Diet Breaks

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TylerWhiite
TylerWhiite Posts: 108 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone every taken a diet break where they eat at maintenance or slightly above for around a week and seen good results after? Been struggling with hunger lately after losing 130 LBS and still trying to lose body fat. Thanks!

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  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Diet breaks and reverse dieting are not the same thing.

    A diet break means not aiming to eat in a deficit. You can count and eat at maintenance or you can just not count anything at all. I've always counted calories in order to stay at maintenance but different things work for different people.

    Reverse dieting is gradually upping calories as you reverse out of a deficit.

    When I've taken diet breaks, I've just done it cold turkey. No slow reversals and no problems with it.

    Good work. That's a huge loss!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    Great info here:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10481830/the-diet-break/p1
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    here is what you need to know:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

    I am currently in one now after about 5 weeks of strict dieting. I find that it helps with progress as well as mentally. The biggest thing is to not think the break is a full on binge. I still eat basically the same foods with maybe a treat thrown in here and there. I satisfy any cravings, but about 80% of my diet stays with typical foods that I normally eat.
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
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    The first time I lost the weight I would focus on weight loss for a month or two, then take a break and eat at maintenance for a bit. Took longer to lose the weight, but I didn't re-gain the weight that I had lost and I feel like it gave my body time to adjust as I slimmed down. I've been doing something similar this time too. :)
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I've read that it's important to take diet breaks (eating at maintenance- not above, at) every 10 to 12 weeks of being in a deficit, and the break should last 1 to 3 weeks. This helps reset your metabolism so when you go back into a deficit it is more effective.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I took a diet break in between Christmas and New Years and it was helpful. I did gain a couple pounds but it was just water weight- it came off in less than a week of going back into a deficit and then I began losing weight again.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    I have my first scheduled diet break in a couple of weeks. I'm planning to eat at maintenance for one week. I will continue to weigh and log because my intention is to not gain at all.

    Congrats on such a great loss!!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    lulalacroix wrote: »
    I have my first scheduled diet break in a couple of weeks. I'm planning to eat at maintenance for one week. I will continue to weigh and log because my intention is to not gain at all.

    Congrats on such a great loss!!

    Be forewarned, your weight will likely go up a little. Its nothing to worry about, but eating more food and, for me, more carbs increases weight. It's not fat though. A lot of people don't do the break correctly because they see the weight go up and get right back into a deficit, so they were never really on a break.
  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
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    GauchoMark wrote: »
    lulalacroix wrote: »
    I have my first scheduled diet break in a couple of weeks. I'm planning to eat at maintenance for one week. I will continue to weigh and log because my intention is to not gain at all.

    Congrats on such a great loss!!

    Be forewarned, your weight will likely go up a little. Its nothing to worry about, but eating more food and, for me, more carbs increases weight. It's not fat though. A lot of people don't do the break correctly because they see the weight go up and get right back into a deficit, so they were never really on a break.

    Thank you. I definitely expect some water gain.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,193 Member
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    I take diet breaks under these circumstances:

    1) I've reached a goal.

    2) I'm doing a really long distance bicycle ride.

    3) I'm going on holiday.

    4) Some combination of the above.


    As for "good results" ... I guess if being happy is a good result ... :)
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    TylerWhiite wrote: »
    Has anyone every taken a diet break where they eat at maintenance or slightly above for around a week and seen good results after? Been struggling with hunger lately after losing 130 LBS and still trying to lose body fat. Thanks!

    If you have lost 130lbs in one go and have been dieting for a long period then a diet break may be a good idea to undo any metabolic adaptations and get your hormones back in check. 2 weeks is long enough to undo all but the most serious of damage. Eating at maintenance is best, not above it, as you don't want to gain fat in this period.

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