REVERSE DIET
Whether you are just coming off a competition prep diet or hit a big goal on a recomposition (fat loss) phase, there comes a need to do a reverse diet. Never heard that term before? Let me explain below.
First let's talk about why it is needed. As you run a calorie deficit, your body puts into play starvation safety measures to maintain survival. If it senses you aren't getting in more calories than you burn (which is what we have to do for fat loss) it wants to prevent this from continuing so you don't starve to death. There are many adaptations that occur, including lowering the metabolism, reducing activity, increasing hunger and making it easier to put on bodyfat.
While none of the above adaptations are awesome, by doing a proper reverse diet, we can minimize excess fat gain, prime the metabolism and "reset" the body's system, which in turn can lead to better fat loss down the road and most importantly, no bad rebound and regain of bodyfat. This is a good thing and a step that constant dieters can avoid.
By systematically increasing intake slowly over time while improving muscle mass, a proper reverse diet will get the metabolism in a better position and set you in control of your body composition. The good news is with patience and consistency, you will soon find yourself eating way more than you did before, with a bigger metabolism to boot!
