What is reverse dieting?

Reverse dieting is the practice of gradually increasing calorie intake after a caloric deficit period. The goal is to raise your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) back toward normal maintenance levels while minimizing fat regain by keeping the calorie surplus small each week.

How much should I increase calories per week?

Common rates are 50 kcal/week (conservative, very slow fat gain risk), 75 kcal/week (moderate, balanced), or 100 kcal/week (aggressive, faster restoration but higher fat gain risk). Beginners typically start conservative and adjust based on scale weight response.

Will I gain fat during a reverse diet?

Some fat gain is normal, especially early on if you were in a large deficit. A well-paced reverse diet minimizes this by keeping weekly increases small so your body can upregulate metabolism before adding significant fat stores.

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns per day, accounting for your basal metabolic rate plus physical activity. After a cut, TDEE is often suppressed and reverse dieting aims to restore it.

How long does a reverse diet take?

It depends on how large the gap is between your current intake and target TDEE, and your chosen weekly increase rate. A 500 kcal gap at 75 kcal/week takes about 7 weeks. This calculator shows the exact duration and schedule.

Reverse Diet Calculator

Enter your current intake and target TDEE to get a week-by-week reverse dieting schedule that minimizes fat regain.

Your Details

Current Daily Calories (kcal)

The intake you ended your cut at.

Target TDEE / Maintenance (kcal)

The maintenance calories you want to reach. Not sure? Use our TDEE calculator.

Weekly Increase Rate

Conservative — 50 kcal/week Slowest fat gain risk, takes longer to reach target. Moderate — 75 kcal/week Balanced approach — recommended for most people. Aggressive — 100 kcal/week Faster restoration, higher risk of minor fat gain.

Week-by-Week Schedule

Week	Daily Target (kcal)	Weekly Total (kcal)	Progress

Fill in your details and click Generate Schedule.

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Summary

A reverse diet gradually raises calorie intake after a cutting phase to restore your metabolic rate and maintain leanness. This calculator takes your current calorie floor and target TDEE, then generates a week-by-week schedule at your chosen increase rate — conservative, moderate, or aggressive. Use it to plan a structured transition from cut to maintenance or bulk without an uncontrolled rebound.

How it works

Enter your current daily calorie intake (the end of your cut).
Enter your estimated target TDEE — the maintenance calories you want to reach.
Choose a weekly increase rate: conservative (50 kcal/week), moderate (75 kcal/week), or aggressive (100 kcal/week).
The calculator generates a week-by-week schedule from your current intake up to your target.
Use the schedule as a guide — adjust based on body weight and hunger cues each week.

Use cases

Athletes finishing a competition cut who want to restore TDEE without gaining excess body fat.
Dieters coming off a long deficit who want to avoid a "rebound" overshoot.
Bodybuilders planning an off-season bulk starting point.
Anyone whose metabolism has adapted downward and wants a structured re-feeding plan.
Coaches building calorie periodization plans for clients post-cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-06-14 · Reviewed by Nham Vu