This is just MY experience- I ate what I wanted on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I didn’t go totally off the rails those days. Initially, I gained but ended up having big losses afterwards. Because mainly i got right back on track. I think it helped mix things up. similar to carb cycling (also used for weight loss). I used to be able to have bites of stuff here and there with no problem, but now that I’m down to the last 6 lbs to lose to goal I do not deviate much, if at all. I’ve had some slip ups and I’m not perfect, but I am also not obsessive over my diet/weight loss. This is my new lifestyle.