I give myself at least 1-2 days per month where I ease up. I may not log food for those days while still making healthy choices. Or I may have a meal that is a treat or a splurge and just not stress about it. Or I may skip a couple of days of serious workouts to relax and recharge. I always keep my focus of that scale moving steadily downward.
I see a huge problem when people have an "all or nothing" attitude and approach to weight loss. Life isn't an "all or nothing" proposition. We have to be flexible and we have to keep focused on what makes us happy short and long term.
I find that this helps me keep my head in the game. And in a "game" with such an important mental component, this has been key to my success so far.
I lost over 200 pounds and never took a break. And let me give you the bad news now...3 days a week at the gym isn't enough and it has to be at least an hour a day 6 days a week to affect weight loss. Also, the only way to maintain and still be able to eat is to exercise. Taking a break could be a huge mistake and you may end up gaining everything back and more. Healthy lifestyle means just what it says...there are no breaks from it.
Susan, I find myself flinching at so many of your posts. What worked for you is not what is right for everyone.
Telling someone that they can't have periods of slower times is very demotivating for most of us. Telling someone that unless they work out 6 days a week for an hour each time is the ONLY way to lose weight is not only flat out wrong for most of us, again, it's very demotivating to be told that when someone is struggling with fitting in THREE times a week.
That is what has worked for you, and for many, but other people have other routes and it has worked.
I too need exercise to lose weight and to keep it off. I have never, ever lost weight without exercise and I think for me it has as much to do wth the exercise itself as it does with it being a natural appetite suppressant and a mood lifter. If I move more, I feel better, feel less hungry so eat less and therefore lose weight.
Some people don't get that same reaction. SOme people actually get more hungry with increased exercise. Some people just need a little exercise. Some people need a lot of exercise - even with eating the same amount of calories. We are all different. Plain and simple.
Sure, your method will work for most people as long as they aren't eating all their calories back from the exercise, but just calorie counting works too and many, many, many people maintain for awhile before taking on the challenge of losing again and there is nothign wrong with that. At some point we all have to get to the maintenance level, so what's wrong with trying it out throughout the journey too? Most of us didn't gain our weight all at once and there is no reason we have to lose it all at once either. There are a million paths to the same end.
Lucky for me and the 100 pounds I've lost, I haven't needed to do it Quilter's way. I've been able to take maintenance breaks, and head to the gym about 3 times a week (some weeks more, some weeks less, some weeks not at all) - and here I am, 100 pounds trimmer than when I started.
On the topic - I don't think maintenance breaks are a bad idea as long as they are not "free for all" or "return to being completely mindless of your eating" breaks. I have taken them when my job or other aspects of my life have gotten too stressful for me to apply myself to the second job of careful meal planning and regular gym-going.
But for me, they've just been slight relaxations of vigilance and rigor, not major changes in my way of eating.
And that doesn't sound like what you want, OP - it sounds like you want permission to give up your new way of eating for a while. I'd be very wary of doing that. Instead, maybe you need to look for ways to make your way of eating more interesting to you. What are you eating that you are bored with? What can you add that will offer more variety?
What are you missing so badly that you are willing to stop losing weight to have it? And is there a way you can work it into your plan without having to stop losing weight?
I think you should ask yourself - or us - these sorts of questions, rather than think about taking a maintenance break.
If what you're doing now isn't working for you, I think it'd be better to consciously change it now before you hit a place where you just don't care. Taking a break could be one option, but you'll probably need to be careful not to go off the deep end.
Another option is tweaking things. It sounds like you're routine is pretty consistent. Is it every little thing you're sick of, or can you pinpoint a few things that you can change? Is it time to shake things up? Allow yourself a meal out from time to time and not order the salad. Try new foods? Try calorie cycling so you can have some days above that 1500 calorie limit. Try working out not at the gym?
Good luck. There's no one right way to do this, so whatever you think is going to make it possible in the long run is the right thing to do.
I haven't had as much weight to lose as some others, but it's taken me 7 months to do it in (slow loser--not too much breaking. lol) I do take breaks. I may, at times, have gained a fraction of a pound, but I never gave up. I think your sanity should be a top priority if you're going to do something long-term. I've always used my breaks as part of the process, to rejuvenate my mind.
