I need an intervention

[AmandaPratt]

I need a calorie counting intervention. I am coming here vulnerable and asking for help with this because i'm self aware enough to know it's not healthy. I come from an extremely large history of counting calories and eating low fat and I was doing good on the plan by not falling back into those ways until this last week (i'm on day 29). I am obviously eating way more than I was before whole 30 and i'm very fearful of gaining weight so I reverted back to habits that made me feel "safe".

 

When I entered what I eat on a normal day it told me i'm eating about 400 calories more than I did prior to starting whole 30. Now logically I can say that my clothes don't feel any tighter and I have a huge list of other positive benefits, however I can't let go of the idea that i'll never be able to lose weight eating this much. I've read a lot about metabolism resets, especially for someone who has yo-yo dieted for so long and I think this is what i'm needing to allow my body to do. 

 

I don't really know why i'm posting any of this other than to be accountable I suppose. I am going to delete the calorie app and my account with them totally so i'm not tempted anymore. I guess i'm just scared what life will be like after day 30 and I was stepping back into old habits (that clearly did nothing to help me).

 

 

Anywho, here is what a typical eating day looks like in case anyone asks:

 

Breakfast: Large slice of egg bake (would include 2.5 eggs, palm size of ground meat, sweet potato, bell pepper & spinach), 1/4 of an avocado, coffee with some almond milk

 

Lunch: 1 1/2 palm size amount of protein (today ground beef), 2-3 cups of green veggies, 1/4 avocado

 

Dinner: 1 1/2 palm size amount of protein (today pulled pork), half a sweet potato, 2 cups of green veggies, 1/4 avocado

 

Snack: sometimes half an apple, just depends on the day

 

Also tons of water, about 150oz a day 

[Xandra]

On Day 30, you can feel good (great!) about achieving your goal. There is nothing to say you can, should or will revert back to any of your old habits. You get to decide what comes back into your life. The main issue with counting calories is it's a head game that interferes with you listening to your body for guidance. If your head is saying "Bad girl, that's 300 calories too much!" then you are more likely to override your body saying "I'm still hungry!"

Feed yourself healthy food, relax, and think carefully about why you need calorie information taking up your mind space.

[praxisproject]

I'm an ex-calorie counter too. I'm not sure if this will help you with the mental shift or not, but there's some myths to bust.

 

Calories in / calories out is bull crap.

 

The human body is not subject to the laws of thermodynamics, it's way more complex. A calorie measures the energy to heat something, bodies do far more than heat, they heal, they grow nails, hair, repair skin, grow bones, grow brain matter, adjust DNA and RNA and do a bunch of stuff we can't get machines to do. Humans aren't pots to boil water, calories do not make us function. Bodies have hormones, they can reproduce, they need nutrients to do all these clever things, not just calories. You can consume a whole bunch of empty calories without nutrition and your body won't have enough nutrient fuel to function.

 

The human body is not a closed system (unless there's some weird army of people out there all eating their own poop).

 

Counting calories as a tool is as outdated today as an abacus.

Sure you can count stuff with it (the abacus still counts too), but is it really going to help you get where you want to be?

[AmandaPratt]

Thank you both for your advice and kind words! It helps to be reassured especially coming from a long history of calorie counting. I've been listening to my body and for the first time in my life I feel like I am really starting to know the difference between real hunger and emotional based eating. I just need to push past my own fears now and realize that it's ok to not count calories and it's ok to enjoy what i'm eating without shame or guilt. 

[Xandra]

It's not only OK, it's the healthy way to live. The yo-yo comes into play when your body rebels against the mind and says "I SAID HUNGRY!" and takes over. Calorie counting helps with none of that, so it's a good habit to give up.

[praxisproject]

I eat more calories and more food now, but I'm healthier and lose more weight Humans are pretty awesome.

 

Calories In / Calories Out goes hand in hand with Eat Less Move More. Great slogans but can actually lead to some pretty poor eating habits.

 

Part of calorie counting is on purpose overriding the body's instinct of "I'm hungry" and saying (after counting) "No, my numbers say no" and this really makes no sense. Your body's needs change over time, it's silly pretending every day is the same and there's a magic number.