
Reverse dieting is a method of gradually increasing your calorie intake over several weeks or months. It is often recommended that you increase your daily calorie intake by 50 to 150 calories per week, although this will depend on your goals and how your body is responding. For example, if you are still losing weight at 1,600 calories a day, you would increase to 1,700 calories a day for the next week. This process continues until you reach a daily calorie intake where you are no longer losing or gaining weight.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How often to increase calories | By 50 to 150 calories per week |
| How much to increase by | 50-calorie increments for women |
| How long for | Several weeks or months |
| How to decide | Based on your goal, how motivated you are to eat more, and how much fat you're willing to gain |
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What You'll Learn
- Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing your calorie intake over several weeks or months
- The recommended increase is 50-150 calories per week
- Women are often told to increase their calorie intake in 50-calorie increments
- Reverse dieting is unnecessary and possibly counterproductive
- Your goal determines how many calories you add each time you increase your intake

Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing your calorie intake over several weeks or months
For example, if you end your diet eating 1,800 calories per day, you would increase your calorie intake to 1,900 calories per day for the first week of your reverse diet. If you are still losing weight at this calorie intake, you would then increase your calorie intake to 2,000 calories per day for the next week, and so on. It is recommended that you get most of these additional calories from carbohydrates, as increasing your carbohydrate intake can raise the levels of a hormone called leptin, which helps to increase metabolic rate and reduce hunger.
However, it is important to note that reverse dieting is unnecessary and possibly counterproductive. It is also important to track your weight during the reverse diet to ensure that you are not losing or gaining weight. Once you reach a daily calorie intake where you are maintaining your weight, your reverse diet is complete.
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The recommended increase is 50-150 calories per week
Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing your calorie intake over several weeks or months. The recommended increase is 50-150 calories per week, although women are often told to increase their calorie intake in 50-calorie increments. The number of calories you add each time you increase your intake depends on your goals and how often you add calories will depend on the metrics you track. For example, if you are eating 1,500 calories a day for weight loss, you would eat 1,600 calories a day for a week, then track your weight to see if there's any change. If you're still losing weight, you would increase to 1,700 calories a day for the next week, and so on. Proponents of reverse dieting claim that it increases metabolic rate, allowing you to eat more food without gaining fat.
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Women are often told to increase their calorie intake in 50-calorie increments
Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing your calorie intake over several weeks or months, usually by adding 50 to 150 calories per day per week. Women are often told to increase their calorie intake in 50-calorie increments. This means that if you end your diet eating 1,800 calories per day, you would start your reverse diet by eating 1,850 calories per day for a week, then increase to 1,900 calories per day the next week, and so on.
The number of calories you add each time you increase your intake depends on your goals and the metrics you track. It's also important to consider how motivated you are to eat more and how much fat you're willing to gain. For example, if you're still losing weight at 1,600 calories per day, you can increase to 1,700 calories per day for the next week. Track your weight again, and if you're still losing weight, you can increase to 1,800 calories per day. Once you reach a daily calorie intake where you're not losing or gaining weight, your reverse diet is done.
Proponents of reverse dieting claim that it increases metabolic rate, allowing you to eat more food without gaining fat. They recommend getting most of these additional calories from carbohydrates, as increasing your carbohydrate intake can raise the levels of a hormone called leptin, which helps increase metabolic rate and reduce hunger.
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Reverse dieting is unnecessary and possibly counterproductive
Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing your calorie intake over the course of several weeks or months, usually by increasing your daily calorie intake by 50 to 150 calories per week. However, this practice is unnecessary and may even be counterproductive.
The idea behind reverse dieting is that it will increase your metabolic rate, allowing you to eat more food without gaining fat. But the reality is that if you've lost weight, you're likely to regain all or most of it over the next few months anyway.
The rate at which you increase your calorie intake during reverse dieting depends on your goals and the metrics you track. For example, if you're still losing weight at 1,600 calories a day, you might increase to 1,700 calories a day for the next week. You would then track your weight again and make adjustments as needed.
However, it's important to note that reverse dieting will look different for everyone. While some people may choose to take a conservative approach, gradually increasing their calorie intake over a longer period, others may prefer a more aggressive approach to reach their calorie goal faster. Ultimately, the decision to reverse diet or not depends on your individual situation and preferences.
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Your goal determines how many calories you add each time you increase your intake
The number of calories you add each time you increase your intake during a reverse diet depends on your goals. Reverse dieting involves gradually increasing your calorie intake over the course of several weeks or months, usually by adding 50 to 150 calories per day per week.
For example, if you end your diet eating 1,800 calories per day, you would start your reverse diet by eating 1,900 calories per day for a week, then 2,000 calories per day the next week, and so on. Women are often told to increase their calorie intake in 50-calorie increments.
The number of calories you add each time you increase your intake will depend on the metrics you track. For instance, you might consider how motivated you are to eat more food, as well as how much fat you are willing to gain.
If you are still losing weight at a certain calorie intake, you can increase your intake by 100 calories per day for the next week. Track your weight again. If you are still losing weight, increase your calorie intake again the following week. Once you reach a daily calorie intake where you are not losing or gaining weight, your reverse diet is done.
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Frequently asked questions
It is recommended that you increase your daily calorie intake by 50 to 150 calories per week.
This depends on your goals and the metrics you track. It also depends on how motivated you are to eat more and how much fat you are willing to gain.
Most reverse dieting advocates recommend getting most of the calories from carbs, as this can increase the levels of a hormone called leptin, which helps increase metabolic rate and reduce hunger.
Reverse dieting usually lasts for around 4-10 weeks, until you've reached your pre-diet calorie intake or other goal amount.
If you are still losing weight, you should continue to increase your calorie intake by 50-100 calories per week until you reach a daily calorie intake where you are not losing or gaining weight.











































