Dieting fatigue can prove to be a really difficult obstacle to pass when it comes to your quest of reversing fatty liver disease aka MASLD.
This is something that you have to prevent – or learn how to get past – if you want to succeed in getting your health back. It’s a long term commitment, and I am here to help you learn how to beat dieting fatigue associated to a fatty liver disease.
I am writing this article based mainly on my experience following a pretty strict fatty liver-friendly diet. I was diagnosed with NAFLD aka MASLD back in 2014 and even though I have reversed it since, I am still following the diet today.
This means that I did manage to beat dieting fatigue and embrace this new way of living compared to my old ways. I can only hope that my strategies will help you cope and beat dieting fatigue – which will surely come sooner or later.
The important thing about fatty liver is that it can and will come back if you return to your old eating habits, even if you reverse it. You can learn what fatty liver disease is here.
Therefore, we must understand that we’re in this for life: we have to eat healthy and stay healthy. No other choice here!
When will dieting fatigue hit during your quest to reverse fatty liver?
Dieting fatigue will happen eventually – and how soon it will hit depends mainly on how big the difference will be between your old eating habits and the new ones.
In my case, it was after my first follow-up visit to the doctor, when she told me that I had almost cured my fatty liver.
When I heard the news that I’m doing so well, it became really difficult to stick to my diet: my mind kept telling me that I was cured, that I can now have a little bit more of that greasy, fatty type of food, that now I can eat a bit extra sugar (which is the biggest mistake of them all – that “bit” will always get out of control!).
So, yes, it’s hard!
But following my doctor’s appointment, the negative effects of the dieting fatigue effect were obvious.
Although I managed to lose 40 pounds in the initial 14 months, I gained 4 back in just a month, by reducing the amount of exercise I was getting (“I am healthy anyway, so why do it?“) and allowing me the extra portion and even some of the things that I promised myself to never eat again (Snickers, anyone?).
Fortunately, I am still checking my weight daily – which is one of the top things to do if you want to be 100% sure that your “extra portion” won’t turn into you getting back to your original weight.
I have to admit that every time I slip and get off the healthy eating and living path, it’s more difficult to get back on track. It’s a lot easier to just stick to the plan instead!
Staying healthy is a way of life, not something you do just to right the wrongs so you can then mindlessly splurge once you’re done!
And the biggest problem about allowing you a larger portion or eating something that you are not allowed or making any change to the diet that’s working is that bit by bit you will get back to the old ways which are really unhealthy – as it’s these that got you here in the first place!
So never rest and never get back to the old way of living, even after reversing your fatty liver, no matter how hard dieting fatigue hits you!
How to beat diet fatigue related to a fatty liver disease diet
I have 6 important tips to share for those who are dealing with – or just preparing for – dieting fatigue.
1. Cheat day
I am allowed to cheat once per month and on special occasions (holidays, birthdays), in reality meaning that I usually cheat once every 3 weeks, more or less.
When I cheat, I eat stuff that I won’t normally eat, but without going overboard: I’m not jumping into fries and burgers, but I would eat a few slices of pepperoni pizza and greasy or even sweet stuff.
Sugar is more difficult to give up than alcohol, but equally important – so try to stay away from it. Always. To help with that, I have a more in-depth article on how to deal with sugar cravings.
If today is my birthday, I am having pizza and homemade cake (without added sugar).
Once you are back on track, I consider that these cheating days are vital for the long term success of your dieting and your sanity.
Just don’t overdo it and don’t consider the cheat day as a means for you to eat for the next decade. Still use moderation and appreciate the extra bits that you’re getting.
2. I check and write down my weight daily.
This helps me a lot in two ways: first, I see the great effects my exercising and dieting have on my body (as if the mirror wasn’t enough!) but also helps me see when I’m starting to slip in the wrong direction.
When I put on those 4 extra pounds, I actually saw them. I saw the decline on a daily basis. I knew how things looked a month prior, and it gave me the extra push to get back on track and do what I must do!
