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Mind Pump_Reverse-Dieting-101-ebook-finalProof
DIETING
101
Burn More Body Fat,
Build More Muscle By
Eating More Calories
Sal Di Stefano
Co-host of the
Mind Pump Podcast
The suggestions for specific foods and workouts in this book are not intended as a sub-
stitute for consultation with your physician. Individual needs vary, and no diet or nutrition
program will meet everyone’s daily requirements. Prior to starting Reverse Dieting 101,
always see your physician.
©2022 MAPS Fitness Products, LLC. All rights reserved.
CHAPTERS
01
Why Diets Have
02
What Is the Reverse
03
Gearing Up for the
Failed You Diet? Reverse Diet
04
Nutrient Partitioning:
05
Reverse Diet
06
Supportive Metabolic
What to Eat and Why on Examples Strategies
the Reverse Diet
07
The Reverse Diet
08
Life After the Reverse
Activity Plan Diet
Bibliography
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REVERSE DIETING 101
At any given time, more than a third of Americans are on some sort of diet, with shedding
pounds as the primary motivation, according to Harvard University. Most dieters wind up very
disappointed because, even when successful, lost weight is frequently regained within months.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Weight loss and cardiovascular measures (including cholesterol and blood pressure) were assessed
while participants were on one of these diets and then compared with the other diets or normal
diets (one in which the person continued to eat as they usually do.) Although weight, blood pressure,
and cholesterol generally improved at the six-month mark, results at the 12-month mark were
disappointing, to say the least.
As for the weight-loss specifics, the low-carb and low-fat diets both resulted in weight loss of about 10
pounds at six months, but most of the dieters regained that lost weight within one year. Dieters in the
moderate macronutrient group tended to drop fewer pounds than those following the other diets. So
basically, the diets worked, but did not lead to permanent results.
Based on this report – and probably your own experiences – I can understand why you’d want to give
up altogether!
How has all this happened? The main thing to understand is this: you have not failed. These diets
have failed you, so don’t blame yourself.
Although most weight-loss diets can help you initially lose weight, they can be unsuccessful over the
long run and will fail you - for four major reasons.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Also, I bet you look forward to the day you can quit the diet! Some diets take all the enjoyment and
pleasure out of eating by being too restrictive or by practically forcing you to eat something you really
don’t want to eat. I mean, who wants to eat tofu if they can’t stomach it? It’s super easy to give up on
something that is making you miserable, right?
Most diets also prescribe a set of rules to follow while on the diet. Rule-making promotes non-
sustainability too because it pushes the idea that the rules need to be followed until your goal is
achieved. Once the diet is over (if you even finish it), it’s easy to slip back into the former habits that
caused you to gain weight in the first place.
Another problem is that some diets require you to spend a lot of money – which can be hard on your
budget long-term. You shouldn’t need special supplements, special (expensive) foods, or equipment
to eat a healthy diet.
To sum up:
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REVERSE DIETING 101
If we bandage our weight problems with quick-fix plans, we won’t solve them. Even if you give into
the quick-fix pitch and it actually works, how likely are you to stick to it? Not very likely (see reason
#1.)
The promise of fast weight loss ultimately prevents you from achieving your goals. Unless your goal is
to shed pounds now and gain them back later, a short-term diet doesn’t make sense.
Quick-fix diets set up unrealistic expectations, make unproven weight-loss promises, and recommend
potentially harmful methods to lose weight. Such diet plans are not healthy and won’t help you
develop behaviors you need to achieve permanent weight loss.
Instead of looking for a quick fix, you need a program that works for life. One that isn’t going to make
you suffer through an unsustainable, self-destructive diet. One that can make eating enjoyable again –
and keep you lean and fit. That is what the Reverse Diet can help you with.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Reason #3: Diets slow your metabolism and make the body
adapt to reduced calories.
Your metabolism is everything your body does to convert food into fuel. It also maintains your body
temperature. It controls your body’s activities like breathing and the beating of your heart. But when
you go on a calorie-restricted diet, your metabolism changes. Here’s why: The overall change involves
a decline in your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). TDEE is the total amount of calories burned
each day and is made up of four different processes:
When you diet restrictively, working out is tougher because you have less energy available from food
and calories. (If you’ve ever attempted an intense workout on a really low-calorie diet, you know what
I’m talking about.) With less energy available for your workouts, you’ll burn fewer calories through
exercise.
But, in times of famine, it was essential that one’s metabolism was extremely efficient, only using the
minimum number of calories to maintain biological homeostasis because the rest must be stored as
fat for later use to prevent starvation.
Another way to look at it is that their bodies were very efficient with calories. Throughout evolution,
when food was scarce, being efficient with calories would have been an advantage.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
But we live in a society where food is plentiful. Our challenge is to abstain from food rather than
find it. This means an efficient, or slow, metabolism has actually become a disadvantage because it
increases the propensity to store fat and all the negative side effects that come with that.
Also, in today’s world, the body perceives a calorie-restricted diet as a type of famine, just like it did in
prehistoric times. As you continue your calorie-restricted diet, your metabolism slows down to adapt
to the lower caloric intake. Put another way, your body is getting smaller as you diet down, and burns
fewer calories as it shrinks. This is inevitable.
A tell-tale sign of a slow metabolism is gaining weight on a relatively low caloric intake, i.e., not eating
that much food and still putting on weight consistently. One of the main bodily responses to a slowed
metabolism is that your body hangs on to fat – which is why you can no longer lose weight or burn fat.
If you can accelerate your metabolism – speed up the way your body burns fuel – then you will have
the major solution to losing weight and keeping it off. What you must do is increase your calories, cut
way back on cardio activity (if you’re a cardio fanatic), and prioritize your resistance training. These
strategies are exactly what the Reverse Diet does
for you. You’ll then be able to quickly burn off the
food you eat and burn any large reserves of fat
cells in your body.
