Tag: NotJustAboutTheScale - Page 2

#NotJustAboutTheScale

SolarSerpent

I Counted Cans, Not Just Calories

I used to think canned fish was my loophole—quick protein, no cooking, no questions. I’d stack tuna and salmon in my pantry, like a safety net for days when hunger felt too complicated. But every time I peeled back the lid, I’d hear the warnings: mercury, arsenic, numbers I couldn’t see but couldn’t ignore. I’d measure out a portion, then Google if it was too much. I’d eat, but I’d worry—about my body, about invisible damage, about whether I was doing it right. I still keep a can or two on hand. But now, when I reach for one, I wonder if I’m feeding myself or just feeding the anxiety I can’t shake. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

MoonlitDreamer

I Tried Every Diet. None Fixed Me

I still remember the grocery cart full of grapefruits. Thirty-six of them, because I'd calculated exactly how many I'd need for two weeks of "before every meal." The checkout person didn't ask. Then it was cabbage. Bags and bags of it, convinced this time would be different. The soup tasted like disappointment by day three, but I kept going because the scale moved. Five eggs every morning during my "high protein phase." I told myself it was science, not desperation. Each fad felt like hope wrapped in restriction. Grapefruit, cabbage soup, eggs—I collected them like lottery tickets. The weight came off, came back, came off again. I wasn't hungry for food. I was hungry for control, for the feeling that I'd finally cracked some code everyone else knew. Turns out the code was just eating like a normal person. Took me years to remember what that felt like. #DietHopping #FoodControl #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

MysticMongoose

I Tracked My Coffee Like Calories

There was a year when I counted every cup, every splash of milk, every packet of sweetener. Coffee was supposed to help—suppress hunger, burn a few extra calories, make the mornings easier. But I started to wonder if I liked the taste or just the control. Some days, I’d skip breakfast and sip black coffee, waiting for the emptiness to feel like victory. Other days, the caffeine made my hands shake and my thoughts race. I read studies about metabolism and appetite, but none of them mentioned the guilt that came with every extra drop of cream. Now, I still drink coffee. But I don’t pretend it’s magic. It’s just a ritual—one I’m learning to enjoy without measuring what it takes away. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

HarmoniousHawk

Why I Counted Every Almond

I used to think the right snack would fix everything. Greek yogurt, a handful of almonds, a square of dark chocolate—each one measured, weighed, and justified. I’d scroll through lists of "healthy swaps" and convince myself I was in control. But the craving never really left. It just changed shape. Sometimes it was a dull ache in my chest after saying no to a cookie. Sometimes it was the guilt that followed even the smallest treat, like I’d failed some invisible test. I know all the nutrient facts by heart. But late at night, alone in the kitchen, it’s not about vitamins or fiber. It’s about wanting to feel okay—just for a moment, just enough to stop counting. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

ZestyZebra

I Ate Berries for My Health. I Still Felt Broken.

Breakfast: black tea, a handful of berries, and the quiet hope that maybe this is what healthy looks like. I read somewhere that these foods help you age better—less frail, less sad, less broken. I wanted that. I wanted to believe that a cup of tea and a bowl of fruit could fix the parts of me that felt worn out at 32. But most mornings, I stared at my reflection and wondered if it was working. I tracked every bite, measured every portion, waiting for the day I’d feel strong or at peace. The research says I’m doing the right thing. My mind says I’m still not enough. Sometimes, I wish I could eat without thinking about the future. Just taste the berries. Just drink the tea. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

GalacticGale

The Night I Chose Energy Over Healing

I used to think the answer was more energy—more caffeine, more push, more hours awake. I’d grab an energy drink before the gym, chasing that sharp, jittery edge that made me feel like I was doing something right. But I never talked about the way my hands shook, or how my muscles ached in a way that didn’t feel like progress. I told myself the soreness meant I was getting stronger, but I ignored the heaviness that lingered, the exhaustion that didn’t fade. No one warns you that the things you use to keep going might be the same things holding you back. I wanted to repair, to grow. Instead, I just kept breaking. #ControlIsExhausting #BodyCheckChronicles #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

DapperDragonfly

Why I Ate Chips in the Parking Lot

I used to tell myself I just liked the taste. But there’s a moment—always alone, always in the car—where I’m halfway through a bag of chips, and it’s not about hunger. It’s about quieting something that won’t shut up inside me. I know the research. I know what ultra-processed means. But the guilt hits before the salt does. I promise myself it’s the last time, but I’m already thinking about the next. Sometimes I wonder if anyone else stands in the grocery aisle, holding the bag, feeling like it’s not just food but a test they keep failing. I wish I could explain how it feels to want to stop and not be able to. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

WildWombat

I Counted Every Macro, But Lost Myself

Dinner used to be math. I’d stare at my plate, calculating grams of fat, carbs, protein—wondering if I’d gone too far, or not far enough. I called it discipline. But it was really fear: of gaining, of losing control, of being seen as someone who didn’t try hard enough. I thought extremes meant I cared. Low-carb weeks, fat-free months, every new headline a new rule. My body changed, but my mind just got louder. I’d wince at the scale, then punish myself with another restriction. Now, I don’t remember the last meal I ate without checking if it was “balanced.” I wish I could trust my hunger more than the numbers. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

RainbowRhythm

I Ate the “Perfect” Breakfast. Still Hungry for Control.

I read somewhere that a protein-rich breakfast would help me feel full and focused. So I measured out the skyr, weighed the oats, and told myself this was the healthy choice. But as I sat at my desk, I kept thinking about lunch. Not because I was hungry—at least, not in the way I used to understand hunger. It was more like a quiet itch, a restlessness that food never really solved. The numbers on the nutrition label promised satiety. The experts promised clarity. But the only thing I felt was the familiar urge to check, to count, to make sure I was still in control. I don’t know if I’ll ever trust my body more than the rules I’ve made for it. #FoodGuilt #ControlIsExhausting #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

EuphoricElephant

I Ate the Greens. I Still Felt Empty.

Dinner was a bowl of spinach, kale, and beet greens. I told myself I was being good—nutrients, fiber, all the things I’m supposed to want. I chewed slowly, waiting for that sense of pride or relief to show up. It didn’t. Instead, I stared at the empty bowl and wondered if I’d earned the right to feel okay about my body tonight. The numbers add up, the vitamins check out, but the guilt lingers anyway. I know the benefits by heart. I still can’t taste satisfaction. Sometimes I think I could eat every green in the world and still not feel full in the way I want. #FoodGuilt #BodyCheckChronicles #NotJustAboutTheScale #Health #Diet

Tag Page NotJustAboutTheScale