For me, taking breaks has also been a great opportunity to practice how I'm going to function when I'm at goal. Yes, there were times when I chose the all wrong things. But I learned from it and my choices have gotten much better. Each break comes with fewer and fewer temptations. How do I get back on the wagon? I just have an internal drive to succeed, which everyone here ought to have. We're doing this for ourselves, and no one else. If I take too many days off, I start to feel like I'm wasting time and want to keep going again.
Now, taking a break does not mean slipping back into all your old habits, or taking it as an opportunity to "cheat" and eat whatever's available (in which case you are only cheating yourself.) Just be reasonable, while allowing yourself to put to rest a few pesky cravings. Just remember you will kick yourself later for losing sight of your true goals. Or don't break at all, which seems to work for others. I know it is very hard for many to practice moderation, but for me it is a necessity.
I agree with the others... this isn't a lifestyle change if this "lifestyle" isn't working for you.
I get tired of not losing weight (I have PCOS and I don't want to do anything so severe to my lifestyle to break the plateaus) so I understand feeling demotivated and wanting to stop....
But I discovered that my lifestyle actually makes sense for me, because it's very easy to stick to... I miss going to my spinning classes or cycling around... I miss Pilates if I take too many days off... You need to find a fitness program/routine/class that makes you WANT to be there.
As for food, it's the same thing... when I go off plan (usually when I travel), I actually miss being home and being able to cook my foods.... like brown rice, beans, collard greens!!!!
I don't expect you to eat the same way that I do or like what I like.... but you should find what works for you that isn't making you go off plan entirely. If you're doing 1500 calories every day... maybe you should switch up how many calories you eat every day (and just average out 10,500 per week.... some higher calorie days with lower calorie days)??
You've done a GREAT job so far.... you just now need to think of what will be a permanent way of approaching your food and exercise... clearly the gym isn't going to be that... so, tweak it... make it a real lifestyle change. Find a sport you like or an active hobby that keeps you in shape and get creative with those 1500 calories/day.
I lost over 200 pounds and never took a break. And let me give you the bad news now...3 days a week at the gym isn't enough and it has to be at least an hour a day 6 days a week to affect weight loss.
You've said that several times that I've seen. May I ask what your source is? Because it goes against the vast majority of exercise science that I am aware of.
Are you telling me that my 3x per week of 45-60 minutes of powerlifting (including 130lb barbell squats and 200lbs+ deadlifts) does not provide any form of calorie deficit? As any calorie deficit affects weight loss??
I felt so similar to you about 3 weeks ago and took a maintenance break for the last 3 weeks. It was just what I needed both mentally and physically and this week I am back at it full force, ready to get the rest of this weight off. I highly recommend it if you know you won't blow it, of course, you do have to maintain at some point, so I don't think there is any difference whether you try it out now for a little break, or waiting until you get to goal.
The only regret in the back of my mind is thinking of how much weight I may have lost those three weeks, but I think the reward of being excited about the process again is worth getting set back a few weeks.
So choose to maintain, choose to change up your diet/exercise, or choose to keep at what you are doing. You can't go wrong with any of these options. Just don't let yourself get so burned out and bored that you quit and slip back into old habits, you have come so far!
Good luck!
I've been at this for a while and I WISH I wouldn't have let myself "take a break" the times I did. Because for me, it turns into an excuse to go right back to my old bad habbits and the pounds inevitably started coming back. I was thinking about my "breaks" the other day and how I've had to lose an extra 45 lbs because of them. Over the years, I went from 235-->165-->200, then 200-->150-->160. So I've lost about 95 lbs from my high weight, but I've also had to re-lose 45 extra lbs from the times I gained back part of what I've lost. So obnoxious!
Obviously, some people have more self-control than I do but I would seriously consider trying some new things before you decide to take a break. Mix up your routine, don't eat salad, find some exercise you can get excited about- there are a million things to do in and out of the gym. Just make yourself do it! Sometimes, it's not about liking it and it's not about motivation, but about doing what we need to do to get to our goals. If your goals are important enough, you'll do what you have to.
Like tuende, I've "maintained" myself all the back up to my high weight or close to it. So I would also recommend changing things to fix what is not working for you right now, over "taking a vacation" from a healthy lifestyle.
Congrats on what you've accomplished so far!! You are doing great. My WL journey spanned over 5 years because I only did it when I felt like doing it. It wasn't my main focus because I had other things going on (grad school, moving, new job, marriage), and I was ok with that. I was fine with the slowly-but-surely method.