Cutting calories without sending a signal to build muscle and strength will almost always result in
muscle loss. Here is why: Your body is always adapting to its environment. When you cut calories,
your body simply tries to burn less calories, as I’ve noted. An easy way for your body to do this is to
pare muscle down, especially when your body doesn’t get any signals that tell it that it needs strong
muscles. Dieting without resistance training kills muscle and slows your metabolism.
What’s more, dieters end up having to eat even less—forever—if they want to maintain their lower
weight. Could you eat that little forever to maintain your weight loss? Most people can’t, which
again is one of the reasons why diets fail most of the time.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Belly fat – technically known as visceral fat - is something you want to avoid. Visceral fat pads your
internal organs, including the heart, and too much of it can lead to harmful conditions such as heart
disease and type 2 diabetes.
The solution to these problems is the Reverse Diet. In the Reverse Diet, you gradually increase your
calories, starting from a base, and add a certain number of calories every few weeks. You support your
eating plan with resistance training (which has been shown in research to fight visceral fat).
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REVERSE DIETING 101
• Better metabolic adaption. When reverse dieting is done properly, your TDEE and BMR will rise,
resulting in more energy out. Your workout capacity and intensity can increase, too, because there
is more available energy, increasing energy out. NEAT also increases for the same reason, resulting
in more energy out.
• An overall faster metabolism. With a faster metabolism, you can eat more without gaining
body fat, move less, and stay lean. Sure, you could burn more calories by working out more, but
wouldn’t it be awesome to just burn more calories and more fat automatically? That’s what reverse
dieting does for you.
• Muscle weight gain. Don’t panic when you hear “weight gain.” This gain is primarily muscle,
provided you follow a consistent program of resistance training. (See the Activity Plan in Chapter
7.)
• A better fat burn with more calories. After you speed up your metabolism with the Reverse Diet,
you can return to a calorie-cutting mode and achieve even greater fat loss but with higher calories
than would have occurred had you not reversed dieted.
• Improved appetite and cravings control. Restrictive dieting decreases leptin, the hunger hormone
that signals your body that you’re full. Because you won’t be cutting calories on the Reverse Diet,
your hunger and fullness signals will normalize, and you’ll be less likely to give into cravings
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REVERSE DIETING 101
• Hormonal balance. That fact that you’ll no longer be restricting calories helps restore hormonal
balance in your body. You’ll be supplying your body with nutrients that are the building blocks of
hormones, such as testosterone (a key male hormone) and estrogen (a key female hormone).
One of the fundamental hormones of the human body, testosterone, is responsible for many
functions. It helps build strength, is responsible for libido, and helps give us the drive we need to
accomplish our goals. Although testosterone is known as the “male hormone,” it is also an important
hormone for women. Testosterone, by the way, can be depleted with chronic, restrictive dieting.
In women, an estrogen balance is key to fat loss, since an imbalance impacts the ability to burn fat and
to develop and retain muscle.
Both hormones respond well to resistance training, which increases lean muscle mass, builds
metabolism, and burns more fat. They also respond to a higher intake of certain macronutrients, which
you increase on the Reverse Diet. Dietary fats, primarily, serve as building blocks for testosterone and
estrogen. You can consume high-quality grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, and eggs to obtain these
fats (as well as proteins), along with plant-based fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, and so
forth.
Increasing quality nutrients is especially important for women who are still cycling (having their
periods) in order to prevent amenorrhea, which is an absence of menstruation. When women go on a
restricted diet, they risk nutritional deficiencies that in turn reduce their production of estrogen. Their
periods can stop. Fortunately, amenorrhea can be treated with lifestyle changes, including weight
regain through a healthy, higher-calorie diet.
• Greater nutrient density. If you’re short on nutrients due to caloric restriction, your body won’t
function at its best due to nutrient deficiencies. Essentially, you’ll feel and potentially look MUCH
WORSE than you should. Your hormones will be out of whack. Your gym performance will suffer.
Your metabolism will suffer.
The Reverse Diet helps remedy this because it is a “nutrient-dense” plan. Nutrient density refers to the
number of nutrients per calorie in a food. Prioritizing foods with a higher nutrient density will ensure
you get enough amino acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fatty acids from the food you eat. The more
nutrients you consume, the better you will feel mentally and physically.
• Improved relationship with food. As I mentioned earlier, most diets lead to an unhealthy
relationship with food. For example, you avoid or restrict foods that are “bad” for you. Or you have
developed a long list of rules surrounding the foods you can and cannot eat. You feel stressed
when eating in social settings due to fear of choosing “bad” foods. You feel guilty if you eat
something not allowed on your current diet. You may even find yourself bingeing on restricted
foods.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
The Reverse Diet can help you achieve a positive, healthier relationship with food – one that involves
having unconditional permission to eat foods that make you feel good physically and mentally.
Although you want to choose mostly nutritious foods, no foods are off-limits, and you feel no guilt
upon eating foods that are typically labeled “good” or “bad.”
You can turn this metabolic situation around with the Reverse Diet. It has practical applications for
many different types of people:
• Perpetual dieters. The Reverse Diet is also useful for anyone who has dieted stringently by
slashing calories, has gone on habitual crash diets, or is a yo-yo dieter.
• Slow metabolizers. If someone has a “slow metabolism,” this means that their body burns calories
very slowly, and this thus makes it difficult for them to burn fat. In other words, they have an
efficient calorie-burning body, not unlike a hybrid electric car. Efficient does not mean “good”
or “positive”; it means that there is a slowdown in calorie-burning. The Reverse Diet trains your
metabolism to run faster. By gradually increasing your calories, you kick your metabolism into
higher gear.
• People who want to maintain their weight loss. The Reverse Diet is an excellent post-diet solution
that helps you transition to a more normal calorie intake, heals your metabolism, and helps keep
your weight off once you’ve lost it.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
No matter which category you fall into, eventually, you’ll hit a calorie intake where you feel energized,
perform well in the gym, and are gaining some muscle—all while minimizing fat gain.
