Should You Use Diet Breaks?

Diet breaks involve planned periods of increased caloric intake, typically elevating consumption to maintenance levels or slightly above. The scientific rationale behind diet breaks is multifaceted, addressing several physiological and psychological challenges associated with prolonged caloric restriction. However, the data is not clear on whether they are effective so far.

Some studies have found intermittent energy restriction, incorporating diet breaks, can lead to similar fat loss and better preservation of fat-free mass than continuous energy restriction.
The implementation of diet breaks typically follows a structured pattern, with breaks lasting 1-2 weeks and occurring every 4-12 weeks of dieting, depending on the athlete's specific goals and body composition. However, the real duration is more dependent on physiological and psychological fatigue markers.

Diet breaks are not the end-all, but I know mentally and physically they have helped my clients and myself successfully sustain fat loss phases.