2nd day in a row that my 4 pm snack is 1/2 of a Kind bar (dark chocolate, nuts and sea salt - 100 cals and 2.5 gm sugar) plus 2/3 c. of sugar snap peapods and a cup of strong coffee. Definitely curbed my dinner consumption though the protein is way lower than I've been aiming for (I do weight training 3 days a week and I'm supposedly aiming for 100 gm protein a day to prevent muscle loss while eating at a calorie deficit). Calling it a win anyway.
Dagmar, I have only 1 snack between lunch and dinner, at around 4 pm, often this is an hour-ish before I go to the gym. A 100 cal Greek yogurt seems to do absolutely nothing to make me feel full - too much like Bill's "liquid calories" concept. Perhaps if I paired it with a 1/2 c. of cut-up veggies it would work.
Silverbirch, my office is not overly hot, and there is even a mini-fridge in an adjacent room, but I don't typically have ANY time between patients for food preparation. I eat as I type information into the computer about my assessment and plan for a patient. The idea of getting a break just because I'm mentally fatigued is laughable; I get 30 minutes per patient and the appointments are back-to-back from 8 am until 5 pm, though I typically run about 30 minutes behind schedule by the end of the day, so i'm not done until 5:30.
Andrea I have an afternoon snack of a hard boiled egg and 10 baby carrots. I eat this while driving from dropping off one dog group to picking up the last one of the day. The trick, for me, is to boil the eggs on the weekend and then take one along, in a sealed lunch container along with the carrots (the container has compartments). I shell the egg in the morning and then pack it along with my sandwich, drinks, etc.
My car, as you can imagine, is full of sand and hair and all sorts of other stuff, so I've developed the habit of eating the egg in one bite. Water helps wash it down. It's weird to have to eat like this but that's what I've got to do so I do it.
Maybe you could figure out a similar way to eat an egg at your desk? Maybe cut it into quarters?
No eating after dinner, day 4. This is SO hard. I can't believe how much will power it takes, and how much work my mind does coming up with reasons why I deserve and need and out-and-out OUGHT to go eat stuff at 9 pm. Tonight, instead of locking myself in my room, and drove to the library and dropped off some overdue books, then went to pick up a tube of cold sore medicine at the drug store. Now I'm up here reading 3FC and FB, then I'm going to bed.
Dagmar, that's not a bad idea. If I can remember to boil and shell a few eggs, I think I'l try it, with a few extra veggies thrown in.
Remembering that Dagmar suggested that she'd have her DH take pictures in her full winter uniform - layer upon layer upon layer. Can't help but now want that to be a video popping the one-bite hard boiled egg. I predict YouTube viral, LOL.
I'm celebrating a small success fighting my own layer added by over snacking of 'healthy' foods. (Curse you dried fruits!) This morning's scale reading dropped another pound. I've reached a reasonable red-line above my old maintenance weight - the kind I'd expect to have reacted to with immediate fix to out of bounds habits instead of just blasting through like I did this round.
I beginning to think there's a period we all go through, probably quite a few times, depending on our age, where we just can't put in the work required to maintain our goal or lowest maintenance weight. I've seen it not just with myself but with at least 3 other people here. A gain of about 5-10 lbs. for awhile, and then a re-commitment to getting below red line and staying there. Or adjusting upward a bit after the initial maintenance. And then developing new strategies to staying there.
What does everyone think? Is there such a thing as "maintenance fatigue"?
What does everyone think? Is there such a thing as "maintenance fatigue"?
Dagmar
I haven't maintained yet so I don't know but I think as far as losing there are just times in your life when it is just very hard to even try to diet. Those times when you are stressed at work, or busy with kids, worried about kids, pets, job, whatever it is... Those things can take all of our energy and it is just very hard to control food. The annoying thing is, at least for me, if I am in control of my food, everything else starts going better because I feel better. But I have watched myself on a gaining spree... And everything seems to fall apart as I eat dessert after dessert. How to get your mind back in the game? No idea! If anyone knows, write a book and you will be rich!
I've commented several times in the past about maintenance fatigue. It's real, and it happens. One day you just can't do it any more--the food restriction, calorie counting, whatever--not for more than two weeks, and sometimes less time than that. It's not that you don't want to, it's that you can't sustain the effort now. Part of that is physiological, not just psychological. After long-term restriction, one's body has a drive to eat more.