If you are a hardgainer, and struggling to put on size, you most likely need to eat more food most of
the time, not just periodically as is recommended on the Reverse Diet. Your metabolism is so revved
up you most likely need to eat twice as much as the average person. It may help to track your food
just to ensure you are getting enough each day.
While Shelly was prepping for her ninth show, her body
stopped getting leaner and fat would not budge, regardless
of what she did. In fact, she was gaining body fat, despite
doing 90 to 120 minutes of cardio every day and following
a very restricted diet that consisted of broccoli, lean chicken,
and tilapia.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Basically, her metabolism had adapted and slowed down to a crawl. To “fix” her body, she had to do
what many people feel is unthinkable: cut her cardio way down and start eating more.
That’s exactly what we did. I changed her exercise program and placed a special emphasis on
building strength, and I slowly increased her food intake with reverse dieting.
Here’s what happened: Shelly did gain weight, going from 130 to 134 pounds. But at 134, she looked
smaller, tighter, and more sculpted than ever, because she had put on more lean muscle weight,
which is quite compact and denser than body fat.
Science supports what I’ve seen in people like Shelly – that you won’t gain fat, especially with very
specific, incremental increases in calories. In one study, eating 20 percent above maintenance calories
did not significantly bump up fat gain, whereas eating 40 to 60 percent above maintenance did.
In other words, if you maintain your weight on a 2,000-calorie diet, you might be able to eat up to
400 extra calories a day without gaining fat pounds. But any more than that, like an extra 800 daily
calories, will probably result in more fat gain than you want.
Additionally, some data suggest that the time people need to “recover” from dieting (through a
strategy like reverse dieting) is roughly proportional to the amount of time you spent on the diet. So,
if you restricted calories for three months, you may need to give your metabolism three months to
adapt upwardly.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
First of all, just be patient with yourself and the plan. The Reverse Diet – like anything that’s important
– is going to take time and commitment. But this chapter will help you get on the right track.
Plus, it’s going to be fun. After all, you get to start eating more food again, and that’s pleasurable.
You’ll enjoy eating more of the right foods, and you’ll enjoy the workout principles that go along with
this. So, start getting fired up for the change – a new tool for dieting, eating, and living.
So, for one week, do not change anything about how you eat or drink. Simply consume foods and
beverages the way you always do. Do not change your physical activity either. Simply maintain
everything you normally do.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Here’s how: At the end of the seven days, simply divide your
total calories by 7. The resulting calculation represents your
maintenance calories, or baseline.
Start with protein. It is the most important macro for reverse dieting. A higher protein diet maximizes
muscular development and minimizes the loss of muscle tissue, both of which lead to more muscle
gain. This is why I recommend higher-protein diets; they improve body composition so much more
effectively than moderate or low-protein diets do.
As I noted earlier, protein also has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF), compared to fat and
carbohydrates. TEF refers to the number of calories you burn just to digest the food you eat. Eating
a larger percentage of protein daily means more of the calories you eat are burned off through TEF.
Make sure you’re hitting 0.5 up to 1.0 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. If you weigh
160 pounds, for example, you’d want to be eating 80 to 160 grams of protein daily. For reference, 160
grams of protein would look like this: 8 ounces of chicken breast, 2 large eggs, 7 ounces of tuna, and
6 ounces of Greek yogurt.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
As for the exact mix of fat and carbs each day, stay within
your calorie range for the week while manipulating your “ MAKE SURE YOU’RE HITTING 0.5
macro intake –particularly carbohydrates. Some people
do well on a low-carb, higher-fat Reverse Diet; others on UP TO 1.0 GRAM OF PROTEIN PER
a higher-carb, lower-fat diet Reverse Diet. The key here is POUND OF BODYWEIGHT DAILY. ”
to listen to your body and monitor it. How is your satiety?
Digestion? Weight loss? Mood? Energy levels? See what
feels best and looks best, and go with it.
Some general guidelines: For fewer carbs, aim for fewer than 50 to 100 grams of carbs a day and eat
the rest of your calories in healthy fats. However, don’t eat fewer than 25 to 40 grams of fat a day.
Bottom line: determine your carbohydrate and fat ratio based on how you like to eat and what you
can imagine yourself doing long-term.
After three weeks, increase your calories by 50 to 100 per day. Follow this for two weeks. Next,
increase your calories again by 50 to 100 a day. Repeat this process every two weeks.
A calorie surplus is essential for muscle growth because your body now has excess calories to shuttle
toward building more muscle. Keep your protein level high because protein is a metabolic booster.
It’s easiest to stick with your protein quota and increase your calories from carbs and fat.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Carbohydrates
1/2 small sweet potato (2.5 ounces) 1 small sweet potato (5 ounces)
1/4 cup brown rice, cooked 1/2 cup brown rice, cooked
1/3 cup oatmeal, cooked 1/3 cup oatmeal, cooked
3/4 cup butternut squash 1 1/4 cup butternut squash
Fats
7 almonds 14 almonds
Please note:
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REVERSE DIETING 101
If you notice a weight gain on your scale of more than this, it probably indicates muscle and/or water.
However, if the gain is several pounds, wait a few weeks before increasing your calories and try again.
On the other hand, if you’re not gaining weight, check your strength levels. Are you getting stronger?
In other words, can you do more reps, more weight, and so forth than last week? If so, you’re still
improving. And you’re likely dropping body fat.
If your strength is not improving and your weight on the scale is not going up, increase your caloric
intake by 10 to 20 percent, and continue to monitor your progress.
If you observe no changes or very few, drop back to your baseline for a few weeks.
Based on the data you continually collect, make adjustments as needed. You might find that you
can up your calorie intake every week without gaining much fat. Or you may need to space out your
caloric increases over longer intervals. Be patient with yourself and your progress.
