Reverse Dieting
What is reverse dieting?
Most simply stated, it’s a diet in reverse where you are building your calories back up from where it currently is.
This process can be applicable to many situations. Most commonly implemented at the end of a contest prep; for the general population, when you are the end of a dieting phase.
The other group of people are ones who also need it but may not realize it. I commonly see it in my clients. This is either discovered through conversation and delving into current/past dieting history; or after conducting a resting metabolic rate test & their metabolism is slow.
These are the ones who need/want to lose fat but are stuck. They are eating 1000-1200 calories as an 180 lb female (as an example) and have been dieting chronically for a long time (years) or have history of yo-yo dieting (calorie restriction then gaining the weight back, plus MORE). Years of doing this, each dieting attempt is harder, so they go into more drastic calorie restriction thinking that’s what it will take. By the way, even though less commonly seen, males are not immune to this!
This is where they must 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 of wanting to lose weight & put the plans on hold...spend time reverse dieting AND THEN MAINTAINING there for a solid amount of time.
It must be a long term commitment to working calories back up to a good solid place and staying there and 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩.
It is extremely mentally difficult to put diet plans on hold. But if you’re seeking long term successful fat loss, continuing to restrict will not get you there.
Invest in your future self. Spend time NOT DIETING. Just because you’re not dieting and in maintenance does not mean you’re not making progress! In fact, THIS is where you are laying down the bricks and mortar which will form the strong foundation for future dieting attempts.
𝘿𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬.