Negative aspects of calorie counting.

I've found, for me, counting my calories has created a very unhealthy relationship with food.

When I do decide to indulge in something, I've lost the "I'm full so I'll stop but can eat more later if I want" opinion. It's now that I must eat all I can find. If I'm indulging I'm going all out. To the point of being thanksgiving stuffed.

I believe I've developed full on bulimia and it's very expensive.

What are some other side effects?

hanging around on this website far too much, thus not burning near enough energy, and developping an internet addiction on top of that.

PS: hope you will get a grip on this! take care.

I prayed for you.  It's okay to occasionally indulge in a treat.  Instead of getting discouraged by that, just go back on your eating plan.  Are you sure it's counting calories that caused this?  I wouldn't blame counting calories because that's such a powerful tool for being healthy.  I checked out your pictures and you look great.  Have you reached your ideal weight?  Here is a calculator for figuring out how many calories you need to maintain your ideal weight.

http://www.caloriecontrol.org/healthy-weight- tool-kit/weight-maintenance-calculator-women

 

No. I'm at 204 right now. I'm going for 170 as that would be the top of my bmi range. Once I get near that I'll reevaluate.

 

And yeah, two months prior to starting counting calories, I was exercising and eating less (not counting but being aware of how much I was eating, etc.) and I didn't have to guilty conscious.

 

The maintenance break I took/taking after losing 100lbs is making me feel very guilty. Yesterday, I started back on my deficit so hopefully I'll be good to go again. Hopefully the maintenance 2 months will have boosted my metabolism and I'll being losing again. :)

This is insane! I sit at a computer all day long with no set schedule. I can eat when I want, I can go get food when I want, etc. All that I've been doing for the last couple of weeks is BINGING! Like, 5000 calories a day.

 

How can I break this at work?!

Create your own food schedule with prepackaged foods. Make a sandwich for lunch. Have individual portions baggied out to take with you. That way you're limited by what you can eat because it was prepared without the cravings. If you prepare a meal without the cravings, you're not going to eat as much. Eat it slowly and enjoy it. 

I've tried that. Maybe if I do that again and leave my money at home....hmm.

I'm too much of a tightwad to eat out when I have already prepared food waiting for me. 

Try being creative with your food options. It doesn't have to be sandwiches, you can make wraps, salads, leftovers, whatever you would like. I prefer hot foods for lunch so I tend to take leftovers and make them better either by throwing them over a salad or rice or making them different in some way. 

I don't have access to a microwave...or fridge. I have a George Foreman here.

Can you purchase a cheap microwave for the office?

I've been trying to convince my boss to get me one, but I've done done a very good job. I guess I just have to suck it up if I want to continue my journey.

I find myself obsessing over how many calories are in everything. I no longer enjoy food unless I know its fitting into my calorie budget. I ADORED the mint chocolate chip ice cream today because I planned on it. I would not have enjoyed it if I worried about where it put my daily total. Conversely, I worry that my calorie count might be too low any given day. Can not make me happy!

I am also driving myself and others nuts with, "do you think this is 3 oz of chicken?" or "would you say this is half a cup of rice?"

I completely miss going with the flow and enjoying food. I am currently so obsessed and wound up that its become comical to those around me. You do NOT want to be the waitress who forgot to put EVERYTHING on the side just so I can get an accurate guage of how much or what went into the salad.

But I guess my abandonment and love of food got me to over 250 pounds - moderation is key and I need to get there.

I know how you feel. I hate going out to dinner and getting a salad but only eating half (which would probably be two portions).

Also asking for everything on the side so I control and can dip, etc. but counting has definitely messed with my relationship with food. :(

It's really interesting to see someone post this, and I feel like despite being an inactive member I should share my experience which sounds quite similar.

I developed bulimia a month after I started using calorie count last January. It only lasted a few months but near the end I lost 20lbs in 2 weeks, as well as some hair and nails. I am so lucky I wasn't seriously affected in the long term, and was able to get out of the binge purge habits.

I think I became obsessive and ashamed if I wasn't being totally healthy, and I wanted to get rid of it so I didn't have to count it. I ended up binging on easily 5000 calories. I was getting complimented by everyone on how much better I looked, I looked sooo much healthier therefore I must be healthy!!!! Despite the awful food I was consuming and having absolutely no life outside of it.

Anyway, I think calorie count is a good thing, I think it's a brilliant community, it promotes eating enough calories and eating the right types of foods. And it's so helpful for getting people on track, but a percentage of users will be eating disordered and use it as a tool for their eating disorder. And a few people, like me, will find it changes them.

I really hope you can rekindle your healthy relationship with food and reach a goal weight without sacrificing your mental health! You've done so well, my best wishes are with you.

Thank you! I completely agree that it's a great tool and great support.

Today is a new day! Luckily I've only been doing this hardcore for a month. It's mind over matter and I just have to get the sense of achievement back from weight loss the healthy way!

hmmm, interesting, it was the total opposite for me before I starting counting calories, I would never take into account how much I am eating and would just eat and eat until I thought I was full, as I've never been in touch with my body, now that I count every calorie in my meals I've started serving myself smaller portions and I've noticed they are super enough and can now feel my body getting full even before I finish eating, it's like I am more aware of enjoying and tasting my food, eating it slowly because I know I wont be allowed more of it, so I can feel the fullness when my body says enough! I don't eat all 1300 close together, I space them out throughout the day to avoid stuffing myself and feeling too full, most of my calories I take in the morning and have a lighter meal at night, I've always hated being full before bed, but could never help myself at dinner, always overeating. Hope all goes well for you!

To change something should have to struggle. Nothing is automatic. To get the ideal body is necessary to sacrifice "nice food" for a while. Advised not to overdo it.

I've almost finished off another diary full of daily counts, which has lasted for 4 years. The negative part has been the exercise, which never stops rain or shine, 0 or 100 degrees. It takes lots of time and can be irritating to others. The positive thing is that it creates real hunger which I satisfy eating anything I want. If I keep a small deficit, at the end of the day/week/month/year I maintain just under 25 BMI.

You have to be motivated to keep it going. Diabetes II motivated me to lose 50 lbs initially, then keep the weight off.

guilt is a huge issue for me. Every time that I do a little indulgence, I freak out and beat myself up over it. I also still have horrible difficulty with looking at myself in the mirror and acknowledging my accomplishments. Sometimes I worry that coming back to counting calories is going to make me obsess. My bf is definitely not supportive because he has seen me obsess about what I'm eating and is worried that I'll be sent down a guilt spiral.

Original Post by katyrosedid:

guilt is a huge issue for me. Every time that I do a little indulgence, I freak out and beat myself up over it. I also still have horrible difficulty with looking at myself in the mirror and acknowledging my accomplishments. Sometimes I worry that coming back to counting calories is going to make me obsess. My bf is definitely not supportive because he has seen me obsess about what I'm eating and is worried that I'll be sent down a guilt spiral.

Your boyfriend is being supportive.  He's worried about you, so he may rather you stay with an extra couple of pounds than become depressed/develop an ed.  Sounds like support to me.

I find that I am constantly adding up food in my head, all day long, until eating becomes so unenjoyable. There is a big fear that deviating from the numbers will lead to overeating and weight gain. Whereas, my husband does not count at all and had lost more weight that me in a shorter amount of time. :(