Diet breaks?!

bigredhearts

What are your thoughts? I googled it and many many articles came up on the subject suggesting that a diet break after roughly 3 months and lasting 2 weeks at least is beneficial to the mind and body... I think there is something to this and since i have been going at it for about 4 months but have been hanging around the same weight for a month ive decided to give it a shot. i was just curious to see if anyone has tried this method or has a different opinion on the subject...

StrawberrySprinkles

I have been doing this about 5 or 6 weeks now.

After about thirty days, I was mentally exhausted from all the calculating and trying to be on top of it all. Kind of made me mentally tired, so I spent three or four days not counting.

Didn't go over the top or insane, kept things within reason and now I feel quite a bit more motivated to keep pushing forward.

P/S: As odd as it sounds, taking the time off from it helped me relax a little bit and lost quite a bit of water weight I was carrying around. I know everyone says to drink tons of water, but it wasn't doing anything for me except accumulating in my legs and feet. My medication has a mild diuretic in it to help with possible water weight, but it wasn't cutting through it. Oh wells, I am staying hydrated, but not to the extent that's recommended. I like being able to wear shoes. HAR!

genie98

I haven't done that. I don't consider this a diet, I consider it a lifestyle change. I realize that I can never go back to the way I was eating. It is okay to go over your calories once in a while. I wouldn't do it for longer than a day or so as I would be afraid of gaining the weight back that I lost.

devildogmom

only way I am taking a break is if someone takes me to the Turks and Calios .. because I have been on a break long enough.. How many " I am gonna lose this " kick just to be right back where I started.. if you are at like a few pounds short of your goat to mix it up sure.. but a break for 2 weeks.. that would just be the end for me and defeat the purpose

myofibril

Lady, you rock.

I wish more people would incorporate diet breaks into their fat loss programmes. Yes, I have used them and yes, they are very beneficial.

The leaner you get the more frequent your diet breaks should be. If you are fairly lean then every 6 weeks or so. If you are bigger then every 12 - 16 weeks.

The concept is explored fully in Lyle McDonald's "A Flexible Guide to Dieting" which highlights both its usefulness in terms of psychology and physiology.

deesjourney2fit

I agree with Genie. I don't tell myself I can or can't eat something. I eat what I want but in moderation. I track my calories and track my exercise. I drink my water and keep going. I didn't track this weekend because the foods I ate at the places I went were too difficult to track. But I did my exercise regardless and am still good! I think each person needs to decide what's best for them. This is a lifestyle to me, I do not call it a diet. I vary my calories depending on my hunger cues daily. I may go over, I may be under, I may be right on target. Good luck!

bigredhearts

i am literally 5 lbs from my goal and 19-20% body fat (caliper tested) and weight loss has been tedious for the past month. and this is def a lifestyle change, i dont plan to go over maintenance. the breaks ive read about simply express the importance of leptin and thyriod levels and for me this makes sense... i actually read lyle mcdonalds article and it convinced me through and through. I also agree with everything in moderation but i dont indulge often nor do i plan to indulge dramatically while on my break. i was planning on moving into maintenance anyways but this seemed more doable as i have still not reached my weight goal. and everyone is on a diet, a diet is the foods you consume, so someone may have a more lax diet while another persons diet may be more restricting. its all about personal preference.

myofibril

i actually read lyle mcdonalds article and it convinced me through and through.

So now, I think I love you

You understand the concept, you understand what needs to be done, so do it. At your level proper planning, execution and above all PATIENCE is vital. Listen you could go hardcore and drop a lot of weight quickly if you are willing to sacrifice disproportionate amount of muscle / LBM. However, if you are looking for meaningful fat loss then that is the way to go.

In case you haven't seen this thread you may want to check it out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner

RangerSteve

i am literally 5 lbs from my goal and 19-20% body fat (caliper tested) and weight loss has been tedious for the past month. and this is def a lifestyle change, i dont plan to go over maintenance. the breaks ive read about simply express the importance of leptin and thyriod levels and for me this makes sense... i actually read lyle mcdonalds article and it convinced me through and through. I also agree with everything in moderation but i dont indulge often nor do i plan to indulge dramatically while on my break. i was planning on moving into maintenance anyways but this seemed more doable as i have still not reached my weight goal. and everyone is on a diet, a diet is the foods you consume, so someone may have a more lax diet while another persons diet may be more restricting. its all about personal preference.

Well then you made the right choice in reading Lyle's article and your assumption about breaks in general. Yes yes yes about thyroid and leptin levels. YES. I'm glad I'm not the only person on here who seems to even consider these things. When you are under maintenance for a long time, your leptin is going to drop and your thyroid with it. Ghrelin will increase to make you more hungry and cortisol will also increase to help store any fat that can be kept. Going over your maintenance (have seen anything from 1 day of break to 2 days at a time) will level out the hormones and keep you going solid. Plus, the psychological benefit is so amazing that it's hard to measure.

Keep reading the good stuff and keep looking at a scientific approach to it. You're doing well and, judging by your pics, you look great. Good luck.

shelly650

I have never tried it, but I dont think it is that bad of an idea! I have been on here since the beginning of March and have lost roughly 13lbs! But over the past month there has been very little or no movement and it gets very frustrating! I eat really clean most times and stay within my calorie goal and there is no change and the odd time when I indulge, im terrified I'll gain weight and infact I end up losing! I think we all need a break now and again from constantly wondering "how many calories are in a certain food" and "If I eat this I will be over my carbs goal for the day"

So yes, I think it is a good idea for a day or two!!

bigredhearts

thanks guys! im actually looking forward to it. I had been going so hardcore for like 3 months so to see my body coming to a hault was mentally exhausting. and im not small by any means, im actually 5'7 1/2" and weigh 155, but i fit into size 5/7. there have been many factors in my decision to start thinking about maintenance but then i did some research and was thrilled to find articles that would help me further understand my perdicament. now, not only can i understand what needs to be done, i can come back after my break feeling recharged with a plan to put into action!