Decision Making Fatigue and its effect on weight-loss effort

jojoworks

Decision Making Fatigue and its effect on weight-loss efforts

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html?pagewanted=all

So, I've been observing myself for awhile as well as observing others on MFP and top it off with feeling some anxiety about the upcoming holidays. I've got some ideas.

First of all, read the article in the NY Times. It is long but full of very interesting ideas and information about decision making, will-power and dieting.

Suffice it to say, it highlights what many on MFP say about the weight-loss experience: you have to eat to lose weight. And casts some reasoning into the theory that you can't sustain a weight-loss program that under-feeds you.

So, given that you understand and agree with these concepts, let's explore some more ideas:

why putting your weight-loss program into the perspective of "life-style" change makes sense
why some of us eat/snack/graze at night
how to plan for the holidays and other challenging situations

Life-Style Change approach to weight-loss:

Given that making decisions and choices all day long eventually depletes your will-power, how can you use this information to aid you in your efforts to lose weight? So many of us have embraced the idea that if you've changed your life-style to a healthier approach that it makes weight-loss a side effect rather than a goal. I agree with this, but want to "flesh" the concept out a bit.

I submit that if you have created, embraced and sublimated your healthy life-style to the point that you don't have to spend energy making decisions about it, then you don't deplete your will-power storage when you eat. I'm saying that your choices have been made previously so that what's for breakfast isn't a will-power depleting decision.

This is where knowledge about food and planning your food is important. The newcomer to this way of being (a "dieter" or an MFP weight-loss "newbie") may have the hardest time getting into this groove. Learning about food, making the necessary changes and incorporating them into your life may take some time (and patience).

However, once you've passed this point and you're able to do your grocery shopping, plan your meals and prepare your food without the agony of choosing between a bag of potato chips or a bunch of radishes, you're able to consciously eat well, in a manner that can support your weight-loss efforts and without having to make constant will-power depleting decisions about food.

I even have an example! I work in an office of about 50 people. On most days during the week someone brings in pastries, doughnuts, caramel rolls, whatever. Usually the food appears in the morning. I almost NEVER am tempted to partake in these items. Why? Well for starters its morning and I haven't yet depleted my day's finite amount of will-power, so resistance is more available to me. But, also, I have no desire to eat these things. Why not? Well, I've already eaten a healthy nourishing satisfying breakfast. I'm not hungry! My brain has been given its glucose and its not even thinking about the pastries. Also, these items are not included in my personal healthy life-style buffet of options. I can walk past the open box that smells of fried sugar and fat and not even recognize it as "food". So, no will-power depleting decision even presented itself to me.

Evening Grazing:

I think this issue is the most challenging for me. When I look at it from the perspective of will-power depletion and decision-making fatigue it makes so much more sense! Now, how to turn this knowledge into a tool that I can work with! I can make all the plans in the world about what I'm going to eat that evening and still end up allowing myself something I shouldn't have at some point in the evening. I also know that I haven't yet ruled out having a glass of wine at night and I'm here to tell you, that is like a greased slide into the world where not so healthy choices become sudden options. In my "end of day will-power depleted" brain I'm no longer as likely to make good choices.

I'm lucky in so far as I live alone. I don't know how people who live with others can handle having other people's unhealthy or not supportive of weight-loss type food around. The choices for grazing in my house are pretty much limited to cheese or sunflower seeds. Neither one is low cal and a 1/3 of a cup of sunnies can certainly throw my food diary totals into the red zone. But at least I'm not opening a cupboard to find crackers, cookies or pretzels.

how to plan for the holidays and other challenging situations:

I'm going to go with the idea that planning may be the best strategy for supporting your healthy life-style. You may be ok with allowing some foods you normally wouldn't eat due to the company and the situation. For me I can do this IF I think it through ahead of time. If I can visualize the platters of appetizers and fried-onion green bean casseroles, and mashed potatoes and gravy and crispy skin turkey slices and desserts, and imagine what items and what quantities of them I will take, then when I'm at the party and in the spirit, my mind can rest easier because I've already made the decision.

The same is true with restaurants. I don't eat out very often but when I do I go on-line and read the menu earlier in the day and decide then what I'll be eating. That way when I meet my friend and we're talking away, my mind isn't tempted by a burger and fries when I've already planned on having a bowl of chili.

Summary:

make decisions in the morning AFTER a good, healthy breakfast
learn about food and nutrition
seek to surround yourself with good healthy food
know that your brain needs glucose to give you will-power
you need to eat to lose weight!

have fun this holiday season!!!

kmelski

Right on! I totally agree - the hardest part of eating healthier was at the beginning, when I had to learn about each and every food and weigh all my options. Now that I have the basics down and fully incorporated, eating healthily is so much easier, and doesn't feel like a chore or a deprivation.

cygnetpro

Wow. That's a really interesting line of thought. I need to mull over some of what you said. I had never considered that my fatigue (I have an emotionally draining job many days, and make tons of weighty decisions all day long) may play a role in why I feel the need to graze mindlessly in the evening. Like you, when I'm fresh in the morning, with a good breakfast in me, I have no problem resisting unhealthy food. But for me, around 3 pm, as my work day winds down, I am ready to hit the vending machine. I typically resist, but it is preoccupying. When my kids go to bed, and my tush hits the couch, I am ready to pour a glass of wine or two, and break out the cheese and crackers. I wouldn't have dreamt of doing that at 10 am.

Something to think about. Maybe being aware may make it a bit easier to resist. I think a warm bath and a cup of tea would be a better idea. Thanks for the thoughts!

jojoworks

Wow. That's a really interesting line of thought. I need to mull over some of what you said. I had never considered that my fatigue (I have an emotionally draining job many days, and make tons of weighty decisions all day long) may play a role in why I feel the need to graze mindlessly in the evening. Like you, when I'm fresh in the morning, with a good breakfast in me, I have no problem resisting unhealthy food. But for me, around 3 pm, as my work day winds down, I am ready to hit the vending machine. I typically resist, but it is preoccupying. When my kids go to bed, and my tush hits the couch, I am ready to pour a glass of wine or two, and break out the cheese and crackers. I wouldn't have dreamt of doing that at 10 am.

Something to think about. Maybe being aware may make it a bit easier to resist. I think a warm bath and a cup of tea would be a better idea. Thanks for the thoughts!

You're welcome! I'm very interested in the psychology of weight-loss so I read everything I can about it. I have started a hot tea during my bath routine since the weather turned cold in Minnesota. It reduces my urge to snack and pour too many glasses of wine. I also listen to deep-relaxation, mindfulness CD's at bedtime. I need all the help I can get!

jojoworks

bumping....just to give folks a chance to read this in case it helps with holiday anxiety

rae_84

Great post! I can completely see this decision fatique in my life. I always wondered how I always tend to ruin my day with late night munching.