one day diet break

i heard somewhere that taking a weekly break off your diet is beneficial because it helps prevent plateaus. i'm not sure if this is true, but for the past two days i've been grumpy (under exaggeration), irritable, and miserable so i've decided to go off my diet, for one day, for only one meal.

what are your thoughts on this? do you really think this helps prevent plateaus, or is it just completely destructive? the meal i've planned out for myself is satisfying but also low in calories and fat (i used to be on a low fat diet so i'm an expert with making things yummy without any fat), but the amount of sodium is through the roof compared to what I've been eating on this diet -

on the diet i've been eating about 100mg a day - this meal alone has 2000mg!

either way...i'll be doing it for dinner only and then getting right back on my diet tomorrow.

I think it's a good idea!! The meal is still healthy and you are still making progress...it won't set you back at all!

I don't know how you re coping, I thought I wasn't eating much, lol.

although i'm not consuming many calories, i'm eating a LOT...i haven't ever been hungry yet, and when i am i don't worry about calories and eat til i'm full. the problem is that it's so bland that the cravings are pretty intense sometimes. i'm thinking about, providing this goes well and i don't see significant set back, doing this once a week to help me keep up with it and not give up. if i gain 1-2 pounds, it'll be worth it with the way i'm taking weight off

I done the same thing last week. I ate a mixed grill and got back on my diet as normal. I am going to my nans tonight for a chicken curry, she always gives me to much then moans if i dont eat it all lol. (this will count as my break and tommorow i will be back on my diet as normal.

Good luck mate it wont do any harm.

Having a higher calorie day can be beneficial because it changes things up. If your calories stay the same all the time your body can adapt, and you don't want that when you're dieting. Another good thing about a higher calorie day is that it gives you a mental break from all the stresses of keeping your food completely in check.

That being said, it is not a good idea just to eat whatever you want on your high calorie day. Eat things you normally wouldn't on your diet, but be reasonable or you can undo all the good you did throughout the week... and then some.

Just for example, I currently eat about 1900 calories on the days I workout and 1700 calories on the days I don't workout. I have one higher calorie day where I track the calories for breakfast and lunch, but I eat whatever I want for dinner. I don't go too crazy, though. I don't eat a whole pizza or have an ice cream sundae, but I will have things I normally wouldn't on my diet like fried potatoes, burgers (I'm a vegetarian so mine are veggie burgers), etc. until I'm full.