I was watching the newest episode of Ruby last night. In addition to her sharing that she has regained some of her weight, one of the ladies on the show said, “You can never take a vacation” from your weight loss efforts.
I had just been thinking about what to write about this morning and I realized how much I agreed with that statement. I then realized that this “you can’t take a break” philosophy may be some of the reason I’ve been able to maintain my weight loss for such a long period of time.
Unfortunately, the statistics on weight loss and weight maintenance tend to be pretty discouraging. The majority of people who diet eventually gain their weight back. I think about this a lot – because it makes me sad. I feel sad because I know how frustrating it is to lose 20 pounds and then gain it back. I know how hard it is to admit to yourself and your friends that you gained weight back or “fell off the weight-loss wagon.”
So the question of the moment is this: Do you ever get a break?
Seriously. Is there a time during or after a weight loss journey where you can take a break from your efforts?
I say – not really. Certainly you don’t have to count calories forever or stay on a weight loss program for the rest of your life, but you certainly can never completely give up on being aware of your activity level and food choices, if you want to maintain a healthy weight.
My personal mantra is “never go back,” and part of that philosophy is taking the necessary steps to never go back to how I used to relate to food and never step back into poor eating habits and out of control eating. What does that look like?
Diane’s “Necessary Steps” to Weight Maintenance
Monitor my eating all day long. Not by counting calories or fat, but by paying attention to portion sizes and how colorful my plate is. Too much beige probably isn’t good. After all, chocolate is a shade of beige – as are chips, crackers, etc.
Stay very active. In addition to my walking routine, I also try to stand up rather than sit, lift some weights when I watch television or talk on the phone and volunteer to go upstairs and get things for the kids.
Monitor my weight daily.
Reserve “non-food” treats for special occasions rather than treating myself on a daily basis. For me, this means an occasional cookie or chocolate dessert instead of rewarding myself with food like I used to.
I guess the truth is, I really don’t take a break. The interesting thing is to me is that I don’t feel oppressedby my lifestyle. Instead, I feel free. I feel free from wearing clothes I hated, feeling embarrassed walking into a room or feeling a slave to food. The choices I make now keep me free from the overweight life.
I don’t need a break – because taking breaks from healthy living got me to 305 pounds. As you lose weight, continually analyze what you are doing to make sure you can keep it up. Because if you constantly feel like you need a break – your weight loss plan might be hard to sustain forever.
Where are you? Do you think you need to take a break from weight loss and trying to live healthy? Diane
NO you can never take a break from this journey…if you do you are sure to gain.
I watch what I eat on vacation and try run as often as possible.
I do think once you know the goodness of healthy eating you cant go back to the way you were….
I have been maintaining for a little while now and have to treat each day as if I was still dieting…
I started weighing in daily again but hating it….it is a emotional rollercoaster for me seeing it go up and down by a few grams daily…..
(smiled when I saw the words ‘non-food’)
AMEN to this whole post
It is so much easier to take care of ourselves consistently.
Good habits make life so much less stressful and so much more EVEN.
Everything is just calmer and simpler when we are kind to ourselves and are our own best friend every day.
Vickie´s last fabulous musings ..6 mos after the funeral
Ooooh no, you can never take a complete break because the little things add up really fast then, bingo!, you’ve gained X pounds once again. Amazing how easy it goes on, but how hard to take back off. Similarly, fitness lost takes an age to regain. Sad, but true.
That said, the effort doesn’t need to be at flat out 100% all the time as long as maintaining within pre-determined limits (say roughly a four pound weight range) is something you can accept.
Personally speaking, I’m mostly OK with my range but I do have an ‘OMG’ figure at the top end of it which makes me take immediate action if I reach it.
All this sounds like maintenance talk, but I do still want to get another few pounds off before I’ll be at the weight I’d be happy to maintain long term. At least I now know that it’s feasible – a nice feeling.
Deniz´s last fabulous musings ..Fitter- but holding steady
I had a hard time watching that show (last night). I have watched all of Ruby’s shows in the past, but think I am done now. The enabling and codependency was just too sad for me to see when they had it all bundled into recap. It wasn’t even so much the regain. The regain is just the output, visual part, of the habits and cycles which repeat because the circumstances stay the same.
Vickie´s last fabulous musings ..6 mos after the funeral
I will be interested to read more comments on this post. I think you know in your head it has to be a lifetime change with no pauses. And yet that seems unrelenting and hard at times. I suppose that is where the mindset change has to come in which many of us find difficult to sustain.
My response to this has always been that if you take “breaks,” you are on a diet. If your goal is lifetime healthy eating and a healthy weight, it’s a journey that doesn’t stop until the destination is reached. And THEN, you begin a journey of a different sort called maintenance.
Sharon´s last fabulous musings ..March Madness
Maybe the key is doing things daily in such a way that one does not feel the need for a break.
Karen´s last fabulous musings ..Bookin’ It
We are on the same wavelength today Diane! I am talking about it too.. that slippery slope backward!