Once you’re satisfied with the amount of food you’re eating, and your weight is stabilizing where you
want it, stop adding calories, but continue with your resistance training program. Should you need to
lose a few more pounds, your metabolism will be healthy and ready to burn fat.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Nutrient partitioning refers to a scientific process involving signals that tell your body what to do
with the additional calories you consume – whether to shuttle them to your muscles for growth
or to fat tissue for storage.
Naturally, you’d want those calories to be diverted to your muscle tissue, thereby optimizing
nutrient partitioning and not to jiggly fat on your waistline, thighs, or butt. This means
encouraging your body to send more resources to muscle building or muscle maintenance
than it does to storage. Both a nutrient-dense diet and resistance training are the answer for
efficient nutrient partitioning. (Obesity and being overweight are examples of inefficient nutrient
partitioning. In both conditions, calories have been partitioned into fat stores – the opposite of
what you want.)
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Protein is key for efficient nutrient partitioning because it heads directly to muscles for growth and
repair. Protein is more difficult for your body to convert into stored fat than other macronutrients,
making it more likely to be used in constructing muscle.
Protein is partitioned into new muscle in the following ways. During digestion, protein is broken
down into amino acids. Amino acids are directly involved in rebuilding muscle fibers, dispensed
there by your liver, in order to patch up or repair fibers intentionally damaged by exercise. Fresh
supplies of amino acids weave together myofibrils (bundles of protein filaments), which activate
muscle contraction. The newly formed myofibrils fuse with the damaged areas of your muscle
fiber and help make the muscle bigger and stronger than it was before.
Good sources of protein include all animal meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy as well as plant or
vegan proteins, such as nuts, seeds, and legumes. Examples of proteins to select on the Reverse
Diet include:
Proteins
Bison Cheeses Chicken (white & dark meat)
Cottage Cheese Duck Eggs and Egg Whites
Greek Yogurt Lamb Lean Beef
Salmon Pork Tenderloin Shellfish
Tuna Venison White Fish, All Varieties
Plant-Based Proteins
Legumes
Nuts
Seeds
Vegan Cheeses
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Generally, the healthiest sources of fat come from some plants and from well-raised, healthy
animals and fish. Organic butter and full-fat dairy products are acceptable fat sources as well.
Grass-fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, and wild-caught fish are excellent ways to obtain good
fats. Specific sources include:
Avocados
Avocado Oil
Coconut Oil (can withstand higher cooking temperatures)
Butter, Organic
Fish Oil
Ghee (Clarified Butter)
MCT Oil
Nuts, Raw
Lard and Tallow (excellent for cooking)
Olives
Olive Oil, Extra-Virgin (avoid cooking with olive oil to preserve
its nutrition; use it at room temperature)
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REVERSE DIETING 101
The best course of action is to select “complex carbohydrates.” These are natural, unrefined
starches made up of long chains of sugar molecules. They are often referred to as “good carbs”
because they take longer to digest and thus don’t spike insulin or blood sugar as quickly as more
simple ones do (think sweets, candy, baked goods, and so forth). Complex carbs burn more slowly
than simple carbs and are less likely to be partitioned into body fat. They also contain more fiber,
which has a huge list of impressive health benefits.
Lentils
Peas
Peanuts
*These foods are high in protein and make good protein
substitutions in
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Insulin is important with regard to protein as well. It helps get amino acids into cells. The more
receptive your muscle cells are to insulin, and the less insulin resistant you are, the easier it is
for your body to partition amino acids from the protein and food you eat into muscle tissue. So
basically, insulin sensitivity promotes more efficient nutrient partitioning into muscle tissue, where
you want it.
There are other specific hormones in your body that help orchestrate and direct where energy will
be stored and where it will be taken from when it’s needed. Testosterone, for example, supports
the partitioning of nutrients into muscle while the stress hormone cortisol tends to partition
nutrients into fat tissue. With a high cortisol level, muscle tissue can break down, leading to
muscle loss. Plus, nutrients are more easily shuttled into fat cells around your waist and abdomen
which is the kind of inefficient partitioning you don’t want.
Eating sufficient protein and fat helps testosterone production, as does resistance training – all of
which help with efficient nutrient partitioning. Stress management techniques, such as relaxation
and meditation, can help better balance cortisol production for improved nutrient partitioning.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Most of the money that goes into these foods goes into their PALATABILITY. Palatability refers
to the hedonistic reward you get from food. It’s the “pleasure” aspect. This includes everything
that makes food truly enjoyable including its taste, the mouth feel, its smell, the color and visual
appeal, the sound the food makes when you bite into it, the food’s packaging and MUCH more.
Lots of money has been spent researching and figuring out how to make foods irresistible. This
has resulted in foods that literally make you want more, EVEN after you are full.
We do know from research that such foods facilitate weight gain and lead to obesity because of
inefficient nutrient partitioning. A 2021 study published in the journal Appetite, tested whether
young healthy adults, who were not obese, would gain body fat by eating hyper-palatable foods
at buffets. The study covered one year.
Well, you can probably guess what happened. The participants who ate a higher proportion
of hyper-palatable foods at buffets had gained the most body fat after one year, compared to
those who chose less fattening foods. This study simply confirms that over time, eating a greater
proportion of hyper-palatable foods will be partitioned into fat stores.
Clearly, efficient nutrient partitioning is important if you want to achieve and maintain a fit body
with minimal body fat and maximum lean muscle. Simply pay attention to the source of your
calories, what you eat, and how you exercise.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
You can’t continue to restrict calories because your metabolism has adapted to lower calories, and it
will be tough to gain any more muscle. Perhaps the last time this happened you resumed your normal
eating pattern and, whoops, you packed on too many fat pounds. This is why you should reverse diet
after every fat loss like this.
