Anyone else try to lose 10 lbs and then take a week off?

Quit trying to be strict and diet. Set a workable budget, make the foods you like fit the budget and call it a lifestyle change. You can't just diet off the pounds then go back to your old ways as you've found out so you need to work on finding a plan that works for you for life. I incorporate "treats" into my everyday life so it isn't a reason to blow it all.

I don't do this on purpose but it happens to me. For example, last week was not only Thanksgiving, but it was my birthday and my best friend from the UK was in town. So Sunday and Monday we celebrated her being in town, Tuesday was normal, Wednesday I prepared for Thanksgiving by baking a ton - drank some wine then too. Thursday was Thanksgiving. Friday we were otu for Margaritas with friends. Saturday we were at my parents for dinner and drinks and then otu for my birthday. I worked out 4 days - less than usual.

It sucked. I did try to do everything in moderation but it wasn't my normal week and wasn't intentional. I can't make excuses. However, I am back on track as of yesterday. And I will restrict myself just a pinch further today and tomorrow to feel better about everything. There is nothing wrong with slipping every now and then but it's the getting back on track that matters. If you intentionally set up a whole week for you to do as you please you will likely regret it.

I've been on this journey for over a year. At the beginning every 3 months or so I would eat at TDEE for a week. This past summer, I ate at TDEE for 2 months and focused on body recomp. I still have weight to lose (8 more pounds on the scale) but more than that it's reducing the fat while maintaining my muscle. I really think the breaks (as well as eating at a reasonable deficit) helped with that. They also gave me a good idea what I can expect while in maitenance without going overboard.

This is actually generally how i get over a plateau. After around 10 lbs or if I seem to stall for a month or so I spend a week at maintenance calories and take one or two more rest (light activities) days than the usual just one. It gives my body a break from the constant strain its under from training and it gives it sort of a re-feed. I find that after I do this within a week of going back to deficit and normal workout routine I get a woosh of a couple pounds just melt off.

If you are feeling the need for days "off" from your lifestyle, you may be doing it wrong :ohwell: . You need to find sustainable life habits. Not a diet :noway: that is making you feel that you need a break!

If you have a lifestyle you can sustain and a way of eating/exercise habits that you maintain consistently, you should never feel like you need a break. That being said, I recognize that we all go off the plan once in a while. I don't ever feel like I need a break -- it's a mindset. I allow myself to do and eat as I please. Yes - I absolutely eat within a calorie range and try to always burn more than I eat, but I do have days where I am over. I call it life, not a break.

** This works for me. I would always encourage anyone else to do what works for them!

Over time, I've found that the most effective way for me to lose weight is in "spurts." I'll lose 5 or 10 pounds, then maintain for a while. Sometimes 3-6 months. That time seems to give me a mental break from paying as close of attention to what I eat, and it seems to give my body a break from the stress of losing weight. It also seems to help my weight stabilize, so if I do go off the rails for a while, I don't pile back on the pounds like I used to.

I know there's some controversy over whether or not we actually have "set points," but it feels like my body is adjusting to the weight and creating a new set point. There are a lot of hormonal changes that occur with weight loss, and when you lose a lot, your body can fight to put it back on (lower lepton/higher ghrelin makes you hungrier, lower NEAT, etc.). My personal theory is that breaks help mitigate that.

I think you should do whatever you feel works for you to lose the weight and keep it off.

I have a cheat day, that's the day I have some nice dessert. I eat sweets daily but they are fruits so they don't really qualify for sweets even though they taste that way.