How to Break Through a Fat Loss Plateau with Reverse Dieting

If you’ve been dieting for a while and suddenly hit a wall—your weight won’t budge, your energy’s in the gutter, and your cravings are off the charts—you might not need to cut more calories. In fact, the solution might be the opposite: it’s time to reverse diet.

What Is Reverse Dieting?

Reverse dieting is the strategic process of slowly increasing your daily caloric intake after a prolonged calorie deficit. It’s not just about eating more—it’s about rebuilding your metabolism and restoring hormonal balance without rapidly gaining body fat.

Think of it like this: Your body adapts to lower calories over time, becoming more efficient and burning fewer calories at rest. This is called metabolic adaptation. If you’ve been in a deficit too long, your body downshifts—slowing your metabolism, increasing hunger hormones, and reducing recovery and performance.

Signs You’ve Been in a Deficit Too Long

 • You’re no longer losing weight despite eating very little

 • You’re constantly tired, moody, or cold

 • Your workouts suck

 • You’ve lost muscle or strength

 • You’re obsessing over food or bingeing more often

 • Your hormones are out of whack (ladies—think irregular cycles)

If any of these sound familiar, your body is waving a red flag. It’s not broken—but it needs a reset.

How Reverse Dieting Works

Instead of jumping straight back to maintenance calories (or beyond), you slowly increase food week-by-week—usually by 50–150 calories at a time—prioritizing protein and carbs to fuel your metabolism and workouts. This gives your body time to adapt and prevents rapid fat gain.

Why It Works

By feeding your body more, you:

 • Restore thyroid and sex hormone function

 • Improve training performance and recovery

 • Build muscle (hello, improved body composition!)

 • Reduce food obsession and cravings

 • Give yourself a better starting point for fat loss in the future

Will I Gain Fat?

Maybe a little, but probably not much if you do it right. Most of what you gain will be water, glycogen, and food volume. Many people actually see body recomposition—looking leaner even as the scale stays the same,creeps up slightly, or even comes down!

Wrap it Up!

If you’ve been grinding in a CONSISTENT deficit for months (or years), it’s time to shift gears. Reverse dieting isn’t giving up—it’s playing the long game. It’s the smart, sustainable way to reset your metabolism, rebuild your body, and make your next fat loss phase more effective.

If you are curious about reverse dieting, reach out to us at revolutionizenj@gmail.com and our expert nutritionists can teach you all about it!

Schedule your complimentary initial consultation and Fit3D Scan here at Rev!