Weight loss fatigue - thinking of taking a break, but can I?

rms62003

I've been working on healthy lifestyle and losing weight for a little over 13 months - started August 2024. I'm down 94 lbs, have lost at an average of 1.4 lbs/week in this time period (of course, not linear, thank you body!) I'm almost out of the obese range (started BMI 44, now 30.1)

Quite honestly, I'm getting a little fatigued with the weighing, strict logging and calorie consciousness that I've been doing this entire time. I'm trying to tell myself to take a month off, but not sure I really can!

I'll still log, it's become part of my lifestyle now, but am thinking of increasing my calorie limits some for a month. I'm also thinking a scale break would be a good thing. But, part of me is afraid of rebound.

Any opinions on taking diet breaks? Anyone done it, and how did it affect you?

ddsb1111

Probably a bit of a controversial take, but you’re essentially doing the same thing now that you’ll be doing once you’re in maintenance. If you need a break, I’d suggest eating at maintenance calories but still tracking exactly as you are now. This is your lifestyle now, it doesn’t really “go away. You’ll likely find that you don’t see or feel much difference between eating at maintenance and in a deficit, at least until you’re within about 10 pounds of your goal weight.

age_is_just_a_number

Congratulations on losing 94lbs!!

You have to do what is right for you. No one else can tell you what that is.
Questions I have for you to ask yourself:

• Are you experiencing a plateau?
• If logging is now part of your lifestyle, what are you tired of?
• Why do you think you need a break?
• What will the break achieve for you?

sollyn23l2

I agree that taking a break where you eat at maintenence is a fine idea. I disagree that you won't feel much of a difference. I know I do when I'm in a deficit vs at maintenence. And typically people at a higher weight tend to run a bigger deficit... so I think either way it's noticeable. I agree that, given that this is now your lifestyle for the rest of your life... till death do us part, amen.... it's important to make it sustainable for you.

rms62003

I think it's the scale and weighing that I'm most tired of. It's frustating at times to see the number go down, then go up, etc. Also I do get tired of pushing myself with the exercise at times. I work out 4-5 hours a week, and sometimes I just don't want to do it.

I don't mind logging, but I do get obsessed with where the numbers are at times. I'm a very detailed oriented person, and so it can be hard to see the scale go all over the map, and to worry about whether my calories are in goal all the time. I think that is what I really want a break from.

A part of me, however, worries that by taking the break, I'll undo the work I put in already. But, some days it feels hard to just keep pushing myself like I have for the last year.

neanderthin

Is it not a lifetime agenda? If a person stops recording their caloric intake even at maintenance do they not gain weight and if they didn't gain weight then why would someone do it.

Feeling like your depriving yourself or feeling like it takes up too much time in your day and always feeling it's a chore is not something I would want to look forward to for the rest of my life. I hope you work out something that is acceptable, cheers.

springlering62

Another potentially unpopular opinion.

Losing that much so quickly, maybe it’s not just diet fatigue, but overall fatigue.

You’ve been killing it. You’ve put your body through a lot. Give yourself some grace.

If the habits are in place, you’ll be fine.

So what if you dial back for a while and give yourself some extra calories? It’s always there waiting for you to pick up where you left off.

I’m bad myself for go, go, go, go and fretting over numbers. We’ve been on a two week holiday and I’ve eaten everything I wanted to eat. I calculate I’ve eaten less than 7,000 extra calories. That’s two pounds (a pound being general considered 3500 calories). I’m refreshed and revived, and already looking forward to workouts next week, whereas before we left, I was feeling like “oh lord, I can’t swim another stroke of bear the thought of another chatarunga”.

Like you, I have the tools now to do what I need to do.

It’s when we get lazy, and forget those tools that we shoot ourselves in the foot.

Strudders67

I too wondered if you're generally fatigued as soon as I read the rate that you've been losing at. Whether that's been an OK rate depends on how much you had to lose, but if you're nearing 'Normal' BMI, it's probably too much at this point. Also, have you been eating at least some of your exercise calories? If not, undereating can also lead to fatigue as well as other health problems.

When I first started on here, I'd regularly see more experienced people suggesting a diet break every so often and it's a very good idea. There may even be a post about it in the Helpful Posts at the top of the page. (Edited to add that there is a post called Of Refeeds and Diet Breaks). Go back to the Guided Set Up page, update anything that needs updating and select Maintenance. Anything below that will see you still losing weight, albeit at a much slower rate. A couple of weeks or a month at Maintenance should help considerably.

