Menno Henselmans on Reasons to Stop Taking Diet Breaks

Published: April 19, 2023, 10 a.m.

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

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

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But is the science so clear-cut?

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In this interview, Menno Henselmans and I discuss the scientific literature on diet breaks, including a new study in which he was involved.\xa0

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Menno has been on my podcast many times, but in case you\u2019re not familiar with him, he\u2019s a former business consultant turned international public speaker, educator, writer, published scientist, and physique coach who\u2019s passionate about helping serious athletes attain their ideal physiques.

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

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

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

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- The reasons why adding maintenance periods to a cut probably won\u2019t \u201ctrick\u201d your body and mitigate the negative side effects of a calorie deficit

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

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- Protein-sparing modified fasts and when they\u2019re useful and who might benefit from them

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

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- Why very short bulks don\u2019t work (but mini-cuts do)

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- And more . . .

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

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Timestamps:

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

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

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

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

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

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(39:43) - Is it true that when you go from a cut or maintenance into a calorie surplus you don\u2019t notice all the benefits right away?

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(47:10) -\xa0 Is there a general rule of thumb for the number of exposures to unhealthy foods?

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

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

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Mentioned on the Show:

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Save up to 50% during our Spring Sale! Go to buylegion.com and use coupon code MUSCLE to save 20% on any non-sale items or get double reward points!

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Menno\u2019s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmO2dykYM3nlb5BtsXxp9ZQ

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Menno\u2019s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mennohenselmans

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Menno\u2019s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menno.henselmans/