Need a break

I took a break the week of Christmas, and I'm doing it again end of April/beginning of May. Diet breaks are actually common if you've been at it a long time.

I took a two week diet break in October and it was fantastic. It didn't mean I wasn't conscientious, it just meant I didn't weigh and log.

im going on vacation in 2 weeks and probably wont measure much (im certainly not packing my scale LOL). i might try to estimate calories for the day with a quick add, but im not going to worry about my overall intake. its a vacation.

Logging doesn't get in the way of my enjoyment. I don't restrict foods- I eat cupcakes if I want, etc, I just fit into my calories. I also don't weigh anything. I use a measuring cup at home when available, and I cook almost all meals, so that has worked great for me. At restaurants, I do my best to log something,but I don't sweat it. I check my bank account daily, and I view MFP in the same way. A task I do to keep me on track. I actually really like logging my days that are off the diet so to speak. I've realized that for the most part, my bad days aren't nearly as bad as I thought- it's just that I used to have bad days every day:)

It actually helps me to take a break now and then - and it usually is when I travel - or if I get sick. It makes me ready to get back to measuring and the "details" of this new lifestyle.

Measuring all your food, every day, forever, isn't really sustainable in the long term. There are going to be days you miss because you have to, and gosh darn it, sometimes you just don't feel like it. That's okay. Diets fail because people drop off, then think "I screwed up, it's all over, I ruined it." Lifestyles work because people eat healthy and look after themselves *most* of the time, but sometimes they don't, and that's okay. Don't punish yourself or feel guilty. Take a break! If you've been doing this for a while, you probably know what's good for you and what's not, and can make a pretty good estimation for a little while. I was on vacation last week, eating in restaurants, and didn't dream of trying to log my meals. I would've been over every single day, and you know what - GOOD! I'm not going to go on vacation and pick the healthiest item on the menu every day, always, I want to enjoy my life and the wonderful foods in it. So I skipped that week, enjoyed my meals, probably gained a few but didn't even weigh myself. This week, I'm back to eating healthy, and logging again. The world didn't end, everything is fine, and I feel happy that I got to enjoy some splurges last week. People think the most important thing is being in a calorie deficit - I think the most important thing is having a healthy mental attitude towards food and life.

I have "breaks" when I'm on holidays, sick or on special occasions. But it is always a defined period and I have never had issues "restarting". As long as you have the willpower to get back into it cold turkey, there is nothing wrong with a break to restore sanity.

I log my whole week in advance and then just update it as things change, so that I don't have to be logging after every meal.

YES! I've been on a deficit consistently for around 5 months and have lost steadily. I've recently been introduced to the idea of a 'Diet Break' which is a week or so at Maintenance. I think it's important to give yourself a little rest, mentally and physically. This can be quite a gruelling process. I've planned to take my 'Diet Break' over the Christmas holidays. However, the 'Diet Break' for me won't be a massive binge - just maintaining my progress so far. Then it'll be back to it!