Diet fatigue

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jaymijones
jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
edited July 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'7, and as of this morning I weigh just under 147lbs. I started at 180lbs a year ago. My original goal was 145, as you can see I'm very very close. The last 10 lbs have been really really hard. I've been averaging a 3.5lbs loss per month, which I was okay with. I was managing to maintain my calorie deficit just fine. Netting between 1200 and 1500 net calories a day, for the last few months, I tweak my calorie goals every few months so it wasn't like that for the whole year. And those are my Net numbers so I do eat more than that. The last three weeks or so have been unbelievably hard. My self control is starting to slip and I'm heading for a binge any day now. I think I might have my calorie intake set too low and am debating switching to maintenance for a few months to prevent it. But I'm so close! I don't want to quit now. I've heard the last 10 lbs are supposed to be the hardest, but I could still stand to lose another 10 and still be well within my healthy BMI range, I didn't think I would be struggling this hard at the top of my healthy BMI range. I'm hungry some of the time, usually right before meals, but the hunger isn't what concerns me, I want to eat an entire tray of cinnamon rolls ALL THE TIME!

To be fair I had set set a few different goals at the beginning and have now met all but one of them. I wanted my body fat% to be below 25% it's now approximately 24% I wanted to be able to run flat out for three miles, and I've been able to do that for a few weeks now. I also wanted to be able to fit back into my favorite size 6 pants and they're even getting a little loose (I think the manufacturer was using vanity sizing because most of my clothes are size 8). I can also complete an entire HIIT fitnessblender video without wondering if I might pass out. So really those last two pounds are just vanity at this point.

I intended to get to my goal, spend a few months focusing on new fitness goals. And then cut again maybe after the new year for a few months to bring my body fat percentage closer to 20%. But I'm wondering if I should switch to maintenance now before I find myself in the checkout stand at the grocery store with a cart full of junk and no more willpower. Should I switch to maintenance now or just up my calories by a few hundred?
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Take a break, set your calories to maintain.

    There's no reason you can't go back to losing weight later if you still want to hit that goal. It's *hard* to be at a deficit for a long time. Be proud of what you've accomplished.

    If it helps, focus on some fitness goals.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Absolutely take a break if you feel you need it. You've had a great loss. Maintaining for awhile can make you feel a lot better mentally and physically.
  • GrumpyHeadmistress
    GrumpyHeadmistress Posts: 666 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. Lost 99.4lbs over 18 months with 12lbs to go. I really need a break and am going to go onto maintenance for a few weeks. I'll try not to freak out when my weight increases due to extra food and water in my system!
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
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    Thanks that's what my husband thinks I should do. I've never been able to make it to my weight goal before, I keep getting pregnant before I get there. I know it's just a stupid number but I really wanted to prove to myself I could do it. A few months won't matter I guess. I know I'm not giving up just taking a break, but it feels like quitting.
  • lainy1979
    lainy1979 Posts: 173 Member
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    Same. I've hit a diet brick wall having been at it for 18 months my losses have slowed right down and I'm finding it more & more tedious. It has been suggested to me that a break would be helpful so I'm considering giving it a go when I'm on holiday for a week in August. I haven't been able to persuade myself to do it sooner. You're so close to your goal you've done brilliantly so maybe a bit of down time is well deserved :)
  • GrumpyHeadmistress
    GrumpyHeadmistress Posts: 666 Member
    edited July 2017
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    When I started dieting I was determined I was going to lose all the weight within a year no matter what. Over time I've realised that slow and steady is the best approach. There's no reason why an extra few weeks at maintenance will matter. It's basically vanity pounds at this point anyway!
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    I had a similar experience and I just doubled down. You're so close.
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
    edited July 2017
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    I have taken a few beaks over the last year. One over December was terrible, I gained 5lbs back, but with that one exception, I always came back to it feeling refreshed and motivated so I know it will do me good.
  • The_Weaze
    The_Weaze Posts: 512 Member
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    It's 2 pounds that no one sees but you. I agree with those above about taking a diet break in order to sustain your progress and sanity.
  • mmacdobc
    mmacdobc Posts: 2 Member
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    Agreeing with other people's advice on taking a break, but also remember that BMI isn't everything! Some say it's outdated: it doesn't account well for muscle mass, bone density, race etc. You say you're struggling at the top of your BMI range, but it's possible what is the top of the BMI range could be right on for your health (course I don't know you but it's just a thought). I'm the close to the same height and weight as you but 1500 calories would be way too little for me due to muscle mass and lifestyle, and I'm outside my healthy BMI despite being in excellent health
  • mmacdobc
    mmacdobc Posts: 2 Member
    edited July 2017
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    What I mean is that- if she hasn't thought of it, maybe she really doesn't need to aim for the bottom end of her BMI, especially if she's very muscular
  • bennettinfinity
    bennettinfinity Posts: 865 Member
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    I'm curious how you arrived at 145 as your goal. If you're happy with what you see in the mirror, how your clothes fit, etc., there's nothing wrong with saying you've met your goal and switching to maintenance. What difference will those last two pounds make?
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
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    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I had a similar experience and I just doubled down. You're so close.

