I've stopped writing my food down: - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Ryanne · 09-12-2009, 03:36 PM

And it seems a little more than strange after doing it for soooo long. But I figure I have my monthly menu, so I know what I am eating when, there is no need to write it down and be so anal about it.
I'm definitely into my charts and graphs and accountability, but it's time to stop being obsessive about losing weight, and really just start living life, cuz I feel like I'm focused on this alllllllll the time! It's time to find another hobby and just do this as part of living. I need to focus on God first and then everything else needs to be balanced well.
I am seeing that since I have stopped working, I have obsessed about food, what to eat, what not to eat, how many carbs, proteins, dairies...etc.... and then the scale had to go, which it doesn't stay gone, but not AS obsessive as I was... I just don't want to look back on my life and think I missed out on enjoying my life cuz I was obsessed about food or not eating or eating, or losing weight or gaining weight...blah blah blah.
I feel like in a way, I am sooooo glad I have had all this time to relearn, decide what I want to do as far as a plan for me and my family, get the meals figured out...but now that it is all learned and redundant, I need to do something different, like learning to enjoy each day of my life instead of missing it.
Have you ever had a family member that you missed, even though they were right there playing on the computer or busy doing something??? Well, that is how I feel about myself. I miss me... I miss having fun and enjoying myself, I think my children must miss me too and would rather not have a weight obsessed mom.
I can do this without being obsessive...I can be aware, and do what is right without obsessing.
So, last night I decided to get rid of my journal that I keep track of weight, food and exercise and I put it away. One day, I may be able to throw it away, but I haven't used it today. It has become a habit, so it seems weird not to be writing in it... but also feels good to have the freedom from it.
What's funny is, I was thinking, "If I am not doing that, what am I going to do with my time?" Now see? That is an addiction. What will I do with my time? I will live, laugh and enjoy myself. I will do what I want when I want. I will clean the house, do laundry and if I want, I can sit down and watch a movie. I can play on the computer, read a book... I can take time for me. Obsessing wasn't changing my weight loss any faster anyway...was it???? LOL.... of course it wasn't. I am freeing myself!

Ryanne · 09-12-2009, 03:53 PM

Sometimes I am afraid if I don't obsess, then it might not happen because my focus isn't constantly on that thing I am obsessing about. Does that make sense? Basically if I eat right and exercise, that is all that is needed to lose weight, right? My focus doesn't have to be completely one hundred percent on it all the time.

yoyoma · 09-12-2009, 04:12 PM

Absolutely! I find that I can accomplish whatever my top priority is. Everything other than that is iffy. Weight management has been a high priority for me, but not my top priority over the last year. And I haven't jouraled for the last year.

The good news: I haven't gained any weight for the last year. The bad news: I haven't lost any weight either, which I have been trying to do. You may have more success, since it sounds like you have a fixed menu, which I don't.

As of today, I started journaling again. Maybe when I get to my final goal I will be able to go back to maintenance without journaling.

Good luck with your approach!

WhitePicketFences · 09-12-2009, 04:25 PM

How long had you been writing down everything you ate?

It is important to know thyself and presumably you do (you sound happy).

All I know is, for me, past attempts eventually fell to the wayside after I stopped writing down what I was eating. I would do it for 2 months and then bam, I'd either stop writing down everything or stop entirely. Now I am actually planning on doing it .... forever.

In any case, good luck, with both life and loss.

lottie63 · 09-12-2009, 04:25 PM

I will probably be journaling forever. I tried to stop, to 'eyeball it' and I Gained 10 lbs. My friend did the same, she gained 25.

I wish you better luck than we had!

On another note, I dont' feel that i am obsessing these days. i always do at first, but....it kind of just faded out to just tracking and exercising and not completley obsessing on food. So I think I've reached the only happy medium I will probably ever know.

Ryanne · 09-12-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhitePicketFences

How long had you been writing down everything you ate?

It is important to know thyself and presumably you do (you sound happy).

All I know is, for me, past attempts eventually fell to the wayside after I stopped writing down what I was eating. I would do it for 2 months and then bam, I'd either stop writing down everything or stop entirely. Now I am actually planning on doing it .... forever.

In any case, good luck, with both life and loss.

A very very very long time. But my point is, I make monthly menus and it is already balanced. If I trade something in the menu out it is "like for like"...say a carb for a carb or a protein for a protein. I have monthly menus, so all I am journaling is what is already on the menu.
So, I feel I am being obsessive and redundant. Plus that is not the only thing I was journaling though, I was journaling my exercise, which I do every day anyway, it's not going to change, but I was also journaling my weight, and this may be tmi, but how many bowel movements in a day, etc...
I just feel like I am putting wayyyyy too much emphasis and thought into "weight issues" and that is not helping it to come off any faster. It's like "worrying about money won't put it in your pocket"....
I don't know if I am making sense to anyone else but myself. Maybe it's just me who is overly obsessive. Sigh.

bargoo · 09-12-2009, 04:55 PM

I still write everything down and plan all meals ahead of time. This is a small price to pay in order to maintain the weight I have lost It was when I didn't plan that I found myself over 200 pounds. I have been on many diets and was able to lose but never knew how to keep it off. When I came to 3FC I asked the long time maintainers how they did it . Their answer......they keep it off the same way they lost it. What a concept !! It works !! I still keep a food diary, still plan every bite .

