Do you take diet breaks?

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  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    Sure. When I'm in need of a break from watching what I eat I just back off, and try to keep protein above carbs, or I try to consider my grains, generally. I don't go crazy, but then I don't generally eat much junk food in the first place.

    When I travel, and sometimes on fridays, I just don't think about it much, but try to keep an eye on either protein or grains...and I'm usually okay.
    But then again, if I keep an eye on grains I usually do okay anyway... but that statement may bring out the diet police. :drinker:

    I don't restrict anything but I know what you mean. If I have to choose, it's usually the grains and carbs that get the boot. I do my best to meet my protein goal every day and if that means saying "no" to something delicious (heaven forbid) then I just say no for that day. You can't say 'yes' all the time. Not a huge deal :flowerforyou:
  • ideang
    ideang Posts: 95
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    I have not taken a break yet, but plan to eat closer to maintenance from thanksgiving through the new year. I plan to log everything I eat still, and exercise like I do now.
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
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    I have decided to up my cals to maintenance for 2 weeks as well. I have had a plateau for about a month. I figure this might help shake things up a bit!! I still plan on exercising exactly how I have been, which is about 4-5 times a week for about 30 min. Then I am going to drop it like its hot back down to TDEE less 20%. Hey it may just give us the boost that we need!!!
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Yes. They're otherwise referred to as vacations and holidays. :smile:

    In fact, I try to lift as heavy as possible as often as possible during the holiday season so at least some of the cookies that I consume will be put to good use as muscle mass instead of fat.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    I definitely have gone over certain days but not on holidays. My dietary restrictions prevent me from eating almost everything at my in-laws house. :indifferent: If we are going somewhere out to eat that I love that has food I can have, I try to get in extra calorie burning before or after.

    I think occasional 'cheat' days are supposed to be good for you metabolism, but I don't know about 2 weeks?
    She is not talking about going over, but about eating at maintenance. Here's what Leigh Peele has to say:

    "Short-term refeeds are short breaks from a deficit state. The purpose is to maintain quality metabolic or psychological behavior. These can come in as short forms like cheat meals, whole weekends off, long-term, several-week periods, or your standard total break from dieting all together. When embarking on a break, I see the background information as suggesting you are staving off abnormal adaptation. In short, you are still in a good place, taking part in proper deloads, resting, and diet breaks on a regular basis. You are avoiding any detrimental negative consequences from dieting down, at least beyond normal adaptations.

    Some people also call them cheat days, high days, carb-up days, etc.

    Long-term refeeding is when you have gone beyond the point of standard dieting down adaptations. You need to replenish or reset an above-normal deficit period. This is going to be an instance where you’ve been dieting down for an extended period of time with few to no maintenance days. This is going to be especially increased if dieting and training habits include more aggressive protocols like PSMF, VLCD, or advanced metabolic training. When this has taken place, short-term breaks will do little to help reset or create a place of optimal metabolic homeostasis.
    From:
    http://www.leighpeele.com/starvation-mode

    Edited for link.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I think occasional 'cheat' days are supposed to be good for you metabolism, but I don't know about 2 weeks?

    I read it the other way around. One day won't do much but extended periods of a break are better????

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I definitely have gone over certain days but not on holidays. My dietary restrictions prevent me from eating almost everything at my in-laws house. :indifferent: If we are going somewhere out to eat that I love that has food I can have, I try to get in extra calorie burning before or after.

    I think occasional 'cheat' days are supposed to be good for you metabolism, but I don't know about 2 weeks?
    She is not talking about going over, but about eating at maintenance. Here's what Leigh Peele has to say:

    "Short-term refeeds are short breaks from a deficit state. The purpose is to maintain quality metabolic or psychological behavior. These can come in as short forms like cheat meals, whole weekends off, long-term, several-week periods, or your standard total break from dieting all together. When embarking on a break, I see the background information as suggesting you are staving off abnormal adaptation. In short, you are still in a good place, taking part in proper deloads, resting, and diet breaks on a regular basis. You are avoiding any detrimental negative consequences from dieting down, at least beyond normal adaptations.

