Today Hannah Pointer from MacroHabits is back on the blog to discuss her body transformation and experience with reverse dieting. We’ll get into exactly what that is soon, but in the meantime, if you missed Hannah’s first post about the benefits of castor oil patches at night, you can read it here.
After her own journey with excessive cardio and restricting calories, Hannah discovered the benefits of essentially eating more and exercising differently to get the results she wanted. As you can see, she’s achieved them.
In this post you’ll learn the science behind reverse dieting, how to recognize if it might work for you, the results you can expect and how Hannah and her qualified team can help.
If you’ve been dieting for a while but find yourself stuck, still striving for the lean physique you’be been working hard for, this post is for you.
With that, let’s welcome Hannah back to the blog.
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How Reverse Dieting Can Transform Your Body: The Ultimate Guide to Boosting Metabolism and Achieving Lasting Results
My name is Hannah Pointer and I am the founder of MacroHabits, a macro-nutrition coaching business I started 4 years ago.
Before I started MacroHabits, I was a personal trainer working at a studio and was going home every night feeling like I wanted to do more. I loved personal training, but I didn’t love how I felt limited in my personal and professional growth in the company I was working for.
I had a strong sense of ambition and wanted to help people achieve their goals in the world of health and wellness. I had my own journey with diet and exercise which led me to tracking macros and reverse dieting. I grew up playing sports and after getting injured, I focused on running and limiting calories to stay in shape. This left me feeling exhausted and constantly chasing a number on the scale or a pant size as I battled hereditary genes.
After tracking macros coupled with reverse dieting, I saw how much it changed my physique, my mindset around eating, and my overall relationship with food for the better. And I wanted to bring these positive experiences to others.
Just to put it in perspective, throughout my time tracking, I lost over 8% body fat, 25 lbs, and increased my caloric maintenance to over 2,000 calories. And I’ve never felt better. So, one day I woke up, put in my two weeks notice, and made the decision to move back home with my parents to start my own nutrition coaching business.
While I completed my nutrition certification, I knocked on doors doing solar sales to make money in transition. A month later, I started my business. From my experience in the personal training industry, I knew that most girls were under-fueling, doing too much cardio, were highly inflamed, and ultimately stuck in some type of calorie deficit.
There were so many fitness and workout platforms out there, but there was not enough guidance when it came to fueling your body properly, and specifically reverse dieting.
I knew telling people that eating more in order to lose weight or see body recomposition changes would not be the attractive approach, but I knew based on my own experience and training, this was the missing piece in so many unsatisfied people’s journeys. I wanted to revamp and take the negative connotation away from the classic term “bulking,” and educate on metabolic reactivation.
What Is Reverse Dieting:
Reverse dieting is a nutritional strategy where you slowly & gradually increase your calorie intake after following a period of calorie restriction. One thing that’s important to note is tracking calories and tracking MACROS are two different things.
You can track & meet your calorie number with anything, but when tracking macros, you have to be much more strategic with the foods you choose. Every macronutrient has a role in your body, and plays a role when it comes to fat loss, building lean muscle, & positive body recomposition as a whole.
Reverse dieting aims to help boost your metabolism after it has slowed down and adapted during calorie restriction or dieting phase. When you restrict calories for a prolonged period, your body adapts by lowering your metabolic rate and reducing energy expenditure, which then makes it harder to keep losing weight.
Gradually & consistently increasing your macro splits over a period of time can help restore leptin and thyroid hormone levels, boost your metabolism, improve one’s relationship with food, regulate hormones, & can help one see more positive physique changes than if they were to stay in a deficit.
The goal of reverse dieting is to help the body adapt to higher calorie levels without triggering rapid weight gain, which can often occur when someone abruptly returns to their normal eating habits after a strict diet or low calorie deficit.
