Are we "Fudgers" and "Justifiers" ???

I was worried about diet fatigue, but I have developed and found so many foods that I love that are in my plan that it just doesn't take much work.  Early on it took a lot more effort.  Now if I'm fatigued, I just make one of my favorite dishes or two and I am set for the week.  Before it took a lot more work figuring out what was good that worked.

I agree with Stacy on this.  I had to put effort into cooking healthy and interesting foods to keep me satisfied.  If I were eating a lot of shakes, and protein bars, and cottage cheese, I might feel more diet fatigue.  But I make things like crustless mushroom quiche, and zucchini lasagna and enchilada casseroles and Greek chicken with Kalamatta olives, and crock pot thai chicken, etc. I put a lot of effort into searching for recipes and then making them low carb and low calorie so I have interesting foods to eat.  This helps me resist the pizza and Chinese buffet and other foods I've had to avoid.  it helps me feel satisfied with what I can eat.

best wishes,

Carol

Just because you know I like to be a bit naughty and stir the pot.....

There is actual scientific research and evidence that support the idea of "diet fatigue". It is actually a study that our mutual friend (the bombshell from Odessa...) directed me toward. Long and short is that the study found that we humans have only a certain amount of usable "will power" in reserve. After a certain point the will power tank goes empty and needs to be refilled. This is why diets don't typically work or why many alcoholics, smokers, gamblers, fatties who quit the drug of choice cold turkey without a plan for true change will revert to old habits.

We all talk about building habits in those first months and year to keep us going long term. It's those habits that get us through those days we've just had it and want to eat the effing pizza and polish off a carton of Ben and Jerry's. I thought I'd done the work, but I hadn't done enough of it or practice it long enough. I"m doing that now and in a way it sucks - in a way it doesn't.

So sure, I get sick of eating on plan (and yes ....I've spent a good year eating on plan and off plan ...as we all know...), but it has been a choice. No one forced that Twinkie down my throat, you know. But Diet Fatigue is not a reason people go off plan. I call BS on that. People (including myself) go off plan because they choose to go off plan. On whatever level it may be, it's a choice.

Citing diet fatigue as the root cause of WL issues reminds me of  my favorite line from a song in Chicago. The gist of the line is this: "But your Honor, I was in the kitchen cooking, holding the knife and he came at me and ran into the knife... SEVEN TIMES!"

This is totally how I'm feeling.  

So I don't feel fixed, but in some ways having WLS makes me realize how broken I used to be.  Prior to WLS I can barely remember a time when I was not on a diet.  My first official diet was at 9.  My parents, probably under scrutiny from other parents, rarely got us fast food (and never the french fries), we never had "real" cokes in the house (or elsewhere for that matter), I packed my lunch very consciously, etc., etc. etc.  FOREVER AND EVER.  It seemed like I said "no, no, no" and was so hungry, and deprived.  And then the one time my willpower would waver and we would order in Chinese, it was as if 10lbs. would magically appear overnight.  To this day, I think my metabolism was/is super screwed up.  I feel a little cheated.  Thank God I had surgery.  I would have NEVER lost weight without it.  

I can do some of the work, but I'm done working for nothing, or worse, something that works against me.  I guess that's what diet fatigue means to me:  I'm tired of trying and never getting results.  Sometimes I do use that as an excuse--do you know that in my formerly fat life I could never get something out of the vending machine.  I mean seriously, a candy bar?  That would be like spitting in the face of all I've done and drawing all kinds of attention from people who would have thought I ate them all the time.  Now?  I occasionally have a candy bar.  I know!  Gasp!  I never would have thought!  It's just so liberating to be able to eat something without the moral blame attached like it was when I was fat.  And to eat without feeling like my hungry monster would never stop.  

Now I do have to be careful.  Where I am particularly challenged is the "everyday's a special day" attitude.  "It's the first cool day of fall, I think I'll have a pumpkin spice latte."  "My friends are going to lunch, I think I'll order x."  "The fair only comes once a year."  "What cute football food, let me help myself."  "It's Thursday, it's been a long week."  "It's Friday, let's celebrate!"  "I don't want to cook today, it's Saturday."  "Tomorrow's monday, I need to eat."  Yada yada yada.  

I am tired of dieting.  But I will continue to monitor what I eat.  People have different opinions, but this far out I feel like calories are calories.  I'm trying to keep an eye on myfitnesspal and my weight and adjust as necessary.  In my opinion, snacks and treats are okay.  The most dangerous thing is creating a pattern.  The psl and scone on a random fall afternoon aren't a threat to me; the little debbie oatmeal cream pies that I bought (wth?!?!) and have consistently consuming are.  

