Research
Macro partitioning
Post-starvation refeeding with a restricted diet (800 cal) leads to rapid reaccumulation of lean tissue (water and protein) while continuing to lose fat, resulting in a net fat loss rate higher than during the starvation phase itself.
After a period of fasting, do not binge. Return to a moderate calorie deficit (e.g., 800 calories). This study shows that your body will rapidly restore water and muscle mass while burning fat at a rate higher than during the fast itself. The 'rebound' is actually a fat-burning advantage if you maintain the deficit.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
During poststarvation caloric restriction, there was gain in weight, considerable reaccumulation of lean tissue, and loss of fat at a rate that was substantially greater than that during starvation.
Why this rating
Small sample size, but the trend is consistent across both studies.
Source
Comparative Effects of Caloric Restriction and Total Starvation on Body Composition in Obesity
Michael F. Ball et al. · Annals of Internal Medicine · 1967
DOI 10.7326/0003-4819-67-1-60
clinical_trial · n=9Cited 50×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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