How reverse dieting can support a healthy metabolism

If you've ever been on a low-calorie diet, chances are, you know that losing weight is one thing, but maintaining weight loss is where the real struggle begins.

Do you just stay on the diet forever? For many, that's unsustainable, and you know what comes next: you find yourself gaining weight again, only to start another low-calorie diet.

Yo-yo dieting can be a tricky cycle to break, but for some people, reverse dieting is the key to coming off a diet while also maintaining weight loss.

So, what is reverse dieting? And how does it work? Is it just... eating everything in sight? (Spoilers, it's not.)

In this article, we'll break down everything you need to know about reverse dieting and how it works to stop weight regain after a period of losing weight.

What is reverse dieting?

Reverse dieting is a nutritional strategy typically used after any period of calorie restriction — this could be competition prep for bodybuilders or other elite athletes, or a low-calorie diet in the lead-up to a big event.

It's also a good way to normalise your calorie intake and support healthy habits after a long period of yo-yo dieting.

The idea behind reverse dieting is that you gradually introduce a higher calorie intake back into your life, which minimises the likelihood that you'll go overboard and quickly gain weight and fat back [1].

The goal here is to help your metabolism adjust to higher calorie levels without rapid weight regain and to allow your body to restore its hormonal and metabolic balance, which is disrupted by prolonged dieting.

Here's what typically characterises reverse dieting:

• Gradual calorie increase: Instead of jumping back to pre-diet calorie intake (and to reduce the risk of binge eating) calories are increased slowly, often by 50–100 calories per week.
• Focus on macros: The increase is typically tailored to specific macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats) based on individual goals and needs.
• Metabolic adaptation: It helps mitigate the effects of metabolic adaptation that occur during dieting, such as a slowed metabolism.[3]
• Improved hormonal health: Prolonged calorie restriction can suppress hormones like leptin and thyroid hormones [2]. Reverse dieting can help normalise them, improving energy, mood, and appetite regulation.
• Sustainability: It provides a structured way to transition from a calorie deficit to maintenance, making it easier to sustain results long-term.

How does reverse dieting work?

When you slowly reintroduce calories via reverse dieting, it can help your metabolism adjust to having more calories, while helping you maintain weight loss and prevent weight regain.

To reverse diet after a period of weight loss, you would take your current calorie intake and begin the process of slowly increasing your calorie intake.

Typically, this would be by 50-100 additional daily calories per week, depending on your body size, activity level, and goals.

More specifically, you would focus on adding calories by macronutrients — while your protein intake would remain high to preserve muscle mass, you could increase your calorie intake for carbohydrates and fats, as they are essential for energy and hormonal health [2].

Then, you would monitor your progress over the weeks and make adjustments as necessary — that is, if you're not gaining weight and your performance improves, you can up your calorie intake again.

If you find that you're gaining weight, however, you can slow or pause any further calorie adjustments.

By gradually increasing calories, the body has time to adjust, which can help you avoid the rapid fat storage and weight regain that often happens after diets.

Reverse dieting also encourages your body to burn more calories as your calorie intake increases, which can break the low-energy cycle of dieting.

Finally, it's also a good way to improve your psychological relationship with food, as it allows you to introduce more food variety and satisfaction into your daily calorie intake — without the guilt or binge eating pattern.

By the end of the reverse dieting process, you should reach a sustainable maintenance calorie intake (e.g., 2,000–2,400 calories/day) with minimal weight regain and restored energy, mood, and metabolic health.

Does reverse dieting work for weight loss?

Reverse dieting is not typically intended for weight loss. Rather, the main focus of a reverse diet is to help you restore your metabolism while preventing rapid weight regain after dieting.

With that being said, however, there are a few ways that a reverse diet could theoretically (and indirectly) lead to weight loss for some people.

Reverse dieting means that you're eating more food, and often, more calories means more energy.

This energy boost often allows people to engage in higher physical activity levels, which can mean that you end up burning more calories.

The balanced hormonal levels that reverse dieting can offer may also help end a binge eating pattern or tendency to emotionally eat, and by adding calories to your diet, you may find that you don't suffer from as many feelings of deprivation that can come with restrictive diets.

In turn, this may lead to fewer "cheat meals" and a healthier, more sustainable eating pattern.

If you've been on a restrictive diet for a prolonged period and have found that you've hit the dreaded weight loss plateau, increasing your calorie intake via a reverse diet could help boost your metabolism.

This would then allow you to burn more calories without regaining weight, and encourage future weight loss.

On the other hand, factors like genetics, activity levels, and hormonal health will all influence your reverse diet results, and if you increase your calorie intake above your total daily energy expenditure, you may find it difficult to maintain weight loss.

