How to Reverse

Step 1: Figure out Maintenance Calories

The average maintenance calories can vary significantly based on several factors, including age, weight, height, activity level, and metabolism. However, general estimates are 2,000 to 2,400 calories per day for women and 2,500-3,000 for men. In many cases, maintenance levels can be even higher than these, depending on other outside factors (Marengo, n.d.).

You can use the P2 Calorie (Macro) Calculator to figure out your maintenance calorie needs.

Step 2: Determine Current Intakes

In order to know how much you need to increase, and how long you’ll need to spend reversing intakes up, you’ll need to first have an idea of what you’re currently consuming.

If you’re starting with this section, it is likely because you have been tracking your macros and are still under-eating to some degree. If you do NOT know what you’re currently consuming, go back to the INTAKE EDUCATION section, or track for a few days to get a starting point.

Step 3: Increase Calories Slowly on a Weekly Basis

Each week, we recommend adding 50-100 calories to each day based on where your current intakes are. We most often see success by this calorie increase coming from adding about 10-20g of carbs and 5g of fat.

Each week (every 7 days), you may increase your calories as long as:

• you have been accurately tracking everything you’ve been eating and drinking
• you have been able to hit your macro goals with 10g
• you have been drinking enough water (at least 80-100oz/day for most people)
• you have been getting adequate sleep each night (7 hours minimum for adults)
• you have been spacing your meals out well (and not going longer than 5 hours without eating)

If you feel that any of the points above were not accomplished daily after increasing calories that week, we recommend staying at your current calorie amount another week to correct some of those items before increasing again.