Refeeds low carb and keto?

[ss4vegeta1]

Atm I am doing a low carb diet with carbs coming from dairy, greens and berries. But I am doing a keto lifestyle in the early winter. Should refeeds be used for both? I am not eating any grains or starches.(Only once a week cheat meal.) But would it be in my interest to do a refeed once a week to increase fatloss?

[a4a]

Yep, you'd be doing a CKD (cyclical keto diet), where refeeds are done every week with a large amount of carbs. It helps with the keto fog, helps replenish glycogen, and gives most a break from the low carb diets, although not everyone utilizes refeeds.

I've heard great fat loss stories from both sides, people who've used refeeds and not, but I personally prefer to use them, they can help in fat loss with the whole leptin issue, and will help you retain gym intensity if it happens to decrease.

[cyclistgod]

a4a: hello, i have like 5 months without a re-feed carb-up cheat-meal, you might say that i am carbohydrate phobic, but the thing is that Iv'e read in an article that cheat re-feed meals do not really raise the metabolism like people say. Or the article could be wrong.

My question is do you think that the metabolism gets too slow if we follow a strict diet for many weeks and months without a single re-feed, carb-up cheat meal?

I mean are cheat refeed meals really really necessary in order to lose weight?

.

Yep, you'd be doing a CKD (cyclical keto diet), where refeeds are done every week with a large amount of carbs. It helps with the keto fog, helps replenish glycogen, and gives most a break from the low carb diets, although not everyone utilizes refeeds.

I've heard great fat loss stories from both sides, people who've used refeeds and not, but I personally prefer to use them, they can help in fat loss with the whole leptin issue, and will help you retain gym intensity if it happens to decrease.

[a4a]

Well, I never mentioned metabolism, I've also heard that the metabolism slowing down is minimal, around 100-200 calories at most which is still nothing considering fat loss, it's more about glycogen replenishing, to make your muscles look fuller and to give your muscles the carbs they need, as referenced from Lyle McDonald's The Ketogenic Diet book. In it, if glycogen levels are depleted to past 25mmol/kg, the body is at risk of using protein as fuel, which would cause muscle loss over time.

Now, on the other hand, there are people with experience of SKD that lift regularly and say they never did a carb-up once and still managed to see results. The way I see it, carb loads aren't ever necessary, but I still see positive benefits from utilizing them, if not at least once per month. But then again, nothing is every necessary for fat loss other than the standard calories in vs out, so just maintain the deficit and you should still see results.

[ss4vegeta1]

Yeah I am going to try it. I mean I don't limit carbs atm. Like I said just greens and dairy. But I have been considering more veggies like carrots and maybe. Refeeds sound like a great idea for the increase in caloric intake with clean foods.

[cyclistgod]

Hello, i think you are right, i think that the excess of cardio, cycling, walking and weight training combined with a low calorie low-carb diet is making me look too skinny, like a cyclist not like weight trainer, I think will need to do a carb-up, re-feed meal at least once a week, or once every 2 weeks.

thanx

Well, I never mentioned metabolism, I've also heard that the metabolism slowing down is minimal, around 100-200 calories at most which is still nothing considering fat loss, it's more about glycogen replenishing, to make your muscles look fuller and to give your muscles the carbs they need, as referenced from Lyle McDonald's The Ketogenic Diet book. In it, if glycogen levels are depleted to past 25mmol/kg, the body is at risk of using protein as fuel, which would cause muscle loss over time.

Now, on the other hand, there are people with experience of SKD that lift regularly and say they never did a carb-up once and still managed to see results. The way I see it, carb loads aren't ever necessary, but I still see positive benefits from utilizing them, if not at least once per month. But then again, nothing is every necessary for fat loss other than the standard calories in vs out, so just maintain the deficit and you should still see results.

[Brianterz]

Yeah I am going to try it. I mean I don't limit carbs atm. Like I said just greens and dairy. But I have been considering more veggies like carrots and maybe. Refeeds sound like a great idea for the increase in caloric intake with clean foods.

NO.. dont refeed.. If you are not deplenished of glycogen and you do a refeed you will damage the work you have done already.. Since you were saying you are not counting carb yet want to know if you should do a refeed the anser is no.

Even people doing strict keto, but not really lifting weights should not carb up or refeed. The idea is to be completly deplenished then fill them back up to build muscle and replenish the glycogen stores to continue your intense workouts.. IF you are not doing this then do not carb up. like i said earlier it will do more damage then good

[ss4vegeta1]

NO.. dont refeed.. If you are not deplenished of glycogen and you do a refeed you will damage the work you have done already.. Since you were saying you are not counting carb yet want to know if you should do a refeed the anser is no.

Even people doing strict keto, but not really lifting weights should not carb up or refeed. The idea is to be completly deplenished then fill them back up to build muscle and replenish the glycogen stores to continue your intense workouts.. IF you are not doing this then do not carb up. like i said earlier it will do more damage then good

Well we'll see. I think I'd be better off with a clean refeed than a really dirty cheat with HFCS, transfats and hydrogenated oils. A baked potato sounds awesome atm.

[ss4vegeta1]

NO.. dont refeed.. If you are not deplenished of glycogen and you do a refeed you will damage the work you have done already.. Since you were saying you are not counting carb yet want to know if you should do a refeed the anser is no.

Even people doing strict keto, but not really lifting weights should not carb up or refeed. The idea is to be completly deplenished then fill them back up to build muscle and replenish the glycogen stores to continue your intense workouts.. IF you are not doing this then do not carb up. like i said earlier it will do more damage then good

Can you explain why not if it is in the form of starches? Starches break down into glucose not like sucrose or fructose. Also high carb days increase body temperature significantly.

[a4a]

Well, I was assuming the OP lifted regularly, but even so, a refeed won't negate all the work OP's done.

If the OP's been in a calorie deficit throughout the week and the refeed isn't significantly over maintenance, fat loss is still manageable, not to mention that doing a cleaner refeed with starches and less fat would still be able to help the OP cut. Once the OP's been on keto for a long enough while, going back to ketosis is quick and surprisingly not negated from a carb load as many people expect it to be.

[Brianterz]

Can you explain why not if it is in the form of starches? Starches break down into glucose not like sucrose or fructose. Also high carb days increase body temperature significantly.

it has nothing to do with the type of carbs... everything to do with the fact that you are not deplenished of your glycogen stores... This is only done by weight training.. since that is not the case with your workouts.. i do not believe you should do a re-feed... if you do, do ALOT of cardio then maybe once a month..

sucrose is just like sugar. breaks down the same as glucose.. fructose on the other hand goes to your liver and does not replenish and muscle glycogen