That said, I’d like to outline various scenarios of what happens while dieting and how to plan out a
reverse dieting strategy, but not with a set meal plan. Generally, I do not hand out or believe in meal
plans - for several reasons. They don’t take in account individual food preferences, they’re too rigid with
too many rules, they don’t consider a person’s food intolerances, and they don’t teach you about your
individual nutritional needs. It is almost impossible to create a generic meal plan for reverse dieting
because it is based on so many individual factors – gender, baseline daily calories, personal goals, food
preferences, activity levels, and more. The bottom line is that, when it comes to meal plans, one size
does not fit all.
So basically, I will give you several examples of how people have increased their calories on the
Reverse Diet. Using the nutritional guidelines in the previous chapter, you can simply plug in foods
and macronutrients you prefer and plan accordingly, using this information as a basic guide.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Taking into consideration metabolic adaptation, however, Austin’s maintenance level most likely has
now decreased from where it was when he began his diet 12 weeks ago. He should now take 7 days
to calculate his new baseline, while eating and working out as he normally would.
Austin will then want to slowly increase his calories, probably by 50 to 100 calories every few weeks,
and slowly reduce any cardio he’s doing but increase his resistance training.
I recommend that the Reverse Diet last for the same duration as the initial diet for an efficient
metabolic reboot – in this case, 12 weeks. By doing this, Austin will be re-training his metabolism to
become efficient at this new level of calories. The added benefit of this approach is that, although
Austin is introducing additional calories into his diet, he is doing it slowly enough that he may actually
continue to lose some body fat during this process.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Now Dana wants to combat metabolic adaptation by reverse dieting. Like Austin did, she will need
to establish a new level of maintenance calories by eating normally for 7 days, but without going
overboard on any processed foods. In a case like Dana’s, her new maintenance calories might be
lower than before, as a result of her diet. The more you decrease calories, the lower your maintenance
calories can drop.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
For 4 weeks, Richard bumped up his calories by 100 each week. Plus, he increased his resistance
training from two to four times a week. He stopped doing cardio at the gym and instead worked at
walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily using a pedometer. He stayed fairly strict on the Reverse Diet,
eating only macronutrients and keeping his protein high.
Over one month, Richard’s weight actually stabilized at the 35-pound weight loss, but he looked
leaner and fitter because he had gained muscle mass. In actuality, this is all he needed to do; the
35-pound loss made him look like he had lost 50 pounds.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
REVERSE
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REVERSE DIETING 101
The researchers measured his testosterone, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), cortisol, leptin, and
ghrelin throughout the study. They also assessed his body composition, anaerobic power, and resting
metabolic rate monthly. Sleep was also assessed monthly.
Month 1 to month 8: his testosterone, and thyroid hormones T3, and T4 (which are involved in
regulating metabolism) dropped. His cortisol and ghrelin levels increased. He lost 20 pounds prior to
competition by dropping his calories from 3,860 to 1,724 a day.
His body fat percentage was 13.4% at month 1; 9.6% at month 8; and 14.9% at month 13. His
anaerobic power dropped, as did his resting metabolic rate during the entire13-month study
period. His sleep quality also decreased from month 1 to month 8. (Sleep is important to a healthy
metabolism.)
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Five months after his diet, he was heavier than when he began, and his resting metabolic rate was
lower. His calorie intake and body fat had returned to pre-diet levels, and he’d even gained some
muscle, but his metabolism was still lagging behind. Likewise, his testosterone, T3, and T4 levels still
weren’t back to normal yet.
Although this case involves a bodybuilder who got to competition levels of body fat, it demonstrates
that contest preparation may yield transient, unfavorable changes in hormonal profile, power output,
RMR, and sleep quality.
What this bodybuilder would need to do is begin a serious reverse diet and stay on it for at least 8
months to heal these physiological issues. This would allow time for things to settle down, rebuild
metabolism, and restore health prior to getting lean and cutting calories again.
Remember that the main purpose of the Reverse Diet is to accelerate your metabolism and slowly
get your body back to normal while limiting the amount of body fat gained during this process.
Essentially, you will be re-training your metabolism to a new normal.
Slowly add in calories to your diet by increasing your calories by 50 to 100 every few weeks.
Be smart and deliberate about reverse dieting. Don’t abruptly slash or increase your calories
all at one time!
Weigh yourself frequently while reverse dieting to monitor weight gain. Remember, you want
to keep fat gain to a minimum.
Stay consistent with resistance training and/or increase the number of days you perform it.
Reverse diet for the same length of time of your weight loss diet or until you reach a
maintenance level you are happy with.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Sleep Well
You can lose weight and keep it off just by doing something
as simple as sleeping well. In contrast, lack of sleep
contributes to obesity and weight gain.
Too little sleep also causes the body to churn out excess cortisol, the stress hormone, which in turn
increases glucose in the blood. All this happens with only one
night of too little sleep. And while the body can reset and
“ LACK OF SLEEP recover quickly if you give it optimal rest the next night, chronic
CONTRIBUTES TO OBESITY sleep deprivation is associated with chronically high blood
sugar, insulin resistance, and risk of type 2 diabetes.
AND WEIGHT GAIN.”
Sleep also plays a vital role in regulating hormone levels
including ghrelin – which increases appetite – and leptin – which makes us feel full. As sleep deprivation
increases the former and decreases the latter, we are left feeling hungry. Studies confirm that too little
sleep increases the likelihood of overeating due to appetite and more hours available to eat, as well as
increasing cravings for high fat and sugar foods.
Another hormone regulated by sleep is testosterone, which is involved in the development of muscle,
strength, libido, bone growth, and many other functions in men and women. When you have quality,
uninterrupted sleep on a regular basis, your body ramps up its production of testosterone. In fact, a
2007 study of older males, ages 64 to 74, found that sleep was greatest independent predictor of
morning free and total testosterone levels. This study was published in the journal Sleep.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Levels of testosterone generally peak at around 8 a.m.; throughout the day, they gradually drop off,
reaching a daily low at about 8 p.m. During sleep, your body restores testosterone to peak levels.
