Reverse dieting?

peaceloveabby01
peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
edited March 2015 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Has anyone heard of or done this thing called Reverse Dieting?
<a href="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/reverse-dieting-4-reasons-your-best-diet-might-be-reverse-diet.html">http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/reverse-dieting-4-reasons-your-best-diet-might-be-reverse-diet.html</a&gt;

I find this very interesting and want to see if anyone has had some good or bad results from it or ever tried it?

I'm trying to maybe lose some extra belly fat and tone down and God knows I wouldn't mind eating more haha but I've found the amount of calories that it takes for me to maintain my weight and have been kinda sticking to that. My history includes recovery from an eating disorder over a year ago if that makes a difference. I'm not really looking to lose weight but to tone down and that type thing I'm working on right now.


Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Replies

  • socioseguro
    socioseguro Posts: 1,679 Member
    Hi:

    Thank you for sharing the bodybuilding.com link. I found that web site very useful myself.
    I am eating at Maintenance now. Weight lifting is very helpful to keep my body in shape.
    Also, I continue to use MFP to monitor my macros, in special protein levels. I find difficult to meet my daily protein target with just food. I am taking whey protein shakes ( I prepare my own shakes) before and after my workouts.
    Good luck with your healthy journey
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Worked great for me. I had been on reduced calories for most of the last two years (and lost about 80 lbs). I stalled out for about six months, so decided to try the reverse diet idea. Over the last two months, I've added 900 calories a day to my diet (based on a similar formula to the one linked) and have gained less than 10 lbs (mostly water weight). So long as you take it slow and don't freak out when the scale goes up a little, it should be fine.
  • Shouliveshappy
    Shouliveshappy Posts: 161 Member
    Reverse dieting from 1400 - 1600 - 1800. No weight gain (yet). So will up it till I hit 2400!
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    I don't mind if the scale goes up a little bit I just don't want to put on crazy weight because I am happy with the number I'm at I just feel like there's a lot of extra fat storage around my muffin top area, I don't have a muffin top but like where it would be and around my stomach that's making me unhappy. And as much cardio or strength training as I do it's still there.
  • bunnywestley81
    bunnywestley81 Posts: 178 Member
    Its a lady thing...its to protect your baby making stuff.

    There are a fair few on here that seem to have shifted it though!
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    Yeah I know about the lady part of it. I want to shift it though. I see so many people on Instagram and such eating wayyyy more than I do and are way more trimmed down without an ounce of viable fat, and they eat like a pint of ice cream a day. I want to know how to do that. I like food damit lol
  • Artgirl1121
    Artgirl1121 Posts: 3 Member
    I can't speak for using it for weight loss, but reverse dieting was recommended to me by my trainer as a maintenance plan after a substantial weight loss, and I've found it to be a very good way to transition out of weight loss mode while I figure out just where my caloric intake needs to be. The link you provided was the first site I used to learn more about reverse dieting and I've been able to maintain using that formula, and increase calories approx. 400-500 daily while still working out and keeping my energy up. It's all still new to me though, so I'm interested in what others have to say too :-)
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    peaceloveabby01 wrote: »
    Yeah I know about the lady part of it. I want to shift it though. I see so many people on Instagram and such eating wayyyy more than I do and are way more trimmed down without an ounce of viable fat, and they eat like a pint of ice cream a day. I want to know how to do that. I like food damit lol


    It's likely because they are very active and lift weights or resistance train. It takes a lot of food to fuel those activities, and the more muscle you have, the higher your RMR (resting metabolic rate - see http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm ). All of the friends I know who eat like champs also train like champs.
  • peaceloveabby01
    peaceloveabby01 Posts: 68 Member
    I was HIGHLY deficient in calories as an anorexic and put on almost 60 lbs and am now holding. A steady healthy weight for about 8 months. I'm just unhappy with the flab around my stomach. I do a bunch of crunches as well as yoga and Pilates and I'm a runner and it's still there. Ahhgg
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    auroranflash wrote: »
    peaceloveabby01 wrote: »
    Yeah I know about the lady part of it. I want to shift it though. I see so many people on Instagram and such eating wayyyy more than I do and are way more trimmed down without an ounce of viable fat, and they eat like a pint of ice cream a day. I want to know how to do that. I like food damit lol


    It's likely because they are very active and lift weights or resistance train. It takes a lot of food to fuel those activities, and the more muscle you have, the higher your RMR (resting metabolic rate - see http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm ). All of the friends I know who eat like champs also train like champs.

    ^^ yep, this is true, I can eat high cos I'm very active.
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
    did it and worked great! added 100 cals a day every week til i hit maintenance - didnt gain weight :-)
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
    I actually looked into this see article HERE

    What I've concluded about reverse dieting is that it is mostly intended to those who are willing to invest the time to strength train (lift heavy) ... either because they want to increase overall muscle mass, body building, or body sculpting for physique competition.

    I have also seen many pseudo reverse dieters who only increases their cardio in order to compensate for the calorie bump. While this may work in the interim, in my unprofessional opinion, I think eventually one just cannot out cardio X amount of calories because as we all get older, the body is naturally losing muscle. So if we are consuming X amount of calories and only fending weight gain off via cardio, eventually this may come back to haunt. But again, that is just my own amateur speculation.

    Just consider if the weight training portion of reverse dieting will be sustainable in your own lifestyle. Many have embraced it and have had wonderful success but you have to really put in the work. See the recommended fitness portion HERE

    Take note of the important fitness aspect of reverse dieting from the article:
    "I wanted to make a quick point about training, most importantly cardio. The amount of cardio you do during a reverse diet will depend on how much you were doing during your cut. The idea will be to reverse out of cardio just like the diet. Slowly start to reduce the amount of cardio sessions you are doing per week in terms of volume and frequency...

    The beginning of a reverse diet is a great time to jump on a new resistance training program. Since you will be adding in more calories as the weeks progress, that should work in conjunction with the program to get you stronger over the coming weeks as well. The most important thing is to continue training heavy. Some people think post show/diet is the time to take it easy with the resistance training. That is the wrong idea. Use the added calories to start gaining back muscle and strength you lost during the cut...    "

    Good luck!

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