Reverse Dieting – What Everyone Should Be Careful About with Marissa Swindell

Hola amigos! Welcome back!

Diet culture is sneaky! Be careful about hopping on to the reverse diet trend, it’s a trap! It claims to help people get off of diets, but the plan of action is full of red flags.

Highlights of this episode:

• What is reverse dieting
• Understanding metabolism
• Identifying diets in disguise
• Alternatives to dieting

Announcements:

• David’s new book is being published this April, which highlights real clients’ journeys of finding their peace with food. Curious? Read more about it here: https://orozconutrition.com/one-small-bite-book/
• If you would like to be in the book launch team to get first access to David’s book to write your review on Amazon.com, visit: https://orozco-nutrition.teachable.com/p/launch-team-for-one-small-bite-book

Episode Show Notes: 

[04:49] Introducing Marissa Swindell, Dietetic Intern 

Marissa loves soccer and sunrises. She started her education at Bowling Green State University and then is finishing at NOVA in Florida in May. After completing the requirements to be a registered dietitian nutritionist, she is interested in pursuing research.

[07:49] Reverse Dieting Claims to Fix Slow Metabolism for Weight-Loss Seekers

If you google search “reverse dieting” (and please don’t bother, we did that work for you), you will likely find a ton of results. Marissa’s search favored a blog article from a body building magazine. This click bait is targeting people who have been on crash diets who have stopped losing weight. At first, the article centers around “stop dieting” because it slows your metabolism.

Marissa explains, metabolism is the conversion of food and drinks into energy we can use. Even at rest, we have a resting energy expenditure (REE) and basal metabolic rate (BMR), that uses energy. The blog article is referring to our resting metabolism, claiming that your diet may have stopped working because of your metabolism slowing down.

People seeking weight loss dread the plateau, when the weight loss stops despite the same weight loss routine. Marissa explains, the body may be wanting more than the calories provided. So, if you are feeding it too low, your BMR may slow down to preserve its allocated energy.

David mentions, imagine your body like an OIL RIG. The body is like the oil rig drill, digging down to get to the energy, so that it can use it. When the energy isn’t there, the drill slows down its work.

Bottom Line: The more we diet by restricting food, the body will slow its metabolism down to preserve itself.

[15:11] The Reverse Dieting Plan

Like many diets, the reverse dieting plan provides steps to follow.

People are directed to calculate their metabolism and track food with a food calorie app. Unfortunately, those apps have an error of 20-80%, so not actually useful. Metabolism calculators also have margins of error and are intended to be estimates only.

The “reserve diet” plan says you can either increase your macros by a few percentages or number of calories per week. This is a bit convoluted because putting this into practice is not practical.

The plan also tells you to weight yourself multiple times per week, first thing in the morning. This is nonsense, because your weight can fluctuate due to your hydration status. Weighting yourself, especially that often, can have negative effects.

The plan tells you to reduce cardio exercise and lift 3-6 days per week. Never mind what kind of movement you enjoy doing BTW.

Bottom Line: While the article may claim that this reverse diet method is all about “eat more, weight less,” when you look at the plan of action, it is really just another diet.

[20:40] Careful – This is Just Another Fad Diet

The popularity and re-exposure to this plan is tricky because the premise of “eat more, move less” does not sound like a diet. It’s only when you examine the plan that someone may realize this is just another diet.

David’s podcast episode about the red flags within diet culture are present with reverse dieting: it’s not sustainable, not realistic, it’s unscientific, extremes in physical activity, celebrity status, and possibly – using supplements

At the end of the day, this is asking you to turn away from your own body’s cues and follow someone else’s plan. Also, our metabolism is not just based on calories or movement.

Those before and after photos are problematic because they are not the full picture. Diets create rigidity and a poor relationship with food. In David’s experience, people overeat because we restrict.

Bottom Line: fad diets don’t work.

[28:29] Careful with Reverse Dieting

Marissa cautions there is no research to suggest that reverse dieting is safe or effective. Other dietitians have commented on this trend as well. Toby Amidor, wrote in Today’s Dietitian about reverse dieting. In summary, Toby also concluded that there’s not enough evidence and it is impractical. Notably, an extra 50 to 100 calories is not worth tracking.

Another blog article by Cynthia Sass states reverse dieting is not necessary at all. If anything, throw dieting out the window.

[33:00] Take Away’s 

• Reverse dieting is not the answer.
• When you are online, pay attention to the red flags of junk advice of diet culture.
• Be aware and be curious about your own body’s signals instead.
• Counting calories will impact your relationship with food and our bodies.

Resources

Episode 88: 8 Red Flags of Weight Loss Research – Solo Episode

Episode 110: Diets and Weight Loss Plans: A 95% Failure Rate Long-Term!

Episode 111: 7 Warning Signs Diets Don’t Work – Friday Food Cast

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Once again, I greatly appreciate you for listening and supporting my show. Remember, it really only takes One Small Bite to start transforming your life.

Chop the diet mentality; Fuel Your Body; and Nourish Your Soul!