Diet Break
A diet break is a planned 1-2 week pause from a calorie deficit diet during which you eat at maintenance calories to support metabolism and energy levels.
A diet break is a longer version of a refeed day. During it, calorie intake is raised to TDEE level for 1-2 weeks, after which the calorie deficit is resumed. Studies have shown that regular diet breaks can improve weight loss results in the long term.
The most well-known study on this is the MATADOR study (2018), in which a rhythm of two weeks on a diet and two weeks off produced significantly better results than continuous dieting. The reason is the slowing of metabolic adaptation (adaptive thermogenesis).
During a diet break, leptin levels rise, hunger hormones normalize, and psychological endurance improves. The body receives a signal that there is no famine, and metabolism returns to a higher level.
In practice, a diet break means eating at maintenance calories - not binging. Protein intake is kept high and training continues normally. Weight typically increases by 1-2 kg from fluid and glycogen, but this disappears quickly when the calorie deficit resumes.
A diet break is especially beneficial in long weight loss projects and helps prevent the yo-yo effect.
Want to know where you stand?
A 2-minute quiz reveals your personal barriers and the solution.
Find out your situation →Related Terms
Read more about the topic
Read more from the blog
Last updated:
Disclaimer: This page contains general health and wellness information and does not replace the advice of a doctor, dietitian, or other healthcare professional. Always consult your doctor before making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine, especially if you have underlying health conditions, are on medication, or are pregnant.
Lasting results start here
Find out why weight loss hasn't worked — and how to finally make it stick.
Take the free wellness quiz →