Increasing your Calories
If you’ve been living in deficit or eating low calorie (and maybe not even knowing it) for quite some time it can be difficult to all of a sudden switch gears and start eating more. Deficit calories cannot be eaten indefinitely even if you haven’t met your fat loss goals. A reverse diet is necessary to preserve the integrity of your metabolism and hormones AND if want to see fat loss in the future.
It can take some time for the mind to get on board with this process. Just because you are eating more doesn’t mean you are going to gain all sorts of weight. It’s almost impossible to ask most women who’ve been dieting for awhile to all of a sudden just eat 500 calories more. We also want the metabolism to be able to handle this calorie level so it is done slowly over weeks/months. Many women have dug themselves into a deep hole of eating very low calories so their reverse may be slower and longer than other
It is possible to eat more and maintain (if not better) your physique. None of my clients reversing are gaining a bunch of weight, many lose and the rest are having major body composition changes (decrease in measurements) because now they can finally build muscle with more food!
Setting small calorie raise goals each week. The increments depends on the individual. Some have a harder time than others, but the goal is to find maintenance. Most of my chronic dieting clients I increase 50-100 calories/day each week. A granola bar, a handful of crackers, cereal, pretzels or a string cheese can get you those extra calories.
Check your tracker before you end your day of eating and see if there is anything more you can eat to meet your numbers. The goal is to meet your numbers and increase calories every week. Not undershoot them. If you are a chronic dieter, the quicker you can do this and live at maintenance for awhile the faster you will be able to attempt fat loss again with a normal deficit in future. If you are constantly still eating below your target goals, as a coach, I can’t really change anything. We are just repeating the week. Hence more time wasted in the process.
For those who are coming out of a short term deficit as your calories increase you may have to start to change some of the food you used to eat. Adding back some of the things you considered off limits during defict (PB, butter, oils, cheese, red meat, etc). If you are now trying to eat 2000+ calories a day and still eating grilled chicken, veggies and sugar free everything each meal you may have a hard time reaching that goal. If everything you eat is low calorie food you will be so filled up with volume and won’t have a chance at meeting your higher calorie goal.