I'm getting burnt out

endermako

I've been on this weight loss grind for about 18 months. I did this slow on purpose so that I had a better chance of sustaining this lifestyle. I'm down about 50lbs and have 4lbs to go and suddenly I have just hit a wall in my motivation. I am getting so tired of eating at a deficit and working out five days a week. I've even incorporated a refeed day once a week and I still feel like this. I don't want to go on a diet break when I'm so close. Do I have any other options?

TDEE: 2000-2200 calories
Daily food logging is usually around 1500 calories
5'4
144lbs

MichelleSilverleaf

Take a break and eat at maintenance for awhile. 4lbs is going to come off very slowly, and maybe taking a break to just kind of breathe will help you tackle those last 4lbs. Otherwise discipline yourself to do the deficit and work-out anyway.

I might also ask, would that 4lbs make much of a visual difference? Maybe recomp might be more up your alley at this point?

endermako

MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »

Take a break and eat at maintenance for awhile. 4lbs is going to come off very slowly, and maybe taking a break to just kind of breathe will help you tackle those last 4lbs. Otherwise discipline yourself to do the deficit and work-out anyway.

I might also ask, would that 4lbs make much of a visual difference? Maybe recomp might be more up your alley at this point?

i'm going to start my recomp at 140lbs, I'm at the very top of the healthy weight range for my height and want it to be a little bit more underneath that before i go to maintenance where i know i'll gain a few pounds from increased food intake and replenishing my glycogen (water weight)

Cassandraw3

I understand your struggle. I have been trying to lose another 5 lbs since January, but have not been successful at keeping a deficit. Maybe focus on a different goal for a while? Set some fitness/strength goals and focus on those instead. My biggest struggle is I am no longer completely unhappy with my body. I still have a couple of pounds of fat I would like to lose, but I'm fairly happy with how I look now.

amusedmonkey

I also think taking a break or maintaining your current weight are your best options, no matter how badly you don't want a break. Maybe maintenance with the occasional deficit day? Like if one day you find yourself still at a deficit in the evening, just leave it like that. You would basically consider yourself in maintenance and accept your current weight as a goal weight, and if the deficit adds up, you may find yourself a couple of pounds lighter next year.

sijomial

You don't need to have a deficit every day to lose weight - just over an extended period of time.
To nibble off a few pounds without getting frustrated or feeling ground down when I'm exercising hard I find it far less hateful to eat at or around maintenance most days and have a variable deficit on those days when it simply suits me best.
Examples: Not hungry some mornings? Skip breakfast. Having a busy day? Skip that mid-afternoon snack.

BTW - not everyone gets a weight bounce from replenishing glycogen, if you have a small deficit and don't go low carb it's unlikely.

jdog022

A refeed week or even ten days would be your next logical step. A single day of high carb hasn’t shown to really rebound the hormones. I’d go a full ten days at or even slightly above maintenance +200. Been there done that and it helped dramatically

Annie_01

When I begin to feel burnt out I focus on changing up my diet a bit. I will add new foods that I haven't been eating...try some new recipes...etc

This week I added fish and seafood. I usually don't eat it because for some reason I am horrible at cooking it. I managed to make salmon without over cooking it and added some shrimp to a new recipe that I was trying. Both I am proud to admit turned out really good.

I just find changing things up a bit gets me motivated again.

endermako

BTW - not everyone gets a weight bounce from replenishing glycogen, if you have a small deficit and don't go low carb it's unlikely.[/quote]

Oh that's good to know, i thought it was everybody

PAV8888

Sorry to add to the chorus. But it sounds like you're in the incremental nudge territory. Your best bet, imho, is the extended diet break/i'm at maintenance/recomp level. Then in a few months revisit and implement a small deficit (-250 range) from where you will be then. Or do the opportunistic deficits discussed above.

Reason is you sound as if your physical fitness goals are getting impacted. Health-wise the incremental benefit of just above to just below normal weight is minimal. Other than brain hamster wise, of course.

sardelsa

I know it feels frustrating to take a diet break so close to goal but believe me that is when you usually need it most. Back in 2017 I made the mistake of running my cut without any diet breaks. I felt burnt out and drained by the end. It was really awful. This time around I took two diet breaks and what a difference they made. They gave me more motivation, push in the gym, they gave me that edge I needed to get as lean as I wanted to be. I would highly recommend giving it a try, even for 7-10 days.

collectingblues

It looks like you're at a pretty aggressive deficit right now -- your intake/TDEE has you at about a pound a week, right?

Have you considered cutting to half a pound a week instead, and adding 250 calories back in? That could give you that happy medium between full maintenance/diet break and the losing-a-pound-a-week deficit that you're in now.

endermako

but i could be done in 4 weeks

amusedmonkey

firecat1987 wrote: »

but i could be done in 4 weeks

Or, you could end up playing with the same pound for 4 months due to the inability to stick to a deficit. A voluntary diet break is much less frustrating than a burn out induced one.

sardelsa

firecat1987 wrote: »

but i could be done in 4 weeks

That's what I thought and it was weeks of torture. I was so stubborn and refused but once I was done I only spent two weeks of maintenance then into a nice long surplus. It's up to you though, I was the same way and refused to take a break but learned from it. Maybe lower your deficit a bit to get you through. If you find your workouts are suffering likely so will your results. Try to remember that.

endermako

okay. I'll eat at maintenance for 10 days and see how i feel

collectingblues

firecat1987 wrote: »

but i could be done in 4 weeks

I hear you.

I'm about 5-6ish pounds out from my end goal, and I was feeling marginally guilty about having a stretch of days in a row at the maintenance setting -- I usually take breaks at my birthday and Easter, and this year they're within a few days of each other, so I'm being lazy and not changing my goal back. But then I realized that F it, I haven't had a maintenance break since February when I had a vacation + half marathon, and I'm at my size goal right now (perk of doing a birthday shopping trip on Wednesday and then today), and OK FINE, I would eat at maintenance a few days.

See how you feel when you try it. It may not be as bad as you fear, especially if it gives your brain a little bit of a break.

NovusDies

Just a thought but are you unhappy only because of a number? If so, I suggest putting it aside and starting your recomp now. In a few months evaluate how you feel and decide then if you need to lose a few more pounds.

JBanx256

Diet fatigue is a real thing.
Every 6th or so week, whenever I have a deload week, I also eat at maintenance for the week. IMO it helps a ton.
FWIW - I'm also 5'4" and ~142 lbs currently.

endermako

NovusDies wrote: »

Just a thought but are you unhappy only because of a number? If so, I suggest putting it aside and starting your recomp now. In a few months evaluate how you feel and decide then if you need to lose a few more pounds.

not unhappy because of a number. I just stick to my goals.

anl90

Others have already said it, but I would say switch up your diet, and maybe even your workout regime (if that is part of why you are feeling so burnt out). It has helped me in the past. Just don't give up! I have faith you can get that second wind. (: