Diet breaks?

RedheadedPrincess14
RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a healthy bmi of 21 and have about 8 pounds left to lose. I lost over 25 pounds since January. However, I am starting to feel very hungry all the time and having a harder time sticking to low calories, it has been recommended to me to take a diet break but I don't really know what this is, when it's appropriate to start one, and how long I should take one. I've been eating in a consistent defecit (other than the odd day off) since January. Diary is open.

Do you think a diet break is in order or should I just screw around with my macros in hopes that maybe that will stop this hunger? I'm still losing, albeit very slowly at this point, but it almost feels not worth it to feel so hungry all the time which I never did until the last couple weeks
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I would take a break. Eat at maintenance for a week or more and then resume your deficit. Here are two good articles on breaks:


    * http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
    * http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Sounds like a great idea. You need to eat at maintainence at some time in the near future.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,398 Member
    A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.

    It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Do it. Don't overthink it. Eat at maintenance for a week or two if you feel up to it. I lost weight more easily after I took one my first time.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    When 19000 posts worth of experience are agreeing with you, you've got a really good idea.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Honestly, take diet breaks would be my top advice for people who are trying to lose weight. It's good practice for eventually maintaining your weight and it can be such a refresher.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    Okay thank you everybody! So how do I establish what my maintenance is? If I just add 400 cals back (because I'm currently eating 400 under my TDEE projection,) will that be a pretty fair assumption of my maintance? Or should I maybe just add 200? I know this is some mental issues I have but I'm actually kind of scared to add an extra 400 cals a day lol.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    I would take a break. Eat at maintenance for a week or more and then resume your deficit. Here are two good articles on breaks:


    * http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
    * http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet
    Thank you!
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    Okay thank you everybody! So how do I establish what my maintenance is? If I just add 400 cals back (because I'm currently eating 400 under my TDEE projection,) will that be a pretty fair assumption of my maintance? Or should I maybe just add 200? I know this is some mental issues I have but I'm actually kind of scared to add an extra 400 cals a day lol.

    If you're going to take a break. Take a break. You're still in a deficit if you add 200 calories only. Just eat food.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    robertw486 wrote: »
    A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.

    It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
    What do you mean by feeling out maintenance? By monitoring with the scale?

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,398 Member
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    robertw486 wrote: »
    A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.

    It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
    What do you mean by feeling out maintenance? By monitoring with the scale?

    Use your scale as the feedback loop. If you are using MFP settings and your losses are as predicted then maintenance suggested calories should be just as well.

    As others said, don't overthink it. Just take a break. Even if you gain a pound or three...you know you can lose them.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,688 Member
    Best estimate for maintenance: Take the number of pounds you've lost in the last 4 weeks. Divide by 4 weeks to get average loss per week. Multiply that number by 3500 to estimate calorie deficit per week. Divide result by 7 days to estimate calorie deficit per day. Eat that many more calories daily.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.

    Lol well now you get to say I told you so! So what do you think I should do now that they've come?
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    robertw486 wrote: »
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    robertw486 wrote: »
    A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.

    It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
    What do you mean by feeling out maintenance? By monitoring with the scale?

    Use your scale as the feedback loop. If you are using MFP settings and your losses are as predicted then maintenance suggested calories should be just as well.

    As others said, don't overthink it. Just take a break. Even if you gain a pound or three...you know you can lose them.

    Okay, thank you!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    OP, again, don't overthink it. Let's say you overestimate your TDEE by 250. Over the course of two weeks that is only one pound. One pound is nothing to spend time worrying about. You are not trying to make weight for a world championship bout or to fit in the last lifeboat for a sinking ship. It will not matter.
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Best estimate for maintenance: Take the number of pounds you've lost in the last 4 weeks. Divide by 4 weeks to get average loss per week. Multiply that number by 3500 to estimate calorie deficit per week. Divide result by 7 days to estimate calorie deficit per day. Eat that many more calories daily.

    Okay awesome!!! Thank you so much. And do this for what... two weeks? A month?
  • RedheadedPrincess14
    RedheadedPrincess14 Posts: 415 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    OP, again, don't overthink it. Let's say you overestimate your TDEE by 250. Over the course of two weeks that is only one pound. One pound is nothing to spend time worrying about. You are not trying to make weight for a world championship bout or to fit in the last lifeboat for a sinking ship. It will not matter.

    Yes, you guys are right! I am definitely overthinking haha.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.

    Lol well now you get to say I told you so! So what do you think I should do now that they've come?

    Honestly? If it were me, i'd stop trying to lose weight. But I'm not you, and obviously you have to be happy with your body.
    Plug in your stats here, choose maintain my weight, and eat those calories.

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