    I would do this honestly. You're just under 147. It's not even two pounds. I know it's just a psychological thing wanting to see that number, but I feel like if I were in your shoes I'd just buckle down until I lost the last not quite two pounds.

    I'd slow my rate of loss if necessary, but I wouldn't take a maintenance break so close to goal.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    I don't have an aggressive weight loss goal and I eat a maintenance for a few days around my TOM, and because of this, I have never felt a need for a diet break.

    You've been losing almost a pound a week during your last few pounds so do whatever feels best to you to take some sort of a break.
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
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    everher wrote: »
    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I had a similar experience and I just doubled down. You're so close.

    I would do this honestly. You're just under 147. It's not even two pounds. I know it's just a psychological thing wanting to see that number, but I feel like if I were in your shoes I'd just buckle down until I lost the last not quite two pounds.

    I'd slow my rate of loss if necessary, but I wouldn't take a maintenance break so close to goal.

    I think I might slow down on my way to maintenance. I know it takes a little while to find that maintenance number anyway. So today I changed my goals and will aim to net 1700-1800 calories this week and see where I am after that and go from there. If I'm still craving a giant binge I'll up them a little more.
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
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    MelanieCN77 wrote: »
    I had a similar experience and I just doubled down. You're so close.


    I'd really like to, but I've fallen off the wagon often enough to know that I'm getting dangerously close to doing it again. I haven't got the willpower to double down anymore. I'm trying to stop the impending relapse before it happens
  • jaymijones
    jaymijones Posts: 171 Member
    edited July 2017
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    bennettinfinity wrote: »
    I'm curious how you arrived at 145 as your goal. If you're happy with what you see in the mirror, how your clothes fit, etc., there's nothing wrong with saying you've met your goal and switching to maintenance. What difference will those last two pounds make?

    It was the average weight I was before I started having kids.

    When I graduated high school I was 5'4, (long before getting pregnant for the first time) I'm ashamed to admit I never checked again because it never occurred to me that I might have still been growing. I also don't pay much attention to the BMI scale because I think it's stupid. But last year when I stated focusing on weight loss I happened to notice that 145 was at the top of the "normal" BMI weight range for that height, I figured it was a manageable first goal. I finally pulled out a tape measure about 10 lbs ago when someone who was actually 5'4 pointed out that I was clearly taller than her. It was kind of fun to change my height in all my tracking apps and see my stats immediately go from "overweight" to "normal." I decided to leave my goal where it was because I was so close, anyway. That being said other than checking to make sure my weight goal was still within the "normal" range for my actual height I haven't spend much time worrying about it. I only mentioned BMI as a frame of reference, but I admit I should have checked to see exactly where I was on the chart before referencing it.

    I still have more of a gut than I'm happy with, and my thighs have always been my body's preferred fat storage area. I'd like to see less jiggle than I have, not a lot less, just less.
  • Hoshiko
    Hoshiko Posts: 179 Member
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    If it was me I'd set it to juuust under maintenance (even 50 cals/day under). You get all the benefits of a psychological break and increased calories, but mentally it might not feel like "giving up".

    And I totally get wanting to hit a certain number. If that's your goal then I say go for it, and just loosen the reigns a bit until you feel recharged.

    Good job on your loss!

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