Taking a short break from dieting by eating more calories can help reduce stress hormones and hunger, making it easier to continue losing fat.

“So, as soon as I could tell Nesha's body was starting to hold on to more water and just wasn't responding well to his plan, instead of lowering his food, we increased it roughly 500 calories higher than he was dieting at. And mainly by adding more carbs to his date, rice, bread, and some of his favorite snacks. Usually, you'll want to do this for anywhere between 5 to 14 days, as that's often enough time for cortisol to come down, sleep to improve, and those relentless hunger signals to finally ease off.”