If exercise is feeling 'forced', perhaps try just exercising once or twice a week to keep strength, muscle tone and technique (depending on what you do). Perhaps just weigh yourself once a week too, assuming you're doing it daily - but the scales going up and down really is perfectly normal.

Continue logging everything though - unfortunately, there's a reason why a lot of us are still here, years into having reached Maintenance. It definitely sounds like you need a bit of a break from a calorie deficit though.

PAV8888

Optimal Solutions that do not work are not optimal.

1.5lbs a week is within parameters but it doesn't mean that it has no effect on the body and mind even if it's mostly positive!

Absolutely, successfully implemented diet breaks can even improve your rate of loss, or get you there when you otherwise would not.

But they can also derail you if things get away from you and next thing you know you're back here at the original weight.

Sustainability of effort is the name of the game. Staying in the game without giving up. And for sure this means adjustments have to be made from time to time.

But that doesn't mean that change and adjustment does not have dangers.

To the contrary.

Your post screems that change is needed.

But it also screams of appreciable probability of changing too many things too fast and not being able to keep it together.

A major driver of unhappiness is an excessive deficit for too long for the you in your then situation.

But that can be adjusted either by reducing activity or increasing intake or a correct combination of both which of course given logging accuracy could be tricky to implement.

I can only tell you what I would do and why. I'm not going to claim it is the best way.

Give up on logging. An absolute non-starter for for me. Logging is the method. Same as others for example use not eating fat or not eating carbs or not eating yummy processed items as their method.

If I could have successfully long-term regulated my eating without logging then I wouldn't have been here logging in the first place 🤷‍♂️

Then either a reduction in more intense exercise activity or an and increase in the level of calories.

As mentioned successfully being able to do both would depend on how much of a handle you have on your actual real deficit and how closely your paper deficits track to the real.

Change things. But do so slowly and methodically and with a view towards sustainability.

Lastly in terms of how close to maintenance... I will be a contrarian and suggest that you do not want to go to full maintenance but you want to calibrate somewhere on a continuing -125 to -250 real calories as opposed to the minus 750 you've been applying.

And that you want to stay at that slow loss level for more than a year. In fact probably closer to 2 or 3 years till your hunger levels have subsided and become proportional to that small deficit.

Be cautious methodical and slow. Accept everything from slow loss to no loss to slight gains even, even long-term ones, but do not stop actively managing.

yakkystuff

Very interesting.… all helpful.

A few random thoughts

We are adults, free to decide, so... what are my/our options today - how do they work with my/our goals

Motivation seems to come and go... success happens when we keep doing despite urges to stop altogether. If we keep going in some manner, before long that 'want to, desire, motivation' will return and it will feel easier again.

Adjustments - life happens. What are reasonable adjustments to our routine for sick days, vacations, holidays, emergencies, exhaustion? This process can be used for eating, movement, hobbies, projects…

But somethings we adjust only for extraordinary - very few legit reasons to miss work or be late or cancel appointments...

So self-care… daily routines are they easily abandoned or adjusted often or adjusted for truly special/realistic reasons.

A very long or lifelong project can not be completed quickly... in the long timeframe, it would make sense to be more intense at times and to ease up at times. What does that range look like?

-- Bump up cals to maintenance a few days/weeks?

-- change up movement frequency or intensity or take a rest/recovery day(s) with gentle movement, walking or outdoor games/hikes?

An idea - establish some regular breakfasts/meals within calorie goals, eat those for a few weeks and look up for variations to see if you can stay the course in stable food choices without falling into urges to overeat…

There is a difference between adjusting to ease up a bit and outright quitting for an undefined break that may turn from an intentional lapse, slide into a relapse or prolonged outright collapse and regain - whatever path you choose, be for real with yourself so you can make active choices and adjustments as you go along (which we do every day in an active or a passive way.)

You have had an extraordinary prolonged weight loss time period - nothing wrong with feeling a need for variety or a change of pace... kind of like driving adjustments on a variety of roads and speeds. You don't abandon the destination/goal but you might hit a rest stop or pull off for overnight rest and resume in the morning... adjust as needed :)

csplatt

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48792499#Comment_48792499

Well, you’ll know within five to ten pounds if you need to start using the food scale again. Why not try maintaining without it and see how it goes?

Unknown

This content has been removed.