Diet breaks when you have a lot to lose

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emmylootwo
emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started counting calories and exercising again the day after Christmas. I've lost 11 lbs so far according to my trendline. I have 170ish lbs left to lose but with a history of bulimia nervosa, I'm being very cautious. (Long story short: From 2011 to now, I lost 150 lbs, developed an ED, stopped purging but kept bingeing, gained 200 lbs back.)

I really struggled this week to stick to my calorie goal (1900) due to boredom and depression. I haven't gotten out of the bed in five days. I had a couple of binges but they were not as large as they used to be (plus no purge victories!!). I'm just glad I woke up today and decided not to punish myself by restricting calories. It really helped to do the math and see I was effectively eating maintenance calories over the course of the week.

So, that had me thinking: diet breaks where you eat at maintenance for a week or two. Do you guys do them and how often? I really think they could be beneficial to my mental health and was thinking maybe every 2-3 months? Any advice is welcome!

Replies

  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,718 Member
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    This thread has a lot of good information about diet breaks.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
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    alteredsteve175 wrote: »
    This thread has a lot of good information about diet breaks.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    Thanks! I've seen the thread before, which is why I even knew what a diet break was. I just didn't see many personal accounts of how often to take one.

  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
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    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    I do them whenever I feel like I need them. I might even argue that I'm "on a diet break" more often than not. At one point I took a diet break that lasted nearly a year, and I felt so proud of myself that I was able to maintain my weight throughout. Be kind to yourself. When you feel you really need a break, take it. It's a huge victory that you're now more aware of your mental state and choosing to be nurturing rather than judgmental. How long and how often will depend on you, and if you decide that delaying weight loss is worth it, then it is. Some people take a couple of weeks off and they're good for several months of dieting, other people (like me) take them very often and they can last very long.

    Thanks for the advice. :) And congrats on maintaining. God I know from experience that's sometimes harder than being in a deficit! Lol
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    For the record, I too had almost as much as you to lose and maintained an obese BMI when I took that year long break.
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
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    emmylootwo wrote: »
    alteredsteve175 wrote: »
    This thread has a lot of good information about diet breaks.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    Thanks! I've seen the thread before, which is why I even knew what a diet break was. I just didn't see many personal accounts of how often to take one.

    Ah nvm! I didn't realize just how long this thread has been going on. Jumped to the last few pages and am finding more personal accounts of diet breaks! Thanks guys!!
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
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    In your situation, I think a diet break whenever you need it is an excellent plan. It is much better to eat at maintenance for a week than it is to get into a binge/purge cycle. Your mental health has to be taken into consideration and reaching your goal a bit later, but in a way that is healthy for body and mind is the way to go.
  • evanschantelle524
    evanschantelle524 Posts: 8 Member
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    I use to be bulimic too so i totally get this and triggers
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
    edited January 2019
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    emmylootwo wrote: »
    I started counting calories and exercising again the day after Christmas. I've lost 11 lbs so far according to my trendline. I have 170ish lbs left to lose but with a history of bulimia nervosa, I'm being very cautious. (Long story short: From 2011 to now, I lost 150 lbs, developed an ED, stopped purging but kept bingeing, gained 200 lbs back.)

    I really struggled this week to stick to my calorie goal (1900) due to boredom and depression. I haven't gotten out of the bed in five days. I had a couple of binges but they were not as large as they used to be (plus no purge victories!!). I'm just glad I woke up today and decided not to punish myself by restricting calories. It really helped to do the math and see I was effectively eating maintenance calories over the course of the week.

    So, that had me thinking: diet breaks where you eat at maintenance for a week or two. Do you guys do them and how often? I really think they could be beneficial to my mental health and was thinking maybe every 2-3 months? Any advice is welcome!
    The bolded statement is alarming. Are you currently under a doctor's care for depression or are you being treated for your ED? If so, are they aware of both? Diet breaks are a great tool to have in your arsenal, but please be sure you're receiving adequate care for your mental conditions (not a dig, BTDT) as well.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    While I am reluctant to give advice in threads like these I think this is fairly innocuous regardless of your situation. I eat my maintenance calories each Sunday unless I need to move days for some reason. I have done this for nearly a year and I rely heavily on it to keep my head in the game. As with any plan it is not perfect and I have skipped a few (very few) along the way for different reasons and I feel the negative impact almost immediately. The weeks I have skipped I am much more restless and I find it much harder to get satisfied. Those are the only times I really struggle with snacking and grabbing quick bites between meals that just keep adding up.

