Do you need to take a diet break?

A successful diet plan requires regular adjustments while also taking scheduled diet breaks. But do you need to take a diet break?

Firstly, let's discuss what a diet break is. A diet break is a planned period between 7-14 days whereby you stop counting calories with the intent to increase your calorie intake.  This period is to remove the restrictions we place on ourselves during diets.

If you are on a diet plan for longer than three months, the rule is to take a diet break of two weeks. If you are looking to get lean, you might need to take more frequent breaks, every 6-8 weeks.   

Here are the reasons why a diet break is necessary, according to Clean Health and RippedBody.com:

#1 High possibility of quitting

If you skip your diet breaks, you might only be able to stay on track for a couple of months. Eventually, it will become difficult to consistently eat right, and then you might give up! It is better to be successful in the long run, to take regular diet breaks to avoid quitting mid-way.

#2 Increased cravings and hunger

Calorie-restricted diets can cause increased hunger, however this is the first symptom that you might need to take a rest! This is also caused by reduced leptin hormones and increased ghrelin levels. If you do not act on your craving cues by taking a diet break, you will soon find yourself acting on binge eating.

#3 Low performance at the gym

Calorie-restricted diets also cause less production of certain hormones, eg. testosterone and estrogen levels with anabolic and anti-catabolic properties which usually leads to a decrease in muscle mass and performance.

#4 Low motivation

Lack of motivation comes hand in hand with your energy levels. This can be as extreme as feeling exhausted then you need to take a break!

There are 2 reasons why you should take a diet break:

1. Psychological reasons
   

It is good for your overall mental health to take regular breaks, eg. after a weekend - we feel refreshed and ready for the week ahead. Similarly, you should also feel ready for dieting for several weeks.

2. Physiological reasons
   

A short break ensures that your body resets, by reversing the metabolic adaptations to a calorie deficit so that the hormones can recover to normal levels. This means that you will have fewer cravings, hunger cues, and higher energy levels.

During a diet, your leptin levels decrease. But when you stop dieting and instead take a short break, your leptin levels increase.

Just remember the following while on your break:

• It is not a “eat everything” cheat period.
• Try to still make healthy choices, eg. by making your breakfast extra healthy as you will eat an unhealthy lunch or dinner meal.
• Don’t eat more than before you started your diet. This will make it difficult to jump back in and keep going.
• Your break should not last longer than two weeks.

Rather plan and take regular diet breaks to ensure you can start where you left off instead of giving up. You deserve the body you always wanted for life! Shop our best-selling fat-loss stacks here to make your diet journey easier. We also have a range of fat burners to target various weight loss mechanisms. Shop the fat burner range here.

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References

https://rippedbody.com/diet-break/#:~:text=Recommendations%20On%20Diet%2DBreak%20Length,cut%20a%20diet%20break%20short.

https://cleanhealth.edu.au/blog/5-signs-you-need-a-diet-break/