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The hidden secret to prevent weight regain

Author

Diego Carrete
May 17, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Hey there,

Most of my followers don’t know this, but I have been on the cover of Men's Health and Men's Fitness magazine 6 times (5 of them after becoming a dad and running two companies).

In 2017, after I shot for Men’s Health, I drove right to The Cheesecake Factory in Dubai with my mum. The aftermath? I gained 10 kgs in 5 days.

If you are someone who has lost some weight but went back to square one a few months later, keep reading.

3 facts why you want fat at bay for good:

  1. A thinner person has less capacity for healthy fat storage. Don’t think only obese people are at risk.

  2. A man weighing 200 pounds with 20% body fat carries 40 pounds of fat. Even if just 4.5 pounds of that is visceral fat, he'd be at high risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

  3. Fat spilling over the muscles can create insulin resistance, lead to diabetes, and become fatal.

How to prevent fat regain?

Reverse dieting is a strategic approach to increasing calorie intake in a controlled manner to prevent regaining fat and maintain weight loss after dieting.

When we lose body fat, the body's natural response is to slow down fat loss to prioritize self-preservation. This adaptive mechanism evolved during times of food scarcity. However, in modern society with abundant food availability, this mechanism can lead to weight regain if not addressed.

During periods of calorie restriction, our metabolism decreases, making it challenging to sustain weight loss in the long term. This can result in the regain of lost weight, often surpassing initial levels.

How can busy executives keep their great results while dealing with a tough work life?

Many people think they can eat whatever they want after a diet and keep the results, but that's not true. When you've lost weight by dieting, your body wants to store fat again; your fat cells are starving.

Did you know that when you lose weight, your fat cells get smaller, but they don't go away?

Diego Carrete

The key is to slowly go back to eating more calories after a diet. Here's how:

Reverse dieting is a personalized approach; it does not have a specific length since it depends on the time you spent dieting. You gradually increase your daily calorie intake by 50–150 calories per week until you've reached your pre-diet calorie intake.

Start by deciding whether to adopt a conservative or more aggressive strategy:

  • A conservative approach involves slower calorie increases (around 5% weekly), aiding in weight maintenance and digestive comfort.

  • A more aggressive approach involves an immediate increase (around 15%) followed by weekly increments of 5%.

Week

Conservative

Moderately Aggressive

0

1,260

1,380

1

1,320

1,450

2

1,380

1,520

3

1,440

1,590

4

1,500

1,660

5

1,560

1,730

6

1,620

1,800

7

1,680

1,870

8

1,740

1,940

9

1,800

2,010 (approx. 2,000)

10

1,860

2,000

11

1,920

2,000

12

1,980-2,000

2,000

Remember, your reverse diet's specifics depend on your starting point, approach, and goal intake. Rapid calorie increases (e.g. 15–20%) may be preferred by some, while careful monitoring of portion sizes can help prevent excessive weight gain.

I hope this email gives you sufficient clarity on the why, what, and how about sustaining fat loss over time.

When you are ready, here is how I can help further:

  1. The Lean Executive: If you're a C-suite executive, senior executive, or entrepreneur, inquire about 1-1 coaching here. 

  2. Want to make significant improvements but not ready for a 1-1 commitment yet? I've got you covered. Access the first two modules of The Lean Executive Method here for free.

Diego Carrete

Chief Executive Officer @ FIT LIFE FZCO

Connect with me on LinkedIn

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