Has anyone taken a break from calorie counting before reaching their goal?

csec6pak

I've been doing this since July 6 and I've lost about 20 pounds. That was my initial goal, but now I want to lose another 10. (I'm 5'10", female, started around 195 and now at 175. New goal is maybe 165.)

But the last few weeks my motivation has been waning. My daily calorie counts have slowly been creeping up and my workout time has been falling off. There are many factors at play here. The weather is getting crappy so I can't run outside as often, I have a lot going on at work, my husband has been traveling and I'm on my own with our small children, I've had some minor health issues.

I feel like for right now I'd rather just eat to hunger, not count the calories, and once some of the stress lets up, get back onto the wagon. I'm afraid that if I stop now, I won't get back into it and will gain weight. But at the same time, I feel like the diet is causing more stress and I don't need that right now.

I'm not going to start bingeing on a bunch of junk food; I'm just not going to log every calorie and will probably not be at a deficit for awhile.

Tell me your experiences with taking a break from MyFitnessPal.

BoubouChan

I think that taking a break from being in a deficit can be helpful, psychologically and physiologically. If you don't gain weight during your break, then it really is not a setback. Do stay mindful of your eating habits and try to keep exercising during your break. Once you reach your goal you'll have to maintain it. Think of this as practice.

Missjulesdid

One YEAR. I lost 120 pounds and took a one year break. During the break I maintained within 5 pounds. Now I'm feeling ready to tackle the next 80 pounds. I have had weight loss surgery which helped me maintain without tracking-honestly for ME I know I wouldn't have been able to maintain without the surgery, but the surgery only does so much and just like most people I don't lose unless I'm being super careful with every calorie.

yoovie

I stopped calorie counting once I could eyeball it and then concentrated only on fueling my workouts enough. I flew past my goal weight by 10+ pounds.

aprilwatkins96

I think it depends on the person. I recently stopped tracking for a few weeks...vacation/moving etc. I only gained a pound during that time. However, last year I quit tracking before reaching my goal and I ended up slowly regaining. I think it is important to maintain accountability, i.e. weigh yourself regularly to and also try to avoid mindless eating.

For me exercise is critical. If I stop exercising regularly for several weeks, I will slowly start to gain weight again. So try to maintain some form of exercise, even if it is just going for daily walks or using some free weights at home.

dopeysmelly

Tough love here.. I get the need to take a break, but working through the lack of motivation, refusing to accept that the change in the season, or being busy at work (who isn't?) should make it "OK" to let go some of the good habits that got you where you are sound to me like precursors to letting go in other ways.

If you feel in a rut, maybe mix up the meals a bit, buy yourself a new recipe book, and try something different, or try a new workout?

I don't log some meals, when I eat out or when it's just impractical (business trips, vacations etc.), but I would suggest you dig deep and find out just what motivation resources you really have. I'll bet you'll surprise yourself!

LeannJeffers

I struggle with this because I have noticed that my calories have slowly been going up over my allotted amount. I then workout to compensate and end up staying at the same weight for months at a time. I have noticed that my belly fat is not as FLAT as it was once right after the initial loss. I just need to suck it up and get back on target. I need to stop making excuses to myself and push through. I would say try not tracking for a week, see how that goes and then go from there. Be watchful of your portion sizes and keep the exercise going as much as possible.

melanie3rd

This is exactly how I feel. I went on a holiday to London on 15th sept and havent exercised since :-( i feel disappointed in myself I started at 190lbs and now at 171lbs lost 2 dress sizes was 16-18 now 12-14 and i'm struggling getting back to the healthy eating. That bag of crisps or chocolate bar is slowly working its way into my daily routine again and I need it to stop! I have booked myself in to a boogie bounce class (to tr something new) starting 4th Nov and I plan to go back to swimming on monday. I'm going to try my best. I'm hoping I can get back to my routine and lose 10lbs by xmas. that should be doable. I need some words of encouragement to help me I think. I'm so glad I've seen someone else in my postition.

I'm always open to making more friends :-D

jemhh

I'm a big supporter of diet breaks. Rather than not counting calories, I just up mine to maintenance for a week or two when I get to the point of needing one. Here are two good posts about diet breaks:

When to take a diet break

The full diet break