Diet Breaks/Refeeds

Steve_ApexNC
Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
edited November 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been eating at a 1K cal a day deficit for 3 months now and the results have been darn good. In fact, weight loss has been much faster than I wanted. I try to adjust my calories every 3 weeks to try to hit the 2lb goal per week - pretty much all summer I have been tapping the brakes because the weight was coming off too fast (not unusual in the beginning, I know. But trying to keep an eye on it). Anyway, for the last 10 or so days I have notice the signs of needing a diet break. The main one is just no energy (mainly on the ball field and during workouts). I decided to to take a 2 week diet break - that is, eat at maintenance for 2 weeks to allow my body to adjust. After that, I will go back to deficit eating till the end of the year. (For a number of reasons, I was thinking of a 'bulk' to start 2016 anyway, so this times well).

I first read about diet breaks at bodyrecomposition.com but have since looked in other places as well. I know there is great debate out there on if the body needs such a break or not. I don't really need one mentally (in fact, I am more concerned about how to eat an additional 1k calories a day as I struggle to hit minimum per day most days). I'd enjoy hearing both anecdotal experience of folks here (and lessons learned) along with any links to more scientific research on the matter (google isn't always perfect you know). So, anyone out there done this or know of some good articles about it? Thoughts appreciated.
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Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    You are a male and eating at 1000 calories a day? ?????


    I'm very sorry for you.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Eating so low in calories and you being a male is crazy stupid. You are flirting with organ damage, muscle loss and hair loss. Seriously you need to eat and fuel your body or you will burn out :(
  • Standsfast
    Standsfast Posts: 77 Member
    OP related he was at 1k DEFICIT. Not the same as consuming 1k.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    TerrierFriend wrote: »
    OP related he was at 1k DEFICIT. Not the same as consuming 1k.

    Exactly, that's what I got from the op too. 1K deficit not 1K consuming
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    TerrierFriend wrote: »
    OP related he was at 1k DEFICIT. Not the same as consuming 1k.

    Did you look at his food diary, I think not! Op needs to eat a lot more.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    Lol not my thing to go on people diary's whitout people asking to. But just in case, yep 1K for a male it's too little , op that's a no no !
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    karyabc wrote: »
    Lol not my thing to go on people diary's whitout people asking to. But just in case, yep 1K for a male it's too little , op that's a no no !

    I generally don't either but my spidey senses were tingling.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    I'm a 5'1 (2 if i stand REAL straight and stretch my neck) female and eat more than that :/
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    I read this as a 1000 calorie deficit - not as 1000 calories per day, OP - Can you clarify?

    If you are eating 1000 calories per day, it really is no wonder you are needing diet breaks - this is incredibly dangerous for a 5'0 teenage girl to be doing let alone a fully grown adult male.

    In relation to the diet break idea (eating at maintenance for a week) - I definitely think this is a good idea. I haven't done it myself as of yet but I do plan to for the christmas period :]
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    "I have been eating at a 1K cal a day deficit ..."

    Hard to be more clear.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited September 2015
    This content has been removed.
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    The diary is making it look like a 1000 calorie deficit but, but that's putting him pretty low many days.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    Lol not my thing to go on people diary's whitout people asking to. But just in case, yep 1K for a male it's too little , op that's a no no !

    I generally don't either but my spidey senses were tingling.

    :D lol you're funny
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I just looked through a few days of your dairy. Your netting @800- 1400 cals per day. That's way too low. You will end up losing a lot of muscle mass by eating so little. That isn't good. Your truly not doing yourself any favors by starving yourself. I'm a female and consume @ 2000 cals per day.so you surely need to be eating more asap. After your diet break, I would reconsider your calorie goal and bring it up , seriously
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    Yes when you make a thread, people tend to look at the dairy
    So did i

    and yes it is low, for a man days of around 1000 and that is without his exercise...so NET is even lower.

  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    edited September 2015
    i said a one k a day deficit. not 1000 cal a day.

    rif.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    But will OP ever return?

    FIND OUT IN NEXT MONTHS EPISODE
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    i said abone k a day deficit. not 1000 cal a day.

    rif.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    i said abone k a day deficit. not 1000 cal a day.

    rif.

