Dieting all year round could actually be ruining your progress when it comes to fat loss. It might seem like the longer the diet, the better the results but this isn't always the case. In this blog we will look at the importance of taking diet breaks and going into a 'maintenance phase' to make long term progress.
How long does a diet last?
The answer to this question is always, it depends. When deciding how long you should diet for before taking a diet break there are a few questions that you need to ask yourself.
- How long can you realistically stick to it.
- Have you got any big events coming up that you need to plan around.
- How much body fat are you looking to lose.
- How successful have diets been in the past.
If you are someone who struggles to stick to a long term diet, you can try going aggressive for 4 weeks before taking a controlled break and then drop back into your calorie deficit once you are feeling ready to go again. For some people this could be after 12-16 weeks, it's all about finding what works best for you when it comes to adherence.
What is a maintenance phase?
A maintenance phase is where you increase your caloric intake to the point where you can maintain your current physique / performance. To work this out you can either use a calorie calculator online or increase your dieting calories by 300-500.
During a maintenance phase you should train to train progressively as muscle can still be built while using the extra food as fuel for your sessions.
Planning maintenance phases around events such as Christmas and birthdays can be one of the best ways to still enjoy social occasions without setting yourself off track.
Increasing metabolism
When you eat a certain amount of calories for a period of time your body will go through something called metabolic adaptation. If you are on low calories for too long your metabolism will decrease and therefore it can be useful to add in maintenance periods to stop this happening. One of the best ways to increase your metabolism is to build muscle and during a maintenance phase, your chances of building muscle are higher than when you are dieting on low calories.
How much protein do you need to maintain muscle?
The best way to set your protein targets is to keep it simple. Aim for 1g of protein per LBS of your bodyweight or a minimum of 0.8 per LBS. No matter what your goal is, hitting this protein target consistently should always be the target.
Summary
Maintenance phases are also known as diet breaks and they play a vital role in getting long term results. Including maintenance phases can help with diet fatigue, improve metabolism and help regulate hormones. Find what works best for you or get yourself a coach to help you plan out your phases and keep you accountable.
