“Reverse Dieting” After 40: Is It the Key to Fixing a “Broken” Metabolism Long-Term?

A tight waist and crisp muscle conditioning are a common goal shared by millions around the world. As more people become aware of the secrets of dieting and achieve peak muscle conditioning, we are witnessing a huge shift toward calorie-restrictive diets.

While overly rigid meal plans might help you shed excess kilos quickly, sticking to them long-term can slow down your metabolism, leaving you feeling stuck and unmotivated.

For the uninitiated, metabolism is the process through which your body converts food into energy to power your daily activities, including training. This engine slows naturally when you turn 40, resulting in hormonal shifts and muscle mass decline. (1)

As a personal trainer with almost two decades in the trenches, I have firsthand witnessed many people wreck their metabolism by cycling through yo-yo diets trying to shred fat fast.

In this article, I’ll uncover the metabolic challenges you might encounter in your 40s if you have been dieting for a long time. You’ll also learn how reverse dieting can help remedy them. We have a lot to unpack, so sit tight and read on.

Understanding Metabolism and Aging

When you cut your calories rapidly, your body adapts by dialing down your metabolism to survive. A strong metabolism equals strong performance, and a slower metabolic rate makes your body hoard fat and hampers your energy levels.

When you are over 40 and have been eating restrictively for a certain point, your weight might creep up even if you eat less or train harder in the gym. Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, typically starts around 30 or 40, causing muscles to shrink over time and lowering daily calorie burn. (2)

Your testosterone and estrogen levels drop naturally as you age. This, combined with a crash diet, can be disastrous for your overall health and well-being.

Things could get even worse for folks with a sedentary lifestyle or a busy schedule that makes taking time out for exercise more challenging.

The good news is that I’ve trained several clients who’ve reignited their metabolism after 40 and following brutal diets.

Reverse dieting is the star here.

What Is Reverse Dieting? A Primer 

A reverse diet involves a strategic calorie boost aimed at restoring your metabolic rate and balance after months (or years) of restrictions. The keyword here is ‘strategic.’ You cannot ramp up your calorie intake randomly and expect everything to fall into place.

Some fitness experts have a hard time believing this, but reverse dieting originated in the bodybuilding world. Competitors usually cut calories to achieve razor-sharp conditioning for a show. Then, they increase their food intake post-show to kick their metabolism into high gear and boost recovery.

Today, reverse dieting is practiced by athletes across the spectrum for various reasons, including health, energy boost, and lasting fat loss.

Reverse dieting is based on three core principles:

• Incremental calorie increase: Never increase your intake by more than 50 to 100 calories per week. Increasing your food volume too quickly can be counterproductive.
• Focus on macros: Prioritize protein intake to preserve muscle mass while limiting unnecessary cravings. You might have to experiment with different macro ratios to nail this.
• Patience: You should never rush your diet. Results can take time, and you must stick to the same protocol for at least four weeks before expecting any improvements.

Remember, you must always pick nutrient-dense whole foods over junk to promote overall health and well-being. Use this convenient TDEE calculator to determine your ideal daily calorie and macronutrient intake, and then break them into three to four equal meals throughout the day.

Why Reverse Dieting Matters After 40

Contrary to what most people think, lifting heavier isn’t always the solution. You face unique challenges as you age. Your metabolism slows down, and you can’t burn as many calories in your 40s as you did in your 20s, even when doing the same things.

Menopause jolts women with estrogen drop, and andropause cuts testosterone production in men. I have seen clients battle fatigue and weight loss plateaus in this stage. It doesn’t end here; chronic restrictive dieting messes with your hormones, too, leading to tanking thyroid and leptin levels. This combo also leads to fat gain and energy crashes, leaving you stuck and exhausted.

Reverse dieting fires up your metabolism, supporting long-term weight control and body composition improvements.

How to Start Reverse Dieting After 40

Now that you know everything there is to learn about reverse dieting, it’s time to put all that knowledge to work. I have put together a detailed step-by-step plan to kickstart your reverse dieting journey after crossing 40.

Get the Basics Right

Before you do anything, I want you to download a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal and log one week’s worth of meals into it. This will give you your average daily calorie intake, which we will use as our baseline.

Let’s assume you land at 1,700 calories daily after years of cuts. The next part is the most important.

Increase your calories gradually, never going above 500 a day. This will help you gain up to one pound a week while ensuring an optimal body composition.

Besides the number of calories, you should also pay close attention to your macronutrient split. Aim for a 40:30:30 (protein, carbs, and fats) split when trying to lose fat and build muscle after 40.

Restructure your meal plan and pick foods that fit your new macronutrient goals. This will keep your muscles strong and boost your energy levels.

