Introduction
Reverse dieting refers to a strategic eating program that implicates slowly increasing an individual’s calorie input over a few weeks or months in order to allow an individual to eat more food after a diet while also increasing their metabolism and preventing fat gain or regain. This eating style was first popularized in the bodybuilding community in order to prevent any kind of rapid weight regains post a competition. During bodybuilding competitions, several bodybuilders must strictly follow the rules as well as an unsustainable diet in order to achieve the required and desired physique. Once the contest is over, the athletes resume a more sustainable, higher-calorie eating style. However, quickly replacing one’s diet with a much higher calorie input has the potential to lead to prompt fat gain along with weight gain as the metabolism of an individual decreases while in restrictive periods.
What Is Reverse Dieting?
When the majority of the people in a health-conscious society decide and want to take control of their physique as well as lose some amount of body fat, the next step seems to be quite clear, which is to go on a strict diet. But in reality, not every individual should take such a drastic step. For those individuals who have a history of crash dieting, as well as severe calorie intake restriction, or even a history of multiple failed crash diet attempts, jumping once again on a reverse dieting bandwagon will most probably yield negative or next to no results, and this may probably do more harm than any good to the individual.
Over recounted bouts of calorie restriction, the metabolism of an individual takes a strong beating. When an individual drops calories for too low or for too long, the body interlopes on several deceptions. Most importantly, there is a drastic reduction in the number of calories that the individual may be able to burn throughout the day, and this may often lead to the priming of the individual’s body for a surprising and unexpected rapid weight as well as fat gain. The biological phenomenon called metabolic adaptation has the potential to drastically hurl a twist in the journey of an individual’s weight-loss aims and goals. With the body of an individual always fighting to remove the calorie deficit that is necessary for fat loss, consuming only fewer calories than the individual may be able to burn has the potential to ultimately become extremely tricky.
Reverse dieting is what it sounds like, that is, a diet that has been turned upside-down. Instead of slashing calories and ramping up time spent on the treadmill, an individual may improve their metabolism by unhurriedly adding calories back into their diet while diminishing cardio. Although reverse dieting may sound quite simple, there is much more to reverse dieting than just eating more and doing less.
What Changes Does Reverse Dieting Bring About?
The concept of reverse dieting is intensely focused on metabolic adaptions such as adaptive thermogenesis. This is a protective strategy that modifies the individual’s metabolism in order to increase the energy intake as well as in order to decrease the individual’s energy output in an effort to drastically slow down weight loss. The positive news is that several studies indicate metabolic adaptation likely is not very permanent, and the metabolism of an individual may gradually increase as the individual’s calorie intake eventually increases. Reverse dieting is thought that most weight regains post a diet is the direct result of an excessive calorie intake. Thus, in reverse dieting, by gradually increasing the intake of calories in a steady and slow as well as thoughtful manner, an individual may potentially support their body in restoring the efficient metabolic rate, and this will lead to apt management of their levels of hunger in a much better fashion, and potentially reduce rapid weight regain. Mentioned below are a few of the changes that reverse dieting brings about in the individual.
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Hormone changes occur. The body can release or suppress several kinds of hormones. A few of the hormones are ghrelin, insulin, leptin, and peptide YY. These are done by the body in order to increase the individual’s hunger levels to push an individual to eat much more.
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There is a drastic decrease in the individual’s resting metabolic rate, which is called RMR. The body of an individual will remain to focus all of its energy on several vital organs to keep the individual alive. A very small amount of energy is dedicated to all the non-essential functions of the body, such as hair growth and nail growth.
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There is also a radical decrease in EAT, which is referred to as exercise activity thermogenesis. The result of this is a feeling of less amount of energy in order to exercise or being able to see a notable fall in one’s performance, which means they will be able to burn fewer amount of calories during any workout.
Who Should Avoid Reverse Dieting?
Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing calorie intake after a period of calorie restriction, aiming to maintain weight loss and enhance metabolism. However, it is not suitable for everyone.
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Individuals with eating disorders or a history of disordered eating should avoid reverse dieting as it can be triggering. Instead, they should seek guidance from a doctor or registered dietitian for alternative weight maintenance strategies.
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Individuals who are already underweight should not engage in reverse dieting, as it is intended for those at a healthy weight or who have recently lost weight. Rapidly increasing calorie intake in such cases could result in undesired weight gain.
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Reverse dieting is most effective for active individuals, and those who are not physically active may not experience the same benefits from the process.
Conclusion
Reverse dieting can be understood as a strategic eating plan that inculcates an individual to slowly increase their calorie intake following a highly restricted-calorie diet to restore their metabolism. The process of reverse dieting helps in preventing any kind of rapid weight regain. The term reverse dieting, for the majority of people, may sound negligibly confusing. Reverse dieting does sound like the process wherein an individual would probably eat more to shed some pounds and end up losing weight. Nevertheless, several experts attribute reverse dieting as not being the very opposite of the confused understanding and nametags it has. Instead, it implicates steadily and slowly adding several limited calories back into an individual’s meal plans and then eventually working their way out of a calorie-deficit diet.
