Weight loss break

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jxspxr
jxspxr Posts: 150
in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently taking the break of weight loss. The reason for taking a break is that I find it hard to divide my attention and willpower between different goals, and my studies really needs my attention right now. I must say that it's nice to have a break - weight loss is effectively out of my head now, so I can focus on the area of my studies, which is also going well.

Perhaps interesting to tell you what I will do this month:
- I will continue to exercise, a bit less but at least 3 times per week.
- I will avoid certain foods, like fast food, potato crisps and sugary foods.
- I will cook for often and I'll make more healthy meals. Good for the long term!
- I will keep on measuring my weight every morning. I've been doing that for 3 months now and it's part of my routine now.

I won't:
- count calories. I haven't done that so far, if I do this I'll just obsess over losing weight. I'll read the food packaging to learn about the calorie content and I'll estimate the amount of calories I eat on a day. I already have trouble organising my normal daily life (I have ADD), counting calories would be an even bigger challenge than the weight loss itself.
- try to lose weight. If I am hungry I eat. Simple as that.

When my study has become less challenging (I estimate that will be in two or three weeks), I will go back to maintaining a calorie deficit and focus on building a healthy living routine even more.

What do you think?

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I think it's a bad idea. 3 weeks is more than enough time to pick up all your old bad habits and gain a fair bit. If you don't have time for exercise that isn't an issue but still eating within budget is important and always will be. Even after you lose weight you still have to be cognizant of your calorie intake at all times. Calorie counting isn't really a time consuming issue.
  • RunsOnEspresso
    RunsOnEspresso Posts: 3,218 Member
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    I took June off (I still logged most days, I just wasn't at a deficit). I still ate healthy, worked out etc, just wasn't as concerned about weight loss. It was a good mental break after almost a year of eating at a deficit. Sometimes we need breaks, just don't let it become your new routine.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    Well the thing is, if you maintain a calorie deficit, you'll have less energy available to do other things and you have to have some willpower to maintain such a deficit. I had quite a large deficit - 1000 calories per day on average through 10 week, resulting in the loss of 10 kgs (and I already lost 7 before that).

    The thing I'll stop is maintaning such a large deficit. I won't throw everything away, for instance I won't stop focussing on healthy living through good food and exercise. Just a bit less, but enough to maintain my weight. Weight loss is a phase, I think it's fine to take a break from this, but healthy living is something that you want to do for life; you shouldn't take a break from that.

    So, that's my plan. I am happy to let go of this goal for a while and to get some study things finished. I hope that later this months I'll feel up to maintaining this deficit again - and more importantly going further in building a healthy lifestyle.
  • ames105
    ames105 Posts: 288 Member
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    I understand that your time is being divided among several important things. Schoolwork is very important. Just be really careful that you don't go too far offtrack from your diet. I decided I was just tired of calorie counting and exercise a few years ago....and I gained back 40lbs.

    My advice would be to continue to eat healthy, exercise, watch your potion size and watch the scale so you can go back to calories counting if the scale starts creeping up. Good luck!
  • wlawhorn1993
    wlawhorn1993 Posts: 16
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    My advice, I have been diagnosed with ADHD-PI (there really is no such thing as ADD). I take 30mg Vyvanse daily, have two jobs, got school three nights a week, and volunteer at two fire departments. Time management is key. It doesn't take an excessive amount of time to count calories. Taking breaks can be defined many ways. Taking a break meaning eating whatever, whenever is horrible definitely not recommended. Taking a break as in eating up to your TDEE is fine if you want to. Here is the thing, you are not on a diet, you are changing to a healthier lifestyle, once you lose all the weight you want, no matter how you do it, if you don't keep up with your caloric intake and what you are eating you will gain it back. I eat a lot of processed food because I don't have time to cook. This morning I had a monster energy and a protein bar for breakfast because I was heading to work and I bought some snacks to keep me fed. I am counting every calorie. When I get off I am probably going to have to eat a bunch of lean meat to get my protein without going over my calories. I may just drink a huge protein shake and go over my carbs a little bit. However I will stay under my allotted caloric intake and meet my nutritional needs. To stay really fit and healthy you have to run your body like a well oiled machine. The reason, I am currently trying to lose weight is because I took a "break" because of my work load and gained back 60 lbs. You have to stay on it, even after you reach your goal to stay that way. So my recommendation is to see a physician for you adhd, get medicated and just manage your time strictly and you will succeed.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I took a break that didn't end. Now I have 20lbs to lose AGAIN. Good luck, I hope it works out for you.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
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    I see that I am doing something risky here by taking a break.

    @wlawhorn1993 - I know there is not something as ADD, but I just say it like that because I think more people know the meaning of that term than of ADHD-pi.

    I've been diagnosed ADHD-pi a couple of years ago, and I take meds. Since then I managed to make a lot of changes in life. One of these is to put my priorities where they should be, not in all kinds of side-projects. I can have multiple goals at the same time, but there is the risk that I cannot divide my attention well enough.

    Instead of just going with the flow and hoping it works out alright, I am learning to manage my goals/set priorities in such a way that I can make my most important goals. Sometimes that means giving something up entirely, but in this case it just means taking it easy with my goals. By the way, for my studies I also quit my summerjob and I cancelled my vacation. That's how important it is for me.

    There is no reason why I wouldn't continue dieting early september. I will have finished my thesis and the exam that I am learning for now and I will have only one thesis left. Will take a break of one hour to have one week off, during which I will get the diet thing started again.

