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Ditch the Deficit - And Get Lean

Everyone knows you have to eat less to lose weight - but no one talks about how to end a diet without gaining it all right back.

 

Isn’t it confusing? You’ve been eating less and less to get here - but how can you go back to eating more and still maintain your results?

And along the path to lower calories, you might also be feeling:

 

  • low energy
  • lack of strength
  • tanked motivation and mood
  • hormonal dysfunction
  • or other symptoms that make you think, “something’s gotta change!”

Want to see how real people improved body composition, energy, and zest for life - while eating more food? I bet you do. Let’s break down exactly how this process, known as reverse dieting, works, with examples of people who did it - so you too can bump up your calories and take on the world!

Joe - Start

8 Wk Cut - 1700 Cals

8 Wk Reverse Diet - 2700 Cals

WHY SHOULD WE EAT MORE?

A client wants to lose weight. They eat less and move more. But my goal is never to keep them at this low calorie amount forever. Why?
 

1. More food = more flexibility

Enjoy a wider variety of foods — including treats - without wrecking your progress. This helps you stay on the path longer without getting bored or missing your favorite foods.
 

2. Your metabolism gets stronger

By raising your caloric intake slowly, your metabolism adapts — it learns to burn more over time. That’s called metabolic flexibility. You’ll be able to shift between fat loss, maintenance, or muscle building without your body pushing back.

 

3. Better training, better hormones

More fuel means better gym performance. But it also supports hormone health — testosterone, estrogen, thyroid, and recovery all thrive in a well-fed state.
 

4. Less pain, fewer injuries

Underfeeding — even slightly — can lead to lingering aches or slower recovery. When you’re well-fed, your body has the resources to repair itself. You’ll feel more resilient and ready to get after it in the gym (and life).
 

5. Sharper mind, higher libido

When your body feels nourished and safe, your nervous system shifts from survive to thrive. That means better mental clarity, improved sex drive, and a more stable mood.

REVERSE DIETING STEPS

When is a reverse diet needed, how long should it take, and how much/what should you eat? The process can change a bit from person to person, so we follow the data for each individual to decide when to change calories. But here is the general process:

  1. Start in the right place - this process comes at the end of a cut, or when a person is already at or near their ideal body weight.
     
  2. Increase slowly - imagine a campfire with just a few sparks and a tiny flame. You’re not going to dump a big log (aka calories) on top. Eat about 100 calories more each day for a week or two, then make 10% jumps every couple weeks or so if the data looks good.
     
  3. Track closely - most people end a cut and return to eating with wild abandon. But adding more calories requires just as much diligence as subtracting them. Weigh yourself daily, track food accurately, and keep up daily steps and training. Look at body weight averages to make decisions, not a single day.
     
  4. Take progress photos - this process can mess with your head because it feels so counter-intuitive. Weekly progress photos (front, side, back) in the same lighting will help tell the true story. You can also measure body areas if you like.

THE PROOF - SEE WHAT HAPPENED

Because our coaching approach is data-driven, I bring you…the receipts. Here are real clients that had successful reverse diets!

Ashley - Start

1600 Cals - Mid Point

2100 Cals - End Point

Ashley's calorie increase allowed her to push harder in the gym - lifts improved and she is maintaining her body composition even with 500 more calories per day.

Brandon - start of cut, 2000 Cals

2500 Cals - Mid Point

3000 Cals - 4 Wks Post Cut

Satya - 1700 Cal, 139 lbs - Start

Reverse Diet to 2300 Cals - 136.5 lbs

Satya was maintaining at 1700 calories but was low on energy and just accepting it as the status quo. Now at 2300-2400 cals, her strength, muscle, and energy have improved even though body weight went down.

Ryan - start

End of cut - 1700 cals

Still building - 2100 Cals

Ryan was afraid to eat more - but the data shows it works!

PRO TIP: DON'T GO IT ALONE

Do you fear eating more food, or more of certain foods like carbs?

 

Does the scale going up make you doubt yourself - even if your progress photos tell another story?

 

Maybe the steps are perfectly clear - until they meet real-world obstacles like hectic schedules, travel, illness, and overwhelm.

 

That's exactly why our Persist Platinum coaching relies on four pillars to remove second-guessing from the process:

 

1. Personal Data Dashboard - every client adds a few simple, key pieces of data to their dashboard daily, for ultimate clarity on the information used to make decisions. No more emotional knee-jerk reactions to the scale going up on a single day.

 

2. Form Feedback & Effort Calibration - you don't need to train for endless hours - you just need to make them count. We get eyes on every client to make sure you're moving safely, and most importantly, expending the right amount of effort in the gym to change your body.

 

3. Nutrition Skill Stacking - Most coaches just hand you some macros or a meal plan and off you go, without actually building the skill of nutrition. We make sure you have a nutrition toolbox that includes accurate tracking, finding foods that meet your calorie and protein needs while out and about, and even enjoying treats while staying on track.

 

4. Decision Making - When do you bump up calories? When do you hold your cards? We'll do it with you, not just for you - because no one eats and trains the exact same way forever. Get your reverse diet working now - and learn how to change your body composition any time you need to in the future.

GET STARTED NOW

What will your fitness look like three months from now? Get faster, more certain results - book your free call to see how Persist Platinum coaching can work for you.

SCHEDULE NOW

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