Taking a break from "dieting"?

annabeladcock

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.

I LOVE this idea - thankyou so much!

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.

I weigh 134lbs if this helps thankyou for the good suggestion

Elsie_Brownraisin

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.

That's an excellent idea!

When I had exams last year, I stopped logging on here and focused on notthing but revision. But like you have said, the meal choices I made were generally a lot better than they used to be. It'll be the same this year.

Do you exercise? Don't give up if so, it really helps your concention and is good for stress.

Best of luck to you.

flechero

If the "diet" is causing that much stress than you are doing something wrong. You can only watch your portions and still maintain at worst.

easjer

As someone who is a chronic stressor and for whom therapy hasn't helped much - please do not stop healthy habits. Right now it's these exams. Next will be med school, then internship, then residency, then practice . . . life happens. If you are like me, there is never a point at which there is no stress because life is stressful. You need to learn how to cope with that stress and maintain healthy habits anyway (or you'll end up like me, at +300 lbs trying to take it all off again).

Switching to maintenance for now is probably wise, but learning to cope long term is wiser. Adaptive strategies are important to success (not just with dieting). If you stress out about a chocolate bar - that is too much stress over your caloric intake already. Learn how to build it into your day and let it go.

Pre-planning meals is really helpful, as is batch cooking. If you can find 15 minutes to plan your week, shop and make some time to cook, you'll be golden. I have a few dishes that are crockpot dishes that yield a week's worth of lunches for me or a couple of meals for a family of four. Perhaps having the same thing for a few days will help relieve some of the stress of making decisions or counting calories right now. Stick a menu on your fridge and take 5 minutes to prep everything for the next day at the end of the day.

And good luck with your exams.

bshot1

My suggestion, preplan your meals in the morning when you wake up. Takes a lot of the time/stress out of the equation. Usually takes me a whopping 5 minutes. If you're finding yourself tired/exhausted throughout the day, make the breakfast/lunch meals a little more carb heavy. If carbo loading in the morning still isn't helping, bump up to maintenance for the time being.

My 2 cents, good luck with exams.

annabeladcock

As someone who is a chronic stressor and for whom therapy hasn't helped much - please do not stop healthy habits. Right now it's these exams. Next will be med school, then internship, then residency, then practice . . . life happens. If you are like me, there is never a point at which there is no stress because life is stressful. You need to learn how to cope with that stress and maintain healthy habits anyway (or you'll end up like me, at +300 lbs trying to take it all off again).

Switching to maintenance for now is probably wise, but learning to cope long term is wiser. Adaptive strategies are important to success (not just with dieting). If you stress out about a chocolate bar - that is too much stress over your caloric intake already. Learn how to build it into your day and let it go.

Pre-planning meals is really helpful, as is batch cooking. If you can find 15 minutes to plan your week, shop and make some time to cook, you'll be golden. I have a few dishes that are crockpot dishes that yield a week's worth of lunches for me or a couple of meals for a family of four. Perhaps having the same thing for a few days will help relieve some of the stress of making decisions or counting calories right now. Stick a menu on your fridge and take 5 minutes to prep everything for the next day at the end of the day.

And good luck with your exams.

Thankyou for the helpful post!! This evening I made a curry for 4 people and have put the remaining 3 portions into containers and into the fridge - why haven't I tried batch cooking sooner!!

What you're saying about life always being stressful is a very good, and very real, point. I think I am just overthinking it and stressing too much about it, craving to be as skinny as my friends etc etc. Wise choices when it comes to eating is now a part of my lifestyle - it's just when I ate 1300 calories a day I would get stressed out when I was hungry but had no calories left for the day... I've decided that for now I shall eat at maintenance calories (or a little below), because my brain needs to be functioning at its tip top form right now! At other times of stress I can handle it - but now my brain is slightly on overload! plus I have a 3 month summer before Med school to get my weight down to what I want it to be

kcrxgirl

What if you plan/prep your meals ahead of time? It will help you stay on track and also make cooking quicker/easier while you're trying to study. I gotta have some chocolate when I'm stressed so fit some in. Have you tried the mini Snickers ice cream bars? They are delicious and only 90 calories.

annabeladcock

What if you plan/prep your meals ahead of time? It will help you stay on track and also make cooking quicker/easier while you're trying to study. I gotta have some chocolate when I'm stressed so fit some in. Have you tried the mini Snickers ice cream bars? They are delicious and only 90 calories.

Well, in general I always know what I'm going to eat for breakfast and lunch! Breakfast is cheerios, or a homemade smoothie if I have time. Lunch is a wholemeal pita with ham and laughing cow cheese. The snacks vary depending on what I have in the cupboard to throw in my bag - usually a cereal bar and an apple dinner is the only thing that really changes. And this batch cooking thing I've now discovered should be a great help

EDIT - and I will be sure to try one of those snickers things soon!!!