When it comes to dieting, many people adhere to a consistent caloric deficit for weeks on end without interruption. However, there’s an alternative approach gaining traction: diet refeeds. These involve taking short breaks from the deficit and returning to maintenance calories. Let’s delve into the research behind diet breaks and their potential benefits.
In a notable 2020 study (1), researchers examined two dieting methods among resistance-trained individuals: continuous dieting and refeed dieting. The continuous group maintained a 25% caloric deficit for seven consecutive weeks, while the refeed group maintained a 35% calorie deficit for five days per week, with weekends at maintenance (100%) calories for the same seven-week period.
Both groups strength training and consumed a diet high in protein. The progress from both groups would be expected to be identical since their average calorie deficit was identical, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Both groups lost the same amount of body fat over the seven-week period. Still, the continuous group lost three times as much muscle mass and saw a greater decrease in their resting metabolic rate than the refeed group. This indicates the effectiveness of refeeding strategies in mitigating negative adaptations commonly associated with prolonged dieting.
Although there is not enough evidence to support this study, but it is a strategy we adopt with our members at State of Fitness, who may be less liberal with their diet on the weekends, thus giving them more flexibility while working towards their health, fitness and body ambitions.
A key aspect of refeeding involves adjusting protein intake. For example, during the week, a hypothetical dieter might aim for 2.2g of protein per kg of body weight, reducing it to 1.6g/kg on weekends while still meeting recommended intake levels. This flexibility allows for dietary variety while supporting fat-loss goals.
Similar to diet refeeds are diet breaks, where individuals take extended periods (typically a week or more) off from dieting and return to maintenance calories. Evidence on the superiority of diet breaks for fat loss varies (2,3) but they offer psychological relief and may prevent burnout during extended dieting phases.
Implementing diet breaks can be customised to individual preferences and circumstances. They can be timed to coincide with vacations or plateaus or scheduled at regular intervals within a fat-loss phase. Regardless of timing, adhering to maintenance calories during breaks is essential to prevent fat gain.
Figure: Example of a diet break after every six weeks of dieting during a 13-week fat-loss phase.
In conclusion, diet breaks and refeeds offer valuable strategies for sustainable fat loss by mitigating metabolic adaptations and promoting adherence to dietary protocols. By incorporating periods of maintenance calories into a structured dieting regimen, individuals can achieve their goals while maintaining overall well-being.
References:
(1) Campbell BI, Aguilar D, Colenso-Semple LM, et al. Intermittent Energy Restriction Attenuates the Loss of Fat Free Mass in Resistance Trained Individuals. A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2020;5(1):19.
(2) Byrne NM, Sainsbury A, King NA, Hills AP, Wood RE. Intermittent energy restriction improves weight loss efficiency in obese men: the MATADOR study. Int J Obes (Lond). 2018;42(2):129-138.
(3) Peos JJ, Helms ER, Fournier PA, Ong J, Hall C, Krieger J, Sainsbury A. Continuous versus Intermittent Dieting for Fat Loss and Fat-Free Mass Retention in Resistance-trained Adults: The ICECAP Trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2021;53(8):1685-1698.
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