Diet breaks

refactored

I have lost around 40 pounds and I am starting to feel like I need to eat at maintenance for a while before I lose my final 20 pounds. I just over ate big time at a social event. I think it was because mentally I am just tired of the discipline and persistence required to lose weight and the blow out gave me some relief from it.

I am not sure if I should just get back on the horse now or see what is like to eat at maintenance for a week or two.

Have you taken a conscious diet break? Why did you do it? How often did you do it and for how long? Did taking a break help or hinder further losses? Do you think a maintenance trial leads to a potentially successful maintenance phase?

cmriverside

I never really stuck to my deficit every single day when I was losing. I didn't know about diet breaks, but I couldn't stick to a deficit for long periods of time and especially when I was close to my goal (like within 20 pounds of my goal.) I was just too hungry too often.

Here's the Refeed/Diet Breaks thread. Lots of good info on the first page and then discussions. It makes sense to do it. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

Lietchi

I think it's a good idea to take a maintenance break. It apparently helps your appetite hormones reset and just generally give you a break from the stress of a calorie deficit.
And any practice for maintenance is a good idea, I think. Something many people don't do enough. After all, arriving at goal doesn't mean a 'free for all' indulging after restricting, or that would be a quick way to end up back where we started.
I didn't necessarily take intended breaks, but I definitely had periods where circumstances made it so: travels, holiday season... I think it helps, physically and mentally.

penguinmama87

Yes, I usually plan ahead for weeklong diet breaks every few months. I usually tie them to some special occasion, vacation, or holiday (my next one is planned for the Easter octave, so eight days long.)

I also relax a little on Sundays. I don't eat quite at maintenance, but my deficit is smaller those days and I can have a treat I don't have as much room for the rest of the week.

I had a slump over the winter months but my weight loss has picked back up the way I more or less expect it to. My experience of diet breaks is that they're refreshing. Eating at maintenance after weeks at a deficit feels indulgent. I still log everything. I look forward to them - knowing that a break is coming makes it easier to avoid unintentional overeating (which tends to be way, way less controlled just by its very nature.) I also keep up my usual activity.

Rockmama1111

I eat at maintenance quite often. Sometimes just for a day, sometimes longer.

tomcustombuilder

At the end of your losing streak were you still losing or had you stopped losing? If the latter, there’s a good chance you were at maintenance as your calorie need go down after losing weight so what was a deficit can end up being maintenance.

If you’re just burned out it’s ok to take a break however understand that ultimately you won’t be able to go back to your old eating habits once you reach your goal weight.

How long did it take to lose the 40 lbs? If you did it quickly, think about losing the last 20 a little slower as slower can prevent diet burn out.

refactored

@tomcustombuilder I took about 1 year to lose the first 20 pounds then 6 months to lose the second 20 pounds. My weight-loss has stalled in the last week but I think that is within the realm of normal for weight loss. I wouldn't think I would need to reevaluate my calories after only 1 week of non loss?

tomcustombuilder

refactored wrote: »

@tomcustombuilder I took about 1 year to lose the first 20 pounds then 6 months to lose the second 20 pounds. My weight-loss has stalled in the last week but I think that is within the realm of normal for weight loss. I wouldn't think I would need to reevaluate my calories after only 1 week of non loss?

No, but after losing 40 lbs, yes.

westrich20940

You can't be in a deficit forever. You said you are feeling burnt out from the discipline and persistence. You need to start thinking about what your life is going to be like once you get to your goal weight (assuming your goal weight is appropriate).

When I started MFP I *knew that I didn't want to log my food or workouts every day for the rest of my life. I had gained weight originally bc my activity level went way down....I concentrated on finding out what my calories needs were and becoming better at listening to and understanding my hunger cues --- and tracking with MFP helped me with that. But I don't log now.

It's probably going to be *good for you to eat at maintenance for a bit. Mentally and physically. What are you plans when reach your goal weight? To continue tracking? Are you willing to do that? What if when you stop tracking...your weight creeps up....does that mean you start restricting again, or decide that your goal weight was too low? Bigger things are on the horizon for you - and struggling mentally won't help with any of it.

I'd say do it. And start figuring out what the new normal is gonna be. Good luck.

PAV8888

A different point of view may be that I *am* willing to continue being deliberately active to the point of activity being equivalent to exercise (vs "working out*) AND logging my intake. At least for the past 8 going to 9 years if we include both the time I was losing weight and maintenance. So what you're willing to do is different for each person.

I don't know the full stats of the OP. The weight loss rate DOES sound deliberate / disciplined / not extreme; but depending on stats it could still be a large / onerous deficit. I can't know!

I do hear the OP say that it is a bit much for her right now. And I don't see anything wrong with a maintenance time period--assuming that it is maintenance as opposed to re-gain.

There is a difference between I release all safeguards vs I am deliberately eating at maintenance followed by resumption of deficit eating.

I know that during my time period of weight loss I DID go through periods of maintenance eating. But they were more accidental, situational and happy coincidences as opposed to a deliberate strategy. They were of benefit to me overall. But my outlook was skewed by trying to achieve a deficit as soon as possible as opposed to trying for maintenance eating.

Of course throughout I was thinking of eventual maintenance and attempting to do and eat according to patterns I believed I would be able to keep to long term. I've adjusted some and kept a lot.