Does anyone have an opinion or anything to share about calorie counting as soemone who is prone to overeating/binging/emotional eating etc..?

I have been become acutely aware of my problem with overeating in the last year and I can't seem to find what works for me: OA, intuitive eating, avoiding sugar, cal counting, reading every book about emoitional eating etc.. Nothing has seemed to work yet!! I see other people in this forum and randomly on the internet using calorie counting as a way to keep yourself from overeating- but I'm afraid it would make my mind more consumed with food. I am desperate for a way to gain control.

Any advice would be really appreciated

-Ranna

I have been calorie counting january 7th and have been binge free for 18 days it the ONLY thing that has worked for me. Its all there in black and white I can choose not to write down when i binge but I do and there is no lying.... It deffinetly makes me think about food alot but i feel as time goes on binge free... ill get more normal about it. I deffinetly love cal counting though The last time when i went from 200 lbs too 145 it was the only thing that worked and this time it seems to be the only thing thats working.... also try prepareing food for the week like on a sunday or a day off that helps alot, and stay distracted, Durring the time that your most likley to binge pop in a 10 minute work out video, do jumping jacks, do a beauty routine (skin, nails, hair) anything to get your mind of that binge.. im sure alot of women on here will they same thing if I can do it you can do it!!!! You really can.

When I first starting calorie counting I did become obsessed with it. I would always beat myself up when I went over my limit, but I definitely had set my daily calories WAY too low. I even got to where if I was absolutely starving, but had already hit my calorie limit for the day, I wouldn't eat.

I recently (about a month ago) started using anytimehealth.com to count my calories as well as fat, saturated fat, carbs, sugar, protein, fiber, etc. And it really helps me a lot. I have my calorie limit set on there, but I don't beat myself up anymore if I go a little over. If I'm hungry, I eat. I just eat much more nutritionally dense foods now. It also helps me make sure I'm getting enough protein and fiber, while keeping an eye on fat, sugar, etc.

And like Kristen said, even when I eat offplan (they're usually planned cheats) I still log in EVERY morsel. It helps me look back, and make gradual improvements over time. I see slip ups now as a learning experience instead of letting it make me feel like a failure.

Both Kirsten and Ann have made good advice. I have done ALL the diets (or so it seems) and calorie counting workd best for me, and yes I still count calories to maintain my loss.

dragonfly, I am a calorie counter. I changed a lot about my life. I overate and binged late at night so I started going to sleep with my family. Also, I love the feeling of being somewhat full and occasionally STUFFED. So, I found some foods I can stuff and that are also low calorie. Also, set yourself up for success. Get the crap out of your house and put it in your mind that you are NOT going to let yourself cave and go for fast foods or treats from the 7-11. I am glad you are here.

I did calorie counting, and it worked well, but I still struggled with binging. Mainly, it was because I felt restricted when I went out to dinner with friends, which was part of why I binged in the first place (not ordering what I wanted because I didn't want to seem "fat", then coming home and stuffing myself because I didn't feel satisfied.)

Now, I do intuitive eating. The weight loss is slooow. I range from .3-2 lbs a week (the 2 lbs weeks are pretty rare!), but I figure it doesn't matter. When I was calorie counting, the weight loss was faster, but then it was interrupted with a gain because of a binge, and so technically, it was slower because of the setbacks from the gains.

My main focus is to not binge. I think about the calories, but I don't count them. If I don't binge, I'm on plan. And I haven't binged in 81 days--honestly, I didn't think it was possible. And I'm not saying it's easy, it's unbelievable hard. I want to binge, I want to give up and not care, but right now, I'm not going to.

I'm a huge believer in calorie counting and also a recovering binge/emotional eater.

For me, I found that certain foods trigger binging and craving so I have to be aware of what those foods are and not have them in my home.

Theoretically, if you are counting calories you could work a reasonable portion any of your favorite foods into your diet. The trick is controlling the portion.

But for me, as a binge eater, I need to stay away from my trigger foods..... unless I'm feeling REALLY REALLY in control on a particular day - and then, I need to have only a controlled portion, i.e., I could buy a small bag of chips while I'm out and eat those, but I could not bring a 2 lb bag home and trust myself NOT to eat the whole bag.

Another thing that helps with cravings and emotional triggers for me - I take the over the counter supplement 5-HTP, which is a plant-derived amino acid that increases serotonin levels.

Thanks so much for all your wonderful advice. I have never tried calorie counting for more than a day or two, but I know I need to try something to stop this weight gain. It's really encouraging to hear other people share their stories also- binging makes me feel like I'm completely alone and the only person on Earth who has this problem. I'm hoping I can do this and incorporate some intuitive eating principles- like eating what I am really craving- and work it in to my day calorie wise. We'll see how it goes!

thanks again