It is normal, healthy, and beneficial for mental well-being to let go of your diet and exercise routine during vacations, rather than giving in to guilt or restriction.

noli's read

This advice aligns with modern approaches in nutritional psychology and intuitive eating. Research, including observational studies and work on eating behavior (e.g., articles published in the Journal of Health Psychology), shows that cognitive restriction and food-related guilt are often correlated with cycles of deprivation followed by binge eating. The idea that dietary flexibility fosters a better long-term relationship with food is supported by the principles of intuitive eating (Tylka et al., RCT and longitudinal studies), which link this approach to better mental health. There is no evidence that a temporary lapse over a short period, such as a vacation, significantly harms metabolic health in a healthy individual. The exaggeration here would be to suggest that 'everything' is always healthy without distinction, but the premise focuses more on mental health than on pure physiology. The recommendation to set boundaries regarding restrictive behaviors imposed by others is also validated by behavioral therapies to reduce stress related to the social environment.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.