Calorie Obsessed, help!?!
Question: Calorie Obsessed, help!!?
Hi everyone, I'm having a little trouble with being obsessed with calorie counting and I wanted to hear your thoughts on it!. And it's a long read! So if you read it, please tell me your thoughts/what I should do!. If you don't want to read, just scroll to the bottom and help me out with the last question ^_^! Thanks!
When I was 'lil, I was pretty chubby, (around!.!. 7 years old or so)!. I live in an area where looks are EVERYTHING, even relatives would critique my appearance! And even when I was 7!!!! I thought that was harsh, but I wanted to get a better body!. So when I was 11 years old, I learned about calorie-counting!.!. etc etc, in my Pre-Bio class, and I started to do it!.
Which means that I've been counting calories since 6th grade! A LOT of people would say this is unhealthy, because I need a nutrition surplus in order to grow properly!. But that's just what I did and I did it very precisely!. (Only going over 110% of the nutritional amounts I needed (Protein, Essential Fats, Carbs, Minerals, that stuff)!.
Anyway, so since then I've maintained 8% body fat, and I have been ridiculously/insanely/infinitely obsessed about keeping my body fat percentage the same!.
For example, I've gone to calorie-counting sites, and I've used my kitchen scale so many times that I can just LOOK at food, and estimate its nutritional value!. This might seem like a useful skill, but it's taking over my life now!.
When I go out to eat, I'll look at the menu and spend 10 minutes dissecting each item's caloric/fat/protein/cholesterol/carb/etc!.!.!. value!. But in the end I decide on a salad, or something!. In the event that I DO pick!.!. a steak or something, I'll spend so much time, pushing away all of the oil, extra sauce, trimming away fat down to the meat, and only eating half of the food!.
I asked my doctor about this, and he said I'm just health conscious!. I asked my friends and family about this and they just also said I'm health conscious!. But I KNOW it's something more, since I'm so obsessive about it!. And I know I'm not anorexic or bulimic, because I've never forced myself to throw up, I'm not under the essential body fat percentage, and I don't see myself as fat, just "on the brink of becoming fat!." If you know what I mean!.
I do cardio, lifting, and I have a preplanned routine that I set up a month ago, which will guide my eating till December!. (Is that bad!? I haven't had candy, drinks other than water, milk, and protein, nor dessert for years!.) I've been using supplements (vitamins and "good" supplements, not steroids) and protein, since I was 13, and I'm pretty sure I've been in a caloric-deficit or maintenance (same as burned, so I don't lose or gain weight) for !.!. 5 years straight now, only going over maybe 3-4 days in total!.
I had my checkup yesterday, and I'm healthy in all aspects: stable blood sugar level, lower blood pressure, very low LDL cholesterol!. My doctor even told me that whatever I'm doing is fine for my body, since my diet will only make me lose water, fat, or trace amounts of lean body mass!.
I'm just so afraid that I'll lose my sleekness that I HAVE to watch what I eat!. I looked up stuff describing my problem, and I only found "self consciousness, anxiety!.!. etc" Is that the problem!? I know I'm anxious and self-conscious but that really can't be what's causing this could it!? The reason why I randomly decided to ask this today, was because my friend asked me what kind of chocolate I liked, and I said, I didn't know!. (Since I haven't tasted chocolate [not even protein flavor :(] for years!.)
It's really taking over my life now, and since I've never told anyone about this I don't know what's wrong!.
As an added question!.!. Is there really an "end" to dieting!? My goal when I was 11 was to have a set of rock-hard abs!. But then after I got to that body fat %, I had to KEEP dieting, and KEEP watching what I was eating in order for it to stay that way!.
Thanks again!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
When I was 'lil, I was pretty chubby, (around!.!. 7 years old or so)!. I live in an area where looks are EVERYTHING, even relatives would critique my appearance! And even when I was 7!!!! I thought that was harsh, but I wanted to get a better body!. So when I was 11 years old, I learned about calorie-counting!.!. etc etc, in my Pre-Bio class, and I started to do it!.
Which means that I've been counting calories since 6th grade! A LOT of people would say this is unhealthy, because I need a nutrition surplus in order to grow properly!. But that's just what I did and I did it very precisely!. (Only going over 110% of the nutritional amounts I needed (Protein, Essential Fats, Carbs, Minerals, that stuff)!.
Anyway, so since then I've maintained 8% body fat, and I have been ridiculously/insanely/infinitely obsessed about keeping my body fat percentage the same!.
For example, I've gone to calorie-counting sites, and I've used my kitchen scale so many times that I can just LOOK at food, and estimate its nutritional value!. This might seem like a useful skill, but it's taking over my life now!.
When I go out to eat, I'll look at the menu and spend 10 minutes dissecting each item's caloric/fat/protein/cholesterol/carb/etc!.!.!. value!. But in the end I decide on a salad, or something!. In the event that I DO pick!.!. a steak or something, I'll spend so much time, pushing away all of the oil, extra sauce, trimming away fat down to the meat, and only eating half of the food!.
I asked my doctor about this, and he said I'm just health conscious!. I asked my friends and family about this and they just also said I'm health conscious!. But I KNOW it's something more, since I'm so obsessive about it!. And I know I'm not anorexic or bulimic, because I've never forced myself to throw up, I'm not under the essential body fat percentage, and I don't see myself as fat, just "on the brink of becoming fat!." If you know what I mean!.
I do cardio, lifting, and I have a preplanned routine that I set up a month ago, which will guide my eating till December!. (Is that bad!? I haven't had candy, drinks other than water, milk, and protein, nor dessert for years!.) I've been using supplements (vitamins and "good" supplements, not steroids) and protein, since I was 13, and I'm pretty sure I've been in a caloric-deficit or maintenance (same as burned, so I don't lose or gain weight) for !.!. 5 years straight now, only going over maybe 3-4 days in total!.