I believe that I my weight would not be as high as it is now if I hadn't fought it for so long. Other factors contributed, of course--life situations, stress, etc. But restriction, rules, cutoff times, counting, forbidden foods, eating strategies for every life occasion--they don't work for me now. What works (or is working, but very slowly) is stopping eating when satisfied and making sure I get exercise/physical activity.
Maintenance fatigue? Absolutely. I'm taking a break from all of it right now - the scale, the food planning, the conversations, the articles ... and just going about everything else with the extra energy and attention that's been freed up. It's been a nice vacation and it's helped me line up some new concepts about what direction to take next.
I beginning to think there's a period we all go through, probably quite a few times, depending on our age, where we just can't put in the work required to maintain our goal or lowest maintenance weight. I've seen it not just with myself but with at least 3 other people here. A gain of about 5-10 lbs. for awhile, and then a re-commitment to getting below red line and staying there. Or adjusting upward a bit after the initial maintenance. And then developing new strategies to staying there.
What does everyone think? Is there such a thing as "maintenance fatigue"?
Dagmar
I agree 100%! Been there, done that. Thankfully I'm recommitted now and back where I want to be, albeit a few pounds higher than where I'd REALLY like to be. I can feel the fatigue starting to set in again as I'm already thinking about what I will eat at a cheat meal after my cruise! It's at a favorite restaurant in Houston that we promised to take dd's to after our cruise. I'm telling myself I need to remain focused on the cruise so I don't gain ten pounds and feel like I shouldn't enjoy this restaurant afterwards-- plus I know my clothes won't fit if I gain too much!!
Scale was back down today, thank goodness. Now to keep focused for a couple more weeks....
I'm thinking I won't take too much stock in what the scale says. I weighed 141.4 lbs. on Monday and now I'm 137.4. I did not restrict calories this week, just didn't overeat in the evenings. I think the 141.4 was a kind of "random blip", just as the 137.4 reflects cold meds and possibly dehydration.
I am going to go by the way my pants fit. Right now everything is still pretty tight. So I will continue to eat my small bowls of fruit and yogurt in the evening, drink no alcohol, and see where I am Monday. I will step on the scale but I won't let the # shock me.
Geez guys! I feel like we're part of the Borg Collective! Some of you will get that!
I was literally just thinking about this just this week. With all that's been going on I've been thinking that I just can't do this anymore! I can't think about every freaking thing that goes into my mouth anymore. I can't mentally doubt myself every single time I eat a cracker. I'm sick of beating myself up all the time if I take a light day of exercise. I can't do it. Not another day, not another MINUTE!
So clearly I'm just feeling sorry for myself this week, but it does give me some relief that you guys - who have been maintaining longer then me and who I so admire - go through these periods, too.
And yes, I feel the same way, too. I felt it worse during the fall and kind of got over it for a 10 pound loss in the winter (that 10 pound loss now stands at just 8). I need to get over it! I'm happy my jeans are looser than they have been but I need to fit into more of my golf shorts! And needless to say I need to look good as the mother of the bride.
Speaking of which...DD sent out her invitations. Should I feel snubbed as she didn't send me one? I kind of wanted it for memories and such.
No eating after dinner, day 5. A bit easier today- mind is fairly quiet from "food thoughts."
"Maintenance fatigue" is a great term. Definitely agree that it has both physiological and psychological components. I keep coming back though, to the notion that there are many many people out there who DO manage to stay at a healthy weight for decades through dint of vigilance, so it is possible.
Allison, for heaven's sake, just ask DD for one and quit worrying about it :>)
I'm definitely in maintenance fatigue, and have been staying away from posting lately so as not to assimilate anyone else in with me with my down-ness. Though, looks like I'm not alone in the hive mind, so should have been chatting all along.
Allison - ask DD for one, she didn't think about it. I didn't think to send one to my mom the first time around, and she finally politely reminded me she needed one for the cedar chest. I felt really silly for forgetting, but would never have remembered on my own.
Maintenance fatigue?
If anyone knows, write a book and you will be rich!
I'm taking a break from all of it right now - the scale, the food planning, the conversations, the articles ... and just going about everything else with the extra energy and attention that's been freed up. It's been a nice vacation and it's helped me line up some new concepts about what direction to take next.
: ???