How you know if reverse dieting is your next step:
+ you’ve been at the same number of calories for a prolonged period of time
+ you’re hungry all the time, waking up in the middle of the night hungry
+ constantly thinking about / stressing about food (food noise)
+ constipation
+ excessive bloating
+ low body temperature
+ chronic fatigue
+ acne flareups
+ loss of period / irregular cycle
+ loss of libido
+ brittle hair / nails
+ abnormal joint pain
+ feeling moody / irritable
Signs your metabolism has slowed:
+ hitting a plateau in weight loss / body recomposition
+ feeling tired
+ low energy levels
+ trouble sleeping
These are all signs that indicate your body has adapted to fewer calories.
More of the RIGHT foods along with proper movement, recovery, balance, and small habits, is the key to success. Four years later, I have a proven methodology that has worked for thousands of men and women. I have three incredible certified coaches and we have hundreds of testimonials.
And 2 years ago, I launched workout programs and have created a platform from the ground up that shows the importance of balance when it comes to tracking macros with a flexible approach.
SERVICES TO HELP YOU IN YOUR FITNESS GOALS:
1:1 Coaching
This is a 12 week 1:1 coaching program and is the most successful because clients are set up with a personal coach who is meeting with them regularly, listening, providing advice and teaching clients how to hit their macros, manage difficult situations associated with food choices and providing guidance on food choices and macro calculations – all designed to support a successful and sustainable transition to changing perceptions and behaviors that support a healthy lifestyle. This is a program centered on the mind, body, and spirit. If you feel good, mentally and emotionally about what you’re doing, your body will follow suit. There are no weigh-ins in any of my programs. We measure client progress with progress pictures, measurements, how your clothes are fitting, energy levels, and other factors. You have a phone call coaching meeting every 2 weeks with your personal coach to go over progress pictures, set weekly goals, answer questions, address any concerns, adjust macros, and make a general game plan for the next two weeks. Our motto is taking it, “2 weeks by 2 weeks.” Your personal coach is there to assist, guide, and help you via text, communicating with you M-F, 9am-5pm. Our goal is to support our clients in their success in hitting their macro split while also living life and practicing moments and days of intuitive eating when the occasion calls for it. We encourage date nights, weekend trips, and celebrations throughout the 12 weeks. This isn’t “12 weeks of perfection.” This is 12 weeks of real life where you learn how to track macros with a lifestyle approach so you exit the 12 week program with all the tools in your toolbox needed to tackle any future occasion. There is a beautiful balance that can be achieved with tracking macros and intuitive eating, and that is the foundation of what MacroHabits is built on.
Independent Plans & Guides
For clients who don’t feel they need 1:1 coaching, I offer 4 types of independent plans, coupled with different guides for those who just need macro support when it comes to reverse dieting, maintenance, and deficit plans.
Workout Programs
Alongside my nutrition programs, I also have 6 different workout programs available online that are all targeted at leaning, toning, and keeping inflammation low. There are programs for those who prefer at home workouts with basic equipment like dumbbells and bands, and there are more advanced programs for those who workout in a gym and have access to cables and equipment. There is something for every fitness level.
If you’re unsure where to start, I have a form on my website where I will send you an extensive questionnaire to fill out. Once I receive all your info, I will give you my professional recommendation of where to start based on your starting point, goals, and average calorie consumption. All of this info can be found on www.macrohabits.com.
MacroHabits is for men and women in all stages of life, although you must be 18 years+ to participate in one of my nutrition programs. If you’re postpartum, we encourage starting 6-12 weeks post delivery. Currently, we are booking the 12 week 1:1 program for February! All independent custom plans are sent within 72 hours of purchase, and if you purchase a workout program, you have immediate, lifetime access. I do not use set ratios, repeat plans, or general calculations when it comes to writing macro plans. Your success is my success. I believe in the power of personalization, and none of my plans or programs are “one size fits all.” There is more info on what I do, my personal transformation, ‘what I eat in a day’ videos, client testimonials, and my general tips on my Instagram, ‘macro_habits’. All nutrition and workout programs, in addition to other general information, can be found on www.macrohabits.com.
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Be sure to follow Hannah on Instagram and check out her first blog post on castor oil patches.
x, The Skinny Confidential team
+ The benefits of weight-lifting for women.
++ Find Lauryn’s exact workout plan here.