    Some people also call them cheat days, high days, carb-up days, etc.

    Long-term refeeding is when you have gone beyond the point of standard dieting down adaptations. You need to replenish or reset an above-normal deficit period. This is going to be an instance where you’ve been dieting down for an extended period of time with few to no maintenance days. This is going to be especially increased if dieting and training habits include more aggressive protocols like PSMF, VLCD, or advanced metabolic training. When this has taken place, short-term breaks will do little to help reset or create a place of optimal metabolic homeostasis.
    From:
    http://www.leighpeele.com/starvation-mode

    Edited for link.

    Thanks! I don't know that a full on break would benefit me because I never went super low and there are days where I'm at maintenance or even over (beer, wine and bbqs lol). My deficit has always been TDEE -20% so I'm probably not a great candidate but I'd like to experiment with maintenance for a week or 2 anyways. Might as well be over a period where I"m more than likely going to eat more anyways.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    While I was actively losing (for 11 months last year), I took two planned diet breaks, eating at maintenance for 2 weeks each. I never really plateaued so it wasn't so much for the physiological benefits (although I like to think that it helped to give my body a bit of a break). It was more for psychological reasons, and I think it did help there. Each time I actually lost a bit of weight, so I guess I didn't actually hit my true maintenance level. And, while I quickly got used to the higher calories, I didn't find it too challenging to reduce again. In fact, I felt kind of re-energised and focused on losing again.

    I actually planned to take another break over Christmas and New Year, but in the end I'd already hit my goal so was at maintenance anyway.

    I don't think it can do any harm whatsoever, unless you grossly miscalculate your maintenance level. If anything, it's good practise for actual maintenance which is a whole other challenge.
  • fitOsaurus_Rex_we_changed
    fitOsaurus_Rex_we_changed Posts: 132
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    OP...i am totally one of those "its not a diet it's a lifestyle people" but i have tried what you are thinking about and definitely recommend it. When i dont log and just eat what i want i maintain my weight. i personally lose around 10lbs, get tired of tracking and eating clean constantly and take a break for a few weeks. this causes my weight loss to be slow but it also causes the weight loss to stick! in less than a year i've lost 22lbs and counting and have not had any issues with gaining any of it back. i have taken time to lose weight and let my body settle into the weight loss so that i can see what i truly look like that that weight and reevaluate my goal weight/body. this also allows me to learn to love my body through my transformation. going into maintenance for a few weeks makes me feel even better about getting to my goal because i know once i get to it i'll be able to maintain that weight. feel free to add me of PM me if you have any questions or want to chat about it!
  • Jewlz280
    Jewlz280 Posts: 547 Member
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    OP...i am totally one of those "its not a diet it's a lifestyle people" but i have tried what you are thinking about and definitely recommend it. When i dont log and just eat what i want i maintain my weight. i personally lose around 10lbs, get tired of tracking and eating clean constantly and take a break for a few weeks. this causes my weight loss to be slow but it also causes the weight loss to stick! in less than a year i've lost 22lbs and counting and have not had any issues with gaining any of it back. i have taken time to lose weight and let my body settle into the weight loss so that i can see what i truly look like that that weight and reevaluate my goal weight/body. this also allows me to learn to love my body through my transformation. going into maintenance for a few weeks makes me feel even better about getting to my goal because i know once i get to it i'll be able to maintain that weight. feel free to add me of PM me if you have any questions or want to chat about it!

    I think I need you and OP on my friend's list!
  • hannah_ryann
    hannah_ryann Posts: 259 Member
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    I actually just completed a week of eating at maintenance. I actively lost between January and May, took a FULL 2 months off, actively lost from July-last week. Prior to my maintenance week, I had competed in a weight loss competition while upping my running mileage over the past 12 weeks. I wasn't feeling burned out per say, just "run down," as another poster said.

    After eating at maintenance (or maybe even a little over) for this week, I feel AWESOME. I can't wait for tomorrow to come so I can get back into weight loss mode. I'm up 4 pounds from my lowest weight recorded a week and 2 days ago but I know that can be contributed to my replenished glycogen stores, as also referenced by another poster (kudos to whoever posted that original thread; it was brilliant).

