(I need your help to get this perfect) Re-feed Days, Carbs and Primal Foods

[Replika]

(Maybe I posted wrong at first) I have detailed my new plan to shred and I need precision feedback on that plan. I'm wanting to stick to it, and get even more hard core than I've been, but there are a ton of theories involved in my plan. I need some serious confirmaiton or tweeking.

I've been dropping my fat-a$$ weight since November with a 40-40-20 split. I've gone from 270 to 219 so far. I'm lifting, and weight loss isn't my main goal. But I won't bulk untill I get to ABS! I'm kind of pissed that I have to get small, but I've accepted that I need to break it down before I build it up. Cut, Then Bulk!

I really want to pick up the shredding now that I'm getting my weight down. I want to lose Body fat instead of lbs now. 3/4 fat - 1/4 lean mass a lb, but I'm rebuilding the muscle with lifting and protein intake!

I want to open myself up to advice and scrutany, so I'm listing my proposed plan to really nail my goals.

I'm going to reduce my carb intake to only Yams, Oatmeal, and the carbs I get in my skim milk and protein powder. I'm going to only carb up once every 14 days for a re-feed with white carbs.

I will introduce BCAA's to my supps to reduce lean loss.

I will only eat the oatmeal for breakfast, and then lunch and dinner will comprise of meat, a yam, and some salad. My 10:00 and 2:00 will be celery and penut butter, and I'll be having 3 scoops of protein powder a day. I already eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup skim cottege cheese before I go to sleep every night (At about 10:00pm).

I'm open to tweeking, sugestions or any help.

I'm going to succeed, but I really need your help to do this the best I can.

[slufa111]

Cutting the weight is fine and dandy but building back the muscle is a little more difficult than losing fat IMHO. While I really understand why you want to be shredded or ripped, here is my argument. Why not just do a clean bulk and lift lift lift? You wont lose nearly as much of the muscle you already have and you wont gain that much bodyfat.

Second thing is, everyone seems to think that the ABS are a super muscle for some reason. The abs are just like another muscle in the body... I train my abs as I would train my back or my legs....

You may get down to 8% bodyfat but if you have a 5 year olds chest what does it make a difference?

A balanced diet, A balanced workout, And the drive will get you to the spot you want.

[Replika]

I totally understand your POV. I'm not happy that I've been Big Phil for several years now, and now I'm gonna get small again. I don't believe in Fat conversion. I believe in shredding and bulking. This is somthing I'm really focused on. I'm a quick gainer, but I gain fat as well. My muscle responds stupid quick to even a pair of 25 lb dumbbells, but my gut responds to a couple extra carbs. This sux!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could keep my size, and then build this back up at 220 solid muscle, but then I would have stayed at 270. Mass for me is easy, but fat is my issue, and my main question is if the program I have detailed will perserve muscle and build it, as I burn fat from lifting, boxing, running, and performing dumbell and barbell complexes.

I lift 4 - 6 times a week, and I box 3 times a week. I just re-introduced running to my schedule. I want to make sure I hit my cutting, shredding, and bulking just right, and my big question is if the plan I detailed will do just that.

I don't know if I specified, but if you take a look at my progress pics, you will see that the 270 I mention was at a serious fat a$$ status! I was at over 26% B/F when I started. I'm now at 20% according to the inaccurate digital B/F tester. I'm going to abs because I want to get rid of the fat and get back a higher muscle to fat ratio.

It's hard to get small, but if I can get from 270/26% B/F I'm know I can set my next goat at 210 less than 10% B/F and then keep upping my size the right way. The skies the limits.

Lifting is no issue to me. My weights and I have a near sexual relationship! It's the food that I need to get straight.

Thanx for all your good info slufa111. Keep it coming.

Cutting the weight is fine and dandy but building back the muscle is a little more difficult than losing fat IMHO. While I really understand why you want to be shredded or ripped, here is my argument. Why not just do a clean bulk and lift lift lift? You wont lose nearly as much of the muscle you already have and you wont gain that much bodyfat.

Second thing is, everyone seems to think that the ABS are a super muscle for some reason. The abs are just like another muscle in the body... I train my abs as I would train my back or my legs....

You may get down to 8% bodyfat but if you have a 5 year olds chest what does it make a difference?

A balanced diet, A balanced workout, And the drive will get you to the spot you want.

[ErickStevens]

If you're eating a balanced diet with moderate carbs, refeeds aren't going to be very beneficial.

[Replika]

If you're eating a balanced diet with moderate carbs, refeeds aren't going to be very beneficial.

My diet is hardcore! I'm completely clean. I thought re-feeds helped restore the metabolism, and help certain thyroid chemicals to kick back up to full throttle. If this is wrong then I do need to know. I don't like to do them. I would much rather keep it 1000% clean. Am I understanding that the chemical theory is wrong?

[tagun]

You start planning your re-feeds when you're eating ~200 grams of carbs or less all the time. They're meant to help with the production of leptin (fat burning hormone), which drops down significantly when dieting lower-carb.

[Replika]

You start planning your re-feeds when you're eating ~200 grams of carbs or less all the time. They're meant to help with the production of leptin (fat burning hormone), which drops down significantly when dieting lower-carb.

Tagun, That's just what I had researched. I'm not about screwing with a hard core diet. Sh*t, the last few years were one big cheat meal! Do you see the plan that I have detailed at the top of this post as decent?

[t1ger]

You start planning your re-feeds when you're eating ~200 grams of carbs or less all the time. They're meant to help with the production of leptin (fat burning hormone), which drops down significantly when dieting lower-carb.

They drop in a calorie deficit. Amount of carbs don't have anything to do with it

Read Flexible Dieting by Lyle McDonald.

[Replika]

They drop in a calorie deficit. Amount of carbs don't have anything to do with it

Read Flexible Dieting by Lyle McDonald.

I've heard this as well, and I've heard that it doesn't matter what you eat on a re-feed, as long as you either meet your deficit, or Tripple your calories if your really pushing a nasty deficit. This would be pre-contest panic shredding status calorie deficit.

I'll check out the read you recomended, but could you explain if re-feeding is carb specific, or calorie specific?

[t1ger]

I've heard this as well, and I've heard that it doesn't matter what you eat on a re-feed, as long as you either meet your deficit, or Tripple your calories if your really pushing a nasty deficit. This would be pre-contest panic shredding status calorie deficit.

I'll check out the read you recomended, but could you explain if re-feeding is carb specific, or calorie specific?

What you eat on a refeed does matter. Frequency, length, bf%, low fat and fiber-ish, how many carbs and so on.

Again, read Flexible Dieting by Lyle McDonald and you'll get some good guidelines.

Refeeding is calorie specific because it is meant for other things than just filling up glycogen stores (hormones and such).

[Replika]

Now that was perfect info. Many thankyou's.

What you eat on a refeed does matter. Frequency, length, bf%, low fat and fiber-ish, how many carbs and so on.

Again, read Flexible Dieting by Lyle McDonald and you'll get some good guidelines.

Refeeding is calorie specific because it is meant for other things than just filling up glycogen stores (hormones and such).