Getting a good night’s sleep most evenings every week is one of the best (and easiest) ways to boost
testosterone.
As a personal trainer, I always emphasized the importance of getting quality sleep. Here are top
strategies I typically recommended to my clients.
Turn off all electronics one hour prior to bedtime. The blue light from
electronics such as cell phones, tablets, and TVs, reduces your brain’s
ability to produce an important sleep hormone called melatonin and it
keeps cortisol elevated.
These glasses have filters in their lenses that block or absorb blue light
from getting through. So, if you wear these glasses while looking at a
screen, especially after dark, they can help reduce exposure to blue light
waves that can keep you awake.
Sip on warm chamomile tea. Chamomile is a very safe and mild sedative
and is even recommended to children in some European countries. If
you’re allergic to chamomile, try lemon balm tea instead.
Practice belly breathing for 3 minutes before bed. Belly breathing helps
bring a calming response in the body, which is necessary for quality
sleep. To do belly breathing: lie on your back. Place one hand on your
upper chest and another on your belly. Take a deep breath into your belly
and make the hand that is on your belly rise fully before the hand on your
chest rises. This technique allows for a full diaphragmatic breath that sig-
nals the body to relax.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Create the ideal sleep environment. Your bedroom should be dark, with
a cool temperature. Both conditions are conducive to quality sleep.
One way to keep your sleep-wake cycle aligned and therefore improve
the quality of your sleep is to get up at around the same time each morn-
ing, and go to bed at the same time. In fact, both the Ayurvedic and Chi-
nese medical traditions advise going to bed by 10 or 10:30 each evening
in order to follow your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Stress Less
Stress is a necessary part of our lives and can have both
beneficial and negative effects, depending on how we
respond to an event, transition, or problem. One of the
negative aspects of stress is its effect on metabolism.
However, thinking about or experiencing a stressful job, lack of sleep, and poor lifestyle choices
can trigger cortisol to be released more frequently and lead to elevated levels. As discussed above,
chronically high cortisol creates metabolic havoc and can affect our weight.
Both stress and exhaustion can increase your cravings for sugary
“ MAKE SURE YOU GET foods and kill your motivation to be active, and over time, pack
PLENTY OF QUALITY on pounds, concluded a 2018 analysis published in the journal
Obesity Reviews.
SLEEP. ”
There’s a lot involved in managing stress, but one underlying
key is to develop resilience. This term refers to the ability to adapt successfully in the face of stress,
adversity, and other challenging circumstances, while maintaining physical and mental well-being.
You’re resilient when you can handle the day-to-day trials and tribulations and bounce back after
periods of deep struggle. We can’t avoid challenging times; they’re something we each experience
throughout life. But, it’s how we handle them that has the true impact on our well-being and quality of
life. That’s resilience.
There are many ways—physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually – to build resilience. Physically,
exercise consistently, but without overdoing it. Eating a healthy, balanced diet to fortify yourself with
nutrients that support physical and mental health. Make sure you get plenty of quality sleep. Cut down
on and alcohol and other drugs.
Mentally, realize that you’re the only one who can control your fate. In other words, how you feel
and the way you deal with a situation is a choice. Think of it like this: No one can operate your car
unless you hand over the keys, right? You can’t control other people’s actions or behavior, but you
can be responsible for how you react. Makes sense, right? Look at the situation and ask yourself, “Is
this something I can change?” If so, start exploring positive ways to change the situation, or respond
positively, and with acceptance, to the reality of your circumstances.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Mindfulness
Closely associated with stress management is
mindfulness, the practice of being present, in the
moment. Mindful eating, in particular, involves
making conscious food choices, developing an awareness of physical versus psychological hunger and
fullness cues, and eating nutritiously in response to those cues.
The opposite of mindful eating is something you might be familiar with: the habit of grabbing
hyperpalatable snack foods just because they’re fun and readily available, without even thinking about
what we’re doing or even feeling hungry. But those extra calories can easily lead to overeating and
weight gain. In fact, distracted eating like this causes people to take in around 10 percent more calories
in the moment—and up to 25 percent more calories at later meals – concluded an American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition review.
Distracted eating and stress eating (another form of distracted eating) can be conquered by
mindfulness practices. In a 2011 clinical study of mindfulness training, participants did guided
meditations in which they tuned into their physical sensations of hunger, stomach fullness, taste
satisfaction, and food cravings. They also learned to identify their emotional eating triggers. After 4
months of this training, they experienced improvements in stress and cortisol responses. They also
reduced their abdominal fat. This study underlines the importance of making a shift toward more
mindful eating habits.
Appreciate your food when you come to the table and recognize how it will benefit your physical
and mental health.
When you’re cooking and eating, pay attention to the color, texture, and aroma of your food.
Eat your meals at your dining room table or breakfast table and never in front of the television. Avoid
anything that distracts you from your meal.
Have regular mealtimes. The body enjoys routine, which keeps you from mindless eating or snacking.
Take small bites and chew your food slowly. (Do not wolf down your food!)
Pay attention to satiety (fullness) signals. Eat until you are just full but not stuffed or uncomfortable.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Digestive Health
Your gut contains more than 100 trillion microorganisms,
collectively called the microbiome. It performs several
functions in the body, including setting our metabolism,
breaking down and assimilating food, neutralizing drugs and
carcinogens, and synthesizing vitamins.
In your gut resides sensor hormones called incretins. They detect incoming food and signal our body to
absorb, metabolize, and store nutrients by facilitating communication between the gut and organs such
as the brain, pancreas, liver, and muscles. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is an incretin that signals
the release of insulin. Although not as well-known as insulin, GLP-1 is just as important in maintaining a
healthy level of blood sugar. Nutritionally bankrupt foods, such as those with added sugars and highly
processed food products, can interfere with the function of GLP-1 and other incretins.
