Taking a "break"?

angiechimpanzee
angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do any of you guys take breaks from tracking calories periodically, like lets say after a month of consistent tracking you start to see your weight loss coming to a halt. Do you ever just say "alright this next week or two I'll just eat freely and not track" and then go back on your plan after that? I feel like theoretically, doing something like that would cause you to start losing up to speed again once you do get back on track. Has anyone gone such or experienced anything that would lead that theory to be true?

Replies

  • ShmoozyQ
    ShmoozyQ Posts: 390 Member
    I have done this for the mental break, not so much to jumpstart weightloss again. I feel confident that I can eat, not track, and maintain my weight.

    All you can do is try it! If you feel like you need a break, take one. Nobody says you can't do that. Do you own experiment! :smile:
  • SydDoesLife
    SydDoesLife Posts: 4
    I agree with ShmoozyQ, sometimes I just get mentally exhausted from counting calories, so I take a "break" looking to maintain and not lose :D
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    If you aren't starving yourself on your diet you shouldn't need a break for your weight loss to continue. A mental break maybe from tracking everything which is also good for learning to eat at maintenance when you reach your goal.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Not after a month but after 3 months, yes. For 2 weeks. It has both physiological and psychological benefits. Hormones like leptin and gherlin that impact fat storage and hunger get reset and you are back on track when you go back into deficit.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I haven't yet because I would certainly go over if I were not tracking. Maybe after I have been at maintenance for a while...
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Agree with Pags that a month is too often but 3 months or so is about right. I also do things like have a day once every 2 weeks where I blow my calories way up. And I change my deficit level as well. Recently I was on a 1300 cal deficit, this next week I'm on full calories (or more), and for the next 6-8 weeks after that I'm going to be on a 300-500 cal deficit.

    edited to add that my deficit fluctuation isn't willy nilly; it coincides with changes in my strength and conditioning routine.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I do on the weekends a little bit. I barely track and never seem to go off track too much as I am still losing weight.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
    I only did it after 5-6 months of logging. For plateaus, I just tried to figure out why I was on one and either change up my fitness routine or my eating habits a bit and see if it would break.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Do any of you guys take breaks from tracking calories periodically, like lets say after a month of consistent tracking you start to see your weight loss coming to a halt. Do you ever just say "alright this next week or two I'll just eat freely and not track" and then go back on your plan after that? I feel like theoretically, doing something like that would cause you to start losing up to speed again once you do get back on track. Has anyone gone such or experienced anything that would lead that theory to be true?

    I took breaks from the calorie deficit as needed but not tracking. Even though I'm maintaining I love tracking my calories. I guess it does not seem like a chore because I'm older and remember the drudgery of having to do this without computers; writing everything down with pen and notepad, looking up every ingredient in calorie books, and using the calculator to do the math every night. Even weight watchers was a pain back in the day. MFP makes it FUN.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Lol, I've been tracking for nearly a year and not missed a day, if I felt I needed to up my calories for awhile I just did, needed more sweets, fine, done, needed a few cheetos, done. It all goes in the log for god and everybody to see, I don't really care about anyone but my opinion and how can I know what works and what doesn't and detect the patterns that trigger a plateau or a gain if I don't log. Well there you go, but, as a biologist I'm real partial to a "sciency" approach to this. Result, I weigh less now than I have in 40 years.
  • jonkers2012
    jonkers2012 Posts: 32 Member
    Lol, I've been tracking for nearly a year and not missed a day, if I felt I needed to up my calories for awhile I just did, needed more sweets, fine, done, needed a few cheetos, done. It all goes in the log for god and everybody to see, I don't really care about anyone but my opinion and how can I know what works and what doesn't and detect the patterns that trigger a plateau or a gain if I don't log. Well there you go, but, as a biologist I'm real partial to a "sciency" approach to this. Result, I weigh less now than I have in 40 years.

    What a great attitude. Agree 100% and congrats on the fantastic loss :)
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    For me? I wouldn't do it. Too many times I have given myself a 'break' and it turned into complete sabotage. I know for myself I will have to count calories the rest of my life, even after I hit goal weight. And I am ok with that if it means I get to stay healthy and feeling great for years to come, instead of falling back into old habits and regaining the weight.

    But I have made peace with that. For those who can do it and get back on track, great for you. I don't have that much self discipline.

    If you look at eating the same way as your checkbook, would I take a week off to spend whatever I wanted to without recording my spending in my checkbook? I would get myself in a lot of financial trouble doing that.
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 751 Member
    I've known of people doing from a mental standpoint, as it can become discouraging when you’re eating well, working out but not seeing progress. What is important to understand that this will take time. Start taking photos of yourself and keep them in a log on your computer, cell phone or apps like Instagram. Take your measurments and don't rely on the scale as it will never give you a 100% accurate answer. That way you will see changes that occur in photos that you can’t see in the mirror. Since we look at ourselves every day we don’t tend to notice the minor progress being made, which adds up over time!

