Diet breaks?
RedheadedPrincess14
Posts: 415 Member
I'm a healthy bmi of 21 and have about 8 pounds left to lose. I lost over 25 pounds since January. However, I am starting to feel very hungry all the time and having a harder time sticking to low calories, it has been recommended to me to take a diet break but I don't really know what this is, when it's appropriate to start one, and how long I should take one. I've been eating in a consistent defecit (other than the odd day off) since January. Diary is open.
Do you think a diet break is in order or should I just screw around with my macros in hopes that maybe that will stop this hunger? I'm still losing, albeit very slowly at this point, but it almost feels not worth it to feel so hungry all the time which I never did until the last couple weeks
Do you think a diet break is in order or should I just screw around with my macros in hopes that maybe that will stop this hunger? I'm still losing, albeit very slowly at this point, but it almost feels not worth it to feel so hungry all the time which I never did until the last couple weeks
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Replies
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I would take a break. Eat at maintenance for a week or more and then resume your deficit. Here are two good articles on breaks:
* http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
* http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet4 -
Sounds like a great idea. You need to eat at maintainence at some time in the near future.3
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A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.
It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.2 -
Do it. Don't overthink it. Eat at maintenance for a week or two if you feel up to it. I lost weight more easily after I took one my first time.4
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When 19000 posts worth of experience are agreeing with you, you've got a really good idea.2
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Honestly, take diet breaks would be my top advice for people who are trying to lose weight. It's good practice for eventually maintaining your weight and it can be such a refresher.0
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Okay thank you everybody! So how do I establish what my maintenance is? If I just add 400 cals back (because I'm currently eating 400 under my TDEE projection,) will that be a pretty fair assumption of my maintance? Or should I maybe just add 200? I know this is some mental issues I have but I'm actually kind of scared to add an extra 400 cals a day lol.0
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Thank you!I would take a break. Eat at maintenance for a week or more and then resume your deficit. Here are two good articles on breaks:
* http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
* http://strengthunbound.com/when-to-take-a-diet
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RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »Okay thank you everybody! So how do I establish what my maintenance is? If I just add 400 cals back (because I'm currently eating 400 under my TDEE projection,) will that be a pretty fair assumption of my maintance? Or should I maybe just add 200? I know this is some mental issues I have but I'm actually kind of scared to add an extra 400 cals a day lol.
Add 400. Don't half *kitten* a diet break
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RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »Okay thank you everybody! So how do I establish what my maintenance is? If I just add 400 cals back (because I'm currently eating 400 under my TDEE projection,) will that be a pretty fair assumption of my maintance? Or should I maybe just add 200? I know this is some mental issues I have but I'm actually kind of scared to add an extra 400 cals a day lol.
If you're going to take a break. Take a break. You're still in a deficit if you add 200 calories only. Just eat food.2 -
What do you mean by feeling out maintenance? By monitoring with the scale?robertw486 wrote: »A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.
It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
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I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.0
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RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
What do you mean by feeling out maintenance? By monitoring with the scale?robertw486 wrote: »A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.
It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
Use your scale as the feedback loop. If you are using MFP settings and your losses are as predicted then maintenance suggested calories should be just as well.
As others said, don't overthink it. Just take a break. Even if you gain a pound or three...you know you can lose them.
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Best estimate for maintenance: Take the number of pounds you've lost in the last 4 weeks. Divide by 4 weeks to get average loss per week. Multiply that number by 3500 to estimate calorie deficit per week. Divide result by 7 days to estimate calorie deficit per day. Eat that many more calories daily.4
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Christine_72 wrote: »I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.
Lol well now you get to say I told you so! So what do you think I should do now that they've come?0 -
robertw486 wrote: »RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »
What do you mean by feeling out maintenance? By monitoring with the scale?robertw486 wrote: »A diet break is simply eating at maintenance, or slighty above or below. With only a few pounds to lose, it's a great way to feel out you maintenance calories, as well as enjoy the energy boost.
It's amazing how even a few hundred calories affects your mindset and energy levels sometimes.