3. I read the signs my body is sending
I can read the bad signs – or fatty liver symptoms – easily now, after all these years.
I am bloated on an almost daily basis, my belly is starting to look full and ugly again and I am starting to feel less comfortable in my skin, including the upper right side pain. This means that I am letting the old me win.
I am starting to harm my body again and if I keep going, I’ll get back to where I were – or maybe worse.
But I’ve been there and now I know what these signs mean. These signs are my body saying: “Stop, you fool!“
4. I think about my loved ones.
It’s no secret that when I was diagnosed with this disease and I heard how it can evolve into really nasty and ugly problems, I started crying.
I thought I was going to die and I could only think about my family and especially my then 1 year-old son.
He’s ten now, at the moment of writing, and I want to be able to cherish each second I spend by his side – and I’ll do my best to maximize that time.
I promised myself to never get in that situation again and I am now reminding myself the scene each day: the scene when I felt that my world ended and I prayed to God to give me one more chance and allow me to enjoy more time with my family.
The moment when I cried like a little, horrified and terrified baby, like I haven’t done in years.
I don’t want to get back there. I have to fight for what I promised myself to get – and managed to get in the end. It’s not worth that extra sip of unhealthy soda – nor anything else!
5. I always keep myself motivated
I read other peoples’ stories about weight loss and success. This motivates me. This gives me the fuel that I need to keep going.
Just search google or YouTube for “my weight loss story” or something like that and you will get a lot of inspiration.
You don’t have to actually follow their plans and do what they do (sometimes, that’s not really healthy for your liver!) but take the whole story as inspiration and motivation for you to keep going.
6. Keep the unhealthy stuff away
Remove all those distractions that keep you away from your path: it’s easier to stay away from a sugary drink, some high-fat biscuits, or a bar of candy if they’re nowhere near you.
In my case – and probably the case of most people out there – it’s pretty difficult to completely eliminate temptations when my 10-year-old son is around and is allowed sweets and snacks (with moderation).
But I actually have a pact with my wife: she must hide all these goodies and only she knows where they are.
Of course, in reality, I know where the bad things are – but it’s a shelf I never check. And the family is supportive enough to eat as little of those bad things in my presence as possible.
The harder it is for you to get the unhealthy stuff and eat it, the higher the chances you won’t do it.
There was a time when we kept our son’s candy in a jar in an easy to reach place and I realized after 2 weeks that I was eating more than my son did. After taking it away from sight, it was much easier to handle!
It is true that there are so many temptations around us, that there are so many ways our brain works against us and even the loved ones who still enjoy fries and greasy things and ice cream and cake and candy, but life is more than getting your belly filled up.
Life is more than eating and there are so many other ways to enjoy it! And probably the best way to enjoy life is to know that you are healthy. Fight for your health and never give up!
Get past these obstacles, leave them behind and fight for your health! You’re fighting for happiness – and this should be enough to keep you going!
Even though not directly related to fatty liver, I found that watching this motivational video below helps me get back on track. Check it out and it might help you too (and please watch it to the end!):
If it’s not this video that makes it work for you, there are other similar ones that might. Seek inspiration everywhere and anywhere: it’s for your own good. And remember: you can do this!
Have you dealt with “dieting fatigue” since you’ve been diagnosed with a fatty liver? How do you find the power to keep on going and do what has to be done?
I was diagnosed with a fatty liver back in 2014 and managed to reverse it by mid-2015. Since then, I’ve been studying it, continuously updating my knowledge with the latest scientific findings and practical approaches to give others the help they need to reverse their condition.
My approach to managing fatty liver is holistic, balancing scientifically-backed information with real-life, practical advice based on personal, direct experience.
I am also the admin of the Fatty Liver Support Group on Facebook and the Fatty Liver Subreddit.
In tears right now, thanks for the motivation