Taking a break from "dieting"?

annabeladcock

So exams are coming up, and I'm super duper stressed to the point where last weekend I made myself very very ill. I think that I'm trying to juggle too much at once, and maybe while I'm doing my exams (and the lead up to them) I shouldn't worry about my food intake, as it is stressing me out. I will continue to go to the gym as normal as it's a great destresser! My only concern is that 8 days after my last exam I'm going on holiday and want to look good! Am I making a good decision here? Any advice?

piratesluver

Why not instead of giving up completely, just start going on maintenance. Then you may not lose weight, but at least you won't gain it either!

SLLRunner

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

skullshank

if the method of losing weight you are employing would benefit from a "break", you might not be engaged in something sustainable.

awtume9

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

:drinker:

ETA: good luck on your exams!

suziepoo1984

I have taken a break from dieting because of all the stress going on in my life- but will get back to it soon! Life happens

lemonsnowdrop

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Very great advice!

HerbertNenenger

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Couldn't agree more !!! Once you realize that to maintain, you have to be conscious and conscientious of your food intake and fitness for the REST OF YOUR LIFE, you will realize that this guilt/shame/taking a break thing doesn't fly. That way lies madness.

phatguerilla

Surely the exams are the greater stressor and you should work on reducing their impact on your life, rather than removing the thing that should be having a positive impact on your life?

annabeladcock

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Haha yes, this is why I put "diet" in little quotation marks - was purely for lack of a better word at the time! I have noticed that since starting, healthy choices have become so much easier and are now a part of my every day liife. For lunch, I now CHOOSE to have a wholegrain pita bread and an apple, and for dinner, I CHOOSE to have chicken breast and rice. It is just the constant obsession about counting every little calorie and being scared of going over my goal because I treated myself to a small chocolate bar was just added stress that I don't need right now! I've updated MFP to maintenance calories (it suggests 1680 per day) I will continue to eat as I did before, but now I just won't kick myself about that extra bar of chocolate, or going to get pizza on my birthday

annabeladcock

Surely the exams are the greater stressor and you should work on reducing their impact on your life, rather than removing the thing that should be having a positive impact on your life?

Haha - if only that could be done! These exams are just SO SO SO important, and (not to be dramatic) could affect the course of my life... If I get the grades I need I will be fulfilling my dream of going to MEDICAL SCHOOL so right now I think they take priority... Just 3 months then they will be over

RunMyOregonBunsOff

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

This!!!

DannehBoyy

Stick with it long enough and you won't even see it as dieting anymore, just the new way that you eat.

3P0X

Focus on what is important at hand which is your studies.

33Freya

If keeping track of your food is stressing you out so much go ahead and take a break. It's alright Just continue to eat carefully...

ChrisM8971

Do what you need to do to get through your exams and what you think will give you the best chance of success in them.

At the end of the day whether you call what you are doing a "diet" a "lifestyle change" or a "pink elephant" its something you have years to perfect if needed.

You don't get many chances at the exams so go with what lessens the stress

Francl27

I understand your problem, but it should be a lifestyle change... if you need to take a break from it, well, you're looking at it wrong and you're never going to succeed.

What's so stressful about it? Logging? Then don't log, but make an effort to eat smaller portions and plenty of veggies... that's totally fine and a lot of people lose weight without logging their food. Do you feel deprived? Eat at maintenance for a week. No problem.

Just don't associate 'taking a break' with 'going back to your old eating habits'.

mazmol

If you get rid of the diet mentality then you won't ever have to worry about taking a break. Think of what you are doing as a lifestyle change. It's okay to go from a calorie deficit to maintenance, but most of us who have been fat before will need to watch our calorie consumption.

Remember, eat what you want but practice moderation on a daily basis no matter where you are or what you are doing.

well said - its a life style choice for me not a diet - healthy eating.

annabeladcock

I understand your problem, but it should be a lifestyle change... if you need to take a break from it, well, you're looking at it wrong and you're never going to succeed.

What's so stressful about it? Logging? Then don't log, but make an effort to eat smaller portions and plenty of veggies... that's totally fine and a lot of people lose weight without logging their food. Do you feel deprived? Eat at maintenance for a week. No problem.

Just don't associate 'taking a break' with 'going back to your old eating habits'.

I think the stress comes about when I'm hungry but at risk of going over my calorie goal and thinking about what to have for dinner would cut into my revision time which would make me even more stressed and AAHH... So it was badly phrased, I don't really mean "take a break" as in go back to eating junk, but I mean maybe eating at maintenance calories and not kicking myself if I slip and just eating good, healthy food and not obsessing so much...

kelleybean1

Take a break from logging if you need to, but be careful to make good choices and not stress eat!

ChrisM8971

I see the "if you need a break you will fail" and "its not a diet, its a lifestyle change" so often and perhaps that is the best way to look at it

However telling someone they will fail because they take a break is not always accurate

Maybe a slightly different reason for breaking from dieting (creating a calorie deficit) but the following suggests that taking regular breaks may actually be beneficial

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

annabeladcock

I think the stress of exams is really taking its toll (seriously, I can't stress how important they are to me), and I'm worried it'll have an affect on my health and on my eating. I just spent 10 minutes crying into a cupboard of food because I couldn't choose and was generally tired... (i had soup) revision takes it all out of me...

fificrazy

You need to fuel your brain properly during exams and study. Definitely would advise a break from restricting your intake as your brain literally does need an adequate supply of food to function optimally- and that in itself can keep you on track!

hamelle2

Annabel.....are you sleeping?

annabeladcock

Annabel.....are you sleeping?