    So, yes, I just took a week long diet break, and I can speak from experience that it does wonders for my psychological well-being on this journey. I don't believe I'll need to take another one before I hit goal, since I'm only about 15 pounds away.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    After eating at maintenance (or maybe even a little over) for this week, I feel AWESOME. I can't wait for tomorrow to come so I can get back into weight loss mode. I'm up 4 pounds from my lowest weight recorded a week and 2 days ago but I know that can be contributed to my replenished glycogen stores, as also referenced by another poster (kudos to whoever posted that original thread; it was brilliant).


    So nice to see a logical reaction to the glycogen replenishing + weight gain. I get so annoyed when people gain 3lbs and freak out lol. It'll level out unless you're eating 10K in excess calories over the week of course. A pizza night and a snickers is very unlikely to cause a 3lb gain :)
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
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    I just took a week off from cutting / logging. Awesome. Exactly what I needed. Gained 4 lbs. Didn't go crazy, but just didn't care about logging anything. I lifted like a madman for that week and my constipation has gone away. Life is good.

    Now back to logging with renewed vigor. I missed it and think I missed my protein macros for the week. But I nailed my joy macro.

    Tom
  • MaiLinna
    MaiLinna Posts: 580 Member
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    The holidays are coming up so it's pretty normal. I'm definitely gonna eat my fill of potatoes when I get the chance.
  • ElliInJapan
    ElliInJapan Posts: 284 Member
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    I just took a 2 week break while on holidays. I tried to to overdo it, but I ate whatever I felt like eating, drank a lot of alcohol and enjoyed the break from logging & counting calories. I only gained 1.2kg, which I lost in 2-3 days after I got back. I think it is great to take a break here and there. I have no idea whether it has any effect on adaptive thermogenesis, but the mental break is definitely worth it.
  • spaingirl2011
    spaingirl2011 Posts: 763 Member
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    This is such an interesting discussion-- I've been thinking of doing the same thing (controlled--not "last supper" style!) over the holidays. In fact, on the EM2WL board, people usually advocate 2 weeks at maintenance for every 8 weeks on a deficit. So this sounds par for the course.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    people still see portion management as a purge or punishment...I believe you should eat if you are hungry, splurge if you feel like it. life is short, enjoy your relationship with food, don't let food control you.
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
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    I took one - when I hit the MFP and my diet do not fit my crazy A schedule point. I did that for over a month. Maintaining setting was a tad high - I gained 3 pounds. Then I was ready to go again. I eat under maintenance most of the time - in fact I changed my goal to 200 under. But if I really really want something, I'll just try to not shoot clean over maintenance.

    So some days I'm holding and some days I'm losing. Sounds ok to me. I'm done with the whole hit it and get it - push through - keep strong mess. I'm in it for a long haul, long way to go and I can't do it at full throttle. I found some balance.

    Over the holidays - I may adjust up to maintenance for the big meals/days out. I don't want to FEEL deprived. I want to enjoy myself. Other days, I'll try to stay under.

    Nothing wrong with your idea. HOld your place until you are ready to go again. Works for me, literally, it did.
  • princesstoadstool82
    princesstoadstool82 Posts: 371 Member
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    i think they are great, i just had a week off everything, lifting and logging 1, it was my birthday, and 2, i was feeling over it, but i knew all i needed was a break... (not to be confused with quitting )
    also. i'm following the tdee method, and its good to eat at maintainance, kinda a reset if you will every now and then. then get back into eatting at a cut..

    i will say i find the tdee method, not really dieting, so getting back into it will be a peice of cake :)

    i'm not skinny at all... but honestly a week off wont do much difference, unless you eat a vlcal diet, then your body might think its one of them binges and go a bit crazy, but my body didnt seem to do anything, i ate cake and other crap foods i was avoiding due to high cholesterol (which i got down in the last 3 months!!! woo) and of course eatting better to lose weight... but a week off for me.. was well something im glad i did, i'm back into logging as of today (and eatting good ) :) and back into strong lifts as of tomorrow

    good luck :D

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