    But diary tells a different story.
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    i eat about 1400 per day. and i am looking for feedback on refeeds and breaks...not opinions on my current consumptiin which has been fine for three months.
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    But will OP ever return?

    FIND OUT IN NEXT MONTHS EPISODE

    wow. i have been gone a bit over an hour. i am running errands.

  • House_Cow
    House_Cow Posts: 12 Member
    Go for the diet break if that's what you need mentally, I went on one but it ended up lasting a little longer than planned and I actually gained a couple pounds! but that's just me falling out of good habits. good luck! :)
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    edited September 2015
    Yes, you need a diet break and a refeed.

    Mostly because you are eating less than a 5'2" female.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    i eat about 1400 per day. and i am looking for feedback on refeeds and breaks...not opinions on my current consumptiin which has been fine for three months.

    Do you feel this is enough for you?
    I apologise to keep hashing it up but if you could eat more and still lose weight, would you be happier with that?

    Re-feeds are a good idea in the way you described (eating at maintenance)! I wouldn't recommend stoppind tracking altogether and eating 'whatever' for a couple of weeks but your way is what I definitely plan to do in the future!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    i said a one k a day deficit. not 1000 cal a day.

    rif.

    I misread that and am STILL sorry for you. 1400 calories a day for a male is not enough. Remember, you lose muscle while extreme dieting. Your heart is a muscle.
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    i said abone k a day deficit. not 1000 cal a day.

    rif.

    But diary tells a different story.

    i did not ask about my diary. i asked about others experiences with breaks.


    @all....nevermind. i see folks are not interested in my question but rather talking down to me when they do not have all facts.
  • yogacat13
    yogacat13 Posts: 124 Member
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »
    I'm a 5'1 (2 if i stand REAL straight and stretch my neck) female and eat more than that :/

    Yep, same here. Eat something, please. :)

  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    i said abone k a day deficit. not 1000 cal a day.

    rif.

    But diary tells a different story.

    i did not ask about my diary. i asked about others experiences with breaks.


    @all....nevermind. i see folks are not interested in my question but rather talking down to me when they do not have all facts.

    You're asking about a refeed/break because you're having problems with energy. We're addressing your underlying concern. It's not that you need a break or a refeed, it's that you are maintaining too large a deficit and it's causing you performance problems.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited September 2015
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    But will OP ever return?

    FIND OUT IN NEXT MONTHS EPISODE

    wow. i have been gone a bit over an hour. i am running errands.

    Sorry I thought you'd died because you're at a stupidly low caloric intake for a male.

    Sure, you need a diet break. Have a break from 1000 calories a day and then return with an adequate caloric intake which isn't too low.
  • Steve_ApexNC
    Steve_ApexNC Posts: 210 Member
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    Steve_ApexNC wrote: »
    IsaackGMOON wrote: »
    But will OP ever return?

    FIND OUT IN NEXT MONTHS EPISODE

    wow. i have been gone a bit over an hour. i am running errands.

    Sorry I thought you'd died because you're at a stupidly low caloric intake for a male.

    Sure, you need a diet break. Have a break from 1000 calories a day and then return with an adequate caloric intake which isn't too low.


    wow. you are a real gem of a human. First, I am eating more than 100calories per day; I am eating a deficit of 1000 per day on average - you should try reading. Second, I find MFP's analytics tools to be useless so I developed a database of my own which is more accurate to my own needs. I often true up my daily calories at the end of a day after looking at my home db tools which calculate a great deal of things using my historic data rather than guesses that MFP makes (which, by the way, says I should be at 1390 per day). Those true ups are not reflected in my logs here because in the long run I won't use MFP to track calories. For now, it serves as a decent way to ensure my database is working correctly.

    As I said before and I say it again - folks here do not have all the facts. I didn't ask anyone to dig into my logs here and solve anything. I asked folks about experiences with diet breaks. First poster out of the gate decided they needed to jump into my diet rather than talk about the subject I asked about. Everyone else piled on because to a person, they thought they were being smart when, in fact, they were making false assumptions.




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