Morning all Yes I do sleep just fine, thankyou

You need to fuel your brain properly during exams and study. Definitely would advise a break from restricting your intake as your brain literally does need an adequate supply of food to function optimally- and that in itself can keep you on track!

^^THIS, is what I've been thinking!

phatguerilla

Surely the exams are the greater stressor and you should work on reducing their impact on your life, rather than removing the thing that should be having a positive impact on your life?

Haha - if only that could be done! These exams are just SO SO SO important, and (not to be dramatic) could affect the course of my life... If I get the grades I need I will be fulfilling my dream of going to MEDICAL SCHOOL so right now I think they take priority... Just 3 months then they will be over

I appreciate that and although I'm not doing exams I'm in a similarly stressful period in my education. However you have to think about what comes next, if you get into Medical school the work, exams, hours are all going to be even more stressful. Do you plan to take breaks from your new eating habits then? Perhaps it is too late to start looking at reducing stress but honestly I don't think it is, if anything its exactly the right time to look into stress reducing activities.

Anyways, with regards food I would try to remove as much choice and effort from it as possible, stick to healthy ready meals, prepped food, or things you can make in under 15 minutes. By doing so you know exactly what you're going to eat at your next meal and you can put that part of your life into autodrive.

Iwishyouwell

Do whatever you need to do right now that helps you better focus on your studies and decompress.

Jruzer

I see the "if you need a break you will fail" and "its not a diet, its a lifestyle change" so often and perhaps that is the best way to look at it

However telling someone they will fail because they take a break is not always accurate

Maybe a slightly different reason for breaking from dieting (creating a calorie deficit) but the following suggests that taking regular breaks may actually be beneficial

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

I came here to say this as well. I just took a 2 week "diet break", as I've been working on my last 5-10 pounds for a long time. Don't stop tracking and logging, just eat at maintenance.

annabeladcock

I appreciate that and although I'm not doing exams I'm in a similarly stressful period in my education. However you have to think about what comes next, if you get into Medical school the work, exams, hours are all going to be even more stressful. Do you plan to take breaks from your new eating habits then? Perhaps it is too late to start looking at reducing stress but honestly I don't think it is, if anything its exactly the right time to look into stress reducing activities.

Anyways, with regards food I would try to remove as much choice and effort from it as possible, stick to healthy ready meals, prepped food, or things you can make in under 15 minutes. By doing so you know exactly what you're going to eat at your next meal and you can put that part of your life into autodrive.

Hmm yes I do see your point... I'm by no means stopping completely, I'm just taking it a bit easier... I'm still making good choices, I've just been to the supermarket with my mum and she was tempting me with cheese-stuffed pasta and all sorts of goodies, but I just went off and got my fruit and chicken etc!

The de-stressing activities are a good idea. I love yoga and my college do a £1 class every monday so I might see if any of my friends want to come with me to that Usually going to the gym is may way of working out tension, I just haven't been able to go this week due to getting sick...

Sparlingo

Maybe try to batch-cook for the next little while? Take a weekend afternoon to prep your suppers for the next while.

Get 3 or 4 healthier slow cooker recipes. Portion everything out, and freeze most of it flat in large zip-lock bags. While you're studying, dump a bag into the slow cooker and let it cook while you do your revisions.

Or, buy some of those skillet meals - ones that come frozen with chicken, vegetables and pasta. Sure, they're not epically healthy, but they're not bad either, and they take the guess work out of your food for the next while and have zero prep time.

You can also buy some of those ready-made salad kits. Or, hard boil a bunch of eggs so you have some quick protein for a snack, or to dump into your salads on a daily basis.

"Cheat" when it comes to the prep, not the calorie counting. The counting doesn't take up much time, anyway.

I do agree that it's completely fine to eat at maintenance for the next while, I just know how difficult it is to get back into the swing of things if you completely lose the habit of tracking.

AliceDark

I think the stress of exams is really taking its toll (seriously, I can't stress how important they are to me), and I'm worried it'll have an affect on my health and on my eating. I just spent 10 minutes crying into a cupboard of food because I couldn't choose and was generally tired... (i had soup) revision takes it all out of me...

Oh, sweetie! Food is definitely taking up too much mental space if it's making you cry! If it's an additional stressor, do whatever you can to remove that stress -- I'm sure you know that stress will make it more difficult for you to concentrate and remember things for your exams, which is exactly the opposite of what you need right now.

I'd definitely move into maintenence for the time being. Think of it this way -- would you rather stay right where you are now (or even gain a pound or two) but ace your exams, or lose another pound or two and do poorly? You have the rest of your life to try to lose that extra pound.

One last thought -- your fat macro looks like it could be low, especially if you're craving things like pizza and cheesecake. You don't have your weight listed on your profile, but MFP recommends around .45g fat per 1 lb of body weight. Everyone's body has a slightly different macro breakdown that it likes the best and obviously I don't know what yours does, but I get the worst brain fog when I go too low on fat. Can't make a decision to save my life -- I've actually cried over not being able to pick something for dinner before too (more than once, sadly). It might be worth playing around with your macros to see if another distribution would work better for you.