Use your scale as the feedback loop. If you are using MFP settings and your losses are as predicted then maintenance suggested calories should be just as well.
As others said, don't overthink it. Just take a break. Even if you gain a pound or three...you know you can lose them.
Okay, thank you!0 -
OP, again, don't overthink it. Let's say you overestimate your TDEE by 250. Over the course of two weeks that is only one pound. One pound is nothing to spend time worrying about. You are not trying to make weight for a world championship bout or to fit in the last lifeboat for a sinking ship. It will not matter.4
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Best estimate for maintenance: Take the number of pounds you've lost in the last 4 weeks. Divide by 4 weeks to get average loss per week. Multiply that number by 3500 to estimate calorie deficit per week. Divide result by 7 days to estimate calorie deficit per day. Eat that many more calories daily.
Okay awesome!!! Thank you so much. And do this for what... two weeks? A month?0 -
OP, again, don't overthink it. Let's say you overestimate your TDEE by 250. Over the course of two weeks that is only one pound. One pound is nothing to spend time worrying about. You are not trying to make weight for a world championship bout or to fit in the last lifeboat for a sinking ship. It will not matter.
Yes, you guys are right! I am definitely overthinking haha.0 -
RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.
Lol well now you get to say I told you so! So what do you think I should do now that they've come?
Honestly? If it were me, i'd stop trying to lose weight. But I'm not you, and obviously you have to be happy with your body.
Plug in your stats here, choose maintain my weight, and eat those calories.1 -
Lol okay thanks girl !Christine_72 wrote: »RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I forwarned you ages ago to be prepared for the hungries to arrive at your height and weight.
Lol well now you get to say I told you so! So what do you think I should do now that they've come?
Honestly? If it were me, i'd stop trying to lose weight. But I'm not you, and obviously you have to be happy with your body.
Plug in your stats here, choose maintain my weight, and eat those calories.
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RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »Best estimate for maintenance: Take the number of pounds you've lost in the last 4 weeks. Divide by 4 weeks to get average loss per week. Multiply that number by 3500 to estimate calorie deficit per week. Divide result by 7 days to estimate calorie deficit per day. Eat that many more calories daily.
Okay awesome!!! Thank you so much. And do this for what... two weeks? A month?
However long you want to take a maintenance break for! I've seen others i consider sensible suggest at least 2 weeks, but I personally never took one.
I did, however, hit goal weight & successfully estimate my maintenance calories, so I felt qualified to comment on that aspect of it!
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RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »Best estimate for maintenance: Take the number of pounds you've lost in the last 4 weeks. Divide by 4 weeks to get average loss per week. Multiply that number by 3500 to estimate calorie deficit per week. Divide result by 7 days to estimate calorie deficit per day. Eat that many more calories daily.
Okay awesome!!! Thank you so much. And do this for what... two weeks? A month?
However long you want to take a maintenance break for! I've seen others i consider sensible suggest at least 2 weeks, but I personally never took one.
I did, however, hit goal weight & successfully estimate my maintenance calories, so I felt qualified to comment on that aspect of it!
Oh okay awesome! Super proud of you. I'm going to do two weeks starting Tuesday (because I start a new job then so it would be nice to have more calories lol). Thanks everyone1 -
You might want to skipping weighing during your break. Your body will start to store more glycogen, water, food, etc. I'd just not weigh in all week, and weigh in again 2 or 3 days after being back on a deficit. AND when you go back on a deficit maybe shot for 250 instead of 400.2
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BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »You might want to skipping weighing during your break. Your body will start to store more glycogen, water, food, etc. I'd just not weigh in all week, and weigh in again 2 or 3 days after being back on a deficit. AND when you go back on a deficit maybe shot for 250 instead of 400.
So basically start losing slower at this point? I'm kind of thinking that may be the best choice too lol but summer does make us want to be in our best shape so I just have to get over that and treat my body kindly 0 -
I wouldn't do it. If you've had success so far you should stick to what you know works. I'm always hungry when dieting, it's how i know I'm doing it right2
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