I just thought I would share something that makes weight loss much much easier for me as well as helping me keep it off for longer. It is a work in progress but seems to be doing both my physical and mental health the world of good when it comes to dieting .
As I'm sure all of us know on here, keeping to a weight loss plan can be exhausting both mentally and physically. Personally, I calorie count, but I'm sure this is true for other dieting methods.
What I've found works really well is to lose a small amount of weight, for example 5 or 7lbs through sticking to your diet etc (this may be more depending on your start weight and how far along you are but it's up to you I guess!) and then take a couple of weeks out, relax, eat a few extra treats (don't go overboard, ofcourse!) and just try to maintain your weight during this time.
Of course, it isn't the end of the world if you put back on 1 or 2lbs because the long term benefit is more overall weight loss Once you get back onto your more strict diet after this time off, you tend to feel mentally refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge.
This method also seems to combat the dreaded plateu! I think it's because it gives your body a chance to stabilise and not feel under threat of starvation (or something like that!)
You also get a chance to test out maintenance which will serve you well when it comes to doing it long-term!
It takes longer but I find this works for me and could be useful for many other people who's diets seem to crash and burn fairly quickly when not given a break!
With this I also think you need to throw the idea of a time limit out the window. So what if you're not at goal by Xmas? Even if it takes months longer than planned, once your in maintenance, it won't matter
I don't claim to be an expert on anything but this seems to work for me so I'm just sharing my thoughts.
I'm so glad you've found something that seems to be working so well for you. That's what it's all about, finding something that you are willing to do and making it work.
But for many, going *off* their diet, even just a little, well it makes it harder to get back *on*. And then very often it spirals out of control and well, you're not dealing with maintenance, but a hefty re-gain and for some, even abandonment of their whole plan.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jynx
As I'm sure all of us know on here, keeping to a weight loss plan can be exhausting both mentally and physically. Personally, I calorie count, but I'm sure this is true for other dieting methods.
I do wonder though, what about your plan makes it so mentally and physically exhausting, that you feel you need a break from it.
For me, I had to find/devise/develop a plan that I was willing to live with full time. I had to make this *hard* thing, easier. I automated my food choices, making certain that everything that I eat is yummy and enjoyable. I figure if what I'm eating is so tasty, there's not much reason to go *off*.
Another thing, we are all coming from different places. Taking a break at a higher weight (like when you are super morbidly obese, as I was), is like playing Russian roulette. Getting the weight off is a matter of life and death. For me, this would have been a dangerous route to take, there could be no maintenance breaks or stalls or re-gain, my life was on the line. And I never once plateaued.
Of course when you are lighter, the risks of excess pounds on you aren't as high, so I guess there's more "leeway".
Congratulations on your weight loss thus far. I look forward to hearing of your continued progress.
Last edited by rockinrobin; 09-29-2010 at 05:47 AM.
Not all people, as rockinrobin's post shows, find a weight loss regimen exhausting, and that's good! For those needing to lose close to 100 pounds, as she says, the situation is a little different.
That said, I'm someone who at this point, which is up quite a number pounds from my low weight, finds it very hard to get back onto weight loss. It isn't because I don't eat enough or eat poorly nutrition-wise--it's something else. Perhaps it's the law of diminishing returns, perhaps I just don't have the stamina that I once had for sticking with it. It seems to be almost physical.
I'd say that breaks for "maintenance level" eating could work, but some guidelines have to be followed. Just my thoughts:
1. The break has to be relatively short and have a specific time limit. Say, one week, period.
2. Exercise at a maintenance level has to continue.
3. Food still has to be counted and planned for.
4. The break is an opportunity to raise calories to maintenance level--which can be hard to figure out--but that means, more of the good, nutritious foods. It does not mean junk food, fast food, or trigger foods that are likely to set off overeating.
The break can have definite drawbacks--such not getting back on the weight loss plan, such as letting everything slip, such as losing momentum. And, it can slow down weight loss to the point where it seems like one is going in circles. Still, if you're willing to maintain your awareness along with your maintenance strategies, it could work.
I do this and it really does help! I am not losing as fast as I first would have wanted too, but when I get back on plan %100 after a few days break I lose so much quicker!
My plan more or less includes maintenance breaks. They are not as frequent as those in the OP, and not as strict as those outlined in JayEll's post.
Here's how I planned it. My job has six month cycles, and the last two months of those cycles are extremely stressful and busy for me. I know from past experience that when my work life gets busy and stressful, any diet and exercise plan I have is the first thing to go. So when I set out to lose weight this time - and make it the final time - I needed a plan in mind to get through those stressful periods when they came about, and be sure I could get back on the horse when it was all over, which is the part I've never been good at before.
So, I went through about three months of serious attention to weight loss and lost about 40 pounds. Then the stressful period hit. I relaxed my focus a little. I didn't go completely back to my old piggish ways but I just stopped worrying about it as much. I didn't make it to the gym as often because I worked straight through into the evening more evening. I let myself eat and drink a little more on those occasions I did get to relax.
And most importantly, as soon as the deadline passed and I'd had a couple of good nights' sleep, I wrestled myself back into focus. Back to the workouts, back to strict calorie counting and recording (at least for a few days, as a reality check, to restore my sense of portions and whatnot - my own plan does not involve daily calorie journaling), back to careful focus.
I am sure this would not work for everyone, but I'm very happy to say that it seems to be working for me. During the two-month break I took, I maintained or maybe gained a pound or two. But I was able to pick up where I left off and get back to losing. And that, to me, is the most important part of any plan I devise.
I'm not going to win any speed races. Because of that break, it took me over a year to lose 50 lbs, and I don't think the next 50 are going to come off any faster. But I am not in any great hurry. Rather, I need a weight loss strategy that I can live with even when I can't make it the center of my attention. So far, knock on pixels, I think I have found one. The next stressful period at work is ramping up ... so we'll see.
I definitely think that there is something to the break thing but I'm not sure if it's worth it per say. My dad was in the hospital for three weeks and then subsequently passed away a little over a month ago. I feel off plan. I stopped exercising I had to constantly try and control myself to keep from binging and did go over my calories quite a bit but a weird thing happened. I didn't gain weight. I slowly reintroduced exercise and I started to lose weight faster then I was losing it before the break (2.5 pounds a week compared to 1 pound a week) and I felt stronger. Getting back on plan and committed was very hard though and honestly I feel better on the plan then I feel off of it. I couldn't imagine trying to go off it and back on it time and time again but if it works for you and you have the will power to handle it more power to you.
All these posts illustrate something that you see here often, we are all an experiment of one and we have to determine what works for us. Maintenance breaks can strengthen some of us while the same break can make it difficult for others of us to get back on the wagon. There is no right and wrong with this. There is not one perfect diet plan that works wonderfully for us all.
IMHO, the strength of 3FC is that we get to hear all of the options and it can help us figure out what will work for us. Thanks to the op for starting this thread, it is a good discussion.
i do this as well. It annoys the counselors at my weight loss center lol but it allows me to have more of a social life while losing weight. For example, take a week off when there are a lot of parties going on etc.
Take a break for maintenance :)
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