Obsession

So when do all the calorie counting and weekly weigh-ins stop feeling like an unnatural obsession and start feeling like a positive lifestyle change for healthy living?

Depends a lot on the person.  Calorie counting comes more naturally to some than to others.  Also, remember, you don't have to weigh-in at all!  I know many people that gauge all of this by the way they feel and the way their clothes fit.

Some people say it takes 2 or 3 weeks to form a habit.  Once it becomes a habit it will likely feel more normal, just another part of your day.

I hope it gets easier for you.  I know for me, it just helps me stay focused and keeps me honest!

Good luck!

Thanks. I've been doing this for 6 weeks now, so I feel like I got the habit part down, but it seems like it still takes so much mental energy and focus. I guess it's because I wasn't taught anything about health my whole life except not to do drugs. Unfortunately, I will probably always have to do weigh-ins with the way obesity runs rampant through my gene pool and how easily I get distracted from my health by my life, though I could probably do them less often after I hit my goals here.

I agree with kimanne...I've been logging for about 2 months now, and it feels relatively natural to me (in fact, I don't know how in the world I lived so long having NO CLUE what exactly I was putting into my body!).  Keeps me honest is a nice way to put it...  But, I understand how it can feel like an obsession in the beginning.  That's okay.  As long as the "obsession" doesn't become unhealthy (e.g., restricting calories too low, feeling emotionally shot regularly if you slip up, etc.), the actions will start to feel more normal and you won't think about them as much.

It's not an obsession unless you spend 24 hours a day worrying about it... if you just step on the scale in the morning and note the number, it's just part of your daily routine. Logging will get to be a habit and not something you have to think about much - I've been at it since November, and I just make a mental note of what I'm eating so that I can record it when I get a chance, usually about dinner time.

monbon, are you overweight? Your pictures don't look it.

If you don't need to count calories, then don't do it. For people who are at a healthy weight or just a little bit overweight, I recommend just adopting healthier habits in general (eating more fruits, veggies and whole grains; cutting down on fast food and soft drinks; exercising regularly). No need to risk developing an obsession with calories (like it or not, that is a risk that all calorie counters take. The difference is that some of us really need to take it).

I’ve weighing daily for almost two years and I’ve been counting calories more often than not, for the past year.  It’s just a normal part of my day, no different than brushing my teeth, locking the door as I leave the house, or logging on-line to pay a bill.  I don’t obsess about the other things, and I don’t obsess about tracking calories or weighing.  It was never an obsession, though.  More like a burden at first, until I adjusted to it.