Reverse Dieting: Recovering From a Cut

You've finished your cut. The diet worked - you're leaner than before. Now what? If you immediately go back to eating normally, there's a good chance you'll regain most of the fat you lost within weeks. This is where reverse dieting comes in.

Reverse dieting is exactly what it sounds like: dieting in reverse. Instead of decreasing calories to lose weight, you gradually increase them to find your new maintenance level without triggering rapid fat regain.

Why You Can't Just "Go Back to Normal"

After an extended calorie deficit, your body has adapted in several ways:

• Your metabolism has slowed - NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) decreases. You move less without realising it.
• Hormones have shifted - Leptin (satiety hormone) is lower. Ghrelin (hunger hormone) is higher. You're biologically primed to overeat.
• Your "maintenance" has dropped - What used to be maintenance calories might now be a surplus.
• Psychological restriction effects - Weeks of saying no to foods makes them more appealing. The urge to binge is real.

This is why most people regain weight after diets - they return to previous eating patterns without accounting for metabolic adaptation.

How Reverse Dieting Works

The concept is straightforward: increase calories slowly enough that your metabolism can upregulate without storing the excess as fat.

Typical protocols add 50-150 calories per week, primarily from carbohydrates (which help restore leptin levels and support training). The process usually takes 4-12 weeks depending on how aggressive your cut was.

The Phases of Recovery

What to Expect

You Will Gain Some Weight

This isn't fat - at least not mostly. When you increase carbohydrates, your muscles store more glycogen. Each gram of glycogen holds 3-4 grams of water. A 2-4lb (1-2kg) increase in the first week or two is normal and expected.

This is actually desirable. Those glycogen stores fuel your training. You'll look "fuller" rather than "flatter" - muscles more defined, not less.

You Will Feel Better

Where to Add the Calories

Most coaches recommend prioritising carbohydrates during a reverse diet:

• Carbs first - They have the strongest effect on leptin and support training. Add rice, oats, fruit, potatoes.
• Fats secondary - Small increases help with hormone function and satiety. Nuts, olive oil, avocado.
• Protein stays constant - You were hopefully eating enough during your cut. No need to increase significantly (1.6-2.2g/kg is still the target).

Common Mistakes

1. Going Too Fast

Adding 500 calories overnight might feel liberating, but it outpaces your metabolism's ability to adapt. Result: fat regain that could have been avoided.

2. Stopping Too Early

Some people reverse to a point that's still below their true maintenance, then wonder why they still feel tired and hungry. Keep going until you reach a genuinely sustainable intake.

3. Cutting Again Too Soon

If you reverse for 4 weeks then start another cut, you never gave your metabolism time to recover. Spend at least as long at maintenance as you spent dieting before cutting again.

Is Reverse Dieting Necessary?

Honestly? The evidence is limited. There are no large studies specifically on reverse dieting protocols. What we know comes from metabolic adaptation research and practical experience from the bodybuilding/fitness community.

Some people can transition to maintenance more quickly without problems. Others need the gradual approach. If you've done aggressive, long-term calorie restriction, a structured reverse is probably wise. For moderate, shorter cuts, a faster transition might work fine.