For optimum metabolism and health, it’s important to have a diverse population of beneficial gut
bacteria. However, several factors can adversely affect the diversity and health of your gut. These
include a diet high in refined carbohydrates and omega-6 vegetable oils, a long-term ketogenic diet,
overtraining, stress, travel, and drugs such as antibiotics and NSAIDs.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Self-Love
Really loving and respecting yourself is beneficial for so
many aspects of your life that affect metabolism: stress
management, sleep quality, your choice of nutritious
foods, your motivation to work out, and more. But over the
years, I’ve heard so many clients say they hate their bellies,
their butts, their thighs, and other body parts. I thought
about these reactions long and hard. These people were
exercising hard out of self-hate, and ultimately it wasn’t
going to work for them, it ultimately created an excessive
amount of metabolism-disrupting stress in their lives.
What if, instead, you ate and exercised because you realized that you deserve to be healthy, vibrant,
and fit? What if you understood the truth, that those are amazing forms of SELF-CARE and SELF-LOVE?
In my experience, this is the most impactful key to long-term success. Who doesn’t like to take care of
themselves?
A healthy and fit version of you feels better and makes it possible for you to do more for the people
around you. A less than healthy version of you doesn’t feel great and doesn’t have the best capacity
to do good for the people around you. You deserve to be taken care of and it starts with yourself.
Understand this, move forward with it, and be empathetic and kind to yourself through this process
(it’s not easy), and your odds of true and forever success will skyrocket.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Anti-Aging
Although it’s true that your metabolism is slower than when you were a kid, a lot of mid-life weight gain
happens because we tend to exercise less as we get older. When we do not move as much so we lose
muscle and gain fat.
Here’s the deal: If you’re over the age of thirty-five—and not doing resistance training—you’ve begun
losing muscle, a process that will worsen if you don’t take action. When you lose muscle with age, it
becomes difficult to carry out such daily activities as climbing stairs or even getting up from your chair.
This can lead to inactivity, which causes further muscle loss. You can therefore be at an increased risk of
falling, a loss of independence, and even premature death.
Aging is a bummer, but as you get older, it is important to make resistance training a regular part of
your lifestyle – at least 2 to 3 times a week. Resistance training is truly the fountain of youth. It is the
only form of exercise that can dramatically postpone, even reverse, the losses in muscle mass, bone
density, and strength that were once considered preordained results of aging. Not only that, but
resistance training simply makes you look younger with less body fat and more body-firming muscle.
There is just no other bona fide age-eraser than resistance training!
Making lifestyle changes is the most effective metabolism booster, and that becomes even more
important as we get older. When you have these factors aligned, your metabolic environment will
support weight maintenance, a lean and muscular body, and excellent health.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Everyone’s metabolism can ultimately burn that many calories daily. In getting there, you directly
counter the problems that we have in our society—a sedentary lifestyle and the huge availability of
overly processed foods – not to mention achieving lasting weight loss (no more yo-yo dieting).
Bottom line: The more muscle you have, the more calories you will expend and the more fat you will
burn. That is what it means to have a faster metabolism.
Your muscles also burn more calories when they have a relatively
consistent “get stronger” signal. This is why the “every pound
of muscle burns X amount of calories” math can be off. I’ve had
clients only add a few pounds of muscle to their body – which
made them look more sculpted but not bigger – yet they were
able to eat those additional 500 calories a day and still get leaner.
With more muscle, their body got the message to prioritize
strength. The best way to make all that happen is to train with
resistance.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Build stronger
Build Strength
immunity
Strengthen your
Promote Anti-aging
bones
RESISTANCE
Develop better TRAINING Bring your hormones
cognition and mood into balance
This activity plan works for women too. Women will respond just like men except they typically have
a much lower potential for muscle growth. They can expect incredibly tight and toned muscles with
sustained fat loss.
You’ll work your larger muscles first (legs and chest), and progress to smaller muscles (shoulders, arms,
abdominals, and calves).
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REVERSE DIETING 101
• Aim for about 10 to 12 reps (on average) of each exercise short of failure. In other words, stop when
you know you can maybe squeeze out 2 to 3 more reps. Failure is unnecessary 90 percent of the
time and muscle growth is signaled before you reach failure. In fact, stay away from failure, and you
will experience superior gains.
This workout is best performed in a gym, although it works well for a home gym too. If working out at
home, you’ll need an adjustable barbell set with different increments of poundage (plates); a set of
dumbbells in varying poundages; resistance bands in different tensions; and an exercise mat.
Start: Use a squat rack for this exercise. Place the barbell on
the rack at a point at which it can be placed on the back of
your shoulders when you are standing upright. Lift the bar up
and walk out of the squat rack. Hold on to the bar with a firm
grip, tensing and retracting your shoulders.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Walking Lunges
Start: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in
your knees. Evenly distribute your weight. Hold a dumbbell in
each hand at your sides. Maintain a neutral spine and an upright
chest position.
Action: Take a step forward with your right foot. Bend your hips,
knees, and ankles to lower your hips toward the floor. Your front
knee should be directly over your big toe. Bring your rear left leg
and foot forward and resume the starting position. Repeat the
action by stepping forward on your left foot.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
Barbell Deadlift
Start: Place the barbell on the floor in front of your feet and keep
your legs close to the bar. Your feet should be about hip-width
apart. Take a shoulder-width grip on the bar. Keep your back and
arms straight.
Action: Pull the bar up the front of your thighs, using the strength
of your legs. At the top of the exercise, squeeze your glutes, and
pull your shoulders back.
To return the bar to the floor, push your bottom backward and
lower the bar down the front of your legs. Place the barbell back
on the floor. This completes one rep.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Start: Take the barbell with a firm grip and lie on your back on
your bench. Lift the barbell to a position over your chest, with
your arms extended. Make sure your hands are placed slightly
wider than shoulder-width apart.
