Tracking Break While Losing

duckiec
duckiec Posts: 241 Member
in Food and Nutrition
After discussing with my trainer how I'm completely burned out on calorie restriction and tracking, and constantly focused on hitting macros, and feeling like the calorie level wasn't high enough, his plan for me for the next two weeks: take a total tracking break. Make healthful choices, make sure some of them are out of the "comfort zone" (I was telling him I eat the same things pretty much all the time because I know they fit well into macros), but don't count. Choose on the fly and mix it up, follow hunger and satiety cues, and eat to enjoy, not just to cross things off lists.

This shouldn't be completely freaking me out, but it is! I realized- I don't know how to eat. I know how to meet goals, and I know when I get pissed off and DON'T meet them... good days and bad days. I don't know what the healthy middle ground is, especially as I'd like to continue to lose. I don't full-out binge on the "bad" days- but I don't meet macros and am a lot closer to maintenance than my usual deficit. I'm not worried that I'll go completely off the deep end and eat like there's no tomorrow, but I still don't want to backslide.

I've seen "tracking break" threads in the maintenance area, but anybody try this while still trying to lose? Did it help adjust the relationship with food? Thanks for any advice/support!

Replies

  • duckiec
    duckiec Posts: 241 Member
    Anybody?
  • duckiec
    duckiec Posts: 241 Member
    Guess I'm on my own here. Bummer.
  • MadameLAL
    MadameLAL Posts: 108
    It sounds like really good advice. I took a tracking break while on a vacation, and lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks. I basically ate three meals a day without snacking. Enjoy your break!
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,241 Member
    My tracking break was for different reasons... Got married and went on a cruise for our honeymoon. I wanted to be able to enjoy myself completely without being concerned about the caloric content of what I was eating. On the cruise, I couldn't log in anyway, as we didn't have internet (we weren't paying the astronomical rates for it). And, because I allowed myself to feel free to indulge, I gained a few lbs while I was gone. lol I'm back to my better habits since returning, including exercise, and the weight is coming off.

    I think if you stick with the guidelines you set for yourself, you will do just fine. :drinker:
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    Personally I don't do well when I don't track, but tracking doesn't stress me out. I don't spend a lot of time on it. I don't meet every macro every day, I focus mainly on calories.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Taking a break for two week shouldn't do much to "set you back" on your progress. If you follow his advice (eat reasonably, making good choices with your food and portions, etc) you probably won't gain a lot. You might still lose, you might just maintain, or you could gain a couple of pounds, but that's kind of what life is like - sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward.

    The way that you're feeling - panicked about not tracking, angry if you don't meet your macros, etc - could point to a possibly unhealthy relationship forming with food. If it persists, if you don't do anything to help you relax on the food issues, it could develop into orthorexia. Basically, food is taking over too much, but it's not because you're binging or eating too much but because you can't not focus on it. So take a break from tracking. It's worth it for your mental health, which really is part of the picture of overall health!

    (check out http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/orthorexia-nervosa for more info on orthorexia)
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I gained 20 lbs in an exceptionally short period of time when I stopped tracking, while eating the same healthy foods. I'm 16 lbs from where I was (reflected in tracker), and I'm eternally pissed about it.

    Never going to stop tracking again. Clearly I can't track mentally.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Sounds like you have a smart trainer. One of the few. Too many trainers allow their clients to build an unhealthy relationship with food. Taking a break from logging, if done correctly, can help you see that you don't have to be so anal about logging. In other words weight loss will not cease just because you didn't tell some web site what you ate that day. Just continue to do what you're doing and use it as a learning experience.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    I"m taking a losing break but still tracking, close but not quite what you're after. Good luck to you :)
  • wistera
    wistera Posts: 22 Member
    I spent two months abroad (with limited internet access) and completely stopped tracking. Still managed to lose about eight pounds; if you've been doing it a while, you should have a reasonable "feel" for what is an OK amount of food. While your loss may slow and you might not be perfect at hitting your macros, I wouldn't stress too much about it and just go for it... especially if you have a strong plan/motivation (your trainer in this case) to get back to tracking after your break.

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