Reverse Diet Update Week 5 & More Questions Answered!

Good morning! As promised here are some more updates about my current reverse diet. I'm technically on week 5 but have only done 4 increases so far. As this past weekend was my birthday, I did indulge in the unlimited birthday macros and did not plan on doing an increase for this week! The main reason I decided was I knew I was going to loosely track for a few days plus my carbs are already high enough that my body wouldn't really need an increase on top of all the extra birthday macros. It was a judgment call because some weeks you might not be ready for an increase and it's totally fine to wait it out for another week.

I have no regrets about waiting or birthday macros since I'm happy with my progress. Still have no clue about my weight and it's been close to two months since I've weighed myself. It's just not a priority but my measurements are actually down a bit. Nothing too crazy but definitely off my waist and hips. I'll admit it's good to keep track of measurements and compare pictures but what I'm excited about most is just how I feel this week!

Week 4 vs. Week 5
Increase of 5g carbs, 2g protein, and 1g fat
Total increase since week 1: 15g carb, 8g protein, 4g fat

Wanna hear a funny story before we dive in to the Q&A part? Well, I took the picture on the right this morning and since it was 5am I was a little out of it. As soon as I looked at it I was like "OH HEY HAMMY I SEE YOU", only to realize it was just an illusion and my left leg was a little bit farther back than my right and made it look like my hamstring was popping out. It was very disappointing because my quads and glutes are forever hogging all the macros and refuse to share with the rest of my body.

1. How do you know if you're ready to reverse?

This is one that is totally relative to each individual because a reverse diet can be utilized in many different scenarios. The most common ones are coming off a cut or after a bodybuilding competition and reverses post-show. But, you can also do them to fix a damaged metabolism after an eating disorder or kind of what I'm doing now which is to be able to eat more (no shame in more carbs haha!). Another scenario is someone has been on a cut for a long time and their body stops responding. In that case a reverse might be beneficial to have them continue the weight loss process. Again, SUPER relative to each person and it's not such a black-and-white obvious answer like your body isn't gonna send you a memo saying "okay, now it's time to reverse". My advice: contact someone who knows what they're doing and can talk you through your options (shameless plug-in to Katie). 

2. What's the difference between a reverse and a bulk?

A bulk occurs at a much higher rate (eating over maintenance calories) and there is usually more fat gained during a bulk. Putting on both fat and muscle requires a surplus of calories to build. That's why I go very slow during a reverse because I don't want fat gain, and if I did gain any weight I would want it to be mostly muscle which is also why I lift as heavy as possible to make sure those muscles are growing. People going through a bulk go in to one knowing that fat gain is going to happen but it's worth it to get the muscle gains as well. Both muscle and fat will grow under a surplus of energy which makes things tricky for reverse dieting. If only it could be one or the other ha! Life would be easy if we could eat tons more and build muscle while fat would automatically decrease. That's not the way it works, though, so I go as slow as possible to prevent any fat gains, and have great success that way. If you want to put it in easier terms, a reverse diet is essentially a very, very, very, very, lean bulk. Sometimes people use the terms reverse diet and bulk synonymously, but in my opinion they are two very different things.  

3. Can you do a reverse without tracking macros?

I'm gonna go with no on this one. I know of people who have increased overall calories slowly over time but they didn't specifically track macros, and they weren't lifting either. Personally I think that to get the best possible results with a reverse diet, it helps to have a balanced distribution of carbs, protein, and fats. I think it is also beneficial to have macros so that you can be sure that your body is properly adjusting to x amount of carbs, protein, and fats. In my opinion, it's not about the overall calories but the distribution of macros that your body adjusts to during the reverse. By tracking your macros you can also ensure you're properly fueling and taking care of your body throughout the reverse by giving it that balance of macronutrients. Lifting heavy can take a huge toll on your muscles and you need to make sure they're getting that fuel! 

4. How do you handle the initial bloat of an increase?

Two main ways: lots and lots of water, and eating more calorie dense foods the first couple days. Usually I am a huge volume eater but if I find that I'm feeling the bloat from an increase, then I scale it back and eat denser foods. It might stink because I feel like I'm eating less but it helps in the long run! I'm actually pretty lucky because I don't have a lot of problems with bloating around increase days but it can happen on occasion. Like I said, some weeks the increase goes over better than others it just depends. I like to drink dandelion tea every so often too, not even anything to do with increases. I find that it helps keep my tummy happy and regulated. I don't have any issues with food but we all have those blah days on occasion!

Hope that answers your questions for now :)