INTRODUCTION
Dieting isn’t fun. Know I know that dieting is a general term for “a certain way to eat” but in this sense, it tends to mean “cutting” or dieting to lose weight. People can get stuck in this phase and don’t know how or when to get out. So we thought we would put together this article just to clear a few things up about maybe when you should stop dieting and also how long to diet for.
HOW LONG TO DIET FOR?
The big question everyone might be thinking about is how long should you diet for? This is entirely up to you. I know some people that diet over 10 to 16 weeks, going slowly and losing minimal weight while keeping food as high as possible. Then I know people that like to diet fast and hard and drop food substantially and diet for only a couple of weeks. It all depends on what works for you and also how long you got.
I always say you want to keep food as high as possible so dieting slowly works for me, but this only works when you have the time to diet slowly. If you needed to diet quickly then dropping your calories slightly won’t work, you will have to do a more drastic diet. Cutting your calories by a lot. The downside of this is you won’t be able to sustainably diet for that long.
WHEN SHOULD YOU STOP DIETING
There are many reasons why you should stop dieting. They will vary differently for everyone. Everyone will have their reasons for dieting and their reasons for stopping that diet. We have listed some of the popular ones below.
Weight goal will be most peoples reason. They have hit a certain weight goal or look a certain way and then (traditionally at least) you would then go back into a bulk. This is a very bodybuilding mindset, and not everyone needs to cut then bulk and visa Verser. You can also be at maintenance. However, if you have reached your goal this is a perfect time to stop dieting and slowly begin to bring your calories up.
Another reason might be you have completed a Competition or competed in bodybuilding or athletic show and now you have finished. If you have reached that goal and no longer need to be a certain weight or look a certain way then stop dieting. As we said above, in the bodybuilding world you will now jump straight back into a bulk, however other sports might approach it differently. I know that CrossFitters go into what they call their “off seasons”, which is similar to bulking however, they bring food up so they can train harder and begin to lift heavier.
How long to Diet for Continued.
Going on holiday? Have a photoshoot? These are all examples of time restrictions that you might need to I et for. Again, as with above, once they are over then you should stop dieting and go back to at least maintenance.
The last reason is what I would consider the most important reason, Energy levels or mood. Eating less food will bring your energy levels down and also affect your mood. Just look at any bodybuilder when they are deep into a prep. They have little to no energy, take plenty of naps and rely on Pre Workouts when they are working out. If you are finding yourselves in a similar state to this, maybe think about upping your food. Also if you notice your performance is down at the gym, maybe your numbers aren’t as high as you would have liked, this is also a side effect of dieting. Increasing food will increase performance.
WHY YOU SHOULD STOP DIETING
Why should you stop dieting? Well, it can mess you up in many ways! If you think about it all dieting is, is eating fewer calories than your body needs, which as you go deeper into a diet it will start to affect your body. Energy levels will plummet, hunger can become an issue. Mood and stress levels can change as well as little things like not being able to go out for food or having as much freedom as you would like.
CONCLUSION
So how long should you diet for? Well, you have to listen to your body and take note of various variables. Like I have said already you want to edit as slowly as possible however, this doesn’t mean it is the only way and if you feel you can cope with a fast and intense diet then that might suit you better!
However your diet, just remembers not to overdo it and know when you stop and begin to eat more food. The questions of how long to diet for can only really be answered by you. How long do you think you can before side effects and negative effects creep in.
We have article covering so many areas of fitness and dieting! So if you want an honest answer to any question you might have you can head over to your blog! I am sure you will find the answer to it.
Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.