Taking a break?

RiverMelSong

I ate maintenance for a month (December), it was glorious. I'm slowly getting back into losing now. Fair warning: It's not easy getting back to that deficit. I'm spoiled now

KateTii

I take "breaks" (Aka eat whatever I want and not log) for holidays, special occasions and the odd day here and there. Keeps me sane and my progress is fine.

tara_means_star

arditarose wrote: »

taracan25 wrote: »

arditarose wrote: »

Um. Yes. Diet breaks are suggested. You really shouldn't be in a deficit for that long.

Why? (please read that with the curious tone intended and not the moody attitude that it sounds like )

lol I got you.


Physically and mentally a break does you wonders if you have a lot to lose and will be taking quite a time to do it. I think someone posted the Lycle McDonald article already. Here is a video by an MFP member that encouraged me to take a diet break.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0jqAXpjCV0

I saw alot of this information on a website I saw but I know so little about the subject I didn't feel like I could accurately judge whether there was some kind of science behind this or if it was broscience.... is there science for this?

srecupid

I do it on special days like holidays and my birthday but, i go right back to it the next day. But, if you are burned out might as well take a break and try your hand at maintenance

MelodyandBarbells

I kept wondering why maintenance calories were so phenomenal. I suppose they would be if you were cutting at 1 to 2+ lbs per week!

alizesmom

Thanks to all! I do feel a little burned out and appreciate the support you've provided. Having gone from couch potato to exercise 6 days a week in a year's time has left my brain struggling to catch up. The advice, suggestions and warnings are very welcome.

mlclark86

Long breaks don't work for me because I tend to lose focus and start off on then I am eating too much, exercising too little and then I avoid coming back for too long because I know I have to start again. Instead, every Saturday I weigh in. If I have met or exceeded my weekly loss goal then I don't log for that day and eat basically what I want without getting too out of control. I know this approach isn't for everyone, but for me it makes it easier to skip over some more unhealthy choices if I tell myself that I can have whatever it is on Saturday so long as I meet my goals. In turn I am really motivated to exercise and eat well during the week.

Ashtoretet

Now that I'm a healthy weight I've found it a lot harder to keep going. I tend to eat at maintenance 2-3 days a week now because I'm just so tired of it (been at it since february last year). Even after a horrible Christmas binge I still lost a pound this week so I'm trying not to worry about it. That said, I'm also working on upping my strength work outs to compensate.

blossomingbutterfly

Absolutely take a maintenance break!

jplinis

I take "diet breaks" too. Either eat at maintenance or just eat whatever I want for a week. Usually around holidays or whenever I take a short leave from work.

AlliRich

Personally speaking, I have removed the word "diet" from my vocabulary. I think the biggest issue (at least for me) is thinking that engaging in healthy eating habits means being on a restrictive, unappealing diet as opposed to it being an overall lifestyle change. It seems that now, even when I'm not logging, I'm still mindful of what I put in my body, because it's not just about losing weight, but also how I feel overall. For the first time, after years of losing, gaining, logging, not logging, this new mindset/view of eating has allowed me to sustain better habits, even on those days when I do indulge in one or two chocolate chip cookies. And the scale has still managed to report in my favor :-)

Does anyone else have any thoughts or guidance on this? I'm definitely not an expert, and always looking for positive feedback!

MondayJune22nd2015

I at least desire to be within, my normal weight range for my height; before I officially take a break. After exactly 6 months (December 22nd) & losing 20 pounds, I was 5 pounds away; from that but currently I am 10 & I plan on the break being 2 weeks. Hopefully I'll lose these 10 pounds (some of which, is only water weight because I'll be having my TOM, in a couple of days) & complete my diet break, before my 36th birthday (April 1st).

middlehaitch

@MondayJune22nd2015 I think you are working towards going into maintenance rather than a diet break. Diet breaks are usually done while you are still actively losing but need a rest from it. It is usually a 2-4 week break.
With what you have to lose, not including the TOM bloat I am sure you will reach your goal by your birthday. Yippee!

Don't get discouraged if it gets really, the scale hardly moves, slow. It does for a lot of us.

Cheers, heather.
Sorry for the detour on your thread @alizesmom.

Debbie_Ferr

AlliRich wrote: »

Personally speaking, I have removed the word "diet" from my vocabulary. I think the biggest issue (at least for me) is thinking that engaging in healthy eating habits means being on a restrictive, unappealing diet as opposed to it being an overall lifestyle change. It seems that now, even when I'm not logging, I'm still mindful of what I put in my body, because it's not just about losing weight, but also how I feel overall. For the first time, after years of losing, gaining, logging, not logging, this new mindset/view of eating has allowed me to sustain better habits, even on those days when I do indulge in one or two chocolate chip cookies. And the scale has still managed to report in my favor :-)

Does anyone else have any thoughts or guidance on this? I'm definitely not an expert, and always looking for positive feedback!

totally agree.
good lifestyle choices goes a long ways.

MondayJune22nd2015

middlehaitch wrote: »

@MondayJune22nd2015 I think you are working towards going into maintenance rather than a diet break. Diet breaks are usually done while you are still actively losing but need a rest from it. It is usually a 2-4 week break.
With what you have to lose, not including the TOM bloat I am sure you will reach your goal by your birthday. Yippee!

Don't get discouraged if it gets really, the scale hardly moves, slow. It does for a lot of us.

Cheers, heather.
Sorry for the detour on your thread @alizesmom.

@middlehaitch I'd agree if I was large frame, then the highest normal weight range for my height'd; be ideal but since I am small frame & the weight range includes all frame sizes, I have a minimum of another 24 pounds to lose; after becoming within the normal weight range or a maximum of 36 pounds.

Machka9

taracan25 wrote: »

I'm really interested if you guys can give information on the benefits of diet breaks and is there a "best" time to take one? Like after 4 months, 6 months, a year? I don't know if there is information out there but I'm really curious on if this is something that I should consider or just keep plowing along.

I took my first diet break after I reached my first goal. That was all the weight I was going to lose. I was back down to what I weighed in 2011, and within my normal BMI range. Plus I didn't figure I could lose much more than that anyway.

I was also heading to Canada for a month just then, and the last thing I wanted to do was to track my calories while on holiday!

But the last few days before I departed to Canada that little message that pops up when you close your diary was hinting that in 5 weeks I could be a weight I haven't seen since about 2008. So all the while I was on holiday, that was in the back of my mind. Could I really get down to that weight? How cool would that be!

When I returned, I decided to give it a go ... and sure enough, over the next 4 months I dropped to a weight I haven't seen since about 2003!!

As I mentioned earlier, I'm on a diet break again now, and again, I'm at a place where I'm debating what to do next. I'm in the lower half of my BMI range so I don't really need to lose more weight ... but I'd kind of like to drop anywhere from 2-5 kg more. I'd also like to start getting more serious about weightlifting and building muscle and for that I apparently need to eat more ...


So, you have to decide what works for you, but what worked for me was reaching goals first.

toe1226

Best thing I ever DID. you have to WANT it, if you don't want it you won't get it...taking a break makes you want it again.

alizesmom

Thanks. Break's officially over and I continue to lose weight. Easing off was scary but felt great!

arditarose

alizesmom wrote: »

Thanks. Break's officially over and I continue to lose weight. Easing off was scary but felt great!

Oh good! So glad you enjoyed it. I always seem to lose weight a bit better right after I take a break. Nothing scientific to back that up but just a personal experience.

middlehaitch

Glad it was a success and you are feeling good.

Cheers, h.