reverse diet calculator

Reverse Dieting: Why, How & When To Do It (Includes Calculator)

Reverse dieting is most commonly used among bodybuilders and professional athletes. There is a method to the madness and here you will find out why. Further down this article you will also find our reverse diet calculator.

Ultimately, this approach to dieting is used to help gradually speed your metabolism back up and increase your energy levels after extended periods of extreme restriction (cutting). The objective is to maintain your body composition as much as possible and reduce your risk of rapid weight gain.

Female bodybuilders who have been through this process a few times, will have fine tuned it for maximum results.

The beginner will need to accept a process of trial and error.

If you need a workout to complement your reverse diet phase, consider this Tone & Sculpt Fast Track Pack or you can use the workouts from this 7 Day Cut Plan. If you want support though the full cycle, see; The Fat Loss Formula. And finally, if you want to learn the formula to building your own workout plans in all phases, see our complete Learn As You Lift System.

What exactly is reverse dieting?

Put simply; reverse dieting is a strategic approach to gradually eating more and doing less.

On this diet you will gradually increase your daily caloric intake week on week. At the same time, you will pull back the intensity of your workouts. Why Do It?

First of all, keep in mind that this method was designed by and for fitness athletes and bodybuilders. The method serves a purpose and that is to gradually increase your metabolic rate while preserving lean muscle and preventing rapid weight gain. This gradual calorie increase also increases energy levels which are often depleted during an extended cut.

The fact is, your metabolism slows down when you consume a low calorie diet for an extended period of time. As a result, your body burns less overall calories, including when you workout.

This is why managing a weight loss plateau with a further reduction in calories and an increase in aerobic activity is often a bad idea.

Reverse dieting works because it builds your metabolism back up gradually, by reintroducing quality calories at staged intervals. At the same time, you are encouraged to pull back on your ‘fat burning’ workouts.

Who Is Reverse Dieting For?

As mentioned above, reverse dieting was designed by and for professional athletes. Though this method can also be used by anyone who has hit a weight loss plateau as a result of being on an excessively reduced calorie diet for a long time. Using this method can help to kick start weight loss longer term.

The Importance of Reverse Dieting for Women

Many women are susceptible to gaining weight rapidly after a cut and for this reason, even a brief reverse diet phase can help slow or stop this process.

Reverse dieting also helps to stabilise the metabolism which will help with longer term weight management.

How to plan for your reverse diet

You need to have a good idea of how many calories you are consuming daily in your deficit before you begin to tuck into any more.

It will serve you to spend a few days tracking your current diet, if you don’t already know your daily calories/macros. This will give you a base to move forward on.

Your daily caloric increase can be anywhere between 3-20% and you should increase at this level week on week until you reach maintenance calories.

If you have been on a higher protein diet, the additional calories should come mainly from carbohydrates and some fats. You should leave your protein where it is for now.

Reverse diet calculator

This reverse diet calculator will give you a baseline to move forward on. It has been set to four different levels:

• Moderate
• Average (recommended)
• Vigorous
• Reckless (use only if you know what you’re doing)

Once you have chosen your level of increase. Split your additional calories between carbohydrates and fat.

Remember that 1g of fat is equal to 9 calories and 1g of carbs is equal to 4 calories.

You will need to do your own math here because we can’t predict this for everyone.

Don’t forget to come back next week to calculate your next caloric increase.

Finally, remember that these numbers aren’t a foregone conclusion. You should expect to have to play around with these. But avoid tweaking the numbers week on week. Rather complete the process and monitor your results so that you have a record to refer to next time.

Tips for Successful Reverse Dieting

Successfully navigating a reverse diet requires careful planning, patience, and attention to your body's signals. Here are some tips to help you succeed:

Start Slow: Begin with a modest increase in calories, so 4%. This gradual approach allows your metabolism to adapt and it reduces the risk of rapid weight gain.

Track Your Progress: Don’t just track what you’re consuming, also keep track of your weight, measurements, energy levels, and overall well-being throughout the reverse dieting process. This information will help you monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed.

Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods: Prioritise nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. These foods provide essential nutrients to support your overall health and wellbeing.

Pay Attention to Hunger Cues: Listen to your body's hunger cues and plan your meals according to your appetite.

Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and support your body's metabolic processes. Dehydration can impact your energy levels and overall well-being.

Be Patient: Reverse dieting is a slow gradual process that takes time and patience. Trust the process and avoid rushing the calorie increase or expecting immediate results.

