Reverse diet time

jmule24

So after this week I will have completed 10/12 weeks on my cut. I'm on pace to go 10lbs in 10 weeks and my original goal was to lose 10 lbs over 12 weeks. With that said, I am ready to reverse my way back to maintenance and then into a surplus.

I'm just looking for your past experience on how you reverse dieted after being on a cut for the similar amount of time. I am currently running at a 500cal deficit which is 2200 cal/day.

Wheelhouse15

I reversed slowly up to maintenance. I still lost a few pounds before I hit maintenance but seems to make sense to not run back to full maintenance. I think it has helped a lot in not regaining unwanted fat.

dieselbyte

My first time, I reversed slowly as well, adding 15-20g of carbs and a few grams of fat every week. As @Wheelhouse15 said, I did lose a few more pounds before maintenance as well. Second time around, I jumped pretty quickly. Still did my normal routine, which included cardio 2-3 times a week. Comparing the two, I don't think the second time around I put on any unwanted or unexpected fat vs the first. If anything, I looked better, and felt better performance wise the second time around. My advice would be not to do some crazy 10 week reverse diet. I felt my body responded better to getting to maintenance within 2-3 weeks. I also read an article from Alan Aragon where he believes you have more to benefit with a faster reverse diet.

AKDonF

I have done it both ways and I am not sure if one is better. For me, slower reverses seem to increase fat loss a bit longer and in the end result in less fat gain on the hormonal reversal. But on the other side of the coin, it is less time in a surplus and in a building state. I tend to do it slower because my yearly gain rate is pretty slow at this point. I think the approach you use depends on training age.

sardelsa

I also did a reverse diet before bulking. I increased 100-150 cals per day every week. It was a bit slow and it got frustrating since it took quite some time before I started to actually put on weight. It was worth it in my case since I had no clue what my maintenance was and it helped me keep my surplus somewhat minimal and gains on the right track.

livingleanlivingclean

I reverse dieted after my last comps - i went straight to maintenance then, depending on measurements, increased macros weekly.

I got my intake up quite high without putting on much fat....