“For six years I tracked every calorie I ate. At first it felt like control and discipline. Over time, it became something I couldn't turn off — eating anything without logging it first caused genuine panic. Social dinners were exhausting. Vacations were planned around food macro spreadsheets.

I've been in therapy for eight months and my therapist has encouraged me to stop tracking entirely and learn to listen to my body again. I'm trying. But the anxiety of not knowing — of eating a meal and not knowing its exact nutritional composition — is still overwhelming most days.

I'm not asking for dietary advice. I'm asking: for those who've been through something similar, did the anxiety actually get quieter? How long did it take before eating felt neutral again rather than terrifying? And how did you tolerate the discomfort of not knowing while you were getting there?”