I'm mentally struggling with my diet and what I should be doing to eat healthy :(

[alice-on]

I'm on the thinner side, about 5'5 or taller, maybe around 110 lbs. I eat healthy foods, no sodas, junk, or processed crap. Part of me feels like I eat so well, and considering that I look healthy and see improvements in my strength goals, that I shouldn't really worry about the amount of calories I get and should just eat when I'm hungry. I've never been over weight, yet I have this crazy fear in the back of my head that if I eat too much I'll gain and not like how I look. Pretty much, I guess it's just a mental block that I need to get over, but I'm not sure how. It's something that I struggle with on a daily basis, and haven't really had anywhere to talk about it. I would like to be able to eat through out the day with decisions that don't come with nagging doubts. A general day of my diet might be something like this: drink a protein shake when I wake up, then drink 30 ounces of water that contains the equiv. of 1 serving of green tea, I work out, usually have either an egg, bacon, spinach and cheese omelette or a shake with carrots kale pb and milk, for lunch an apple, later a salad or a snack of almonds, then later at night I'll have some sort of home cooked meal with a serving of meat and either some veggies or (rarely) some pasta. I get another 30 ounces of water in there during the day. I feel like this was a bit long, but I didn't want to leave out any information that might help. Finally getting some feedback from other people of fitness will be a tremendous help to me, so thank in advance to anyone with advice!

[ebm1224]

truthfully, it doesn't sound like you eat much. if you're only 110 lbs are you at a healthy weight for your body type? i'm 5ft4 and i think my ideal is closer to 130...but of course body type can vary. i'd defintiely recommend checking with your doctor to see if your weight is healthy for you. alot of people whjo obsess and worry about getting too heavy overcompensate by not eating enough...and it can lead to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. perhaps talking with a counselor would be a good step...they can offer insightful information if you feel like you're heading in that direction.

the fact is, though, that it's not like people gain tons of weight very quickly. the goal is to be able to listen to your body, eat what you want, when you want, and stop when you are full. if you do that, it's unlikely you'll ever be overweight.

[Blaizen]

Your diet sounds damn tasty to me, and looks pretty healthy too. Maybe slip another protein shake in at lunch or a chicken salad or something but seriously this is a good looking food plan.

[alice-on]

This is the most I've ever weighed, and I'm sure it's from upping my strength training, and therefore trying to eat more. I do feel like I might have some eating problems, and I'm very happy with my weight gain (it's mostly in muscle, which is my goal) and want to put on more size in muscle, which I know I have to eat more to do. I guess I just obsess over whether or not I'll end up eating more than I'm currently able to work into muscle mass. But you are right, I won't gain it quickly, that reassurance feels good.

[alice-on]

Ha, yeah, I really do love the food that I eat! For some reason my body just CRAVE healthy stuff, like veggies and proteins.

[This is Seth]

Ha, yeah, I really do love the food that I eat! For some reason my body just CRAVE healthy stuff, like veggies and proteins.

Because they're yummy.

I have the same problem. I've dropped about 45 lbs in the last year and am at a point where I'm messing with my eating in order to stimulate muscle growth. The past 8 weeks or so I've been stuffing my face in order to gain as much weight as possible and it scared the hell out of me. The fact that kept me sane was knowing that I've dropped the weight before, so I can do it again. I'm about 8-12 lbs heavier than I was at the beginning of the year and am looking forward to cutting it again, because I know I can.

If you understand that you can always fix your body, with hard work and lots of sweat, then there's nothing to be afraid of.

[oystergirl]

Seth's last statement is so true. I lost a ton of weight then gained it all back due to stopping a healthy life style. When I began to apply the healthy lifestyle again but in a much more moderate way, I began to lose again. Weight is not a permanent thing. It fluctuates based on your overall program. Knowing this should give you some measure of comfort. Evaluating your goals, which sound like gaining muscle should also give you some measure of comfort. Looking at how others have added in muscle (spezzy) and the program they used should lead you in the direction you want to go. I think for some people they have unconscious ideas of what is right and that contradicts reality. Without eating healthy meats, fats, safe carbs, veggies etc. you will not reach your goals no matter what beliefs you hold in your head. Find your goal, find the program, stick to it for 6 to 8 weeks and then reevaluate. If you are meeting your goal, wonderful, if not, then recalibrate things. Best of luck!