I had my checkup yesterday, and I'm healthy in all aspects: stable blood sugar level, lower blood pressure, very low LDL cholesterol!. My doctor even told me that whatever I'm doing is fine for my body, since my diet will only make me lose water, fat, or trace amounts of lean body mass!.
I'm just so afraid that I'll lose my sleekness that I HAVE to watch what I eat!. I looked up stuff describing my problem, and I only found "self consciousness, anxiety!.!. etc" Is that the problem!? I know I'm anxious and self-conscious but that really can't be what's causing this could it!? The reason why I randomly decided to ask this today, was because my friend asked me what kind of chocolate I liked, and I said, I didn't know!. (Since I haven't tasted chocolate [not even protein flavor :(] for years!.)
It's really taking over my life now, and since I've never told anyone about this I don't know what's wrong!.
As an added question!.!. Is there really an "end" to dieting!? My goal when I was 11 was to have a set of rock-hard abs!. But then after I got to that body fat %, I had to KEEP dieting, and KEEP watching what I was eating in order for it to stay that way!.
Thanks again!!Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Believe it or not I have just the same obsession!. It all started when I was in the 7th grade!. I was a bit fat so my mom took me to a doctor!. She gave me a diet and I lost weight!. But actually everything started after I lost weight!. I too count calories of everything I eat during the day and it sometimes takes over my life!. For example when me and my bf go out for dinner, I order a steak and end up eating 1/3 of it in order to reduce its calories!. When I talked to my mom about that she told me it was OK!. So I guess it's just fine!. And for the other question there is no end to dieting!. Once you start it, you never end it!. And staying thin after dieting is as important as losing weight in the first place!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
tl;dr
you have an ed worse than most 13 y/o girls, print paragraph and show it to your docWww@Answer-Health@Com
you have an ed worse than most 13 y/o girls, print paragraph and show it to your docWww@Answer-Health@Com
tl;dr
your'e young, you shouldn't really worry that muchWww@Answer-Health@Com
your'e young, you shouldn't really worry that muchWww@Answer-Health@Com
Please see my answer belowWww@Answer-Health@Com
wow!.!.!.!.5 yrs!.!.unbelievable!.
i have started doing that last january!.!.calorie counting[ i have wanted to stop and just eat healthy and etc but i always end up totaling the calories up!. most of the time 900 cals a day!.
Www@Answer-Health@Com
i have started doing that last january!.!.calorie counting[ i have wanted to stop and just eat healthy and etc but i always end up totaling the calories up!. most of the time 900 cals a day!.
Www@Answer-Health@Com
Ok, from what you've just told me, it does sound a little obsessive!. This may well have steamed from your childhood (eg peer pressure, etc), as things that happen during that time can have quite an effect on you when your older!.
I'm no doctor or anything, but I would say this is a exaggerated fear!. Sounds like you have an intense fear of putting on weight, but it may be that you also have some control issues!. You want to be in control of what you put into your body, I don't know about the rest of your life, so this is just a guess!. There may be a quest for perfection as well!.
Would it be the end of the world for you if you put a piece of chocolate into your body!?
Do you have less than 1200 calories a day!?
Do you think about food constantly!?
Do you constantly weigh yourself!?
Is this issue interfering with your normal life!?
If you answered yes to a few of these, I would say, yes, you have a problem!. My advice would be to go see a counciler/psychologist!. They can help you with this and also find other reasons as to why you are like this!. You might have a bit of obsessive compulsive disorder, i don't know, seeing a professional is the way to find out!.
And, yeah, they say dieting doesn't work (cos once you've finished you put the weight straight back on), but if want to stay this way, you're probably never going to stop!. It doesn't hurt now and again to have sweets, or chocolate, but only sometimes, not all the time!. You won't put the weight back on, it won't ruin your whole regime!. Read health books, educate yourself, listen to your body (i know that sounds a bit weird)!. Hope this helps, good luck:)Www@Answer-Health@Com
I'm no doctor or anything, but I would say this is a exaggerated fear!. Sounds like you have an intense fear of putting on weight, but it may be that you also have some control issues!. You want to be in control of what you put into your body, I don't know about the rest of your life, so this is just a guess!. There may be a quest for perfection as well!.
Would it be the end of the world for you if you put a piece of chocolate into your body!?
Do you have less than 1200 calories a day!?
Do you think about food constantly!?
Do you constantly weigh yourself!?
Is this issue interfering with your normal life!?
If you answered yes to a few of these, I would say, yes, you have a problem!. My advice would be to go see a counciler/psychologist!. They can help you with this and also find other reasons as to why you are like this!. You might have a bit of obsessive compulsive disorder, i don't know, seeing a professional is the way to find out!.
And, yeah, they say dieting doesn't work (cos once you've finished you put the weight straight back on), but if want to stay this way, you're probably never going to stop!. It doesn't hurt now and again to have sweets, or chocolate, but only sometimes, not all the time!. You won't put the weight back on, it won't ruin your whole regime!. Read health books, educate yourself, listen to your body (i know that sounds a bit weird)!. Hope this helps, good luck:)Www@Answer-Health@Com
wow, i have a friend EXACTLY like this!. unlike you, she's been on and off for years!.!.!. but it really is exactly the same!. i know what it's like not to stop thinking about food and what you ate all day, but honestly the better thing is to let it all go!. when she's not calorie counting, she's an amazing, fun person to be around, and she becomes a better friend!. but when she is, like right now, it really is horrible!. it's so much better for you to just stop!. eat healthy and the right amount portions, but just don't calorie count!!! it may be really hard to stop, but in the short and long term, you will be so so so much happier!.Www@Answer-Health@Com