The benefits of reverse dieting

While many of the studies on reverse dieting tend to focus on how it affects elite athletes after a long period on a low-calorie diet [3], there are many ways that reverse dieting could help us regular folk, as well — particularly if you have a long history of restrictive diets, yo-yo dieting, or are seeking long-term metabolic health.

Because reverse dieting involves gradually adding calories back into your diet, your body and metabolism have time to adjust to the increased energy intake, which reduces the risk of rapid weight regain after a period of weight loss [1].

When you've been on a restrictive diet for an extended period of time, it slows your metabolism down (a process called metabolic adaptation), which means that you burn fewer calories [4].

This can slow or stall your weight loss journey, even if you remain in a calorie deficit.

However, when you gradually increase your calorie intake via reverse dieting, you can help retrain your metabolic adaptation — without regaining weight.

Reverse dieting can also improve your hormonal balance [2] — specifically hunger hormones like leptin, ghrelin, thyroid hormones, and your reproductive hormones — which can improve energy, mood, appetite regulation and overall health. In turn, this can support weight maintenance [5].

With more energy from reverse dieting, you may even find that you're able to lose weight, as more calories means more fuel for your body, which can improve physical and mental energy, making your workouts more effective.

Maintaining weight loss after dieting can be challenging due to metabolic adaptation and psychological factors.

Reverse dieting creates a sustainable way to return to your body's maintenance calories, stabilising your weight and improving your body's ability to handle more calories without weight gain.

Reverse dieting isn’t just about how many calories you consume, though.

Rather, it’s about restoring balance to your body and mind as you transition from a restrictive diet into a weight maintenance phase.

Are there any potential risks?

While reverse dieting is generally considered safe and a good way to prevent weight gain after a period of losing weight, yes, there are potential risks and challenges to consider.

The primary concern in reverse dieting is if you increase your calorie intake too quickly or without monitoring, as you may end up exceeding your maintenance calories and gaining weight back.

Misestimating your calorie intake or activity levels can also hinder progress, potentially leading to weight regain.

Furthermore, people with certain medical conditions may not respond predictably to reverse dieting.

Other people also find that reverse dieting can be psychologically challenging [1]. Reverse dieting is a slow process that may not yield noticeable changes in weight or body composition right away, which some people may find frustrating.

Those with a long history of restrictive diets may struggle with increasing their calorie intake out of fear of rapid weight regain.

Meanwhile, increasing calorie intake may trigger overeating patterns in people who have a history of binge eating. And because reverse dieting requires such meticulous calorie tracking, some people may struggle with obsessive behaviours around calorie counting.

How to reverse diet without gaining weight

Reverse dieting without gaining weight is possible if you approach the process carefully and monitor both your caloric intake and your body weight along the way.

The key to reverse dieting is to slowly increase your daily calories, as this will allow your metabolism to adapt. In turn, this will help you maintain your weight and prevent rapid weight regain. Here's how to do it:

Determine your current calorie intake

First up, you need to know what your current calorie intake is. This will allow you to slowly reintroduce calories by 50-100 calories per week, depending on your activity level and response [1].

Rather than adding calories that won't offer anything, focus on your macros — maintain your protein levels, and add nutrient-dense carbohydrates and fats back into your diet.

One option would be to add one of Juniper's Nourish Shakes to your daily calorie intake.

With the nutritional benefits of a balanced meal, our Nourish Shakes aren't just delicious — they're packed with premium ingredients that are designed to support your weight loss journey.

Monitor your progress

Keep regular track of your weight, and take measurements of your body composition.

By monitoring your waist, hips, and other key areas, you'll be able to assess what is fat regain, compared to muscle maintenance. Also, note any changes to mood and energy.

Throughout the reverse dieting process, it's important to maintain or increase your activity level, as this will be crucial to preventing weight gain.

However, it's also important to listen to your body and adjust your reverse diet to suit your body.

For instance, if you find that weight gain has become an issue, slow the rate at which you're adding calories back into your diet.

But if you find that your energy levels are low, you may want to try adding more food back into your diet to boost metabolic adaptation.

Be patient and consistent

Reverse dieting is a long-term strategy, not a quick fix. Rushing the process can lead to fat gain.

Commit to the reverse dieting process for several weeks or months, and log your calorie intake, activity levels and results regularly.

If reverse dieting sounds too overwhelming, Juniper's Weight Reset Program may be a good option for you.

At Juniper, we're with you every step of the way, from the moment you decide you want to lose weight, to helping you build the healthy habits you'll need to make your weight loss sustainable in the long term.

If you have a history of yo-yo dieting, we want to help you break the cycle.

Designed by Australia's leading practitioners and dietitians, the Weight Reset Program is a holistic weight loss program that offers groundbreaking medical treatments for weight loss, combined with support, advice and accountability from your health coach and a private community of likeminded folk who are on the same journey as you.

Check your eligibility today.

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