A diet break may seem counterintuitive - why would you need a diet break when you still have weight loss goals to achieve? Does taking a diet break reverse all of the progress you made? What is a diet break, anyway?

Once you make the decision to work on your nutrition, you are not only committing to adjusting the foods you eat but also to adjusting that protocol over time—ideally a lifetime. Your newfound habits and behaviors must become an integrated part of your lifestyle to achieve and maintain results.

Sustainable weight loss and health improvement are really big commitments that most people don’t fully grasp at the beginning of their journey. When you start, motivation is high, you are excited to get those initial results, and the importance of assessing what this requires long-term is often forgotten. This becomes a problem when you need to take a break from dieting.

So today, we’re sharing everything you need to know about diet breaks. What does taking a break from dieting mean, and what are the top seven signs that you need one?

girl eating granola bar

What is a Diet Break?

A diet break is an intentional decision to move out of a caloric deficit for a predetermined period of time. If you’re tracking macros, a diet break could mean putting your tracker or meal plan away for a bit or increasing your calories and continuing to track.

How to Calculate Diet Break Macros

If you decide that you’d like to track your intake during a diet break, your next question is likely going to be how to calculate those new, higher macros. 

This takes a deep knowledge of the science and experience of knowing what kind of adjustments will likely work best for your lifestyle and preferences. If you work with WAG 1-on-1 Nutrition Coaching, someone is in your corner to objectively assess trends in your data to guide that change.

If you are not working with a coach, a great rule of thumb is to increase your calories for maintenance - use WAG’s Free Online Macro Calculator to help you find yours!

What is The Difference Between Reverse Dieting and a Diet Break?

Although they are similar, a diet break and a reverse diet are different concepts that achieve different goals and results.

Reverse dieting requires a slow increase in calories to maintenance levels or higher once a body composition or weight loss goal has been achieved. These stepwise built-in calories bring you to a more sustainable intake level so you can eat more while maintaining your results.

A diet break is different because the jump in calories is immediate instead of a slow build. Diet breaks are also taken with the intention of bringing calories back down after a set period of time so you can continue working towards your body composition or weight loss goals. Most diet breaks last around two to four weeks.

 

Signs You Need to Take A Diet Break

Did you know that taking a diet break can actually improve your ability to achieve your weight loss goals? 

I know! A diet break for fat loss sounds almost too good to be true, but studies have shown that a slower, steadier approach to dieting creates longer-lasting results.

If you have been in a calorie deficit (AKA, a "cut") for an extended period of time, you may be intimately familiar with the shifts that occur both physiologically and psychologically. Calorie intake impacts things like:

  • Mood
  • Energy
  • Hormone health
  • Stress management
  • Sleep quality
  • Metabolism
  • Performance

…and more. Over a period of extended dieting, these changes are exacerbated and impact your quality of life, rate of progress, and your ability to sustain that progress long-term.

This is one of the many reasons diet breaks are important. As you move further along in the dieting process, your initial high motivation wears off, commitments you made lose their luster, and if progress starts to slow, you may begin questioning everything.

A diet break is something WAG Coaches utilize to help you avoid burnout, improve diet adherence, and reach your goals faster.

So, how do you know if it is time for you to take a diet break for fat loss?

 

#1: Your Weight Loss has Stalled

You have been dieting for many weeks - maybe even a few months - and while the scale was heading towards your goal at a steady pace, you have recently reached what feels like a plateau. 

You’ll know you've hit a weight plateau if your weight loss has stalled for four weeks or longer. This is a good sign that a diet break might be the right next step for you. But, before you jump into your diet break, let’s check on a few things first.

Before taking a break, you need to ensure you’re really experiencing a weight plateau. Here are a couple of things to consider:

  1. Have you had any events or experiences lately that made adhering to your program less accurate? If yes, it is possible that those have been contributing to the plateau, and getting back into a routine and ramping up your accuracy will start showing progress again. 
  2. Are you in a true calorie deficit? If you’ve lost a significant amount of weight, your metabolism may have adjusted, and your calories/macros may need to shift to keep you in a deficit. WAG Nutrition Coaching can help you really nail down if this is the case.
  3. Have you been more lenient with your nutrition tracking? It is common to be very adherent when you start a new program. Over time, this precision may take a hit (consciously or subconsciously), and you may need to bring more attention back to accurate tracking to ensure you’re not eating more than you think.

Take an inventory of your behaviors and program to assess if a shift in your habits and routines needs to occur before a diet break. If you’re a bit stuck, learn What It Takes to Get Lean. We’ll walk you through the exact level of accuracy and adherence that is required at various stages in the diet cycle.

But, if you’ve been nailing your targets and see the scale stalling for four weeks or more, this is when a diet break for continued weight loss would be a great option.

 

#2: Your Performance has Drastically Decreased

You’re hitting the gym, and you can’t access the same gear you used to. You’re frustrated, sore, and wondering what happened!

Low calories = less energy/fuel for training and performance! Nutrition timing can only go so far, so if training is important to you and it has taken a big nosedive, it may be time for a diet break.

Reducing calories over time to achieve weight loss goals can be done while keeping your performance goals a top priority, especially if you’re new to resistance training or have more weight to lose.

But if you’ve hit a stage where performance and recovery are starting to suffer this is a strong sign a diet break can be in your future. No matter how closely you monitor your intake or nutrition timing, at a certain point, a break is exactly what you need.

 

#3: Hunger is Through the Roof

It is one thing to be hangry if you are busy and eat lunch a few hours later than usual. But being hungry and thinking about food all day is a whole other beast. If you are experiencing extremely high hunger, it is another strong indication you may need a diet break.

