Can Reverse Dieting Help You Lose Weight
The short answer is “yes”, but it is much more nuanced than that.
What is Reverse Dieting
The term “reverse dieting” has become quite popular in recent years. What is a great thing. It is, essentially, the opposite of what most people think of when they think of dieting. When most people think of dieting, they tend to think of things like cutting calories, restriction, not eating certain foods, and just generally having to be strict about what they eat. The word “misery” may also come to mind. What makes any “diet” work is the fact that it puts you into a caloric deficit. The particular diet you decide to use to get you into this caloric deficit doesn’t really matter .
Reverse dieting is just the opposite…it is the process of slowly and systematically INCREASING calories. Now why would anyone want to do this? Isn’t the key to weight loss to simply “eat less and move more”? It can be….but only if you were eating enough to begin with. And that’s where the reverse diet comes into play.
Who Needs to Reverse Diet
If you feel like you relate to any of these statements, reverse dieting might be just what you need to get your metabolism back on track: “I’ve done weight watchers for 5 years but haven’t lost weight in the last 4 despite not cheating on my diet”. “I’ve tried every diet out there and they just don’t seem to “work” as well anymore”. “Every January I go on the XXXX diet, but it just seems to get harder and harder every year to lose weight”. “Every time I go on vacation, I gain 5-10lbs”.
Basically, if you feel like your metabolism is suppressed in some way or if you have been eating low calories (less than 1800) for over 6 months but aren’t seeing consistent weight loss, a reverse diet is likely just what your body needs. A general rule of thumb for women is that if you are maintaining your weight eating LESS than 1800 calories, you could benefit from a reverse diet. (Keep in mind everyone is different…some can maintain their weight on higher calories than others due to muscle mass, activity level, genetics, dieting history, and other lifestyle factors).
Can I Lose Weight While Reverse Dieting
The short answer is “yes”. May clients to come to us needing to reverse diet as a first step in meeting their goals…even when their main goal is weight loss. We tell clients we have no idea how their bodies might respond in the short-term to a reverse diet…I would say in general, about 1/3 of them will gain weight, 1/3 will stay about the same, and 1/3 will lose some weight. However, short-term weight loss when reverse dieting should not be the goal. The goal is to get your metabolism back up to a healthy place to where the body will someday response appropriately to a caloric deficit again (i.e. by losing weight). If someone needs to reverse dieting, they should not stop their reverse diet just because they are gaining weight.
What If I Gain Weight While Reverse Dieting
There is a decent chance (I tell people about a 33% chance) that you WILL gain weight during a reverse diet. However, in my experience working with hundreds of women, I think almost no one gains as much weight as they fear they might. Even if you gain weight while reverse dieting, much of that is likely muscle mass if you are combining your reverse diet with a strength training program as well. A good percentage of any weight gain you might experience is also likely to come from water, often just due to the fact that you are probably eating more carbs than you were before. Even if you are seeing the scale go up, know that you are doing the right thing for your body for the long term.
How Do I Reverse Diet
As a general rule, I would take what you are currently eating and start about 100 calories higher. Eat at that level for about a week or two and then increase by another 100 calories. Repeat until you get to desired caloric level. This is where it can be really helpful to work with a coach. If you are interested in learning the very detailed steps we take with our clients to walk them through a reverse dieting process, we have a great online course that will walk you through step by step exactly what you need to do to get your calories up and repair your metabolism.
If getting your calories up sounds scary and you want to take the guesswork out of it, a coach can help guide you through this process. Mentally, reverse dieting can be more difficult than simply cutting calories and having a coach guide you through this process can be more beneficial than a coach to guide you through a calorie cutting phase.
How Long Will It Take to See Results
This is not a quick fix. I tell clients who need to reverse diet to expect to reverse for about 1-3 months (depends on how long their calories were before and how slow they want to take the process) and then maintain eating at that new, higher calorie level or another 3+ months. After this time, your body should have received the appropriate signals that it is being properly fueled and it can now burn calories at a higher rate again. After the maintenance phase, you can attempt a calorie cut and see how your body response. It should respond by once again allowing you to lose weight, often eating MORE than you were before the reverse dieting process.
Why Getting Your Calories Up is Always a Good Thing
Getting your calories up through a reverse diet has many benefits other than weight loss as well. An often-overlooked benefit is quality of life. It is much easier (and fun) to eat 2000 calories per day than it is to eat 1200 calories per day. You can eat a big meal such as pancakes for breakfast or pizza for dinner and not completely blow your caloric budget for the day. You can also go on vacation and eat what you want knowing you aren’t going to come back 5-10lbs heavier. When your body is already used to a high calorie level, a vacation isn’t much different than a normal day to your body. You should also experience a lot more energy once you start properly fueling your body. We’ve had clients tell us that once we helped them get their calories up, they finally stopped feeling the need for an afternoon nap and felt energy levels they hadn’t felt in years.
Finally, properly fueling your body will allow you to build muscle. It is nearly impossible to build muscle while eating in a caloric deficit. Not only does muscle mass boost your metabolism but it helps prevent injuries, keeps you mobile, and increases bone density. I would go so far as to call strength training/having muscle on your body the fountain of youth. Finally, if vanity is your main goal with weight loss, nothing shapes your body the way adding muscle will.
Reverse Dieting Coach
Let us help you boost your metabolism! Book a free strategy call —or email We’ll set up a 15 minute call to discuss your goals and dieting history and help develop a customized plan that allows you to eat more (really!). We’ll also talk about how you can exercise to build calorie-burning muscle. The Couture Coaching Team wants to help you create a body you love—for life!
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