Protein is Your Best Friend

Although every macronutrient is important, protein should be your priority as it can help negate the side effects of sarcopenia. Building muscle after 40 can be really challenging, and a solid dose of protein throughout the day can make this easier.

Experts recommend consuming 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to build and maintain muscle mass. For instance, a 150-pound individual should consume anywhere between 120 to 150 grams of protein daily.

Never Miss Strength Training 

Cardio is great, but lifting weights should be an indispensable part of your routine when you turn 40 if your goal is to maintain an aesthetically appealing body composition.

Prioritize compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses as they train multiple muscle groups in a single movement, ensuring you get the best bang for your training buck.

Also, you don’t have to hit the gym daily to boost your metabolism and optimize body functionality. Aim to train between three to five days a week for the best results.

Combining strength training with reverse dieting and a higher protein intake can be a masterstroke, as it can help promote hypertrophy. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than body fat, meaning that folks with more muscle burn more calories throughout the day than their counterparts.

Monitor Your Progress

I have all my clients monitor their progress weekly. It is the best way to tell if you are moving in the right direction and take any corrective measures, if necessary before it’s too late.

In contrast to popular opinion, you don’t need to carry a notebook to the gym for this. The notes app on your phone is all you need.

Tracking your progress through body weight, circumference measurements, and progress photos is far more effective than relying on the scale alone. The weighing scale might not show any changes, but your muscle definition might be noticeably improving.

You must also monitor your energy levels as they can signify a metabolic change.

With all that said and done, you shouldn’t overly obsess about dieting and training. Rest and recovery are just as important. Sleep for at least eight hours each night, as it can help regulate your hormone levels and give your muscles time to recover, which is incredibly important for improving your metabolism in your 40s.

Potential Benefits and Risks of Reverse Dieting

You must always weigh the pros and cons of something before coming to a conclusion about a new subject.

Advantages

Switching to a reverse dieting program can improve your metabolic rate and energy levels, as it provides your body with the calories it had been deprived of for a long period.

This diet protocol gradually increases fat expenditure while preserving muscle, making it a sustainable fat loss protocol that you can make a part of your lifestyle. Finally, a reverse diet minimizes the risk of nutrient deficiencies because it doesn’t limit you to a few foods. This also prevents mental fatigue and the chances of developing eating disorders.

Risks

• Some people tend to gain weight before they shed the excess fat. This is normal, and you shouldn’t panic if this happens to you.
• Most diets require you to cut calories to lose weight, but a reverse diet does the opposite. It can take some time to get used to this approach as it can feel counterintuitive.

Things To Consider About Reverse Dieting

Studies show that your body cuts energy expenditure (adaptive thermogenesis) when you slash a significant amount of calories or stick to a mildly restrictive diet for an extended period. (3)

Chronic dietary restrictions can also lower thyroid hormones like T3 and T4, which are responsible for controlling metabolism and ensuring that you burn calories throughout the day, even when you aren’t active.

Reverse dieting spikes thyroid and leptin levels, boosting energy expenditure and improving daily functionality.

I must add that the scientific evidence about reverse dieting is still limited, and the sample size is very small, primarily comprising bodybuilders or other athletes.

Remember, each individual is unique, and your results might vary depending on factors like age, gender, fitness levels, and genetics. Some might see positive results within a couple of weeks, whereas others might need several months to get to the same point.

Conclusion

You experience several changes in your body as you turn 40 after years of restrictive dieting. Your metabolism slows, hormone levels plummet, and muscle mass fades, all while your body begins holding onto stubborn fat. Calculated reverse dieting can be your sole savior in this case.

Start small and slowly increase your calorie intake as you begin to experience an uptick in your metabolic rate. A rushed calorie jump risks fat gain while your muscles might still be stuck in a plateau. Best of luck!

References:

1. Palmer AK, Jensen MD. Metabolic changes in aging humans: current evidence and therapeutic strategies. J Clin Invest. 2022 Aug 15;132(16):e158451. doi: 10.1172/JCI158451. PMID: 35968789; PMCID: PMC9374375.
2. Larsson L, Degens H, Li M, Salviati L, Lee YI, Thompson W, Kirkland JL, Sandri M. Sarcopenia: Aging-Related Loss of Muscle Mass and Function. Physiol Rev. 2019 Jan 1;99(1):427-511. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00061.2017. PMID: 30427277; PMCID: PMC6442923.
3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee on the Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2023 Jan 17. 4, Factors Affecting Energy Expenditure and Requirements. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591031/

Check also:

• Reverse Dieting Calculator
• Reverse Dieting: How-to, Benefits, Drawbacks and More

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