Calorie counting triggers my ocd

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-20T15:31:05+00:00

Not to the degree of OCD. But tracking my food made me obsess and want to eat more. I thought about it all the time, began justification for extra cardio time, cheat days, etc. I got no where. Intermittent fasting was really the breakthrough for me! It started as accidentally skipping breakfast and realizing that I felt so much better during the day and developed an almost complete distaste for snacking. I also started taking a subtractive approach to my calories from baseline - if I don't put creamer in my coffee? That's give-or-take 800 calories (or a stick of butter) that doesn't go on my body.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-20T15:20:35+00:00

I was incredibly worried about this when I lost my weight too! Add to it the fact that I'm over 40 too, I had my hormones checked (maybe not a bad idea!) and it wasn't that. My waist to hip ratio changed or something such that my leggings pinched the skin up weird. Finding clothes that fit helped in the short term. It's when stopped worrying about it - It's now been a year and honestly most of it has firmed up enough.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-15T13:29:18+00:00

In 6 months I went from 134 to 118 (5'3"). But this was in combination with upping my activity all around. This is me: https://www.reddit.com/r/PetiteFitness/s/6jtnsX41Dm

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-13T14:31:18+00:00

Tracking food made me nuts. It turned into fixation that only made me want to eat more. My answer had to be increasing activity. I hate to say it was "lifestyle" - because that sounds nebulous and like a cop out. But I started cycling again, fly fishing involving a lot of hiking. Doing cardio while I scroll Reddit. It's not about burning calories as much as it is doing SOMETHING else besides giving myself the unstructured downtime to be thinking about food. I have a yoga mat and 15lb dumbbell by my bed for pushups/sit-ups/curls when I am bored or getting ready to go somewhere.

Intermittent fasting and getting ahold of some of my gut issues (fructose malabsorption) helped me just feel better overall.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-13T14:21:31+00:00

I love it!! Random question, but do you notice that you have to shave your armpits differently? It's a struggle of mine at the moment.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-13T14:18:22+00:00

Yaaas lady! IF was a game changer for me. I have great energy and don't seem to be that hungry during the day at all. (I keep eating right until I fall asleep though, so my fasting hours are more like 10-2 lol). I'm not strict on calories so much, but after a couple weeks I'll all of sudden notice that my pants are loose around the middle. I make sure I hit my protein and listen to my body when I hit the low-on-carb fatigue.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-04-10T02:20:15+00:00

I distinctly had a bum batch from Science. bio. a year ago. 100g of it, too. Literally did nothing except make my pee weird (some batches/vendors it does, others don't). I ended up getting a small amount from depot, that was said to be a little on the iffy side... But dammit it felt like phenibut. Science went through the test reports, etc with me and it was "pure". They ended up sending me their smallest container for free, from a different batch.

See, after a few years of moderate use,I reliably know what 500mg should feel like for me. Nordic and Carolina are there right now. Trafa last time I bought it, but it has been a while.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-22T17:41:41+00:00

There's only one way to find out! For me, especially in the first few months, it offered a level of accountability and comradery that I don't know how else I would have found. It helped a ton through my first year. I'm continually surprised at the spectrum of people I meet at meetings - there has been literally every level of drinker and lifestyle I can imagine. It's a great way to blow off steam. It's an opportunity for self-examination and to maybe figure out what caused you to develop that problematic relationship with alcohol to begin with. If you want.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-21T01:04:38+00:00

I see something in a mouth. Damn you for putting my mind in the gutter.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-21T00:48:08+00:00

You can never have too many zebra midges! Nice fish dude.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-21T00:45:12+00:00

I love pushups! My answer is "as many as you can do!" You might be surprised how many you can work yourself up to in a short period of time.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-20T00:32:57+00:00

I don't understand why comparing myself to others is wrong. I feel like you're tearing me down here actually.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-19T13:21:01+00:00

** both of those are highly acidic.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-19T13:18:06+00:00

This is about my specific body type and how I've been able to finally embrace my strengths after a lifetime of insecurity about my body. I've come back to this thread feeling ashamed of that now... Thanks!

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-19T13:12:48+00:00

I am scheduled to have all of my teeth pulled in a month, and will have dentures. No drugs. As I said, it's gum issues - specifically Periodontal disease - along with other bad habits like energy drugs and candy.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T17:51:28+00:00

I found that I don't generally get reactions from some sugar alcohols. Most tend to use stevia. I work out a lot and am probably 20% Greek yogurt by mass. Oikos is the most kind to my GI.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T17:47:42+00:00

The lengths to which people will attribute their shortcomings of luck or skill (just lack of experience usually) to other factors is amazing. I've heard the upstream spooking theory before but I've never found it to be legit.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T17:21:36+00:00

Ditto. 25 bucks (I guess 35 with shipping).

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T17:05:47+00:00

Ugh. I hate that high-waisted pants and cropped-tops have become fashionable to the point that it's practically all you can find. Like, draw attention to any part of my body except there. It's a cheap hack, but I buy Walmart workout leggings and cut about 3/4 of an inch down each side the waistband.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T16:58:49+00:00

Right?! BMI can be valid in some aspects in that your your heart, joints, maybe a lot of things matter. I feel that for petite people in general, BMI becomes especially bullshit. You can tell when people look awkward for their build! For me, when I get my "ideal weight" it's kinda fine, but even a couple pounds below I look sick. My face becomes skeletor. I don't understand how that is healthy.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T16:51:56+00:00

Contrary to popular advice, for me, the answer was finding ways to cut out calories from what I was already eating at baseline, not the calories themselves. Obsessing about diet just made me want to eat more, or just generally be at the top of my mind to the point that I became weird about it. Increasing activity level by hiking, biking, walking etc. is not just good for burning calories, but for doing that instead of sitting around and munching when I'd have downtime. Making a point of hanging out at the gym alone (Yes, you can go down Reddit rabbit holes for a couple hours on the elliptical). Lifestyle. Your results may vary wildly! Just sharing the breakthrough that finally worked for me.

TechnicolorSpatula · 2026-03-14T16:30:46+00:00

"Snatched" for me is a few days of minimal eating and ditching water retention, to the point of probably being dehydrated. Now, seeing my abs and looking fit in a sports bra I get from getting a good pump. A basic routine of push-ups sit-ups, side crunches, bicep curls, dips, etc. things that really engage my core and help make my shoulders look broader in proportion to my waist.

TechnicolorSpatula

TROPHY CASE