I've started counting calories, at first everything was great but for a while now it's been feeling strange. I used to not pay attention to what I ate, but now I'm calculating every bite, and at the end of the day, when I'm in the negative, I feel this odd pressure as if I should be eating less. Is this normal or is something wrong?
I experienced the same thing, honestly. At first, everything seemed fine, but at some point, I found myself questioning whether I "deserved" what I was eating. In my case, this situation was diagnosed as the beginning of an eating disorder, and I sought support. If you find yourself questioning like this, you might consider seeing a specialist.
Honestly, I think this feeling is really common. Constantly thinking about the calculations can be exhausting. But that doesn't necessarily mean there's a direct problem. Sometimes, when we get too into it, we tend to blow things out of proportion in our minds; maybe if you try to relax a bit, it will feel lighter 🥲
Don't put so much pressure on yourself, my daughter. If you get stressed thinking you have to control everything, it's going to wear you out. If you were my daughter, I'd say, take a moment to see if you're really obliged to do all this.
My friend went through the same thing. He kept opening and closing that app on his phone, calculating how much he ate everywhere we went. After a while, he stopped and said, 'No, I'm stressing myself out too much.' So maybe it would be better not to hold on so tightly?
You clearly mention that you feel an above-normal level of control pressure over your eating habits. This can develop into a behavioral condition like orthorexia. Of course, you need to consult with an expert to say anything definitive, but it might be more sustainable to aim for flexibility rather than calculating eating behavior.
I've just realized that I actually feel this pressure the most after dinner. During the day, it’s not a problem as long as I do everything "as planned", but when things shift, I feel like I need to compensate for it.
Systems that teach you to cope with what you eat want you to solve your body like a math problem. If this has started to stress you out instead of serving you, I don't think it's sustainable. The order that forces you to control your body this much should wear down the system, not you.