    I am not suggesting that this strategy will work for you but I am throwing it out there since it works for me.
  • lbride
    lbride Posts: 248 Member
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    I don't consider them diet "breaks" but rather just life. But it seems to work out that 4 days a week I count and meet the lower calorie mark for weight loss (I have it set very low though, 1300) and then the other 3 days, I don't count (because -- life). I go out to eat, feast on dinner, have some snacks at night. It's not a binge, but it is so much easier to not "count" every day. It is mentally challenging (for me) to have to count every day. Might not work for everyone but does for me. Also, not sure if the following is a good idea for someone who had issues with eating disorders, but on the days that I am not "counting" calories, and I am going out for dinner, I tend to skip meals (no breakfast and scrambled eggs for a snack or something) so that the calories at dinner don't screw up my progress.
  • namelesshere
    namelesshere Posts: 334 Member
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    It isn't so much about diet breaks but your mental health. As with anything, your diet (what you eat) is part of life. A very restricted regimen is not sustainable for the long term but you need to find balance. Counting calories keeps you aware of how much you are eating. If you have weight to lose, you need to eat less than what you normally would. It is easy to get too obsessed with food and punish yourself by purging. Don't go there. I have found it helpful to prelog a meal ahead so I know what to look forward to. Life happens and you eat a little bit more. So... next meal, eat a little bit less calorie wise. I also find it easy to get bored so have found some hobbies that are not compatible with eating. A good walk is always a mind changer if you can. Do you do any needle work? It is amazing how much fun you can have with a little bit of embroidery floss and preprinted patterns on fabric. Or if you like to create your own, I used to us the designs from coloring books and trace them on to the fabric. Great to embroider in the evenings in front of a TV. No snacking there. Another along the same lines is crocheting. Very easy to learn, you can do afghans in a pattern called mile a minute. Most of them have less than 5 basic stitches you need to learn. Again, fairly inexpensive hobby that will give you hours of entertainment non compatible with eating. Quilting is another one. You can either do machine piecing, or piece by hand. Fabric is a little pricier but you don't need to purchase all at once. All of these hobbies have enough brain engagement to keep your mind off food. I am sure there are many other hobbies to choose from. If you have never had a hobby and want to get started, look to community ed classes, or perhaps craft stores to help you get started. Winter is long, and easy to get depressed. Make sure you are having these conversations with your doctor so he can help you.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    emmylootwo wrote: »
    emmylootwo wrote: »
    alteredsteve175 wrote: »
    This thread has a lot of good information about diet breaks.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    Thanks! I've seen the thread before, which is why I even knew what a diet break was. I just didn't see many personal accounts of how often to take one.

    Ah nvm! I didn't realize just how long this thread has been going on. Jumped to the last few pages and am finding more personal accounts of diet breaks! Thanks guys!!

    Just to add, if you aren't up for watching the whole video in the OP, here is a link provided somewhere in the thread to Lyle's much shorter post about taking specific, planned diet breaks:

    https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

    I would second the concern @pinuplove mentioned. Do you still have a treatment team, or at least a therapist?
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    pinuplove wrote: »
    emmylootwo wrote: »
    I started counting calories and exercising again the day after Christmas. I've lost 11 lbs so far according to my trendline. I have 170ish lbs left to lose but with a history of bulimia nervosa, I'm being very cautious. (Long story short: From 2011 to now, I lost 150 lbs, developed an ED, stopped purging but kept bingeing, gained 200 lbs back.)

    I really struggled this week to stick to my calorie goal (1900) due to boredom and depression. I haven't gotten out of the bed in five days. I had a couple of binges but they were not as large as they used to be (plus no purge victories!!). I'm just glad I woke up today and decided not to punish myself by restricting calories. It really helped to do the math and see I was effectively eating maintenance calories over the course of the week.

    So, that had me thinking: diet breaks where you eat at maintenance for a week or two. Do you guys do them and how often? I really think they could be beneficial to my mental health and was thinking maybe every 2-3 months? Any advice is welcome!
    The bolded statement is alarming. Are you currently under a doctor's care for depression or are you being treated for your ED? If so, are they aware of both? Diet breaks are a great tool to have in your arsenal, but please be sure you're receiving adequate care for your mental conditions (not a dig, BTDT) as well.

    This. OP, do you have a PCP or a therapist you can talk to? I know finding an ED therapist can be super hard, but your PCP may be able to help find someone to at least help with the depression.

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