But before jumping right to a diet break, peek at this infographic. These high-volume foods will help you feel full without consuming too many calories. If you look at this list and think, “Wow, I haven’t been eating any of those foods,” you may be able to keep calories where they are and swap out higher-density carb sources like potatoes, rice, bread, and high-sugar fruits for higher volume options.

list of foods with carbs in them

Still curious about food volume? Read our article about how to actually feel full. We cover quick and easy ways to add more fiber and volume to your routine. These changes can take you from hungry to satisfied if volume is your issue. If none of those resonate - a diet break can be your answer!

A diet break can work wonders when it comes to resetting your hunger hormones (I am talking about leptin and ghrelin here!).

 

#4: Your Diet Increases Your Stress

You started a diet to positively impact your life - you wanted to change your habits, health, body, performance, or all the above. But along the way, maybe it started feeling like more of a burden than a blessing.

Life doesn’t stop when you’re dieting. Work continues, relationships start and end, and no one is immune to the hardships that life presents. If you are experiencing a high degree of stress, it may be time for a diet break.

Dieting is hard work which is why millions of people all over the world struggle with long-term adherence and commitment. Achieving your nutrition goals requires you to change aspects of your day-to-day life, and sometimes this means saying no to tempting treats or other things you would have said “yes” to before making a commitment to your health. This can wear anyone down, and burnout is very common.

Before taking a diet break, make sure this does not mean you revert back to any unhealthy comforting habits like late-night snacking, overdoing the sugar, or keeping alcohol a nightly occurrence. While these things may feel great in the moment, they will likely increase your stress in the long term.

If you are taking a diet break due to stress, we recommend a few things:

  1. Create a time limit for yourself. For example, set a goal to utilize a diet break as a weight loss strategy for 1-2 weeks.
  2. Consider the different parts of your program and decide what to let go of (ex: strictly tracking everything you eat) and what habits, if continued, will help with stress management (Ex: eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods and continuing to exercise). 

Speaking of stress, there is another major player that can impact it! Let’s dig into sleep.

 

#5: Your Sleep is Suffering

Sleep is the foundation of a healthy life - without the appropriate amount of high-quality sleep, the rest of your life can feel the negative effects. When you are on a diet, you are in a caloric deficit, and for some people, this can impact sleep patterns and, in some rare cases, cause insomnia. If this is happening to you - a diet break might be just what you need.

If you want to read more into the science of calorie deficits and sleep problems, THIS is a great resource.

Just like there were considerations when it came to stress and hunger, there are some things you need to evaluate before deciding if a calorie deficit is impacting your sleep. THIS ARTICLE has our favorite tips and tricks for making your environment more sleep-friendly. Assess if these are things that could use some work before jumping to a diet break. If you’re nailing all these things, low calories could be the missing piece and a diet break may be warranted.

 

#6: Your Goals Changed

Goals change, and when this happens, your plan needs to change as well. Whether your goals change for a week or two or a longer season of life, a diet break could be the answer. 

Here are a few examples:

  1. You're going on a vacation - If you're heading on a fun vacation for a week or two, you may want to take a step back from strict tracking (or tracking altogether). Your nutrition plan must complement your life and work with you to be sustainable long-term. At WAG, we're all about helping you find a way to make choices you're proud of and ensuring your actions and expectations align so you can enjoy yourself when fully enjoying an experience, and staying present with loved ones is your top priority.
  2. You get pregnant - pregnancy is an example of when nutrition and priorities may have to shift pretty drastically depending on your current calorie intake, training, and lifestyle. Some women find that tracking when pregnant is a helpful way to stay accountable to getting the nutrients they need. Others find listening to hunger shifts tricky and stressful, especially during the first trimester. Wondering if you should track macros during your pregnancy? Our nutrition coaches can help and we'll match you with a coach specifically trained to support you through your pregnancy.
  3. You're dealing with an injury - some injuries impact training, hunger, and—in extreme cases—your ability to prep and track your food. When dealing with injuries or stressful situations in life, taking a step back from tracking can help give you the time and space to take care of your mental health.  

#7: You've Reached Your Goal

When you reach a goal, you may want to shift your macros to maintenance (or go through a reverse diet) and continue to track... but you may also want a break! Remember that if you want to keep the results you've worked so hard for, you need to continue with the health habits that helped you reach your goal.

In these cases, it is helpful to brainstorm a list of daily health goals based on what you know works for your body and keeps you feeling good. Here are some examples:

  • Eat protein with every meal
  • Eat veggies with at least 2/3 meals per day and one snack
  • Grocery shop and meal prep at least once per week
  • Get 7-8 hours of sleep per night
  • Drink at least 100oz water daily
  • Move my body for at least 30 minutes per day

How Often Do You Need A Diet Break?

There is no perfect answer for how often a diet break is necessary or useful. That being said, leaner people typically need diet breaks (or times at maintenance) more often than those who have more weight to lose and/or have less muscle. But, a general rule of thumb for most people is to take a 1-2 week break after 12 weeks of consistent dieting.

Because you will always be more emotionally connected to your results than a third party, it can be harder to make these decisions on your own. This is one of many reasons 1:1 nutrition coaching is so powerful. WAG Coaches assist their clients in making these decisions from an educated, experienced place while taking your lifestyle and the objective data into account.

Dieting is a way to transform your life for the better. Taking breaks can help you increase adherence, enjoy the process, and ultimately achieve the results you are looking for!