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One of the biggest mistakes that far too many people are making on their diet program is neglecting to consider a diet break.  You’re seeing good success and as such, the last thing that you want to consider is stopping.

Or, perhaps you aren’t seeing success – it’s quite the opposite.  Try as you might, that weight is just not coming off.  You’re frustrated and wondering if you’ll ever be able to attain that dream body that you were going for.

Whatever the case may be, often the biggest way to resolve any dietary problem is to actually take a break.  Constant dieting is going to place stress on the body so whether you’re seeing the effects of it already in the form of a plateau or you’re moving along great but are on the verge of suffering from the plateau, a diet break is a must.

Let’s have a look at three signs that indicate that it’s time you took a diet break so that you know precisely what you should be on the look-out for.

 

You Have Non-Stop Hunger

 

The very first sign to watch for that would indicate that you need to be taking a diet break is if you have non-stop hunger.  When you’ve been on a reduced calorie diet for far too long, the body is going to start sending out signals that it’s time for you to begin eating more food once again.

This is its way of trying to prevent starvation. Hunger increases dramatically and it’s going to take all the effort in the world on your part not to eat.

When hunger seems almost too much to bare, that’s a good signal that it might just be time to give in and take that diet break.

 

Your Energy Level Has Plummeted

 

The second signal that a diet break is in order is if your energy level has hit a turn for the worse. This is another defense mechanism that the body has to prevent starvation from occurring.  When you’re in an extremely stressed state due to ongoing dieting attempts, your body will try and make sure you’re as sedentary as possible as it just doesn’t have energy to spare.

By making you want to do nothing other than lie on the couch and relax, it accomplishes its objective nicely.  Your daily calorie expenditure goes down and the rate of weight loss will decline.

 

You Aren’t Losing Weight

 

Finally, the last signal that it’s time for a diet break is if you aren’t losing weight.  If you seem to be doing everything right and you are sure that you’re tracking your calories accurately, this is very likely what’s going on.

Your metabolism has slowed down due to that reduced calorie intake and now you’re burning fewer calories than ever.

With this slowed metabolic rate, fat loss also slows, moving you further away from reaching your goal.

 

So there you have the main signs that it may just be time to take a break from your diet plan.  Periodically raising your calories up again for a week or so can do just the trick to get you back seeing the fat loss you’re after and feeling much better as you go about your diet plan.

 


 

Tim Moes
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ABOUT THE WRITER Tim Moes is a certified personal trainer at Rejuv Medical in Sartell. He helps people achieve a physique and fitness level they never thought was possible.

 

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