Here is a real life scenario:

You have been in a cutting phase (trying to drop body fat) and have been success. You are likely to notice a few changes other than just a decreased body fat percentage. Some might include:

> Higher Hunger

> Less Satisfaction

> Less Motivation

> Slower Recovery Time

> Lower Calorie Threshold (TDEE)

If you are experiencing any of these it may be time to consider mesocycles and how deloads. Below are 3 mesocycle strategies to employ to combat the adverse effects of constantly dieting.

  1. Diet Breaks: These are short periods (normally no longer than 10 days, I think 7 is best) where you allow yourself to have a higher calorie balance (maintenance level to ensure no fat gain)
  2. Maintenance Blocks: These are normally longer in duration and are planned ahead of time. It is a period where maintenance levels of calories are meet (rather than calorie deficit for fat loss) meaning that you don’t gain or lose fat, instead of maintaining your current body. A general rule of thumb is every 3 months incorporate a maintenance block (4-6 weeks long) with more drastic cutting phases and experience in training requiring more often (anywhere from monthly to every 3 months)
  3. Calorie distribution: This can be the process of looking at calories over a week instead of an individual day. There are 3 options for this, carb-cycling , re-feeding (the process of having a higher calorie meal or day, to increase satisfaction) or calorie borrowing (which means eating fewer calories at some point to allow eating more later. A example is having a smaller lunch because you are going out for dinner)

Although this may sound complex, what we are really just saying is that it’s okay to have a bit of a break. Living in a calorie deficit is hard and takes its toll on the body, a short period of maintenance can help in the long run.

Coach

Zac