    I myself do skip days of logging, may 2-3 days at a time, but overall consistent about logging. Remember, this is something you should be able to sustain for a lifetime, not just while you’re trying to lose weight. The reason I’m able to skip my logging and feel comfortable is because I’ve been doing it over a year, and I know how to accurately estimate my daily calories in my head to keep me from going over or splurging. If you haven’t mastered that, I say keep logging! Taking a break really isn’t going to help you accomplish “jump staring” your results. If anything, you may lose sight of all the effort you put in by consuming foods that are not as good for you; thus putting you over your goal.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    I stop tracking every 6 months to see if my healthy eating habits are working. So far so good. Right now I'm not tracking, I do weigh myself once a week. If I notice the scale creeping back up I'll start tracking again.
    I'm real partial to a "sciency" approach to this.
    The science approach of it all has worked for me as well. I suppose taking a break from tracking is a shift in the science - from biology to psychiatry. "Can I do this without the aid of a tool (tracking)?" "Am I strong enough mentally to make the right choices"?
  • kellimr
    kellimr Posts: 69
    I have been tracking for 2 months straight. If I happen to go over on a Friday or Saturday night I don't stress over it...and still lose. During the week I stick quite well to my goal so if I go over once or so on the weekend I still lose, I have lost close to 20 lbs in 60 days this way. Best of luck!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    certainly not after a month. After say six months or so, it can be helpful to not track for a couple of days, just to see how that goes. And if I have an event and tracking is difficult, I don't worry overly about that.

    But generally, I think it's best to make tracking second nature, and just enjoy it.
  • kealambert
    kealambert Posts: 961 Member
    if i feel like i'm obsessing over my counting, i will take a break.
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    Even when I slack, I track. Gives me data that might be useful later, especially when I hit maintenance.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,265 Member
    Nope. I have tracked every single day since I came to MFP. I dont even think about it anymore...I just do it. Having both the computer site AND the app make it pretty easy. I may not track here every day for the rest of my life after I reach my goal, but it will probably be the majority of the time. But I'll see when that day comes. I still have 7 months to go. :)
  • lexusgirl1
    lexusgirl1 Posts: 34
    I enjoy eating, feeling satisfied and making healthy choices, so no don't want breaks nor wanna be heavy again.
  • EnchantedEvening
    EnchantedEvening Posts: 671 Member
    Sometimes I do, but not when I first started. Now that I've been at it for a while and dropped forty pounds, I let myself "not care" when we were in Chicago last weekend. Since we walked everywhere and climbed lots of stairs, I knew that even if I went over, I'd be okay. I made some mostly healthy choices, but I indulged too.

    I came back a whopping half-pound heavier, and the weight was gone a couple days later.

    Also, I eat pretty much the same food every day, so there are days I forget to track but know I'm still within my calorie range. If I have any doubts, I plug it into MFP. If I notice my weight stalling, I start tracking religiously again.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Lol, I've been tracking for nearly a year and not missed a day, if I felt I needed to up my calories for awhile I just did, needed more sweets, fine, done, needed a few cheetos, done. It all goes in the log for god and everybody to see, I don't really care about anyone but my opinion and how can I know what works and what doesn't and detect the patterns that trigger a plateau or a gain if I don't log. Well there you go, but, as a biologist I'm real partial to a "sciency" approach to this. Result, I weigh less now than I have in 40 years.

    Congrats on your progress! If you like a "sciency" approach, you might enjoy this article.
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    Edited to add: I track no matter what, whether in deficit, surplus as I am right now for a period of building some muscle mass or on a break. I think the discipline of tracking creates a healthy and productive "mindfullness".
  • pjrbs
    pjrbs Posts: 179 Member
    For me? I wouldn't do it. Too many times I have given myself a 'break' and it turned into complete sabotage. I know for myself I will have to count calories the rest of my life, even after I hit goal weight. And I am ok with that if it means I get to stay healthy and feeling great for years to come, instead of falling back into old habits and regaining the weight.

    THIS!
    I did take a break and it has taken 6 weeks to get back to where I was before my "break" . If it works for you, do it.... but I found out that it doesn't work for me.
  • SherryR1971
    SherryR1971 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Honestly, I can't...anytime I take a break I start gaining ...then it is back to square one...
  • srcardinal10
    srcardinal10 Posts: 387 Member
    Absolutely. Sometimes I just need a break from counting every single thing I put in my mouth, so I take a break. I try to remain conscious of what I'm eating and doing but I don't stay strict.
  • insectseige
    insectseige Posts: 28
    Only if I'm away on a short break which isn't very often

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