    By the way, wlawhorn1993, very interesting to read that you manage to do so much work done with ADHD-pi. I wonder how you manage to do that!
  • fatsnacker
    fatsnacker Posts: 209 Member
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    I didn't count a single calorie whilst all inclusive in Mexico recently. After 26 weeks, it was good to not have to account for everything that passed my lips. I drank a tequila sunrise every evening, was more active than usual (swimming, tennis, golf, climbing), didn't miss a breakfast and was able to skip a few midday meals - only put on 2lbs whilst my partner put on 14 lbs.
  • flatblade
    flatblade Posts: 224 Member
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    I checked in almost every day, but really didn't make my healthy lifestyle first on my priority list. I kept the exercise coming, tried to stay away from poor food decisions, but didn't log my food or exercise. I stayed about the same for weight and about a week ago decided to get back on it by eating better and logging both my exercise and food intake. Every situation is the not the same. One must do what is right for himself or herself.
  • wlawhorn1993
    wlawhorn1993 Posts: 16
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    I see that I am doing something risky here by taking a break.

    @wlawhorn1993 - I know there is not something as ADD, but I just say it like that because I think more people know the meaning of that term than of ADHD-pi.

    I've been diagnosed ADHD-pi a couple of years ago, and I take meds. Since then I managed to make a lot of changes in life. One of these is to put my priorities where they should be, not in all kinds of side-projects. I can have multiple goals at the same time, but there is the risk that I cannot divide my attention well enough.

    Instead of just going with the flow and hoping it works out alright, I am learning to manage my goals/set priorities in such a way that I can make my most important goals. Sometimes that means giving something up entirely, but in this case it just means taking it easy with my goals. By the way, for my studies I also quit my summerjob and I cancelled my vacation. That's how important it is for me.

    There is no reason why I wouldn't continue dieting early september. I will have finished my thesis and the exam that I am learning for now and I will have only one thesis left. Will take a break of one hour to have one week off, during which I will get the diet thing started again.

    By the way, wlawhorn1993, very interesting to read that you manage to do so much work done with ADHD-pi. I wonder how you manage to do that!


    Awesome! I am always glad to hear of another person diagnosed and treated! I had a huge workload before, after I was treated, I was able to handle everything. I don't sleep like I should, however I don't procrastinate anymore I make sure to complete every task before me and take advantage of every second that I have as efficiently as possible. I take it you are in grad school being that you are writing a thesis, I am only going to tech school for AEMT and I have a full plate. If you are in grad school I would say education first you have plenty of time after you graduate or when you catch a break to work on your fitness, providing you aren't in any danger of health risks.
  • curvygirl77
    curvygirl77 Posts: 769 Member
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    Im currently on a break; every once in a while I need one. I still workout at least five times per week but not at the same intensity I use to workout. I have not gained or lost any weight so I am ok with it but I plan on starting up again in another week. I just needed a little break and time to write out a new workout routine.
  • jxspxr
    jxspxr Posts: 150
    Options
    I see that I am doing something risky here by taking a break.

    @wlawhorn1993 - I know there is not something as ADD, but I just say it like that because I think more people know the meaning of that term than of ADHD-pi.

    I've been diagnosed ADHD-pi a couple of years ago, and I take meds. Since then I managed to make a lot of changes in life. One of these is to put my priorities where they should be, not in all kinds of side-projects. I can have multiple goals at the same time, but there is the risk that I cannot divide my attention well enough.

    Instead of just going with the flow and hoping it works out alright, I am learning to manage my goals/set priorities in such a way that I can make my most important goals. Sometimes that means giving something up entirely, but in this case it just means taking it easy with my goals. By the way, for my studies I also quit my summerjob and I cancelled my vacation. That's how important it is for me.

    There is no reason why I wouldn't continue dieting early september. I will have finished my thesis and the exam that I am learning for now and I will have only one thesis left. Will take a break of one hour to have one week off, during which I will get the diet thing started again.

    By the way, wlawhorn1993, very interesting to read that you manage to do so much work done with ADHD-pi. I wonder how you manage to do that!


    Awesome! I am always glad to hear of another person diagnosed and treated! I had a huge workload before, after I was treated, I was able to handle everything. I don't sleep like I should, however I don't procrastinate anymore I make sure to complete every task before me and take advantage of every second that I have as efficiently as possible. I take it you are in grad school being that you are writing a thesis, I am only going to tech school for AEMT and I have a full plate. If you are in grad school I would say education first you have plenty of time after you graduate or when you catch a break to work on your fitness, providing you aren't in any danger of health risks.

    I am working to become undergraduate in 2.5 months, I've been working longer on that than I should (result of ADHD-pi), so that's why I so readily put priority on it when I feel I need to do that; I don't want any further delay.

    AEMT sounds good! Must be a lot of work! Also great that you volunteer for two fire departments! I would also love to do that!

    By the way, my weight loss break is going fine so far. I'm 91.5 kg for the third day in a row, while eating normal portions, so I guess that during this break I will keep this as an upper limit. If one day I am over 91.5, I will eat less until my weight drops again. It's important to monitor it like that, because I just quit smoking and the last time I did that, I gained 10 kg in 5 months. Don't want that to happen again.

    It's important to keep my weight on this level, because during my next weight loss round starts in september and I want to get below 80 kg; any weight I gain I'll have to lose again. Also, I want to prevent yoyoing with my weight - they say it's quite unhealthy.

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