An Interesting Calorie Strategy for Fat Loss

In 2017 the MATADOR study came out which tested a clever dieting strategy.

Here’s the strategy in a nutshell.

• 2 Weeks at a 30% daily calorie deficit.
• 2 Weeks at maintenance level calories.

You simply alternate every 2 weeks like this until you hit your goal.

The reason they tested this idea was the fact that so many people quit their diets after 2-3 weeks.

Why not schedule a diet break at that time?

The subjects in the study[1] who alternated calories like this experienced greater fat loss over 16 weeks than the subjects who continually ate in a deficit.

How many calories for a deficit and maintenance?

There are tons of online calculators and stuff, but I like easy.

This strategy should work well with any type of diet (keto, low fat, paleo, Mediterranean, etc.)

Something to possibly test out.

One of the benefits or doing this with a higher carb diet is the metabolism-boosting effects of carbs.

When maintenance calories are higher in carbs?

The metabolism “heats up”.

This is due to the fact that glucose is the body’s preferred energy source.

When calories are reduced to 30% below maintenance the revved metabolism burns fat at a rapid rate.

It works well.

I have a course called High Carb Fat Loss that covers this in much greater detail.