I am like you too in that I am on this lifestyle for life. Yes, I may have my weekend cookie treats but that is built into the days of eating healthy & moving each day. This is my life now…
Jody – Fit at 53´s last fabulous musings ..Food Consequences Wristband Winner
I so agree! In fact, I got into a lot of trouble when I decided to “take breaks” from healthy eating on “special occasions.” That’s how a gained quite a bit of weight in the first place. I had never done that up to that point in my life. But then I went through a very stressful period in my life and all of a sudden told myself that it was okay to “treat myself.” As you said, a small treat that fits into your day is okay once in a while. But complete “free days” or “free events” aren’t good. There is no such thing as “free food.”
Andrea@WellnessNotes´s last fabulous musings ..Butternut Squash Triangoli and a Salad A Delicious Weekend Lunch
Such a great post! I find that when I ‘take a break’ I gain weight and am unhappy. But when I stick with my program that works for me (and like you – doesn’t make me feel oppressed) i’m good to go! Probably because my program doesn’t make anything off limits!
fittingbackin´s last fabulous musings ..Mardi Gras Ball- 8 Miles- LuLuLemon Fail
I’ve been watching a lot of Asian films lately. That combined with a deep respect for the work ethic of the Depression era has gotten me thinking. This is not about taking a break.
One does not take a break from meditation when one is a monk. One does not take a day off from life and it’s routines no matter how rigorous. Not if it keeps us alive.
Discipline. That is not destroyed by mistakes. It is simply what one does on default.
I think, for me, the key thing is that I don’t feel like I need to take a break! If one is looking at it that way, I don’t think one has the right attitude they need to be successful at this for life. That’s what is different for me this time, and that’s why I no longer fear ‘maintenance-land’ (when I get back there.) I’m approaching this in two ways:
1. through Intuitive Eating, I now in tune with my body. If I get ‘hungry’ between meals, I can go within for a brief moment or two, and determine if it’s actual stomach hunger, or if it’s emotional hunger. If it’s emotional hunger (90% of the time it is), I find ways to soothe that emotional hunger that don’t involve food. Sometimes it’s just taking a minute or two to mentally walk my way out of the emotional trauma of the moment (which can be as inane as ‘boredom’.) Or find other ways to de-stress. I no longer use junk food to soothe my emotional needs.
2. When I DO eat my meals, they are healthy. And as long as I’m still trying to lose weight, they will stay at or around 400 calories per meal. But here’s the thing, I’ve gotten to the point I don’t WANT junk food! I totally not only grasp, but accept, the truism that junk food is just that: junk. POISON. I no longer want foods that are like a slow form of suicide. At 59, I can no longer afford to abuse my body that way. So, they hold no hold over me emotionally anymore. No craving for any of it, other than the 100 or so chocolate calories a day I allow myself. And those don’t set me off craving anything else junk wise.
It’s working perfectly. I feel great, both physically and emotionally. I’m working in sync with myself now, both emotionally and physically. So I don’t need a ‘break’ from anything, because it’s working too well.
Sunny´s last fabulous musings ..Friday Recap- How I ate at a restaurant twice & lost a pound!
This is such a good reminder! This is exactly why I have to lose 109 pounds AGAIN!!! I think I’ve finally got it. No breaks from my now healthy way of eating! This is my life. Thanks for the great article!
Breaks are the gateway to relapses. Been there twice.
Joe´s last fabulous musings ..Rock Tape Review
I take a break every once in awhile. It’s usually just a few days where I don’t count my calories. It’s nice to have a break and it never really lasts more than a few days and then I get back on the calorie counting wagon.
I personally think that the mentality of “taking a break” is what causes most of us to regain the weight. About 15 years ago, I had lost 60lbs.–I lost it because I wanted to look nice for my brother-in-law’s wedding. My plan was to just “take a break” from the diet for the rehearsal dinner and wedding. Unfortunately, like any other addict, once I fell off the wagon I never got back on. Oh, I made a half hearted effort, but the weight easily came back on (at least a part of this was because of the way I chose to lose the weight in the first place)- far easier than it had come off. I ended up gaining back the 60lbs plus an additional 40. :-/
I think that when we choose a plan to lose weight by, we need to consider whether we would be happy to eat like that for the rest of our lives. I believe that this is also a part of why you have been successful Diane. You didn’t just choose to “diet” you chose to make a lifestyle change and found a way of eating that you can live with! Some of the rest of us need to follow your lead.
I think the mindset should be that we don’t take a break from praying, or bathing daily, so why should be take a break from eating well and exercising? It’s taken me a long time to find a way of eating that I could do for the rest of my life.
Hanlie´s last fabulous musings ..Left its seeds while I was sleeping
Hi, Diane.
I take breaks but not mega-calorie binge, sit on my rear for a week breaks.
We went out of town this weekend. Out and about on Saturday, I ate more in restaurant food calorically than I would normally but I also did “watch it.” Stopping at a Carl’s Jr., I got a garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette which is low fat and lighter in calories. I did eat the croutons (I like them and they’re 60 calories total) but I didn’t order anything else from there but ate a lowfat string cheese I’d brought with me and a protein bar with my salad. That was satisfying.
