Taking a break?

Hello.  I'm a 5'11" man, and I started out on my weight loss project at 345 pounds (I discovered Calorie Count at about 287).  I've lost 90, thanks be to God.  I'm at 255. I've done it by eating about 1,500-1,600 calories per day and exercising (walking and stationary bike chiefly).

I set out to lose 170 pounds and to get down to what most of the info I gather says a healthy weight should be for me: 175.

Here's my issue - I'm feeling cooked.  I've lost 90 pounds, I know I'm in much, much better shape, and I look better (for whatever that's worth).  But I don't feel as good as I thought I would.  I'm exhausted.  I'm really tired most of the time.  Just burned out.

Do you think the calorie deprivation is the cause?  I know I've lost the weight a little faster than this site recommends (I've lost about a pound every other day on average, about 3.5 per week).

Anyway, I am considering taking a break.  By "break" I certainly don't mean going back to the habits that made me 345 pounds.  I'd love to maintain 255 for a month or so, then hop back on.  I just feel the need to recharge physically and mentally.  Is this sound reasoning?  It might even be a good test to see if I can actually be stable.  Would taking such a break be bad?  Any thoughts?

Congratulations!  By all means, take a break and eat maintenance calories for this weight for a while - a month or two, even.  1500-1600 calories really isn't enough for you, which may be why you feel so tired, and the 3.5 pounds a week really is too fast.  When you decide you are going to continue, try keeping the calorie deficit to about 500-700 calories.

What I have decided to do is to eat the amount of calories that I would need at my goal weight and activity level.  This allows me to get enough for my energy needs, practice eating the right amount, and I'm rarely hungry if I eat a balanced, healthy diet.  The amount of calories Calorie Count recommended just wasn't enough.

Congrats on your weight loss. I think a break is a good idea as long as you're careful. And I think you should still exercise. Don't do what I did - due to some pressures with work and school I chose to take a break from exercising and counting calories, and gained 37 pounds over the next year. I am just now reigning myself in (lost 5 pounds!). So stay vigilant! Good luck!

There's nothing wrong with taking a break to maintain. What might be an even better option is to up your calories a bit, but just under maintenance (like a 250 calorie defecit, for example), so you may even lose a little bit without feeling so run-down.

Congratulations on your loss to date.  I would definitely encourage you to take a break from dieting and practice maintenance skills, especially since you lost weight so quickly.  I second the recommendation to eat at maintenance for your goal weight and activity so that you get an idea of how you will be eating for the rest of your life.  You should gradually lose a little weight since you are still quite a bit heavier than your goal, but feel much, much better.  I mean, 1500 to 1600 calories is not very much for a tall man!  Just make sure that you continue the good habits that got you to where you are, and log your intake, keep moving, and try to get the additional calories from good, whole, wholesome foods (although the occasional treat won't hurt you, either).

Thanks for all of the enouraging replies.

According to the tool here, a 5'11", 175-lb., 43-year-old man with a sedentary life (aside from my daily exercise, mine basically is) burns about 2,050 calories.  To maintain, should I eat that while I continue exercise, or should I add to it to balance the exercise?  According to the activity tool here, my daily exercise (typically now 30 minutes of walking and 60 minutes on a stationary bike) at my current weight of 255 burns about 550 calories.  So if I eat, say, 2,300-2,400 per day, and maintain the exercise (I am committed to doing that), you think I'll maintain?

Well, since you are 255 lb right now, you probably will continue to lose weight, just a bit slower than previously.  It might be best to eat enough to maintain 255 for a few weeks first, to "reset" your metabolism since you had such a big deficit before.  This may make your weight jump a bit on the scale, but it should even out in a couple of weeks.  Then you can go down to the maintenance calories for the weight and activity you want to be.

Thanks a lot, I'm going to commence giving this a go.

Congratulations, lfr3 and good luck!

Taking a break for a week or month to maintain is a great idea. It gets you ready for the future of always maintaining.

Just remember, either take a break of working out or eating less...not both.  That way you still stay focused when you get back on track.

Congratulations on your weight loss!

I am now just getting back into my "counting calories" after my little break I took for a month. It was very hard for me to find my maintenance calories I put back on about 5lbs, but am still very happy with the way I look. I was feeling the same way, very run down and beat. I found since Ive been eating alot more that I feel more energized and that Im able to finally meet my goal. Plus I hit a huge plateau so I think restarting the metabolism should help with that too. It felt nice to be able to eat alot more (haha)

Good luck :)

By the way, find out what your BMR is, and try to figure out your maintenance from there, I find CC always tells you to eat more than you should!!

Well, the initial result was a little spike in my weight for a few days - I expected this - but overall, as long as I maintain the exercise, it seems this will work... and I may even very slowly lose a little more.  That's what it seems so far anyway.  I definitely feel stronger, much less stressed.

Thanks again for the support.