That being said, I did maintain around 195-200 between 2009-2010 before I decided that I was really ready to lose the last 30 pounds. Sure, I could have probably lost the last 30 in that year, but I wasn't motivated and I didn't want to half-a$$ something and be miserable in the process. When I maintained for that one year I indulged, but didn't go crazy, and I exercised every other day (because I love working out), so I am sure that had a lot to do with me being able to maintain. If you want to maintain, I would suggest finding exercise activities that you love to do and truly enjoy, and don't go crazy with your food. If you do decide to maintain, you'll know when you are ready to start back up with weight loss again. It sure hit me like a ton of bricks and I was ready to go with a renewed and refreshed vigor! Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
I think you need to change it up. And maybe it is a time to see what YOU think maintenance will look like for you. What is it that you really need to change, what is it that you really need to keep.
For example, I never ever ever order salad when I go out to eat. Its actually a rule of mine that from June-October when my crazy monster CSA is dumping more veggies on me than I could ever eat that I dont eat salads in restaurant). Have you locked yourself into thinking that you only have certain options when other options are available to you. Peruse the menus of the places you eat out. What would your options be if you got creative with the menu and maybe increased your calorie budget 100 calories.
It is clearly time for a change. Not a break, a change. Maybe you go to the gym at different times. Maybe you change what you are DOING at the gym. About once a year I will take classes for a month then I go back to working out on my own. Sometimes I lift full body, sometimes I lift parts. Sometimes I pick up someone elses program for a few weeks.
Maybe for a few weeks instead of going to the gym (yes you have the membership, but you have the membership --sunk cost) you exercise outside. Or rent videos or whatever to do something different. Maybe you take a belly dancing class. Maybe instead of an hour 3 days a week you would like 30 minutes 6 days a week. Maybe you go in the morning instead of the evening.
Maybe you play around with a points system (it doesnt have to be weight watchers, I've invented my own) or a "deal a meal" or a "diabetes serving" system instead of calorie counting.
I have done planned maintenance and it worked well sometimes and not worked well at other times. The key word is planned maintenance vs. "taking a break". For me it is summertime is much harder to get in the exercise I (personally) need to lose.
Give yourself a new challenge. You are in a rut. Instead of focusing on the scale maybe you focus on achieving something at the gym you couldnt do before. Run a 5K.
You guys are really awesome, thanks so much for the advice. I have still been counting calories. When I started to think about it, I had a small injury at the gym, then woke up with terrible leg cramps from doing something else at the gym so now I know I have to take it easy at the gym with some things and not try to "NO PAIN NO GAIN" it. I do run as well, and I'm going to start running more.
Trying more variety in general is a great idea. Thanks very much for this, I really took it to heart.
Quote:
Originally Posted by belmagick
I'd suggest mixing up your food routines a bit, experiment with new recipes and maybe relax your rules a little and allow yourself treat everynow and then. If you're calorie counting you can budget these things in.
If all else fails, take a two week break and see if you can maintain. I took one while I went on holiday and it was impossible to calorie count so I had to guess which was bad form and I gained two ibs but by the time I got home I was itching to get back on plan. It also had the advantage where I had the sudden weight loss rush you get in the beginning of starting your plan when the water weight comes and it's thrown me into the 120s (and I lost at least an inch off everywhere).
Mix up your exercise routine, if it has got to the point where you can't stand the thought of doing the same exercises again and again, try something new and completely different to what you were doing before (maybe zumba or weight training?)
Good luck and remember you've got to change for life so you have to be able to live with the changes you've made.
twinmommaplusone, that is GREAT advice, thank you. I will try to think about what might be exciting to me.
QuilterInVA, I've never had to work out 6 days a week to lose, and I don't plan to start now, but thanks for your input.
carter, thanks for your advice, slight relaxations of vigilance and rigor, not major changes in my way of eating is probably all I need.
Anyway, I guess I should think that it's awesome that my plan (and it has gone through major changes) has been working for two years, and it's just time to adjust my plan a bit.
but I would seriously consider trying some new things before you decide to take a break. Mix up your routine, don't eat salad, find some exercise you can get excited about- there are a million things to do in and out of the gym. Just make yourself do it! Sometimes, it's not about liking it and it's not about motivation, but about doing what we need to do to get to our goals. If your goals are important enough, you'll do what you have to.
