The Importance of Taking a Diet Break

Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that dieting can be an exhausting experience; both physically and mentally. For those of us who have been dieting for an extensive amount of time, that exhaustion can slowly build up until one day it explodes. That explosion can manifest in numerous ways; binging, giving up, depression, etc. When you start to feel that your diet plan has become too much for you, it is time to think about taking a diet break.

A diet break is just that, a break from your diet. You might be on a diet plan where you count calories, count carbs, watch fat content, or just any diet plan that is out there. It does not matter what kind of diet you are on, if you start to feel overwhelmed by the plan then it's time for a diet break. Sometimes it's a weight loss plateau that sends you over the edge with your diet plan. Other times it's just a loss of willpower.

A diet break does not give you permission to eat anything and everything in sight just because you feel like you can. A diet break is a break from being so controlled, strict and forceful about your diet plan. Sometimes a diet break is exactly what your body needs to get you over a weight loss plateau. A diet break can last as long as you feel it should. For some people it's only a week of indulgence and then back to the strict diet plan. For others it's a few weeks of just not focusing on their weight while still eating healthy.

You can still have a healthy lifestyle while being on a diet break. For example, if you are on the Weight Watchers plan, you can simply not count points. Continue to eat the way you have been doing while on plan except don't count your food points. Don't think about your points. Just go about your daily life and forget about counting points for a week. A week of not thinking about your weight can do wonders for your spirit.

Sometimes, we dieters, have to think more about our whole selves instead of just the numbers on the scale. We can get so, overly, focused on those numbers that we neglect the rest of our bodies. When you notice that you are getting depressed because those numbers are not moving fast enough it is time to rethink our weight loss goals and our plan on reaching those goals. Dieting should not result in depression. Dieting is a means to reaching a healthier, and ultimately happier, you but if your diet plan is so strict that you aren't focusing on the rest of your life then it's not helping you.

So how do you know when it's time to take a diet break? Here are a few signs that may indicate that you need a diet break.

1. You notice that you step on the scales multiple times a day. I, myself, have been guilty of doing this and it was one of my big signs that it was time for me to rethink a few things. I feel that stepping on the scales twice a day should be the limit. Other people think that you should not weigh yourself more than once a week, but most dieters just can't hold out for once a week.

2. You over-exercise. We all know that regular exercise is important for a healthy body but if you are exercising every day there may be a problem. The human body needs rest between workouts. You should never work the same muscle group two days in a row. Muscles need at least a day to "heal" from the workout. Working out too much can actually prevent the numbers on the scales from going down.

3. You under-eat. Yes, you should lower your calorie intake when you want to lose weight but eating too few calories will cause your body to think that it's starving and it will hold onto the weight that it already has in order to survive. You should always eat enough healthy foods to sustain your body and the activities that you perform. When you over-exercise and under-eat you can have a big problem.

4. You feel depressed when the numbers on the scales don't go down. Yes, it's normal to feel unhappy when the scales don't move fast enough, but if that unhappiness is more of a depression than just unhappiness there is a bigger problem there.

5. Your unhappiness, with your diet plan, is affecting your life. We all know that unhappy people can make the people around them unhappy. If you notice that you are fighting more with your spouse, snapping at your family or just making the people around you miserable, there is a problem. It's not their fault that you're unhappy with the way things are going with your diet. No one else can make things better for you, except you.

When you notice that you are unhappy with your diet plan it is time to take a diet break. Step back, look at the things that you are doing and rethink your plan and goals. We all have to do this from time to time. For those of us who have been dieting for a long time, stepping back and thinking should be something that you do on a schedule, every couple of months, for example. A plan that worked for you a year ago may not be right for you at this moment. Diet plans have to be revised to fit the person you are now instead of the person you were a year ago. What worked when you weighed 300 pounds may not work any longer when you are 200 pounds and a lot healthier. When things become stagnant we must change it. Step back and take a diet break until you are ready to jump back in. Your body will thank you!