If you are in the maintenance phase of your journey to better health, you have already been taking a break from more stringent dieting and calorie deficits. But even if your goal is to lose more weight, it may be a good idea to take a planned break where you learn to maintain your weight. This is sometimes called intermittent dieting or refeeding.
Intermittent dieting (ID) is very different than intermittent fasting (IF), though if you do a search for ID, the results will likely be for IF since it’s trending on social media. For more on intermittent fasting, please see https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/01/23/in-the-news-intermittent-fasting/
Let’s be careful to define our terms. ID is not IF or the yo-yo dieting I practiced for 30-40 years! Rather it is the practice of taking planned, short breaks from a more strict or rigid diet. ID has been associated with greater weight loss than consistently dieting with no breaks. The breaks are typically for one or two weeks – perfect for vacation or holiday planning. But, this does not mean that you overeat during your break! Instead, you strive for maintenance.
Please contact your own healthcare provider to learn what type of eating plan would be best in your particular case. Don’t make any changes without speaking to a professional who knows your medical history.
ID could be excellent practice for weight maintenance after you have achieved your goals. But what is the evidence for the success of this type of eating plan?
- Scientists at The University of Tasmania discovered that dieters using a two weeks on and two weeks off schedule lost more weight and regained less than those who dieted for 16 weeks straight. (Each group dieted for 16 weeks total, so the ID group took longer to complete the program.) The ID group ate to simply maintain their weight during breaks. They maintained an average loss of 8 kg (17.6 pounds) more than those who dieted for 16 weeks straight (1).
- The MATADOR (Minimising Adaptive Thermogenesis And Deactivating Obesity Rebound) study found that intermittent energy restriction eating plans resulted in greater weight loss than continuous energy restriction diets. “Interrupting [dieting] with energy balance ‘rest periods’ may reduce compensatory metabolic responses and, in turn, improve weight loss efficiency” (2).
- A Cambridge University study found that dieters who were on a very low calorie diet for 12 weeks lost more and were more successful at maintaining weight loss if they completed a six-week refeeding program (which was “an ordinary, energy-reduced diet”) (3). The group in this study who only did a short one-week refeeding program regained significantly more weight.
- However, alternate day fasting did not provide greater weight loss as compared to daily calorie restriction in a yearlong study of 100 obese adults (4). In addition, the alternate day fasting participants had a higher drop out rate than the other dieters in the program.
- Dieting followed by refeeding is a technique used by some athletes, particularly bodybuilders. Refeeding (ID) can “help to boost metabolic rate by reducing cortisol levels and boosting leptin levels…[as well as] provide a needed psychological break from caloric restriction which will allow the individual to stay consistent with their nutrition plan once dieting is reestablished” (5).
We can see that there are some great reasons to give ID a try, particularly if you’ve plateaued but wish to lose more. However, it’s important to remember that these breaks aren’t really excessive cheats. You are still paying attention to the foods you consume, it’s just that you’ll be eating to maintain for a week or two, rather than to lose additional weight during your refeeding phase.
This blog post has information that can help you figure out the number of calories your body needs: https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/02/27/basal-metabolic-rate-resting-energy-expenditure-calculations-and-accuracy/ This information could be useful if you are planning to maintain your weight as part of ID.
Since you probably won’t be part of an organized study for your ID, all the planning will be on you. It might be easy to start your refeeding weeks, but what about returning to more restrictive eating afterwards? This is when tracking could be a big help to you: https://lindawbrowning.com/2023/02/09/tracking/
I hope that intermittent dieting will be another useful tool for us to help maintain our healthy weight. If you’ve already used this technique, please share your experiences in the comments below. Thank you!
(1). https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170918222235.htm
(2). https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2017206
(4). https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2623528
Maintain Weight Loss 