Alana in Canada · 09-12-2009, 05:09 PM

Try it. I hope it works for you! Give it, what, two weeks, and see how you are doing. One of the reasons I like my "plan" is that I have a chart I fill out every day. I track how many dairy, proteins and carbs I eat--and then tick it off on the chart. So, for example, the omelete I ate for lunch with a slice of buttered rye toast means I check off one protein, one veggie, one bread and two fats. I have only my suppers planned: so this is my way of keeping track of what's what.

But your plan sounds far more structured thab mine and the additional recording after the fact may be going too far. After all, having a weight problem involves more than eating too much. If you feel it's time to stop obsessing, then it probably is.

Good luck with it and if you need to reintroduce some kind of record keeping, maybe you'll find one that's simple and doable. And if you don't need to then that's great too.

cfmama · 09-12-2009, 05:48 PM

I wish you much luck with it.

I lost 148 lbs through being obsessive and STILL enjoying my life and everything in it. If I DON'T make losing weight my top priority than I don't lose weight... plain and simple. But that's ME and not YOU. It's something to keep in mind for sure though.

duqserb · 09-12-2009, 06:04 PM

I feel that I am very obsessed with everything down too. I'm constantly thinking and planning what I will eat next and it kinda drives me nuts. All I ever talk about to people is how many calories this or that is and what I made for lunch or dinner. Everyone thinks I'm nuts because I talk about this stuff all the time yet everyone thinks I'm just fine, they don't think I need to lose weight. But I know my own body and I know I need to lose at least 10 pounds to finally feel comfortable in my own skin. But anyways, I totally related to this post. I also tend to start doing bad if I stop writing everything down. But give it a shot, like you said you already have your monthly menus planned out. I guess it's more important for you to remember to change it if you ate something different for that day. Good luck to you!

~D~

Ryanne · 09-12-2009, 06:13 PM

Cf Mama, that is the problem...I feel like when I am obsessing, that I am not truly "enjoying" my life. I don't know, maybe I can't walk and chew gum. When you say "obsessing" are you meaning really obsessing or are you meaning just being very very structured? Cuz I'm Obsessing Obsessing...and it is getting frustrating to have no movement on the scale or only a lb. per week or whatever....I mean, yes, that is good... but I actually tend to "second guess" myself, did I drink enough water, did I eat a protein with a carb....argghhh, it goes on and on.... that's why I have every single meal planned out, and I have a snack or two planned out and that is what I buy at the grocery. I don't buy what is not on my list because financially I do have a budget.
I just feel it is wrong to obsess, but then I almost feel if I don't obsess then it won't happen for me cuz the victories I have always had, I kind of obsessed over.... but it's exhausting! I think that if I could stop obsessing and just learn to enjoy peace that I wouldn't "feel" so uptight all the time.
It's like I almost "have to have something to keep my mind on all the time". I worked for many years...so I am used to having a lot on my mind and being stressed, that now that I am not working, I am creating ways to stress myself...or to feel like what I do is important... because it's kind of boring just taking care of the house and the kids and making sure everyone is happy.
I would like a job, but I made a choice to stay home this year. But focusing on what is wrong with me or obsessing about getting something done that you really can't decide it's deadline...ie, you can't make the weight come off faster than it is coming off...I don't feel like I have the control over this like I do when I am in charge at work, and having deadlines and having people do what I say and getting stuff done on time.
It's a whole new world I am in and I would like to get comfortable and enjoy it, not have time pass me by and then look back later and wonder why I didn't enjoy myself.
None of us knows what tomorrow holds...all we have is today, and I would sure like to learn to enjoy it without feeling guilty or feeling like I have to be worrying about something in order to "feel right"...
I'm not happy obsessing about weight, and I can't command my body to do something more than it is going to do. All I can do is control what goes in my mouth when and that I do some form of exercise each day. If I look at it that way, I can suck the joy out of the obsession...can't I?

Ryanne · 09-12-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duqserb

I feel that I am very obsessed with everything down too. I'm constantly thinking and planning what I will eat next and it kinda drives me nuts. All I ever talk about to people is how many calories this or that is and what I made for lunch or dinner. Everyone thinks I'm nuts because I talk about this stuff all the time yet everyone thinks I'm just fine, they don't think I need to lose weight. But I know my own body and I know I need to lose at least 10 pounds to finally feel comfortable in my own skin. But anyways, I totally related to this post. I also tend to start doing bad if I stop writing everything down. But give it a shot, like you said you already have your monthly menus planned out. I guess it's more important for you to remember to change it if you ate something different for that day. Good luck to you!

~D~

EXACTLY!!!!

kiramira · 09-12-2009, 06:39 PM

Gotta hand it to you girl! I posted something very, very similar a couple of weeks or so ago, questioning exactly what you state in your post, and got seriously spanked by both posters and moderators alike! And by pm, too!!!

Let us know how it goes...this internal debate is really, really important and it will be interesting to see how your philosophy works for you.

Kira

Ryanne · 09-12-2009, 07:28 PM

I think I will try this on a trial basis, maybe try a thirty day habit breaker period and see if my results are still the same.
It is definitely an internal struggle.

kiramira · 09-12-2009, 07:53 PM

It sure is. And in any event or outcome, you'll have learned something about what you'll need to do to keep on your journey. And THAT is a good thing...

Kira