There’s no shame in admitting that we all have goals for our appearance. From our hair to the clothes we wear, how we perceive our looks has a big impact on how happy we feel about our lives. A big component of appearance is our bodies – and more specifically weight.

The fitness industry knows this, and as a result we’re constantly bombarded with messaging about diets, work out plans and other content about how to achieve a dream body. We’re told that the only way to lose weight is to eat less and move more. But most of the time, these programs only offer short-term results. Because they’re centered around eating a strict and limited diet and embarking on strenuous fitness programs, they’re often lifestyles that the majority of people simply can’t do forever.

But there is another way to achieve your dream body. And that’s with a concept called reverse dieting – a method that offers weight loss benefits, but mostly focuses on boosting your body’s performance and overall health. Rather than putting your body into a restrictive calorie deficit, it gets in tune with your body’s natural rhythm and focuses on building up your metabolism through strategic caloric increases.

This might sound strange, but it’s the way to achieve optimum performance and weight loss so you can get that dream body. We’ve broken the process down into seven steps, so let’s learn more about this revolutionary weight loss and management method.

1. Stop damaging your body

The first step is to stop hurting your body’s ability to lose weight in the first place. The human body is a biological marvel that has the capacity to perform countless processes to keep us safe, healthy and strong. One of these processes is metabolism – the ability to turn food into energy.

When working at its best rate, our bodies can use metabolism to burn calories extremely efficiently, meaning that we don’t need to store as much fat reserve. To do this, however, the body needs steady access to food. Without that, our primal instincts tell us that we’re in danger of starvation and start to store the food we do get as fat stores in anticipation. On top of that, our metabolism slows too. And this is exactly what happens when you start a diet and drastically cut your calorie intake.

Going on and off diets over time can cause further damage to your metabolism, leaving it sluggish and inefficient.

2. Start understanding your body

Once you get your head around how your body works, you can start to see where' traditional weight loss methods do more harm than good to your body over time. The good news is that the damage done to your metabolism is reversible!

The key to repairing your metabolism and getting it to a place where' you’ll start to see results is in the macronutrients our bodies need. These are the fuel to survive, but also the fuel that kick starts the metabolic process too. They are:

• carbohydrates
• fats

It’s not a coincidence that traditional dieting methods demonize the first two categories, recommending that people cut down or cut out these groups in the weight loss journey. And now you understand how crucial they are to your body’s function, you’ll see how reverse dieting can support your body and weight loss goals.

3. Work out your needs

To get started with the reverse dieting process, you’ll need to see an expert. Visiting a reverse dieting clinic will give you the knowledge and tools to start building up your metabolism and increasing your body’s ability to burn calories and fat through strategic calorie increases.

Reverse dieting specialists will combine your body’s needs with your personal goals for your reverse dieting journey – whether that’s muscle building or weight loss – to define your individual program. They’ll help you balance your macros and decide how much to increase your food intake in line with those goals.

4. Increase your calorie intake

The first act of reverse dieting is here. You can start increasing your calorie intake little by little, according to your tailored plan. The best part about reverse dieting is that you don’t have to stick to strict diets and have the mental strain of having to resist temptations. Most reverse dieting plans allow for your favorite foods and dishes – within reason of course.

5. Monitor your progress

Working with a reverse dieting coach means you’ll have access to advice, insights and support whenever you need it. It’s likely that you’ll have regular check-ins to work out whether your plan needs tweaking and how much your metabolism is being built. Monitoring your progress is crucial to ensure that you aren’t eating too much or too little.

6. Feel the effects of reverse dieting

Once your metabolism is working at optimal levels, you’ll be able to feel its benefits in many different ways. Not only will you lose weight and be free from the constraints of diet culture and cycles of fad dieting, but you will also find that:

• you have more energy and vitality
• you will be able to understand your body better
• you can eat more intuitively
• you don’t have to worry about sudden weight gain
• your body will be healthier and stronger
• you’ll be able to build muscle much easier.

Most importantly, having the strongest, healthiest body possible means you will have achieved your dream body.

7. Periodically review your intake

Reverse dieting offers a long-term solution to weight management, unlike most modern dieting fads. And it can be kept up because of how easy it is to stick to. Once you’ve learned how to listen to – and fuel – your body correctly, you can manage your own dieting plan. The great thing is that you can always visit your clinic if you find that things change or you’re not getting the same results you were before.

Your dream body isn’t only achieved through blood, sweat and tears – it’s closer (and easier) than you think. Reset your body with reverse dieting and never have to restrict yourself again.