How long is too long to remain in a caloric deficit?

Options
Savyna
Savyna Posts: 789 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Is there a certain point when someone should ease off for a bit and eat at maintenance for a while or should they just continue on until they reach their ultimate weight goal?

I've been at a small deficit for the 13 or so months, going from 2100 or so calories to about 1590 currently. My stats from last Friday (5/12) are 5'7", 27, 164.9lbs (last year I started at my all time high of 210ish pounds taken at doctors office). All of my workouts are progressive calisthenics 3 times a week.

I've been thinking of eating at maintenance for the summer while I try out SL 5x5 but was just curious if there should be scheduled breaks during weight loss where you just maintain for a while and/or is it a detriment to your body to go for a long time at a deficit.

Thank you for your input!
«1

Replies

  • Savyna
    Savyna Posts: 789 Member
    Options
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    If you feel like you need a break, take a break 13 months is a long time. and 55 lbs is a lot of weight.

    Take 2 weeks, a month, all summer at maintenance while trying SL 5x5

    Thanks ^_^
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
    Options
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    No need for break unless you want a break.

    True, but if you want a break, you may be overdue for a break

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    Savyna wrote: »
    I've been thinking of eating at maintenance for the summer

    I've been going since last September and this has been my plan all along. I'm going to take the summer off, even though I'll be about 10 lbs heavier than I wanted to be by the end of June (230 instead of 220). I will be much more active so I'm not planning on joining a gym until September, but will be running, biking and stuff over the summer.

    I'll get back at the weight loss in the fall.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    Options
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    Savyna wrote: »
    I've been thinking of eating at maintenance for the summer

    I've been going since last September and this has been my plan all along. I'm going to take the summer off, even though I'll be about 10 lbs heavier than I wanted to be by the end of June (230 instead of 220). I will be much more active so I'm not planning on joining a gym until September, but will be running, biking and stuff over the summer.

    I'll get back at the weight loss in the fall.

    HaHa, I'm the opposite, I like to maintain during the winter cold months and slim down during the hotter months.

    I agree, a break is needed sometimes. A year would be too long for me to keep reducing. I just had 60 pounds to lose so it worked out I stopped as the winter came around. Now after a fairly successful time of maintnance a few pounds have to come off and I can see them already loosening up.

  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    Options
    I don't think a break is neccessary - not harmful. But if you want to eat more, then eat more.
  • Savyna
    Savyna Posts: 789 Member
    Options
    I don't feel like I need to eat more, my wanting to know about how long to stay in a deficit wasn't driven by hunger. Thankfully I've not been feeling depraved. I settled on finishing the next week and change of May in a deficit and to begin in June figuring out what calories I am able to maintain my weight at.

    Thanks again everyone =)
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    Options
    At the rate you're losing, you shouldn't be feeling deprived. Basically, if you have had a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day for 8 weeks, you need a 1 week break of eating at maintenance to restore your NEAT, your metabolism, to normal. Since your deficit has been less than 500 calories per day and you've been losing less than 1 lb per week, I not seen any research indicating that you 'need' a break. If you want to take a break from your calorie deficit and eat at maintenance for a time, by all means do so of your own volition. I have seen research indicating that as long as you maintain intellectual control of this break, you can successfully resume the calorie deficit at a time of your choosing.
  • bioklutz
    bioklutz Posts: 1,365 Member
    Options
    A little reading about diet breaks:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
  • tabletop_joe
    tabletop_joe Posts: 455 Member
    Options
    If you decide to take a break from deficit, I recommend getting 100 extra calories a day for a week and see if that slows the loss. If not, take in another 100 per day the next week. Move into maintanence slowly when you decide it's time! And great work!
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    Options
    TmacMMM wrote: »
    Savyna wrote: »
    Thankfully I've not been feeling depraved.

    This made me chuckle. A deficit can definitely make one feel deprived AND depraved. :)

    I was thinking the same. :p
  • Savyna
    Savyna Posts: 789 Member
    Options
    TmacMMM wrote: »
    Savyna wrote: »
    Thankfully I've not been feeling depraved.

    This made me chuckle. A deficit can definitely make one feel deprived AND depraved. :)
    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    TmacMMM wrote: »
    Savyna wrote: »
    Thankfully I've not been feeling depraved.

    This made me chuckle. A deficit can definitely make one feel deprived AND depraved. :)

    I was thinking the same. :p

    oh whoops ^_^;
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,913 Member
    Options
    I don't feel the need for a diet break, perhaps because my calorie deficit is not aggressive and I eat at maintenance a few days a month when my appetite spikes premenstrually and during my two worst days. I don't feel deprived (or depraved).
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Options
    My thoughts for my situation are that truly, for me this is a lifestyle change. So there are no breaks. I have to be responsible and accountable for what and how much I eat for every single day of my life, and do it being mindful of my past history of overeating. I have been on this path since October 2015, steady, and lost 115lbs. I would still like to lose another 15 to 20 lbs, but thats purely vanity at this point. I am maintaining reasonably well, still need some tweaking here and there, learning something new almost every day about what works and what doesnt. I can easily imagine being in the same (maybe better) mindset in 20 years.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    bioklutz wrote: »
    A little reading about diet breaks:
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

    This. I was going to post this but it's already here.

Categories