Calorie counting

[KateBruin 344]

Does calorie counting and weighing everything mess with anyone's mental health. I'm 2 1/2 weeks out and it's basically all I think about. I have a psychiatrist so if it gets worse I have help but I was wondering if others experience it and the obsession goes away and it becomes a more healthy state of mind instead of bordering on questionable behavior.

[Berry78 4,259]

Personally I handle this by doing "early" work, set it and forget it.

What I mean is.. focus intently for a period of time, memorizing food stats, making a plan, counting what needs to be counted. Then go on with my life without counting anymore (unless I make a change, then I take the time to plan the change, and forget it again).

By doing it this way, I don't have to count every meal every day. I actually don't journal or track on a fitbit. I don't have to because my days look pretty much the same.

Here is my meal plan:

Breakfast: 4oz cottage cheese and 3-4 oz fruit

Lunch: 1 egg and 3.5oz pinto Beans

Snack: 1oz nuts or seeds

Dinner: 4oz meat and nonstarchy veggies

Caloric Beverages: 1 cup milk and 2 cups coconut Water

(I split these meals up as necessary.. I can't eat over 4oz at a time).

Now, say I'm out, and find myself in a situation where I need to eat a ham sandwich. Ham sandwich isn't on my plan. But, by understanding the content of foods, I can confidently make substitutions when necessary. The ham is probably 1/2 my serving of meat, and the bread would take the place of my fruit.

As long as my nutrients stay relatively consistent, I don't HAVE to count every little thing, and it frees me up. BUT, it took a lot of work to get to this point (I'm over 5 months postop, and have spent significant time looking up various foods' nutritional content, reading labels, etc.) I give myself the honeymoon period to essentially "school" myself, learning all this stuff, so when it isn't as interesting in the future, it'll all be second nature anyway.

[Berry78 4,259]

I need to add.. if you feel your mental health is at stake, then what works for me may be the worst thing YOU can do. We're all so unique. I do recommend you focus and make goals for what you are obsessing about. Don't obsess just to obsess. Figure out WHAT you want to learn, and once it's learned, see if you get more relaxed, or more wound up. When I've learned something, I'm more relaxed. (My question has been answered). If it doesn't work that way for you, then you need a different approach.

[Missy161 395]

I do feel like I think about food all the time. I track everything on spark people. at first I browsed recipes and watched cooking shows. Now it's settling into. A routine. This path is all consuming. We've had to change everything that relates to food and I'm hoping as I get further along I won't think about food aonmuch.


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 184 GW 135

[KateBruin 344]

That's what I'm hoping will happen. I'll settle into a routine and it will become second nature. I think I'm extra sensitive to it all because my sister was anorexic, in and out of hospital and treatment from ages 13 till she died at 26. I think it has caused my brain to be extra sensitive to the fine line that exists between tracking macros and the beginnings of an eating disorder.

I think I also think about food nonstop since I don't hit solids till two weeks from this Wednesday.