I read an article in Muscle & Fitness magazine a few years ago that's similar to this idea. They basically put people on diets, and cycled them with something like 10 days low calorie and then a few days high calorie, continually repeating the cycle. The participants who added high-calorie days lost more weight in the long-term.

I think this also applies to low-carbing, since I'll always lose a few pounds after a small cheat. (Maybe 100 carbs)