Going back to a normal diet after a low-calorie diet

[Kordath]

I've been training every day now for the last 11 weeks (5 days weight training and 2 days cardio) and a very strict low calorie diet with refeed days and I'm starting to reach my goal.

After I've reach my goal I was thinking of starting to eat normally again and cut down on the training to 4-5 days/week (but still hitting every muscle every week) and eating at maintenance level and eventually raise my calorie intake with 10% to start bulking up (after the summer season :-D ).

How is it going back to normal/bulking period after a low-calorie diet. Will I get fat fast after or will it take longer time? Don't want to ruin 11 weeks of progress over a short period of time though I understand that I will gain weight when I eat at maintenance + 10%.

Still I'm new to all this and don't really know how my body will react.

[JVRICHARDS]

I've been training every day now for the last 11 weeks (5 days weight training and 2 days cardio) and a very strict low calorie diet with refeed days and I'm starting to reach my goal.

After I've reach my goal I was thinking of starting to eat normally again and cut down on the training to 4-5 days/week (but still hitting every muscle every week) and eating at maintenance level and eventually raise my calorie intake with 10% to start bulking up (after the summer season :-D ).

How is it going back to normal/bulking period after a low-calorie diet. Will I get fat fast after or will it take longer time? Don't want to ruin 11 weeks of progress over a short period of time though I understand that I will gain weight when I eat at maintenance + 10%.

Still I'm new to all this and don't really know how my body will react.

Speaking only for myself here:

There is no going back to a 'normal diet'. My 'normal diet' put me at 284lbs. Now there's just maintenance, under maintenance and over maintenance. Any semblance of 'normalcy' would be a step backwards for me.

[adamrochester]

Go 200 to 500 calories over your maintanence Yes you will put on a bit of fat but to make progress you must naturally if you stay at maintenance. You will always look the same. You can always diet down again I'd rather bulk and look better next cut IMO ! unless your a newbie - been training for less than a year You can get away with making gains eating at maintenance or deficit

[crazymofo01]

ramp up your cals to maint and when you are ready to bulk, assuming u want to bulk clean, go 100-200 cals over maint to minimize fat gain. 300-500 expect to put some fat on for sure.

[Kordath]

If I calculated properly with my current goal of "going back to normal" I would up my calories from 1500 to 2000 to get to my maintenance level. Add another 200 calories to do a slow bulk or even 500 calories. Never done a bulk before so I'm not sure how to approach it but ill read up on it.

But with that calculations I can decrease my training days and I also want to implement cheat days because I can't stand living on chicken and brocolli for the rest of my life and not have any fast food or snacks at all. I've been off it for 11 weeks and it's not like I'm going crazy but it sure would be nice to occasionally eat pizza and have some chocolate :-P

If I ramp up the calorie intake up to 2500 then I'd live like a king comparing to now haha :-P

[crazymofo01]

If I calculated properly with my current goal of "going back to normal" I would up my calories from 1500 to 2000 to get to my maintenance level. Add another 200 calories to do a slow bulk or even 500 calories. Never done a bulk before so I'm not sure how to approach it but ill read up on it.

But with that calculations I can decrease my training days and I also want to implement cheat days because I can't stand living on chicken and brocolli for the rest of my life and not have any fast food or snacks at all. I've been off it for 11 weeks and it's not like I'm going crazy but it sure would be nice to occasionally eat pizza and have some chocolate :-P

If I ramp up the calorie intake up to 2500 then I'd live like a king comparing to now haha :-P

i wouldn't jump straight from 1500 to 2000 calories, ramp up 200-250 cals each week so it isn't a big jump. 500 calories over maint wont really be a clean bulk either, or slow, the excess cals will put weight on u faster - fat also. 200 over maint is good. unless of course u don't mind the fat... anyone coming off a cut to rid themselves of fat usually doesn't want to put fat right back on though.

[Kordath]

i wouldn't jump straight from 1500 to 2000 calories, ramp up 200-250 cals each week so it isn't a big jump. 500 calories over maint wont really be a clean bulk either, or slow, the excess cals will put weight on u faster - fat also. 200 over maint is good. unless of course u don't mind the fat... anyone coming off a cut to rid themselves of fat usually doesn't want to put fat right back on though.

No exactly I want to keep my lean look for a while because I've worked hard for it :-) But raising it to 2000 will also be a nice change.

[adamrochester]

Just eat what you want you don't have to eat chicken rice 7 x a day. ??? Just get enough fibre and 2-3 servings of veggies a day. And you can have things like ice cream chocolate chips. What ever. Popcorn is. Good source of carbs srs lots of fibre taste sick to.