Does taking occasional breaks help?

stinasn
stinasn Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
I started mfp a couple of months ago, lost about 8 pounds in the first month (as is typical when one starts a new diet) and then hit a plateau for a month. I'd lose the same pound and gain it over and over again for 4 weeks, annoying to say the least. Then easter came and for various reason the hubby and I took a 10 day break from dieting. Didn't let ourselves go or anything, I gained about a pound back.

After being back on the diet saddle for 10 days (since last week) I've lost 5 pounds! It seriously makes me wonder wether it's actually better to take a break every few weeks to send your body a signal that you are not starving? Some light googling turned up quite a few articles that tell you to do exactly this.

Any thoughts or experiences on this? Do you take breaks occasionally?

Replies

  • tricksee
    tricksee Posts: 835 Member
    I don't diet and I can't take breaks from a lifestyle change.
  • feelthelove1964
    feelthelove1964 Posts: 59 Member
    I took a break last Sunday , i ate what i liked i never logged it and i never did any exercise, I stupidly posted this up and was slated for it by most , but there were some lovely others who were supportive, not that i asked for permission lol.
    I weighed myself the next morning and like you i lost weight , so i do think it works, and after all when i go on holiday i don't diet or count calories, i am there to enjoy myself and let my hair down .
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I started mfp a couple of months ago, lost about 8 pounds in the first month (as is typical when one starts a new diet) and then hit a plateau for a month. I'd lose the same pound and gain it over and over again for 4 weeks, annoying to say the least. Then easter came and for various reason the hubby and I took a 10 day break from dieting. Didn't let ourselves go or anything, I gained about a pound back.

    After being back on the diet saddle for 10 days (since last week) I've lost 5 pounds! It seriously makes me wonder wether it's actually better to take a break every few weeks to send your body a signal that you are not starving? Some light googling turned up quite a few articles that tell you to do exactly this.

    Any thoughts or experiences on this? Do you take breaks occasionally?

    diet breaks are good for you.

    but i would make sure you do not have too large a deficit to start with.

    all you need to lose weight is a moderate deficit, regular exercise and patience!
  • RickyMartorana
    RickyMartorana Posts: 7 Member
    While I have noticed this especially being at such a high weight myself. When examining my own situation it seems all mental I notice that after I have been doing it for awhile I kind of lose spirit and motivation. I make poor decisions and work out less intensely. So when I start back up I lose more but I think I might still have lost that if I kept up the intensity and made better decisions. I do definitely think breaks help you mentally though.
  • ms_leanne
    ms_leanne Posts: 523 Member
    I hit a plateau and although I didn't go back to "old habits" I upped my cals a bit. When I put them back down again (but not as low as before)I started losing again. Sometimes you need to make adjustments.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    I don't diet and I can't take breaks from a lifestyle change.


    :flowerforyou:
  • jdhoward_101
    jdhoward_101 Posts: 234 Member
    Taking a break definitely works! I unfortunately lost a few pounds through stupid means, ended up binging and put it all back on again. I've been trying to shift it for the past couple of weeks, but i keep maintaining, no matter how hard i've tried and how fanatically i've weighed everything and logged everything. It was really starting to make me miserable, so i decided to take a bit of a break for a couple of days...not hop off the wagon, as it were, but to have a more relaxed attitude, to not deny myself any foods, listen to my hunger, etc. In those couple of days i've lost 1.5lbs, which is more than i've lost in a fortnight of rigorous logging! Plus having that break does give you more motivation.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,946 Member
    I eat at a fairly substantial deficit (1300 plus exercise calories) and after three months stopped losing. I think my metabolism slowed due to being at that deficit for so long. I took a 3 week diet break and ate near TDEE and the scales started moving again a little. I plan to incorporate a break every three months or so. After all, if I am not losing at 1300 plus exercise, I might as well not be losing at 1900 plus exercise.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I don't diet and I can't take breaks from a lifestyle change.
    that
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    No. It can take 6 weeks to redo a bad week, have just experienced this for myself. That well was a traumatic week and I just have to move on, but it wasn't worth it. I don't think you need breaks to lose weight. It's possible you were struggling with the lifestyle change and not putting add much effort in, went away had a break, and came back working harder. Got to examine why you need that psychologically, rather than saying you need it for weight loss. Have a needed psychological breaks before? Absolutely, but this is a lifestyle change, I now love to eat this way and when I don't I feel awful physically. This is as much about working on yourself psychologically as physically.

    Zara

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