Category: Decision Fatigue & Food Choices
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ADHD and Food Decision Fatigue: Why “What’s for Dinner?” Feels So Hard
By Suren Chiu, RDN, LDN You Open the Fridge. Then You Close It. Then You Open It Again. It’s 6 p.m. You’re hungry, or maybe you’re not, or maybe you were hungry two hours ago and missed it. You open the fridge, stare at the shelves, close it, scroll your phone, and eventually end up…
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Why Eating Feels Impossible When You’re Overwhelmed
You sit down and eat and feel nothing. Or worse, the idea of food actually makes you feel sick. Your stomach is tight, your brain is racing, and somehow a bowl of pasta feels like an obstacle rather than a savoring meal. If you’ve ever gone a fully day barely eating anything during an overwhelming…
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What is Diet Fatigue?
People often associate “falling off” from a diet as a lack of willpower. There is this implication that there is a lack of self-discipline. The person doesn’t want it bad enough. But I would like to object to this. Getting exhausted from food is a real thing. You can get burnt out from the thought…
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How Too Many Food Choices Makes Eating More Stressful
Why more options doesn’t always mean more freedom. Most people like having choices. Like selecting what to eat from a menu. Or seeing what is on the rotation at the work cafeteria. The irony of it all is that too many choices may not be a good thing. It’s a paradox of abundance. With food…
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Why I Can’t Decide What to Eat When I’m Hungry
You’re hungry. There’s food in the house. And somehow, choosing what to eat feels impossible. You open the fridge, scan the shelves, close it again. Nothing sounds right. Everything feels like too much effort. You might even start wondering why something that should be simple feels so hard. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why can’t…
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What Is Decision Fatigue (And How It Affects Eating)
If you’ve ever stood in front of the fridge, fully fed in theory, but unable to decide what to eat — this isn’t a willpower problem. It’s likely decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is what happens when your brain has made too many decisions already. Not just big ones. All of them. The emails. The work tasks. The…
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You’re Not Lazy — You’re Mentally Exhausted Why Effort and Motivation Don’t Work the Same Way Under Cognitive Overload
If you’ve ever told yourself “I just need to try harder” and still felt stuck, this might be a relief to hear: You’re not lazy. You’re mentally exhausted. Struggling to start tasks, follow through on plans, or stay consistent with habits isn’t a character flaw. It’s often a sign of cognitive overload—a state where your…
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Confidence with Food Isn’t a Mindset Problem. It’s a Load Problem
A lot of people come to nutrition work believing they have a mindset issue. They tell me they know what they should be thinking about food. They’ve read the books. They’ve tried affirmations. They’ve worked on body acceptance. And yet food still feels heavy, stressful, and complicated. So they assume something is wrong with their mindset. But most of the time, confidence with food doesn’t break down because of the thoughts you’re having.…
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Stress, the Nervous System, and Why Hunger Signals Get Blurry
A lot of people expect hunger and fullness to be clear, obvious signals, Like something you should be able to tune into easily. But in real life, those cues are often fuzzy, delayed, or hard to trust, especially during stressful seasons. That doesn’t mean you’re disconnected from your body. It means your body is responding…
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Why Knowing Nutrition Isn’t Enough When You’re Mentally Exhausted
“But I already know what to do…” This is one of the most common things people say when food starts to feel hard. They know what a balanced meal looks like.They understand protein, fiber, and regular meals. They’ve read the articles. They’ve tried to apply the advice. And yet, on the days they’re mentally drained,…