Free tool
Reverse diet calculator
The cut is done, but snapping straight back to your old intake invites a rebound. Build a gentle week-by-week ramp from where you are now up to maintenance, then let FORM steer it from your real weight trend.
| Week | Daily calories |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1725 |
| 2 | 1850 |
| 3 | 1975 |
| 4 | 2100 |
| 5 | 2225 |
| 6 | 2350 |
| 7 | 2400maintenance |
Add a small amount each week and hold it, watching your weight trend rather than the daily scale. A little upward drift is normal as glycogen and water refill; that is not fat. Not sure of your maintenance? Work it out with the TDEE calculator first. FORM's adaptive targets and weekly rebalance handle a reverse for you, nudging the number from your real trend instead of a fixed schedule.
Why reverse
Climb the stairs, don't jump the gap
After weeks in a deficit your body is primed to store the sudden influx if you leap back to maintenance overnight. A reverse adds calories in small steps so appetite, energy and weight settle as you go. You reclaim food and metabolic room while keeping fat regain to a minimum, and you protect the routine you worked hard to build.
Read the trend
The scale will nudge up, and that's fine
As calories rise, your muscles refill with glycogen and the water that comes with it, so the scale drifts up a little in the first week or two. That is not fat. Judge the reverse on your smoothed weight trend across a fortnight, and if it climbs faster than you want, simply hold the current calories for an extra week before the next step.
Let FORM run the reverse for you
Find your maintenance with the TDEE calculator, then FORM's adaptive targets ease your calories up from your trend, no fixed schedule to babysit. New to the idea? The adaptive TDEE guide explains it.
FAQ
Reverse dieting: FAQ
What is reverse dieting?
Reverse dieting is the process of adding calories back gradually after a cut, a small amount each week, so you return to maintenance (or above) without a sharp fat rebound. It gives your appetite, energy and weight time to settle rather than jumping straight back to your old intake.
How fast should I reverse diet?
Most people do well adding roughly 75 to 175 kcal per week, slower if you are worried about fat gain, quicker if you feel flat and under-fuelled. The calculator lets you pick a pace and shows the full ramp. Watch your weight trend over a fortnight, not the daily scale.
Will I gain fat when I reverse diet?
A little upward movement on the scale is normal and mostly water and glycogen refilling your muscles, not fat. Kept gradual, a reverse limits genuine fat regain while restoring energy and hormones. If the trend climbs faster than expected, hold the current calories for a week before adding more.
Do I need to reverse diet after a cut?
You do not strictly have to, but a controlled ramp beats snapping back to maintenance overnight, which often triggers a quick rebound. A reverse also protects the habits you built. FORM can do this for you: its adaptive targets and weekly rebalance ease your calories up from your trend automatically.
What calories do I reverse to?
You reverse back up to your maintenance, the calories you burn in a day. If you are not sure what that is, work it out with the TDEE calculator first, then enter it as your target here. Remember maintenance itself drifts as your weight changes, which is why an adaptive approach keeps it honest.