Why Diet Breaks Are Still Worth It Even If They Don’t Work!

Diet breaks don’t work the way you think—but I still use them.
In this video, I’ll take you through five psychological reasons why diet breaks are still worth doing, even if the boost to your metabolism is minimal or nonexistent.

Whether you’re prepping for a show or grinding through a long cut, I’ll show you how to use diet breaks strategically to protect your mindset and your progress.

📚 I’ve linked the research I reference in the description below.

💬 Drop a comment and let me know—do you use diet breaks? Why or why not?

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00:00 Introduction
00:22 Psychological Benefit #1: Boost Mood & Reduce Irritability
01:15 What Counts as a Diet Break vs. Refeed
02:45 Psychological Benefit #2: Restore Training Motivation
03:56 Psychological Benefit #3: Reduce Hunger & Diet Fatigue
05:10 Psychological Benefit #4: Improve Adherence & Reduce Dropouts
06:41 Psychological Benefit #5: Prevent Binge or Loss-of-Control Eating
07:47 Pit Stops on Your Journey

Peos, J. J., Helms, E. R., Fournier, P. A., Ong, J., Hall, C., Krieger, J., & Sainsbury, A. (2021). Continuous versus intermittent dieting for fat loss and fat-free mass retention in resistance-trained adults: The ICECAP trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53(8), 1685–1698. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.000000000... 

Siedler, M. R., Lewis, M. H., Trexler, E. T., Lamadrid, P., Waddell, B. J., Bishop, S. F., SanFilippo, G., Callahan, K., Mathas, D., Mastrofini, G. F., Henselmans, M., Vårvik, F. T., & Campbell, B. I. (2023). The effects of intermittent diet breaks during 25% energy restriction on body composition and resting metabolic rate in resistance-trained females: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Human Kinetics, 86, 117–132. https://doi.org/10.5114/jhk/159960