Has a diet break ever helped you?

SunflowerDaisey

They say diet breaks reset everything like your hormones? I got the stomach flu a few days ago and lost too much too fast. I'm trying to increase and have a diet break. What are the benefits? Did it help you? Thanks

cmriverside

I think eating at maintenance after an illness is always a good idea. It helps with the recovery.

I've always taken diet breaks. Go for it, just set an end date.

cozytimes

yeah! when i'm tired either physically or mentally, i eat at maintenance (also because i'm in no rush to lose the weight)

trigden1991

A planned diet break where you eat at maintenance (not stuffing your face full of everything) is a useful and necessary tool when dieting for long periods. It restores metabolic rate, helps psychologically and uplifts hormones to baseline levels.

Leah_62803

I took a break recently that helped me but not in the way you're talking about.

Several months ago I decided to start eating a little better and regularly weighing myself again. I slowly lost 15 lbs and felt great since I wasn't even trying that hard. Then something came up, I had a bad day, and I went back to my overeating habits for 2 months. Normally I would have given up and avoided the scale for at least a year and gained everything back and then some, but for some reason I made myself get on the scale gain a few weeks ago. I had gained 5 lbs back. I felt crappy...but then realized I was still down 10 lbs and that was a pretty good start. I had taken 2 whole months off and only gained 5 lbs....so why had I always been letting ONE DAY make me give up?!

So my break wasn't intentional but it did help me see things in a bigger picture kind of way.

Daddy78230

I go into maintenance (with a slight deficit) 4 days a week, I restrict my calories for 2-3 days (Sunday - Tuesday).

There are may be benefits in regards to hormones, metabolism, immunity, and muscle recovery, at least I like think it does. I do it mostly because it's easier for me to have an overall calorie deficit, I stay motivated and I can still be social during the weekends without falling off the wagon. Plus I like to think I'm practicing good nutritional habits once I reach my goals.

DietPrada

I'm low carb. I don't take a "diet break" as such but about once a month I'll have a day (usually a Friday night or a Saturday) where I'll eat out and have a couple of drinks and not stress about it. Those days can be up to 2500 calories, but they don't do any harm. And I still stay low carb, even on those days, so I'm able to get back to business the next day with no stress.

danigirl1011

I have heard about resetting leptin levels. I used to eat clean every day and work out, but on saturdays i would have a full (and i mean 4 entree) plate of chinese food and an entire pint of ice cream. I lost 55 pounds over 8 months and never hit a plateau. I considered that my reset of my leptin levels. I would not do a full reset or a break from dieting unless you want to fail at goals. I guess that would depend on what your goals are though. I dont really believe in "dieting" either, so maybe that's part of my problem with this post. I do believe in eating healthfully and eating the right portions for your body. But, if you are saying to take a break from "dieting" simply to stuff your face with *kitten* food then no i would not recommend that. Sounds like an excuse or asking permission to me?

cwagar123

Honestly... I took a break for a year. Has gone from 270 to 190 (that took longer than a year lol) and I kind of needed some time to just become comfortable in my body. Kept the weight off and decided to start losing again in Feb when I hit 195 lbs.

gen39

Yes. It restores sanity as well as normalizes hormone levels. The lower your body fat % the more important diet breaks and refeeds become.

bbell1985

Yes. It's a break mentally and physically. The first time I did it during my initial weight loss, I had stalled. I continued being able to lose easier after the break. Who knows why...could have just helped tightening up my logging but it was glorious on all fronts. Especially eating more for a week or two.

heiliskrimsli

I have not done the diet break personally. I've done fine without one, but many people find they like to take an occasional break. Seems to be a personal choice to me. What works for one person may not work for all.

savithny

I've lost about 25 pounds over the last year (at least; I don't have a good start weight). And I did it by alternating periods of trying to lose a pound a week and trying to maintain. Yeah, if I'd kept it up all year I could have lost more, but I stuck with maintenance during some important events - travel, a wedding I was in, holidays, etc.
I've found that after 4-6 weeks of counting and eating at a deficit, I start to lose my edge, and eating at maintenance for a few weeks helps me come back to my deficit ready to take it seriously again.

brznhabits

Yep. I build new habits, log, weigh and lose weight. Then I go into maintenance. It helps me make sure I can maintain those new habits. I've done maintenance runs for a week, month or for several months.

Usually months is when I have major stuff going on, other goals, stress, sick...whatever. Most of us have struggled for years, gaining, so it's a win just to not gain but maintain healthier habits.

I also end up with a maintenance day once every 3-4 weeks.

Francl27

Nope. Had to take one when I went on vacation, my appetite increased afterwards and I haven't been able to lose one pound since (I was 2 lbs from my goal... almost 3 years ago). So yeah, it reset my hormones alright, just not in the way I would have liked.

IMO, unless you're consistently hungry anyway or you have no choice... don't. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. I just went back to my normal deficit when I got the stomach flu when I was losing.

trigden1991

Daddy78230 wrote: »

I go into maintenance (with a slight deficit) 4 days a week, I restrict my calories for 2-3 days (Sunday - Tuesday).

There are may be benefits in regards to hormones, metabolism, immunity, and muscle recovery, at least I like think it does. I do it mostly because it's easier for me to have an overall calorie deficit, I stay motivated and I can still be social during the weekends without falling off the wagon. Plus I like to think I'm practicing good nutritional habits once I reach my goals.

A slight deficit is not maintenance. You don't get the replenishing (for want of a better words) effects until you eat at or above maintenance.

That being said, if you are making progress don't change anything.