Periodization part 2.

Scroll back if you have not read part 1.

The reverse diet

This week is week 9 of my reverse, I would say I am pretty close to maintenance at this point, but per usual my body seems to have a large threshold for more food. This is likely due to my high activity level.

Happy to report zero change in measurements and surprisingly no change on the scale. My weigh in this morning was actually exactly what it was the last day of my cut 123 lbs.

I have been able to maintain body weight and body comp while adding over 600 calories from my lowest week in my diet phase. I am currently averaging 2200 calories daily.

I say average because I don’t eat the same amount daily, I have weekend days where I am up over 2600. I just make up for it the following day to keep my weekly average in check. Another bonus of reverse dieting, undulating calories and not being married to specific macros daily.

Through the first 6 weeks of this reverse I was still very strict and took it very slow adding calories back. I can’t stress this enough, give your body time after a diet attempt.

As I have creeped closer to maintenance calories, my approach has become more relaxed.

Some tools I am using now to stay accountable and maintain with confidence

Not weighing high volume low calories things like veggies, simply estimating.

Eating out more and estimating with confidence

Tracking every single day, even if I am way over. Be accountable to your data and record it so you know where things went wrong if need be.

Undulating calories and focusing on weekly totals over daily.

My thoughts:

Feeling far less restricted overall but totally in control.

Feeling strong in the gym

Confident I can maintain this level of lean until my next cut.

Excited to eat at maintenance and hopefully gain a bit of muscle or even recomp.

Sleeping like a rock every night

Great energy all day long.

I have been without a coach now since mid-June, I was confident in my reverse skills, this is my third one and I have not traditionally struggled in this area. I look forward to adding food back, I like to eat and I like to feel like my workouts/life are well supported. To be transparent these results are due to a few things:

This is my 3^rd reverse diet, I have been practcing periodization with my nutrition for YEARS.

This has built a resilient flexible metabolism.

I never dipped into poverty calories for my diet, and I never will, it’s not worth it for me.

I strength train 5 times a week and teach indoor cycling 3 times a week. ACTIVE AF, hence all the food.

This is not the case for everyone though and often times people struggle to stay consistent with adding food back, thinking of macros solely as a diet method. Hence the diet or not diet mentality. All the more reason to have a coach lead you through a reverse diet.

I will likely cruise here through the summer so I can feel confident in my bathing suit and summer clothes. Stayed tuned for part 3 MAINTENANCE!