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From 6 videos

How do I reset my metabolism after years of eating 1,200 calories?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaches · Updated

The short answer

You reset it with a reverse diet: slowly adding calories back, keeping protein high and lifting weights consistently, so your body learns it is safe to eat more. WarriorBabe coaches suggest small weekly increases while tracking energy, sleep, mood and strength, not just the scale. Expect it to take months, not weeks.

Hear it answered

Tap play to start right where it's answered. It keeps playing while you browse.

  1. Why years at 1,200 calories leaves your body in survival mode, and the fix

    Plays from 4:48 · Video: 10-Step Plan to Lose 25 Pounds of Fat After 40

  2. Nikkiey's step-by-step climb from 1,300 calories and her own regain story

    Plays from 30:07 · Video: Fasted Cardio, Deficit Length and Macro Questions Answered

  3. Nikkiey's maintenance test for getting out of a long-term deficit

    Plays from 20:01 · Video: Dieting Too Long? Effects on Muscle, Bones and Metabolism

  4. Signs you need a reverse diet, how fast to add calories and what to track

    Plays from 16:57 · Video: WarriorBabe Fitness Journey and 5-Step Roadmap

  5. A client's four-to-five-month metabolism repair, with energy and sleep first

    Plays from 9:40 · Video: Is Overtraining Causing Your Menopause Weight Gain?

The full answer

If you have eaten 1,200 calories for months or years, one WarriorBabe coach explains, your body has adapted to that intake and is stuck in survival mode. The red flags she lists are being tired all the time, constant hunger or no hunger cues at all, weak workouts, and a scale that will not move despite eating very little. Nikkiey adds that this lower metabolism can persist after the diet ends, which is why so many women regain weight once they start eating more. That is the plan failing you, not your body.

The episodes differ on pace, so here is the range:

  • One coach suggests adding about 100 to 150 calories a week while lifting consistently.
  • Another suggests 50 to 100 calories a week from whole foods like protein and healthy fats, keeping protein high.
  • Nikkiey, answering a listener at 1,300 calories, suggests moving up to about 1,600 for two weeks, then about 1,850 for two weeks, then the target. She shares that she once regained 25 pounds in a month because she did not know how to transition out of a diet.

Nikkiey also offers a test: eat at maintenance for one to two weeks. If you lose weight, stay there about a month. If weight holds, a moderate cut of 200 to 250 calories below maintenance may fit. If you gain, reverse diet slowly up to maintenance instead.

Track more than the scale: mood, energy, sleep, strength, focus, photos and how your clothes fit. One coach points out that eating 500 more calories while your weight holds steady is a win, not a stall. Another describes a client whose change took four to five months; her energy and sleep came back first. If menopause or a medical condition is part of your picture, bring your doctor into the plan.

From WarriorBabe's coaches (how we write our answers). For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Part of

Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting →

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    Will I gain weight when I start eating more?

    Probably a little, and that's expected. Nikkiey explains that when you start eating more during a retrain or reverse diet, your weight will usually fluctuate about two to five pounds from water, glycogen, food volume and salt, not fat. If the gain keeps climbing or holds around five pounds, the increase was likely too fast.

    Read the answer →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    Can you lose weight by eating more?

    Yes, according to The WarriorBabe Show. Nikkiey says almost every WarriorBabe success story involves eating more food, and members like Amy, Debbie, Lisa and Erin lost weight after raising their calories from chronic lows. The key, she explains, is eating enough to fuel strength training and build muscle, which is active tissue that burns calories even at rest.

    Read the answer →

  • Metabolism, Eating More & Reverse Dieting

    How long does it take to repair your metabolism?

    It depends on how adapted your metabolism is. Nikkiey's ranges: about six to 12 weeks for mild adaptation after a few months of moderate dieting, closer to three months after a year or more of restriction, and six months to a year after many years of chronic dieting. Your body's response sets the timeline, not a calendar.

    Read the answer →

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