So I'm doing the calorie counting thing to a point with a mix in of Slim fast. I'm struggling. When I was 16 I graduated from high school and after looking at my grad pictures (all of which I burned) I started calorie counting, but it got out of hand and I was pretty much anorexic. After a lot of life changes and a 40lb weight loss I was again friends with food, but that rotten friend back-stabbed me and I gained 60 lbs. I'm trying to calorie count again, but in a more healthy way, I'm tracking and have my best friend and my boyfriend watching me like hawks, but I still find myself feeling guilty for eating so much when I haven't even reached 1,000 calories a day. Does anyone have any advice or anything, I just need help!

Mind posting what you are eating? Times also?

Did you seek professional help?

I'm following the basic slim-fast plan. I have a slim fast snack bar in the early morning, then a shake mid morning, afternoon i have a bar then another shake, then another bar and then I have a lean cuisine dinner (usually under 300 calories). I've been trying really hard to make sure I eat properly and stay healthy, it's just the guilt that gets to me, like I'm so fat I don't deserve to eat. I never talked to anyone about my food problems. I tried to tell my grama, but she basically acted like I was making it up. I moved out on my own and that's when I started gaining weight because I just stopped caring. I've never been so bad that I've felt like I need any real help, I just need more people to talk about this stuff with who understand.

Welcome to the board, Goody! Are you aiming for 1,000 calories? You should be eating a lot more than that. It sounds weird because we are "conditioned" to think that we should eat the minimum amount of calories to lose weight. Counting calories should be an enjoyable thing, and you shouldn't need to be hawked by your best friend and boyfriend -- there's nothing to feel guilty about for eating and nourishing your body!

My goal is around 1,200. I tend to undershoot though. My best friend and boyfriend are supportive and they only push me to eat more because they worry about me. They want me to be healthy, its my own icky subconscious that causes the guilt and pain when I eat.

I'd chew off my own arm if I was eating what you are. You need some real food in there somewhere! Lean Cuisine isn't food.

Goody3shoes,

You're young and you shouldn't beat yourself up sweetie. When I was your age I didn't have a clue. You need to concentrate on learning about nutrition. You need to feed your body so you don't wither away and feed your body good nutrition so you can live a long and happy life.

I use a calorie counting book called, "The Protein Counter 3rd edition"
By Annette B. Natow, Ph.D., R.D.
and Jo-Ann Heslin, M.A., R.D.

You can also go to websites like The Harvard School of Public Health and type in weight loss. Or the Mayo Clinic website there's a lot of information from the medical field that is written for the public to understand.

Just remember Rome wasn't built in a day. Losing 1-2 pounds a week is great! I wish the best for you the longer you stick with it the more you'll learn and the easier it will become. Good Luck Sweetie!

Kit

Have you joined a calorie counting website?

You shouldn't feel guilty about eating food! Especially when you're eating so few calories of "real" food. I understand the need to have the weight off NOW but this is a lifestyle change. Are you going to be eating slimfast bars for the rest of your life? What happens when (not if!) you lose the weight and you're ready to move into maintenance? I want this weightloss thing to be easy. I want to eat in a way that I can eat for the rest of my life! I know that I would be p-ed off and grumpy all day if I ate the way you do.

There's so much more to health than physical health. Your mental health is also so so important. There have been studies that link a lack of important nutrients to depression. The way to get those key nutrients is to eat a variety of healthy food, including fruits and vegetables. Also finding a professional to talk to who can help you deal with your body image issues sounds like something you might want to consider.

IMO SlimFast and Lean Cuisine aren't necessarily 'healthy' foods. You can eat much more food for a decent amount of calories.

Focus on whole, healthy foods. Lean meat, fresh vegetables.

Find a counting site like FitDay or Livestrong to count your calories. It is very helpful and EMPOWERING.

And most importantly.... losing wiehg should be about YOU and feeling good. Love yourself enough to do it in a healthy way.

Good Luck (HUG)

If you must eat a lean cuisine at least supplement it! I never eat a lean cuisine alone. I always add some fruit or a yogurt or a salad. Something extra.

Personally I think you should seek professional help if you are really feeling you don't deserve to eat. If anything, eating more will help you lose weight because you probably aren't getting enough nutrients.

If you want to talk to others who understand maybe you could also look for a local support group? That way you can meet more people and connect with them as well?

Good luck.

This.

Also? You might regret later in life that you burned all those memories. I have a picture from when I graduated HS and IMO I look awful, but it's with my mom. She passed away when I was 24, and I will never ever EVER be able to take another picture with her, ever. That's just my opinion from an "old person" who's 29, . Don't ever regret a memory, because its just a memory, and you can change the future, but not the past! Don't regret it, its who you were!

And SF and LC are close and easy, but not really good things to fuel your body. There are a LOT of add-in's in those quick things, and you might want to eat more whole foods.. If you eat more veggies, protein, fiber and lean meats you will feel much better physically, and mentally!

Hi Goody! I agree with everyone else that you need to eat REAL food. Slim Fast and Lean Cuisine just aren't healthy.

Here's some ideas:

Breakfast: Egg white omelet with broccoli, spinach & a slice of 2% cheese.

Lunch: Grilled chicken sandwich & side salad
Tuna mixed with lowcal dressing over lettuce & tomatoe

Dinner: Grilled chicken or fish, 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 cup green veggie & salad

Snacks: 1 piece of Fruit - any kind - straight from it's original package.

In addition take a good multi-vitamin (GNC Womens is excellent) + a B-100 for mood & energy.

I've lost up to 50 lbs at least 20 times since my 20's. Every year I gain a few more than I lost the year before. Then I'm back to square one... THIS time I'm going to keep it off for good! We need to watch our eating habits even when we are thin so that we don't fall back into the same yo-yo routine. Just a thought. There are some very good books out there. Check out my Blog for ideas.

Good Luck! You can do it!

The fact that you're posting about feeling guilty when thinking of providing your body with enough food to physically nourish yourself makes me feel that you do need to speak to someone professional about your relationship with food.