Adjust as Needed: Pay attention to how your body responds to the calorie increase and be willing to make adjustments as needed. If you're not seeing the desired progress or experiencing negative side effects, consider tweaking your approach.

Seek Support: Reach out to a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or an experienced coach for guidance and support throughout the reverse dieting process. They can provide more personalised advice and help you navigate any challenges that arise.

Do be careful who you take advice from, make sure they are qualified and experienced, there are a lot of trainers out there who are unqualified and ill experienced giving some pretty poor diet advice.

Exercise Recommendations During Reverse Dieting

When you are reverse dieting, you should pull back on any excessive fat burning cardiovascular workouts that you were doing in your cutting phase and switch to a more general lifting plan, lifting moderate weight for 10-12 reps per set.

Sample our weightlifting workout plans for free >>>

The most important thing is that you keep your workouts in the mid range, not too heavy on the lifts, but also not too intense on the cardio. For clearer direction consider this Tone & Sculpt Fast Track Pack or you can use the workouts from this 7 Day Cut Plan.

If you want support though the full bulking and cutting cycle, see; The Fat Loss Formula.

And finally, if you want to learn the formula to building your own workout plans in all phases, see our complete Learn As You Lift System.

What To Do When You Reach Your Maintenance Calories

Ultimately it’s up to you, but we recommend that you spend some time; 1-3 months at least in maintenance so that your metabolism can stabilise.

Pros and Cons of Reverse Dieting for Women

Reverse dieting, like any dietary approach, has both potential benefits and drawbacks for women. Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros:

Metabolic Health: Reverse dieting can help women reverse metabolic adaptation that occurs after prolonged calorie restriction, supporting overall metabolic health.

Preservation of Lean Muscle: By gradually increasing caloric intake and focusing on resistance training, reverse dieting can help women preserve lean muscle mass, which is essential for metabolic health, strength, and aesthetics.

Sustainable Weight Management: Reverse dieting promotes a gradual increase in calories, which can help women maintain their weight loss achievements and prevent rapid weight gain, supporting long-term weight management.

Improved Energy Levels: Increasing caloric intake during reverse dieting leads to higher energy levels, improved workout performance, and enhanced overall well-being, which can positively impact your daily life and physical activity levels.

Psychological Benefits: Reverse dieting encourages a flexible and balanced approach to nutrition, reducing feelings of deprivation and promoting a healthier relationship with food and body image.

Cons:

Potential Weight Gain: Despite efforts to minimise it, some women may still experience weight gain during reverse dieting, particularly if they increase calories too quickly or don't adjust their activity levels accordingly.

Time-Consuming: Reverse dieting requires careful planning, monitoring, and adjustment of calorie intake over time, which can be time-consuming and require a significant commitment.

Risk of Overeating: Some women may struggle with overeating or binge eating tendencies when increasing calories, which can derail progress and lead to feelings of guilt or frustration.

Individual Variability: Reverse dieting may not work for everyone, as individual responses to calorie increases can vary widely. Some women may not experience the expected metabolic improvements or may find that their weight stabilises at a higher level than desired.

Potential Stress: Monitoring progress, adjusting calorie intake, and managing expectations during reverse dieting can be stressful for some women, particularly if they have a history of disordered eating or negative body image.

Overall, the pros and cons of reverse dieting for women depend on individual factors such as goals, preferences, metabolic health, and psychological well-being. It's essential for women to carefully consider these factors and consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before embarking on a reverse dieting journey if you are unsure.

Alternative Approaches to Weight Management

Reverse dieting isn’t for everyone, and remember its original intention was to support fitness athletes and bodybuilders. If you are neither of those you may want to consider some other ways to manage your weight, or more specifically, your body composition.

Weightlifting in general will still help you to build lean muscle, which in turn boosts your metabolism, because the lean muscle in your body requires more overall energy to sustain itself. So provided you are building muscle you are contributing towards your long term metabolism.

The purpose of reverse dieting is to bring your body back up to its maintenance calories after a prolonged and somewhat extreme deficit. For most people, i.e. people who are not fitness athletes or bodybuilders, this level of extreme deficit is not necessary, nor recommended. Instead you should look for a more sustainable, less aggressive deficit. In doing this you will generate the habits that will avoid any extremity that requires you to reset and stabilise your metabolism in the first place. You will just make more gradual changes over time.

