So You’ve Reversed Dieted, Now What?
If you’re looking for a personal nutritionist to guide you through reverse dieting, I offer a 4-month program that will get you on track.
A lot of people think that the reverse diet is often the hardest part of getting out of a metabolic hole. The reality is as long as you consistently increase calories each week, you will have success with your reverse diet.
Follow the protocol and plan, and yes, you will eventually find yourself out of a deficit feeling more energized and stronger than you ever have before.
For many people, the challenge comes after they have completed the reverse diet because naturally, most people want to drop right back down into a cut- especially if they have put on weight.
Cutting calories too soon after a reverse diet will undo all your hard work and toss the entire reverse dieting journey out the window!
Here’s what you should do promptly after a reverse diet.
Stop tracking!
I advise most clients to take breaks from tracking and to step away from consistently weighing themselves each week if they have not done so already. This allows your mind to break from the rigidity and structured diet and lifestyle that you have been following now for months. It can be scary to step away from the numbers but this break is essential for your mental health.
I share some tips on how to stop tracking in this blog article HERE.
Do not cut calories
Do NOT drop back into a cut- in fact you should wait at least three, or more, months.
I advise at least three months if somebody really wants to drop back into a cut quickly. But if they don’t have any strict plans or obligations to drop weight fast, I advise six months to a year of staying in that slight surplus and focusing on just building strength and getting stronger. This will allow the body and metabolism to really strengthen and become the natural powerhouse we’re meant to be. It just takes time and patience! Some coaches advise people to stay out of a cut as long as they were under-eating prior to reverse dieting. So if they were habitually under-eating for three years, they should stay in a surplus/in maintenance for three years, focus on following a progressive string training program and paying attention to the other ways that one can make progress outside of losing body fat like Setting some records in the gym, sleeping better at night, preparing more home-cooked meals for themselves, experiencing a higher libido, better digestion, and more sustain energy throughout the day.
Get a hobby
Try to explore other hobbies outside of fitness. Maybe you’ve been wanting to get into painting, singing, salsa, maybe you’ve wanted to learn a new language or explore an African safari- this might be a great time for you to focus on other passion areas of your life! I always tell my clients that fitness should be a part of your life – not your entire life. Reverse dieting can be tiresome and draining and can sometimes take a long time. Just as the seasons change throughout the year, so do our bodies. It’s OK to not always be in a strict state of dieting or even building. To just practice being OK with maintaining your current physique and finding other things in life that you might be passionate about can be extremely helpful especially for your mental well-being. this will also make the time pass quickly if you are waiting to drop back into a cut eventually.
Remember, the longer you stay out of a deficit, the better your body will respond to one. So don’t rush the process! Enjoy life, focus on getting stronger and loving the people around you. You will pick it back up when the time is right and you will be able to do so with a refreshed new and motivated perspective because you gave yourself this much needed time off.
If you want to learn more about reverse dieting, fill out this form and I will get right back to you.
