Am I obsessing? And is anyone else?

I am enjoying my new healthy lifestyle (even though I am not exactly where I want to be yet). I like to know what goes into my body- calories and vitamins. I like to make sure I am getting enough nutrients and tailoring my diet little by little to learn what I can live with and what is optimally healthy.

I log in everything I eat everyday. I also log all of my workouts. I generally omit the regular daily things, though (shopping, cleaning, etc).

Here is the disturbing part...I spoke with someone today and happened to mention that I ate a muffin that I thought was nutritious until I logged it. Then I had to alter my diet for the rest of the day (little less carbs at dinner, more protein, etc). They said that I was obsessing over this. I don't typically discuss this with people but does anyone out there get this kind of reaction from other people? How do you handle it? Now, this particular person also told me there is more to life than worrying about myself like this. I took offense to that, although I didn't let on. I think that I work on improving my life in several different aspects and nutrition happens to be one of them. I feel like I am viewed as self-centered. Can someone give me some advice?

I am in a similar situation as you. Some people tell me that I care too much about my food intake and about my looks. I decided to let loose and be a little less strict in my food intake. I guess in life, we have to give and take. A muffin will not kill you. Look at it as a reward and treat yourself every now and then. If you restrict, you will definitely overeat despite having high levels of discipline and self-control.

No, you are not obsessing.  At least you could make adjustments before you finished off your food and then would have been really upset.  I make adjustments all the time.  I did one tonight for dinner because I only had about 200 calories left to eat (serious argument with a bottle of Ocean Spray Cranberry juice this afternoon-it won!)  But, I got the final word because at the end of my day my calories were right.   Sorta proud that the last day of 2008 will end on a positive note. 

Congratulations on your good start to the new year! Thanks for the help. It's good to know that there are people out there who understand!

Making adjustments is how calorie counting works! That's why you can eat that muffin and still lose weight-- because you can simply choose lower calorie foods for the rest of the day so as to stay within your calorie budget.

When I first started counting calories, I DID feel like I was obsessed sort of because I was constantly logging food and exercise and it did cause me to think about it a lot. Besides, then I was learning how to eat healthy, so I spent much time researching and finding healthy alternatives, ideas for healthy snacks, etc. It was a lot of learning to do and it was an important step in living a healthier lifestyle. Consequently I did spend a crap-ton of time thinking about food! I dreamed about food! My wonderful man quietly tolerated my constant talking about diet and exercise.

But now that I have been doing it for a while, I have a pretty good idea of how to eat to stay within my chosen calorie budget. I don't have to log stuff, and I don't even have to read the label most of the time. And I don't have to think about food except maybe how much I look forward to my evening grapefruit!

And that person was being rude to you. If you can help it, try to only mention weight or diet related stuff to people who love you and support you. It seems that so many people can be so rude and insensitive about it, and I'm not sure if it's because it's just a very personal and sensitive subject, or because they feel that putting down your efforts to be healthy justifies their not trying to be.

Happy New Year everyone!

I also log almost everything for the same reasons. I'm between maintenance and losing 5lbs. But my priority is always making sure I'm not eating too much sugar or sodium, getting enough vitamins/minerals, and getting a good balance of protein, carbs, and fats. I have a pretty good grasp on it now, but am still worried I'll UNDER eat if I stop logging. I only enter my exercise as an activity, unless I've done something like hours of dancing or a lot of yard work. But my friends and co-workers think I have a problem.

Whatever. I know I'm doing a good thing for myself, no matter how weird it looks to others. Though I've received comments on putting too much effort into it (will also skip a carb snack if I need to use the calories for proteins or fats), I still manage to have a full and active life. In perspective, eating and exercise are a very small part of what I do every day.

Since making sure I'm well nourished and in good shape do not interfere with my life in a negative way, I see no reason to be any less tenacious about my health. It is very important to me and well worth the effort.

Happy New Year Ya'll!

If being healthy is an obesession then we all need to be obsessed don't we! I have had similar experiances with people, including my wife. I blow it off as its their problem how they think. I know I need to keep track of what goes into my system in order to stay healthy and active (quality of life) for whatever time I have remaining here on earth. Its not being self-centered, and if it is, who cares! You have one body and no one else can take care of it like you can. Stay the course.

