Uploaded April 2023 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Want some help building your best body ever? Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including free fitness plans, coaching, books, and more: mikematthews.co/yt
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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!
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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! 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:
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!
Menno’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCmO2dykYM3nlb5BtsXxp9ZQ
Menno’s Patreon: patreon.com/mennohenselmans
Menno’s Instagram: instagram.com/menno.henselmans
Want some help building your best body ever? Here are 5 ways I can assist whenever you’re ready, including free fitness plans, coaching, books, and more: mikematthews.co/yt
---
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! 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:
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!
Menno’s YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCmO2dykYM3nlb5BtsXxp9ZQ
Menno’s Patreon: patreon.com/mennohenselmans
Menno’s Instagram: instagram.com/menno.henselmans
