Diet break = giving up and making excuses or good idea?

[StayNattyBruh]

I have been cutting for 5 weeks and have lost 8lbs, Thats including a couple of cheat days i had that set me back a fair few days each time, i was running a sizeable deficit, I lost on average 2 reps on all my lifts and this happend withing the first week, after week one i haven't noticed any further strength loss what so ever, i just can't seem to do as much volume and sets which is understandable.

I am really happy with my results i can see a huge difference but i feel like i have suddenly come to a point where the diet feels really hard, energy and motivation has dropped, libido seems to be down also. I tried making my deficit smaller for the past few days but its not really helped and today i had another cheat day unplanned and out of the blue, only a 600kcal surplus, but i am frustrated with my self because at the start i could stick to this easy, motivation was high and i felt really good even after a few weeks of dieting then it was like i hit a brick wall and every day was super hard.

I can see the final goal in sight now its like its within touching distance Part of me feels like my body is telling me to take a diet break, regain the little bit of strength and reps i lost and also my libido then go again for the final phase, another part of me is saying thats just me making excuses and quitting.

[NoGenetics]

Personally, I can't see a need for "cheat" days, as far diet breaks go, there really shouldn't be any justification for this after 5 weeks.

Most people's whole life is one big cheat. Either A. Your diet is far to restrictive, B. Your diet is unsustainable or C. Your dropping weight far to quickly.

I would argue, if you are 15%~ there would be no need to drop anymore than .5% of your bodyweight weekly.

Diet breaks can be useful, during extended periods of losing bodyweight and become particularly more useful as the bodyfat levels dip into single digits.

Over the course of a 24 week diet, you may consider a diet break on the 8th and 16th week with 24th week being peak week.

A diet break doesn't mean eat a pepperoni pizza, it means increase your carbohydrates/fats back to maintenance.

[Heisman2]

Go ahead and eat at maintenance for a week if you feel like you need it to hopefully stop the unplanned cheat days and then start cutting again at a more reasonable deficit.

[MrCarrot]

If you're struggling after 5 weeks then something is wrong, perhaps you're cutting too quickly or aggressively?

Put it this way, I had one BIG cheat meal per month, and I took a diet break after about 6-7 months of cutting. By diet break I mean eating at maintenance for 2 weeks (not eating junk for 2 weeks).

5 weeks in I was only just getting started.

Perhaps incorporate your cheat foods in moderation throughout the course of the week, so they're no longer a cheat but keep you sane. With the exception of chocolate, this is what I did.

[Byronrutt]

How are your fats? Are you supplementing a fish oil?

Just look at fitting some “cheat” foods in your macros. Helps keep you sane