Taking cheat days, or breaks, while dieting may actually help aid weight loss, according to a new study from Australian researchers.
The small study looked at two groups of obese men who participated in a four-month diet requiring them to restrict calorie intake by one-third. One group of dieters maintained the diet for two weeks, then broke from the strict diet for two weeks, and continued to go on and off the diet in two-week cycles.
During the two-week cycle off the strict diet, these dieters ate calories consistent to the number of calories they were burning, creating an "energy balance." Meanwhile, the second group continuously maintained the diet during the entire four-month period.
The group who alternated between adhering to the strict diet and having cheat weeks lost more weight during the study, researchers said in their findings, which were published in the International Journal of Obesity. The group who took breaks from their diet also gained back less weight after the study finished.
Fitness expert Warren Honeycutt tells me that he agrees with the results of the study...with some strong caveats.