And if I lose restriction, I will probably regain the weight.  Why not?  I'll be fully honest that the surgery is what allowed me to lose weight and what allows me to keep it off.  And if I do someday regain, I'll make no bones about having a revision.  It's a life saver

Well I believe in moderation with my diet fatigue.  :)  

I have been at this for over five years and sometimes, I just get tired of watching what I eat, tracking my food intake, being mindful and so on... I get fatigued.

I also get fatigued with my work, housework, parenting, shopping (food not clothes), and just about everything else.  I get tired, I get bored, I get unenthusiastic and even petulant about doing these mundane things over and over and over at infinitum.  Sometimes I do them badly, sometimes I fail to get them done, but I never give up on them.  How can I?  They are just a normal part of adult life.  Food is the same for me now. I am not perfect, not by a long shot and sometimes I mess up, fail, take a breather, or just focus on something else.  I never do this for long and I never hide from the consequences.  I know that eventually, in the not too distant future, I am going to face the music and get back to basics.  How can I not?  It's just part of my normal reality now. 

Yes.  This is just it.

Fudgier or Justifier I honestly just don’t understand what is going on

On May 22 2013 my first Doctors visit, I weighed 265 lbs.   I had never given any real thought to my weight it just sort of crept up on me but once I spoke with the Nut and  realize that I was eating  1000 calories a day for  breakfast it was no longer a mystery  as to why I was Morbidly Obese.

Before surgery every morning for breakfast I drove thru Dunkin Donuts and got a Chicken Salad Croissant, Sour Cream Donut and Large Ice Tea (910 calories) that I ate in my car on the way to work. Once I got to my office I could barely walk to the front Door because my knees hurt so much and rode the elevator up two floors to my office where I sat at my desk talking on the phone for 8 hours.   During those 8 hours it was not unusual for me to compulsively eat an entire bag of jelly beans while I was sitting at my desk.  For lunch I would ride the elevator down to my car where I drove two blocks to the deli where I would get a sandwich, chips, coke and cookie (can only imagine the number of calories) ride the elevator back up. For dinner I typical had more fast food or pasta for dinner at home that covered my plate. I realize that not only was I making poor food choices but my portion sizes were out of control.

On my medical weight management program I logged in to my fitness Pal and my day was more like this

Breakfast ½ cottage cheese, ¼ cup strawberries, 1 TBLs Almond coffee with cream & sugar

Lunch 1 cup of turkey chili, snack s at work instead of Jelly Bean were now raw carrot stick, snap peas

Dinner 3 oz. of Shrimp and 1 cup of broccoli

Took a walk for 30 mins at lunch and I climbed the stairs every day to my office, where I would climb up a flight of stair to go to the bathroom each day.   I have not ridden in an elevator since my first Doctor appt. In the beginning it was slow but I still climb the stairs. 

On 10/31/2013 I had surgery and I weighed 229 lbs. This morning I weigh 184 that are only 45Lbs in 10.5 months.  I seldom eat more than 1200 calories per day.   Every day I climb 8-10 flight of stairs, I go to Curves for circuit training 3-4 times per week, track my step with my Fit bit where I typically get 8K-10K step per day. I go for a 2 mile walk 2-3 times per week.   Yet I have not lost a pound since May 5 when I gained 5 lbs. on vacation.  

I am eating much less and moving more and more and yet my weight is stuck.  I always drink 100 ounces of water I checked my MFP and for the past 30 day my protein is 70-100 grams per day.  Every day it is getting harder and harder to stay on track so I completely believe in Diet fatigue I don’t want to be a justifier but am I destined to eat only 600-800 calories for the rest of my life?  

I am so sorry to hear this!  I wish I had some advice.  I lost most of the weight I wanted to lose in the first 14 months.  I could still stand to lose 15-20 to look my very best.  I NEVER eat more than half of what anyone else is eating.  If I have a steak dinner, say, I will maximum eat 3 oz. filet, 1/4 c. sweet potato (yes with butter and sugar, but c'mon), and a little bit of my salad...and that's a splurge!  I am very conscious of what everyone else around me is eating and I'm always eating healthier and less.  

I'm beginning to think these last few pounds aren't worth it.  To me that's what diet fatigue is.  It's me saying I can't be superhuman forever!