Reverse dieting

zfitgal
zfitgal Posts: 519 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I have been in a caloric deficit for a long time and o think it’s time I reverse diet to maintenance for a bit. How long should I stay in a reverse before I go back into a deficit again? Also, how do I know what my maintenance is? First time doing this…

Replies

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,867 Member
    edited June 19
    If your weight is constant, you're at maintenance. You can add calories until you start gaining weight.

    At least two weeks for a break. No harm in longer.
  • zfitgal
    zfitgal Posts: 519 Member
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    If your weight is constant, you're at maintenance. You can add calories until you start gaining weight.

    At least two weeks for a break. No harm in longer.

    So if I’m maintaining at 1600 which is very low for me that means this is my new maintenance calories? I have about 18 more pounds to lose and can’t drop calories lower then that otherwise I will starve…
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,867 Member
    Try 1700 for a few days. Then 1800. Keep doung that until you gain more than a little water weight. Then stay at your new maintenance for a while.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,247 Member
    You said you haven't lost weight since March so I'm not exactly sure you're trying to achieve by reverse dieting. If anything you should be lowering weekly calories if fatloss is the goal. It's possible you've done some recomping however from a fatloss perspective it's very unlikely that muscle has replaced fat at the same rate as fat has been lost.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    Retroguy2000 wrote: »
    Try 1700 for a few days. Then 1800. Keep doung that until you gain more than a little water weight. Then stay at your new maintenance for a while.

    That sounds quite steep to me as an increase, 100kcal every few days?

    I'd take it slower personally, more like increasing 100 every week (or a bit slower even).
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,206 Member
    Any update here, OP?
  • zfitgal
    zfitgal Posts: 519 Member
    csplatt wrote: »
    Any update here, OP?

    I decided to try lowering my calories a bit for reverse dieting. I lower my calories by 100 and increase cardio by 30 minutes one extra day a week and my body gained 1 pound for every day I lowered my calories. I don’t know what this means but all I know is I think being a deficit might not be where I need to be right now. Any suggestions would be great.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    Reverse dieting is increasing your calorie intake gradually, not lowering.
    As for your weight increase: one week is a very short time period, day to day fluctuations can mask fat loss on the scale. Increasing exercise, for example, can increase water retention.
  • zfitgal
    zfitgal Posts: 519 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    Reverse dieting is increasing your calorie intake gradually, not lowering.
    As for your weight increase: one week is a very short time period, day to day fluctuations can mask fat loss on the scale. Increasing exercise, for example, can increase water retention.

    I know what reverse dieting is. I’m stating that I decided to lower my calories and I gained 1 pound a day for every day I lowered my calories. No, was it fat that I put on absolutely not was it water retention every day probably. But my body should not be looking to hold onto water for every day I lowered my calories. My scale should not have gone up every day, but I lowered my calories. And yes, water retention can be increased but not from a 30 minute incline walk. And this walk was at the end of the week and hdecreasing calories, was at the beginning of the week.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,881 Member
    edited July 16
    zfitgal wrote: »
    csplatt wrote: »
    Any update here, OP?

    I decided to try lowering my calories a bit for reverse dieting.

    This is why I specified reverse dieting is increasing calories. I presume now that you meant 'before reverse dieting'?

    You say 1lb gained each day you ate 100 kcal less. Was that a full week - 7lbs gained? Or a shorter period? A few lbs short term is normal (water weight can have many causes, stress, air travel, hot weather,...) but if it was 7lbs, that does sound like a big increase that might warrant a visit to the doctor.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    edited July 16
    I’m going to throw this out as a random thought.

    Anything particularly stressful happened in the past few months? Or injury, surgery, illness?

    I had a bike wreck in April. I didn’t want to face it but it was pretty severe and my weight shot up. I countered by -like an idiot- cutting calories pretty drastically and increasing exercise. After all, I’m an “expert” on my own body and knew what to do, right? My weight hasn’t budged in three months.

    After three months, the lump is almost gone, the strained muscle is relaxing and feeling better, I’ve cut back on exercise. I got a life changing, pain relieving massage. And voila! Weight is now starting to budge.

    If you’d told me something that happened three months ago, something that I took in stride and powered through, because I’m “strong” like that, would cause this much craziness, I would’ve laughed at you.

    I also feel like the extreme heat is causing water retention, too, FWIW.

    anyway, anything that may have gone on with you? Just something to think about. 😱
  • zfitgal
    zfitgal Posts: 519 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    I’m going to throw this out as a random thought.

    Anything particularly stressful happened in the past few months? Or injury, surgery, illness?

    I had a bike wreck in April. I didn’t want to face it but it was pretty severe and my weight shot up. I countered by -like an idiot- cutting calories pretty drastically and increasing exercise. After all, I’m an “expert” on my own body and knew what to do, right? My weight hasn’t budged in three months.

    After three months, the lump is almost gone, the strained muscle is relaxing and feeling better, I’ve cut back on exercise. I got a life changing, pain relieving massage. And voila! Weight is now starting to budge.

    If you’d told me something that happened three months ago, something that I took in stride and powered through, because I’m “strong” like that, would cause this much craziness, I would’ve laughed at you.

    I also feel like the extreme heat is causing water retention, too, FWIW.

    anyway, anything that may have gone on with you? Just something to think about. 😱

    My daughter didn’t go to sleep away camp for the first time this summer. She has been gone for two weeks. Yes, it has been hard but it’s gotten much easier. That is the only difference in my life. I do speak to her daily. But my body started to feel really bad when I reduced my calories.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,797 Member
    When already cutting calories for a while, the body is already under slight stress. Cutting calories more while upping exercise may be enough more stress to cause the body problems.

Categories