Keep in mind that when it comes to shifting your body out of a slow metabolism, reverse dieting isn’t the be all and end all. Some people choose to use ‘cheat days’ as a way to yield similar results. Ultimately, you should take this as a guide and decide what’s best for you and your personal circumstances.

Reverse Dieting FAQ’s

Is reverse dieting safe for all women, especially those with specific health conditions or dietary restrictions?

It depends, if you have any health conditions or dietary restrictions we recommend speaking to a qualified and experienced dietician or nutritionist.

Will reverse dieting cause weight gain, and if so, how can I manage it?

It can. You should manage it by paying close attention to what you are consuming and how you are exercising during this time. Sometimes the slightest tweak in calories, macronutrients or training can make the biggest of difference. This needs to be looked at and advised on a case to case basis. If you find yourself stuck, reach out to an experienced dietitian, nutritionist or coach for guidance.

How long does it typically take to see results from reverse dieting?

Usually you can start to see things like your energy levels increase in about a week. After 2 weeks your energy levels will increase further, allowing for more intensity in your workouts and your metabolism starts to normalise itself. After 4 weeks you may start to notice your body composition change, i.e. changes in lean muscle or body fat percentages.

It’s important to keep in mind that everybody will respond differently, so use this as a guide and judge yourself on your own progress.

Can reverse dieting help with overcoming weight loss plateaus?

While not originally designed for this purpose, it can help in cases where you have heavily restricted your caloric intake and want to bring it up to a sustainable level for more gradual weight loss.

Is reverse dieting suitable for women who are not athletes or bodybuilders?

Anyone can use this method, you don’t have to be a professional to want to reap the benefits of reverse dieting. But remember that it is part of an overall process, it is a way to bounce back from your cut when you are in a bulking and cutting cycle. If you’re not in this process, reverse dieting isn’t really an appropriate course of action.

How do I know if I'm ready to start reverse dieting?

You are ready when you are at the end of your cutting cycle and you want to work your way back up to your maintenance calories gradually to prevent rapid weight gain.

What role does exercise play in reverse dieting for women?

Exercising, more specifically, weightlifting during this phase will help you to preserve lean muscle, it will also support the stabilisation of your metabolic rate. The energy you expend while exercising also helps with overall weight management, both in this phase and longer term.

How often should I adjust my calorie intake while reverse dieting?

You should aim to adjust your calorie intake every 1-2 weeks during reverse dieting, gradually increasing your calories as you feel is appropriate for you. Bearing in mind that this is a gradual process, so don’t be too aggressive.

What should I do if I experience cravings or hunger while reverse dieting?

If you experience cravings or hunger while reverse dieting, try increasing your intake of nutrient-dense foods such as low sugar fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats to help satisfy hunger and stabilise blood sugar levels. Also, staying hydrated, practising mindful eating, and incorporating fibre-rich foods can help manage cravings and promote satiety.

How do I track my progress and make adjustments during the reverse dieting process?

Track your progress by regularly monitoring weight, measurements, energy levels, and workout performance. Adjust your calorie intake based on changes in these factors, aiming to increase by 3-5% every 1-2 weeks to support metabolic adaptation and minimise weight gain.

Can I continue reverse dieting indefinitely, or is there a recommended endpoint?

This is not an indefinite process, you stop when you reach your maintenance calories.

Will reverse dieting affect my metabolism long-term?

When done right and used under the correct and intended circumstances, reverse dieting can have a positive affect on your metabolism long term.

How do I transition out of reverse dieting once I reach my goals?

You simply bring yourself up to your maintenance calories to transition out of reverse dieting.

But by design, if you’re using this method, there is no “end point” to your goals, you reach one goal, you set another. So in this case, you bring yourself up to maintenance and you stay there for an extended period of your choosing. Then you get to work on your next goal, that may involve another bulk, another cut, or something else, it all depends on your personal circumstances and goals.

How can I maintain a healthy relationship with food and my body while reverse dieting?

As long as you prioritise real whole foods you should be able to maintain a healthy relationship with food.

Maintaining a healthy body image is more of a mental battle, you should always keep in mind that you are here to live your life, and for most people the goal is to be healthy and happy. Extremities in any direction aren’t generally considered “healthy”, so if you’re going to compare yourself, try to find real, healthy and balanced individuals as your inspiration.

Reverse dieting is a method developed by and for top athletes, it is their job and something they have fine tuned their bodies to tolerate for optimum performance. You can still use this method, but keep in mind that it is a small part of a much bigger picture that you don’t always see when looking in from the outside.