What is reverse dieting and is it right for you?

First things first: does this sound familiar?... 

“I did [insert any crash diet name] and it really worked, I lost 2 stone but then I re-gained 3 when I stopped” 

Individual experiences will vary, however the general trend within weight loss research is that over half of those who have lost weight will re-gain  50% of weight lost during the 2 years post diet and by 5 years more than 80% of weight lost will have been re-grained. 

The solution to this might be a process known as reverse dieting. 

What is it and how does it work?

Reverse dieting can be described as a structured, gradual increase in calorie intake after a period of restriction. This typically follows a weight loss phase which is likely to have involved a change in habits compared to pre-dieting and a reduction/restriction of food in some way.

We can think about calories in 3 boxes. 

1. Deficit = Intake is less than output, weight reduced 
2. Maintenance = Intake matches output, weight stays the same 
3. Surplus = Intake exceeds output, weight increases

When you have been in a calorie deficit for a long period of time and have lost weight the body adapts and calorie output actually slows, also known as a reduction in metabolic rate. This means that your previous eating habits which may have been maintenance are now a surplus and jumping back into these habits quickly can now cause a rapid increase in body weight. 

Reverse dieting aims to prevent this as calorie intake is increased very slowly, therefore the deficit is slowly closed and maintenance can be established without boomeranging straight into a surplus. 

The process should take around 6 - 12 weeks on average and a great way of doing this is by adding 50 - 100 calories per day to a daily intake and holding this for 10 - 14 days at a time. 

For example if you were eating 1500kcals per day whilst on a diet you would increase this to 1600kcal for 14 days, then 1700kcal for 14 days, then 1800kcal etc etc until your stats start to plateau. 

Within this phase it is still important to make sure that food eaten consists mostly of high protein, minimally processed whole foods as this can help maintain muscle mass and also aid hunger hormone production as these also fluctuate and change when dieting and returning to “normal”. 

Who might benefit from reserve dieting? 

This isn’t a technique which is essential for everyone however there are certain groups of people who would really benefit from passing out of a diet and not just slamming on the breaks. 

1. Yoyo dieters 
2. If you have spent a lot of time in low calorie diets then you may have already experienced a significant drop in metabolic rate therefore if any more weight loss attempts are undertaken its important to come out of this one sensibly and safely. 
3. Anyone who has finished a prolonged period in a calorie deficit (3 - 12 months of dieting). Particularly if this has been done by tracking calories and/or macros. Slowly returning to higher calories will help maintain results for longer and reduce the need for further dieting attempts. 
4. Body builders who have finished an intense “cut”
5. Anyone who has been in a deficit for a long time but had reached a consistent plateau. There is benefit to pushing the calories higher for a period of time then re-entering a deficit

Quick tips for doing it well 

1. Track weekly weight and body fat progress to identify the point of maintenance 
2. Prioritise sleep 
3. Keep training, especially resistance training 
4. Prioritise nutrient dense food, working towards an 80/20 approach 
5. Be patient 

If you want to know more about this concept or are just unsure about where you’re at in your weight loss journey, then don’t hesitate to reach out. 

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