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Medically Reviewed
Extreme calorie restriction in an attempt to lose weight is an age-old trend in dieting, but our bodies are not designed to withstand that type of restriction. In fact, research shows that they will actively work against it.
One of the newer trends sweeping the industry is reverse dieting, in which you strategically increase your calories over time to maintain your weight loss results while eating more food. Its purported benefits sound tempting, but what are health experts saying?
Here, we’ll explain the concept of reverse dieting and examine its potential risks and benefits according to evidence-based research and through the eyes of healthcare professionals.
Reverse dieting is a post-diet eating strategy that slowly increases your calorie intake (over weeks or months) to prevent weight gain as you return to your previous calorie levels. It has been popular in the bodybuilding community as a way to prevent rapid weight gain after a competition.
To obtain their desired physique, bodybuilders follow strict, unsustainable diets. But since the body’s metabolism slows during periods of restriction, returning to a higher calorie intake after competition can result in weight gain. Enter, reverse dieting.
Adaptive thermogenesis is a protective mechanism that alters your body’s metabolism during periods of restriction to decrease your energy expenditure in an effort to slow weight loss. Reverse dieting, on the other hand, aims to restore metabolic rates in order to minimize fat gain while increasing calorie intake after restriction.
While this logically makes sense, it’s important to note there are some aspects of reverse dieting that concern health professionals.
Since all bodies are unique, there isn’t a “one size fits all” reverse diet. Proponents of reverse dieting suggest that dieters increase their calorie intake by 2% to 3% per week, primarily from carbohydrates and fat[1]. In theory, you would increase your calorie intake on a weekly basis until you reach your pre-diet calorie count or another calorie goal. The design of your reverse diet will take into account your current calorie intake, your desired approach and your goal calorie count.
Reverse dieting comes with some concerns and potential dangers, meaning it may not be suitable for everyone, and anyone who wants to consider a form of reverse dieting should first consult their doctor or a registered dietitian. There is always a risk of weight gain once you add calories to your diet. However, according to the American Psychological Association, the science behind weight fluctuations is more complicated than simply adding calories, and includes both physiological and psychological factors. A person consuming fewer calories will experience hormonal and metabolic changes along with shifts in cognitive function that might make keeping weight off a challenge.
Furthermore, long term, restrictive dieting has been associated with changes in certain hormones, including leptin, ghrelin and insulin, which may result in changes to your metabolic rate and, ultimately, weight fluctuations and difficulty losing weight or maintaining weight loss.
“Following very low-calorie diets impacts hormones,” agrees Jennie Waegelein M.S., the New York-based registered dietitian behind Jen Marie Nutrition.“The body is smart, its only goal is to survive. [When] trying to trick the body by dieting or consuming less than it needs, our hormones suffer and this changes things like our response to stress, our appetite and our sleep,” she continues, adding that these changes can cause more weight gain in the long run.
Perhaps the most concerning risk is the potentially triggering response that precise calorie counting can elicit from anyone with a history of eating disorders. Reverse dieting requires accurate calorie tracking with little to no room for error, so the benefits may not outweigh the risks for some.
Without sufficient long-term scientific research, the purported benefits of reverse dieting are anecdotal at best. Its primary benefit is the freedom it provides for dieters to transition back to a more sustainable eating pattern after a temporary, calorie-restrictive diet. However, its supporters claim it offers other purported benefits, such as:
A conservative approach to reverse dieting would be aiming for a 2% to 3% increase in your weekly calorie intake until you’ve reached your goal calories. If you want to be slightly more aggressive with the process, you might increase your weekly calories by a higher percentage during the first week and then by 2% to 3% every week after that until you’ve reached your goal.
However, it’s important to remember that there is very little scientific evidence to back up reverse dieting claims. The lack of scientific research limits the quantitative recommendations available to dieters. If you plan to implement reverse dieting into your lifestyle, it is best to discuss the implications with your doctor or registered dietitian.
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Reverse dieting may not be a fit for everyone, but those on a temporary restrictive diet may find it helpful as they reintroduce a more balanced diet into their lifestyle. However, it’s best to do so under the guidance and supervision of a medical professional, such as your doctor or a registered dietitian nutritionist.
While reverse dieting may work for some, it’s not ideal to repeat again and again. Weight cycling can result in weight gain and added health risks. For example, bouncing between calorie restriction and reverse dieting creates a “yo-yo effect” in many of your body’s systems, including our cardiovascular and endocrine systems, which can lead to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Not to mention the increased risk of developing an eating disorder.
“Reverse dieting may help you slowly transition into healthy habits as you stop your diet,” explains Springfield, Missouri-based registered dietitian Kayley Myers, owner of Freedom and Glory Nutrition. “Because reverse dieting prevents you from going back to your old ways of eating, you have the opportunity to slowly add larger amounts of nutrient-dense foods, like nuts and heart-healthy oils.”
However, Myers ultimately cautions against reverse dieting, due to the fact that, “there is little research” to back up its beneficial claims. “It can also be difficult to follow because it requires precise calorie counting to stay within the plan,” Myers continues. Instead, Myers recommends a nutritious diet of whole foods instead of trying a more restrictive plan. “This can help avoid the damage to your metabolism commonly seen with dieting,” she says.
If you are currently on a temporary diet with severe restrictions, reverse dieting may be something to explore with guidance from your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Those with a history of eating disorders are encouraged to seek care from their registered dietitian before implementing reverse dieting restrictions.
Lose Weight Without Giving Up What You Love
Weight Watchers is not a deprivation diet or prepackaged meals. Their program is based on nutritional and behavioral science that help change your relationship with food—so you can keep your favorites.
Lose Weight Without Giving Up What You Love
Weight Watchers is not a deprivation diet or prepackaged meals. Their program is based on nutritional and behavioral science that help change your relationship with food—so you can keep your favorites.
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Chelsea Rae Bourgeois is a registered dietitian nutritionist with several years of experience working in the clinical setting. Once a track and field athlete on a competitive stage, she now finds joy in combining her passions as a freelance writer to help people embrace their health through nutrition and fitness. When she isn’t writing, you can find her outside with her kids or dancing to Dolly Parton in the kitchen.
Mascha Davis M.P.H., R.D.N., is a nationally recognized registered dietitian nutritionist, humanitarian and founder of Nomadista Nutrition, a private nutrition practice based in Los Angeles. Her writing and expertise have been featured in numerous publications and media outlets including TIME, CNN, Newsweek, the Washington Post, ABC news, Men’s Health Magazine, Women’s Health, Mind Body Green, Bustle, Refinery29, PopSugar Fitness, Reader’s Digest and many more. In her private practice, she uses an evidence-based approach and Nutrigenomics to help her clients optimize their health, manage chronic conditions and achieve a healthy weight. In addition, Davis provides nutrition consulting services to start-ups and corporations. In 2016, she gave a TEDx talk about her international humanitarian work in Africa, where she spent five years working on programs for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition in women and children. Her nutrition tips, health advice and recipes can be found on her Instagram account @nomadista_nutrition and her blog on nomadistanutrition.com. Her book with publisher Simon & Schuster, Eat Your Vitamins, is available online and in bookstores nationwide.