For dinner, I did order pizza at a restaurant. I didn’t touch bread beforehand (why if I’m going to eat pizza?) and I asked them to go a little lighter on the cheese.
Since we went to a couple wineries yesterday, I ate a lowfat light breakfast but felt free to eat plenty of the salami, cheese, crackers and mini-pizza pieces offered at the wineries. It added up to a lot of calories but I call it “self defense eating” when I go to wineries. The fat helps slow down the alcohol absorption so I don’t get a buzz.
I ate a couple of thousand calories yesterday, and more fat than normal. Did I gain weight? No. Would I if I ate that way all the time? Yes. I’m going to eat a little more protein, a little less fat and exercise a little more this week to balance out the weekend. So I took a break-but I am balancing out the break. And that’s how I keep the lost weight, lost.
I do have to pay attention and balance things out but I don’t feel “oppressed” by my lifestyle either.
You have to find what works for you. Some people need a break, others don’t. I try to keep my calories around 1500 and walk daily. Sometimes I’m way under calories, and rarely over. That way, I can go out to lunch with my daughter and not freak out completely thinking I’ve blown it all!!!! I can adjust accordingly. But I didn’t feel this way when I first started, I had to be very firm with myself then.
It’s for life. All this portion control, exercise stuff. Because if I stop, if I go back to how I lived and ate before, I am going to look like I did before. Which was huge at 356 pounds. Never again.
Love the blog!
As I read your post, Diane, I was thinking about what I would add to it, but by the time I got to the end, you said everything and more! Nice!
It really is all about mindset. Is it taking a break when you allow yourself to have a nice dinner with friends and don’t count every calorie? On the one hand it is a *break* from the regular routine-whatever that is for you on your plan. But on the other hand, if you planned for it, are mindful of it and the next meal you are back to the regular routine, it is not really taking a break.
If it is truly a lifestyle change then there is no *taking a break* from it. I agree with a prior comment the mentality of *taking a break* is what leads people off the path. It is a very dangerous path to go down.
This may sound odd, but whilst I’m still in the middle of my weight loss journey I’m coming to grips with the fact that it truly is a new lifestyle that will not allow for me to take breaks. That fact has been hard for me to realize and embrace. Yet, the more I’m learning to embrace the freedom that comes with sticking to my “new ending”/healthier eating and exercise the more I see staying focused as power and not bondage to a diet.
I hope that makes sense. Thank you for this post. It was confirmation of some thoughts I’ve been having.
Leah´s last fabulous musings ..Weigh-In Accountability & Blooms
I so agree with you. I just posted about complacency being an issue, and even me being complacent and not eating as I’d like still involves daily accountability to the scale and my food log. Those are the things I don’t compromise on, even when I am ‘bad’ at staying on plan. In that sense, I never, ever go off my diet. I can’t, or I WILL regain. But that doesn’t look as dire and strict as some people interpret it to be,
The behaviors are so natural at this point, that evennin ‘slacking off’ my default mode is accountable. I am so thankful that is the case (and its the reason I finally got below 200!).
Taryl´s last fabulous musings ..Oh my STARS!
I do agree with you. The more I read blogs like yours, the more I realise that I can never take a break from weight loss ever again. I need to do this until the day I die. And I am willing too because I never want to go back to the obese blackhuff I’ve been.
blackhuff´s last fabulous musings ..Blog Anniversary
A break is just that – a BREAK. It is a stop. Sometimes things that are stopped never start again. Something in motion tends to stay in motion and something at rest tends to stay at rest. Several years ago I decided to take Christmas day off. I was okay until New Years and then i did it again and then it took until Spring to accept that I was lost and that the weight I gained was not going to go away with just a few clean days.
I am so grateful that I have learned that breaks are not a part of my plan of eating and I feel more free of the food obsession today than any day that I allowed myself a break.
Jane~
Keepingthepoundsoff.com
Jane C´s last fabulous musings ..Death of Bumblebee
I believe health is a full time committment. you need to be on the ball with exercise, eating and motivation at all times. The more you relapse the further you spiral back down. It’s hard to be conscience of your choices all the time but you need to remind yourself you are worth it!
I love this post Diane!!! I can’t agree more! I feel like I’ve finally hit freedom because I stopped logging my food about a week ago. I am monitoring my portion sizes and eating like I should, so I feel free!
Great post!
Sheri´s last fabulous musings ..Am I Really Hungry
Diane, I SO love your thoughts on this.
I’ve made the mistake of deciding to “take a break” (from what? Being healthy? Fitting into my clothes? Lame break!), and I’m really feeling it. Big mistake! I’m having a tough time getting back into it… it feels like the more I try, the more pounds I gain. I need to take a step back and figure out the real reasons behind the weight gain, methinks.
Sagan´s last fabulous musings ..Popchips review and giveaway
Diane, I just love your blog. Every time I come here, I read another applicable, awesome post! Thank you for sharing your experiences and continually giving me tips to forge ahead and not give up or get discouraged.
BlessedMama´s last fabulous musings ..Breakfast Potato Skillet