Ep. #1057: Menno Henselmans on Reasons to Stop Taking Diet Breaks

Diet breaks have become more popular in the evidence-based community over the past few years.

The strategy is purported not just to improve your results during a cut, but actually make dieting easier.

But is the science so clear-cut?

In this interview, Menno Henselmans and I discuss the scientific literature on diet breaks, including a new study in which he was involved. 

Menno has been on my podcast many times, but in case you’re not familiar with him, he’s a former business consultant turned international public speaker, educator, writer, published scientist, and physique coach who’s passionate about helping serious athletes attain their ideal physiques.

In this interview, Menno and I chat about . . .

- Why diet breaks have become so popular in the evidence-based space in recent years

- How his new diet break study was designed and conducted and its results

- The reasons why adding maintenance periods to a cut probably won’t “trick” your body and mitigate the negative side effects of a calorie deficit

- Why diet breaks are probably a waste of time, just make your diets take longer, and what you should do instead

- Protein-sparing modified fasts and when they’re useful and who might benefit from them

- How to add in extremely low-calorie days to a cut (the opposite of refeeds) and why you might want to

- Why very short bulks don’t work (but mini-cuts do)

- And more . . .

So if you want to learn diet breaks and what the latest science says about their utility, give this podcast a listen!

Timestamps:

(0:00) - Please leave a review of the show wherever you listen to podcasts and make sure to subscribe!

(15:01) - Is it okay to cut for 8 months straight? and should I incorporate breaks?

(24:24) - Why is it important to let off the breaks in exercise?

(32:39) - Save up to 50% during our Spring Sale! www.buylegion.com

(34:20) - Is it okay to have little maintenance periods?

(39:43) - Is it true that when you go from a cut or maintenance into a calorie surplus you don’t notice all the benefits right away?

(47:10) -  Is there a general rule of thumb for the number of exposures to unhealthy foods?

(48:48) - Are there simple techniques to introduce healthy foods into your diet?

(53:50) - Where can people find you and your work?

Mentioned on the Show:

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Menno’s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmO2dykYM3nlb5BtsXxp9ZQ

Menno’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mennohenselmans

Menno’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menno.henselmans/