Trainers Corner: Reverse Dieting

Reverse Dieting

If you were walking down the street and someone tried to sell you a diet that consisted of eating more, doing little-to-no cardio, and set you up for a lifetime of simple dieting, would you do it? Absolutely! The simple answer is reverse dieting.

 Who should do it? This is a great fit for people who have been dieting for a long time on very low calories. It’s also beneficial for those who have just finished a bodybuilding or bikini show, because their calorie intake is often very low after the show is done. Reverse dieting for those of you who are in shows and contests will make your prep for the next show much easier, because you will be able to cut from much higher calories.

Who can benefit from reverse dieting?

Commonly, a plateau can be hit while dieting even while eating a well-balanced diet. A plateau may be caused by years of strict calorie dieting. Your body adapts to being active while on a calorie deficit, purposely slowing down your metabolism and becoming extremely efficient at burning calories. For example, if you are only eating 1,500 calories, and your Fitbit says you burned 3,000 calories for the day, you are not losing weight. With your 1,500-calorie diet, you would have to cut your intake by a few hundred calories to even see the smallest amount of progress, which is not only unpleasant, but is also dangerous for proper daily organ function. With reverse dieting, you can keep the body you love and recover your metabolism to increase your quality of life and relationship with food.

How does it work?

The best part about reverse dieting is that it is not really a “diet!” You are not cutting out any food. You are eating MORE food than you are accustomed to and you do not have to do hours of cardio.

How do I start?

1. Find your maintenance calories. If you already know your maintenance calories from tracking, you simply take that number, depending on your goals, increase it by a set number of calories, and stay at that caloric limit for seven days. After the first week, weigh yourself.
2. If you have not gained any weight, or had minimal increase, you increase your calories for the following week. This goes on until you either reach a calorie limit that your body is happy with or you gain weight for three consecutive weeks.
3. The next phase is cutting cardio out of your workouts and focusing strictly on weight training. Cutting these out helps with the recovery of your metabolism by not burning excess calories and forcing your body to sustain its energy levels.
4. Lastly, reverse dieting could have its drawbacks, As everyone’s body is different. Many contributing factors will cause varied results, including possible fat gain. However, once you have reached an attainable caloric intake, the added body fat will come off quicker than before. Additionally many people who experience losing weight while increasing their calories through the reverse dieting process.

Despite the potential minor drawbacks, I believe you will find great success with the benefits. It is hard to put your short-term goals aside for a period of time, but with reverse dieting, your short-term success can be translated into a lifestyle.

 

If you’d like more information about reverse dieting or have questions, please reach out!

Email: dj.lanke@joingreatlife.com or stop in at the Woodlake location for a visit!