Action: Lift the bar off the rack, retracting your shoulders
completely. Draw in your core completely, and drive your feet
into the floor. Lower the barbell to your chest. Return to the
starting position. Make sure you move the weight through a full
range of motion. This completes one rep.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
Dumbbell Rows
Start: Pin your shoulders back and down with the dumbbells at
midthigh. Keep your chest high and hinge forward at your hips
until you reach a 45-degree angle to the floor. Tighten your core
to support your back.
Dumbbell Shrugs
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Note: You can also perform this exercise while seated. A seated
dumbbell overhead press is a better option if you are new to
resistance training or if you have back issues or injuries. To
perform the exercise, simply sit on a bench and follow the same
steps.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
Action: Raise your arms up and out to your sides until your
shoulder blades want to retract. Return the dumbbells to the
starting position. This completes one rep.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
Barbell Curls
Start: Place the barbell in front of you on the floor. Grab the bar
with a firm underhand grip and lift it up to your upper thighs.
Maintain an upright posture. Brace your core.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Triceps Pressdown
This exercise can be performed in the gym using a cable machine set up for pressdowns. However, in
the instructions below, I show you how to do the very same exercise using resistance bands, which can
be used at a gym or at home.
Perform 2 to 3 sets.
Isometric Planks
Action: Brace your core and extend your legs back and press
your hips up. Tuck your tailbone forward, squeezing your abs.
Hold the position for the specified amount of time.
Action: Slowly lower your heels until you feel a stretch. When
you get to the bottom, try to lift your toes as high as you can as if
you are trying to get them to touch your shins. You won’t be able
to move much but this is okay; the intention is what is important.
Pull your toes up while your heels are at the bottom for 5 to 10
seconds, then step down and rest for 10 to 20 seconds. Repeat
until time is up. Perform 2 to 3 sets.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
You want to lose more body fat (see below), now that your metabolism is faster.
Remember, your body burns off fat and pounds if you expend more calories than you consume or if
you consume less calories than you burn (known as energy balance). Although I am a big believer that
it’s not only about energy balance and that things like hormone fluctuations and your gut microbiome
can influence fat loss, it’s crystal clear (based on mounds of scientific evidence) that energy balance
plays the BIGGEST role in determining whether or not you lose weight or gain it. As I’ve stated, if you
are consuming more calories than you burn, nothing will make your body lose weight. This is a simply
law of physics: you can’t lose weight if your body has excess energy, and you can’t gain weight if your
body isn’t provided with enough energy.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
Ok, now that we have made that fact clear, I want to address the BEST way to work with calories to get
your body to BURN THE MOST BODY FAT. I’m not going to talk about macro nutrients (proteins, fats
and carbs), although they are also extremely important factors to consider, second only to total calories.
Based on Chapter 4, I’m going to assume you have a good idea of how many grams of each of the
macro nutrients you need to consume while in a calorie or energy deficit for your own body.
When people understand that they need to eat less than they burn or vice versa to lose weight, they
tend to apply this knowledge in a very straightforward daily consistent way. Here is an example:
Let’s say you figure that your body runs on 2,500 calories every day. Because you want to lose weight,
you decide to consume 2,000 calories every day, thus putting your body at a calorie deficit of 500
calories. In other words, you are burning 500 more calories a day than you are eating. This results in
some fat loss, and it’s pretty straightforward. However, it’s also not the best way to approach your diet,
because of its potentially negative effect on your metabolism.
When you do ANYTHING super consistently, your body adapts quickly. If you are consistently
consuming 500 calories less than you are burning, your body will aim to become more efficient with
calories to make up the difference. Remember, your body does NOT want to burn tissue, and this
includes fat. It would rather store it and keep it in case of a famine.
Also, your metabolism has an uncanny ability to slow down to adapt to a low-calorie diet - the main
reason why diets work for a short while but then stop working entirely. Your body simply adapted.
An effective dietary strategy is Alternate Reverse Dieting. It alternates between days with a bigger
caloric deficit, a smaller deficit, some maintenance days, and even some days where you eat a little
more than you burn. In my experience, this LESSENS the metabolic slowdown that occurs with regular
dieting. In essence, you are alternating lower-calorie dieting with reverse dieting.
This method has been studied in research. In one study, one group followed a diet that included
alternate reverse dieting. The group dieted for 11 days, then ate as they normally would for three days.
Another group followed a strict calorie-restricted diet. At the end of the study, both groups lost the
same amount of weight. However, those who followed the alternate reserve dieting method saw no
change in their metabolic rate and kept most of their weight off after the trial ended.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
In another study, women spent a month on a low-calorie diet, followed by a month on a moderate diet.
They repeated this pattern for five months. Their resting metabolic rate didn’t fall, and they lost weight
and body fat. They also worked out for three hours a week – which most likely helped produce the
positive results.
• Reduces cravings by better managing levels of your hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin
• Helps you lose fat more consistently and with fewer plateaus
Let’s say you run on 2,500 calories a day (your maintenance calories). You want to average 500 calories
UNDER this amount. That’s a total of 17,500 total calories consumed for the week. You want a 3,500
calorie deficit for the week (500 a day). Instead of simply eating 2,000 calories every day, mix up
your intake. Have some days be 1,500 calories and have others be 2500 calories or 2,000 calories.
Ultimately the goal is to hit the same targets for the week.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
The second option results in a faster metabolism and gives you some days where you get to consume
more food! It also more clearly self-mimics how real life works. Overall, the Alternate Reverse Diet is a
very effective strategy for both your body and your mental state.
The Reverse Diet and the Alternate Reverse Diet are specific tools for a specific job—building your
metabolism and keeping it elevated. Along with these, be sure to focus on other goals – enhancing
the quality of your sleep, managing stress, eating mindfully, loving your body, resistance training,
improving your digestion, and any other health goals. None of this means you can’t ever come back to
reverse dieting. You can. In fact, you can use reverse dieting as a tool any time after you have been in a
caloric deficit or feel like your metabolism needs a boost.
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REVERSE DIETING 101
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