I actually just broke up with a guy becuase of this. We had only been going out for a couple of weeks but it still sucks. He couldn't understand why I went to the gym so much (5-6 days a week). I told him I liked the way I felt after a workout, how it makes me feel sexy knowing what my body can do and he said that he understood. But when he would text me at night and ask me what I was doing and I told him I was at the gym, or had just gotten back from the gym or was getting ready for the gym he would go into this thing about how I work out too much and that I am crazy and that I have a problem. Then I would see him and he would tell me how much he loved my body and how hot I am and everything so I finally got fed up with it and asked him how he thought I got the body that I have. He said....working out probably...I told him exactly...I work out, and eat right....I don't sit on the couch and paint my nails all day....I have an active job, I work out, I make my workouts count ( I spend an hour and a half at the gym, tops...most times it is more like 45 minutes), I eat right, and I have fun....I don't let exercise interfere with my life, if I want to go out with friends, guess what, I am going to go out with my friends and I am going to have fun, I don't feel bad if I miss a workout. Even after explaining this to him he still told me that I was crazy for working out so much. I got tired of it and asked him why it bothered him so much and he said that he didn't know why it bothered him just that he thought there were more important things I could be doing. I asked him if I had ever told him that I couldn't go out with him because I had to work out, or that I couldn't talk to him, or anything like that and he said no...so then I asked him why should it bother him what I am doing in my free time...it doesn't bother me that he goes out and parties a lot...so i got fed up with going back and forth about it and told him that if he couldn't be supportive of me then I was going to find someone who was. I deserve someone who will support me and not try to knock me down....I mean I am doing something good for myself and he couldn't support me, or atleast keep his thoughts to himself.

Original Post by daughtry_jovi_girl:

I actually just broke up with a guy becuase of this. We had only been going out for a couple of weeks but it still sucks. He couldn't understand why I went to the gym so much (5-6 days a week). I told him I liked the way I felt after a workout, how it makes me feel sexy knowing what my body can do and he said that he understood. But when he would text me at night and ask me what I was doing and I told him I was at the gym, or had just gotten back from the gym or was getting ready for the gym he would go into this thing about how I work out too much and that I am crazy and that I have a problem. Then I would see him and he would tell me how much he loved my body and how hot I am and everything so I finally got fed up with it and asked him how he thought I got the body that I have. He said....working out probably...I told him exactly...I work out, and eat right....I don't sit on the couch and paint my nails all day....I have an active job, I work out, I make my workouts count ( I spend an hour and a half at the gym, tops...most times it is more like 45 minutes), I eat right, and I have fun....I don't let exercise interfere with my life, if I want to go out with friends, guess what, I am going to go out with my friends and I am going to have fun, I don't feel bad if I miss a workout. Even after explaining this to him he still told me that I was crazy for working out so much. I got tired of it and asked him why it bothered him so much and he said that he didn't know why it bothered him just that he thought there were more important things I could be doing. I asked him if I had ever told him that I couldn't go out with him because I had to work out, or that I couldn't talk to him, or anything like that and he said no...so then I asked him why should it bother him what I am doing in my free time...it doesn't bother me that he goes out and parties a lot...so i got fed up with going back and forth about it and told him that if he couldn't be supportive of me then I was going to find someone who was. I deserve someone who will support me and not try to knock me down....I mean I am doing something good for myself and he couldn't support me, or atleast keep his thoughts to himself.

I went through this with an ex of mine. I think what happened is that he started to feel uneasy with you bettering yourself. I know my ex started getting more jealous and more hurtful as I started to improve my body image. It was weird because I'd think... I'm feeling healthier and looking better, isn't that what a guy wants?

Needless to say I was doing it for me and not for him and since he couldn't support me--bye bye! Good luck though hun, it's a hard thing to do but I'm glad you put yourself first

Is it okay for you to obsess: absolutely.

Does everyone want to hear about it: probably not.

You being self centered (having a sense of self) and taking care of you is awsome. At the same time you cant control other people's actions and reactions.  Some people will relate and enjoy talking about it- those are the people you seek out to share with.  But that is not going to be everyone- some people may just be disinterested, others may even be insulted.

You can let it go, or you can go back to that person to really try and find out why it bothered them.  Clearly for such a response you triggered something in them, either they already had an issue with you and used this as an opportunity to lash out, or maybe it triggered something in themselves.  Like say if this was a larger person or someone who felt larger who was insulted when they heard someone smaller go on about calories.

Just a thought. 

to be honest- calorie count is kind of my guilty pleasure. i dont tell people i log everything i eat and watch how many grams of protien i intake or my intake percentages. it sounds kind of crazy to other people. i dont obsess as bad as i used to, mostly beacuse i dont have the time. but if i cant get on here i try to tally things up in my head, as long as i beleive i can get a calculation within a couple hundred calories i dont worry too much. other people dont always understand or support how strict we can be on ourselves. not restricting- just strict, disiplined,and healthy. i am still amazed sometimes when i se people eat a baconator without thinking about calories and fat and how horrible they are treating their body.