away from any sort of internet access for two days and won't be able to log your calories right away and you just KNOW that it's going to completely derail your program--THAT's obsessive.  (True story.  Ugh.)

I don't count sugur free gum and mints...I mean, it's 5 calories or less and I problably burn that calories off while chewing it.

But in your case, yes, I count suace and topppings since they do tend to be high in calories.

^^ I don't count sugar free gum, but if you're having a NON sugar free mint, you may want to count it.  The brach's mints have 20 freakin calories in each stupid mint.  The cinnamon ones have even more.  I can eat three of those a day and consider it a 'snack'. 

And no, not obsessive to count ketchup or other things that will amount to anything over 10 calories throughout the day (that's my rule, haha).

I count everything with the exception of your negative calorie foods like celery.  But yes, I count all the packets and measure everything out so that I know exactly where I am and what I need to burn and what I can expect to burn.  It also keeps me honest.  I am more accountable to myself and then, when I do eat something I shouldn't (like almost anything at a Mexican restaurant) I am keenly aware of it when I enter it into CC and the next time we go to a Mexican restaurant, I find it's easier to avoid the chips, pile on the salsa and skip cheese, sour cream and guac.

I don't think it's obsessive, I think it's observant and a good tool for aiding your weight loss.

It also makes you rethink 100 calorie pack foods!  Afterall, who would want to waste 100 calories on crap food when you could have a handful of almonds or a giant salad vs. Oreo waifers?

I don't think this is obsessive at all. You are just being very acurate, you are seeing the whole picture and are not fooling yourself, which I think can happen when you would NOT count everything, so go for it !!

I weight and count every gram of everything, including gum, black coffee, etc. The only foods I don't add to my log on CC are things like Diet Coke which don't have calories but DO have sodium, etc. Perhaps I should be logging these.... Does everyone else? I'm sure I take in WAY more sodium than I think I do...

Actually Diet Coke has a little less than 5 calories for the individual bottles I think. Companies aren't required to list calories for anything less than 5, so they can put 0 on the label, though they say <5 on the website.

As for obsessive - maybe a little bit. I don't count ketchup, the one almond, or Crystal Light, and there are lots of vegetables I don't count, like lettuce. But I don't do much random snacking on mints, gum, or little bits of candy either. I think if it's gonna add up to that much per day, you're better off counting closely.

Whether it's obsessive or not depends on your attitude while doing it.  In and of itself, it's simply being ACCURATE.   But you're all emotionally wrapped up about every calorie, and it controls how you feel, then it's an obsession.

I do the same.  Everything counts when your counting calories otherwise what would stop us from not counting a cookie or two.  What would be the point.

It is definately an eye-opener...calories come in all shapes and sizes...that hersheys kiss has about as many calories as 1 whole roma tomato..I bet you would count that if it was in your salad..right?  Log it all! :)   I keep a piece of paper with me and I write down what I eat and how much..I don't log everyday like I would like..but at least I know where my calories are still... Good luck and no worries... it's a good obsession!  ;)

One of the most important thing I learned back in the day when I did Weight Watchers was the failure by BLT's - Bites, Licks and Tastes.  Those calories, over the course of a day, can add up to a LOT, especially if you are doing the cooking, or you want a bite of your hubbys dessert etc.  Someone on here posted that they ate two starburst and people laughed at them for counting it.  Well guess what?  There were 40 calories in those two starburst, and while the 40 calories themselves might not seem like a lot, you add in a couple more 40 calorie BLT's and all of a sudden you've "accidentally" conumed 120 calories.  Those little things CAN and DO sabatoge your weight loss efforts. 

There are still some things I don't log, like SF drinks I have, but at the end of the day I figured there are about 100 calories I forgot about, and I think about those when deciding about an evening snack or an extra serving at dinner - just keeping them in mind and thinking Okay, so did I have any extra tastes today?  An extra bite of XYZ at lunch?  How many calories WERE in those 2 liters of SF drink?  That sort of stuff.

I don't think this sort of obsession is bad!

I do the exact same thing! I find that if I don't, I feel really guilty. Plus, it makes me feel better to know exactly how many calories I've had. Don't worry- you're not obsessive!

Original Post by bubbles556:

Weighing was like an epiphany when i started! And, I actually get to eat more lean meats than i would have otherwise guessed. weighing and measuring are key. its all about knowledge. you cant make good choices if you aren't in touch with reality! :D

I really think I might get a food scale. It seems like a lot of people on here use them and like them. Maybe that will be my prize for my next ten pounds.

i actually use the postage scale i already had. it gives me an accurate read to about 1/4 oz. i was shopping for food scales and asked a friend her advice. she pointed to the postage scale on the desk, and suggested i take a plastic lid and re-zero it. i saved a pretty penny, smart friend! food scales are probably more accurate, but for now, this one is working just fine, i'm happy with it for now. so until you hit that goal, if you have a postage scale sitting around, it can help you get there! ;D

Believe me we all do it, i even count the 2 calorie gum pieces i chew... because for me it all counts. in some weird way it is almost calming knowing that you have counted EVERYTHING, so that your daily cal intake is correct and you know you are on the right track to your goal ...

your not being obsessive, your trying to be healthy and change your life :)