Refeeds better than constant dieting at constant calories

[drudixon]

Good video

https://youtu.be/W213uUui9RI

Edit, at normalized calories

[Plateauplower]

Good video

https://youtu.be/W213uUui9RI

Edit, at normalized calories

Meh, hard to say. I have eaten like that during college and it worked for staying reasonably lean and having fun on the weekends. It’s not a new thing, it’s outlined in an old book I have “Scientific Bodybuilding a Harcore Approach” they refer to it as the zig zag approach to dieting, can be used for deficits or surpluses. 3-5 days low 1-2 days higher or to bulk switch i5 until the gain rate is where you wan5 it. I would think the slightly higher LBM in the group eating at maintenance focusing on carbs for two days per week would be the result of water and glycogen from the carbs....in the end weekly basis is what matters. Makes like easier to have higher calorie days though for accommodating meals out etc.

[ajdahlheimer]

Good video

https://youtu.be/W213uUui9RI

Edit, at normalized calories

Thanks for the vid. This is the method I have used and had success with over the years.

[ironwill2008]

"Refeeds" and "cheat meals"/"cheat days" are the 2nd most frequent cause of people failing to lose body fat (first being failure to weigh/measure/track calorie intake accurately). This is evidenced by posts almost by the minute in the 'lf' and 'nutrition' forums.


When all the overweight beginners who post in the 'losing fat' forum get hold of this vid, they're going to immediately and incorrectly put this information (admitted in the vid to have come from a very limited study) into practice, and totally destroy any chance they had for losing fat.

[bubbathudd]

"Refeeds" and "cheat meals"/"cheat days" are the 2nd most frequent cause of people failing to lose body fat (first being failure to weigh/measure/track calorie intake accurately). This is evidenced by posts almost by the minute in the 'lf' and 'nutrition' forums.


When all the overweight beginners who post in the 'losing fat' forum get hold of this vid, they're going to immediately and incorrectly put this information (admitted in the vid to have come from a very limited study) into practice, and totally destroy any chance they had for losing fat.

Yeah, it is all too easy to completely blow a week of hard work and go into a surplus accidentally thinking a cheat meal or re-feed is necessary.

[tkdnj]

"Refeeds" and "cheat meals"/"cheat days" are the 2nd most frequent cause of people failing to lose body fat (first being failure to weigh/measure/track calorie intake accurately). This is evidenced by posts almost by the minute in the 'lf' and 'nutrition' forums.


When all the overweight beginners who post in the 'losing fat' forum get hold of this vid, they're going to immediately and incorrectly put this information (admitted in the vid to have come from a very limited study) into practice, and totally destroy any chance they had for losing fat.

What about if you refeed properly? It seems it does have its benefits regarding metabolism and possibly muscle retention if done properly. For example if your TDEE is 2500, and you go on a deficit of 500 calories per day (consuming 2000 calories per day or 14,000 calories per week), is there benefit in consuming 1700 calories M-F and 2750 on Saturday and Sunday?

[ironwill2008]

What about if you refeed properly? It seems it does have its benefits regarding metabolism and possibly muscle retention if done properly.

Nobody ever lost fat by eating more food.

For example if your TDEE is 2500, and you go on a deficit of 500 calories per day (consuming 2000 calories per day or 14,000 calories per week), is there benefit in consuming 1700 calories M-F and 2750 on Saturday and Sunday?

The body doesn't gain or lose fat like flipping a light switch; instead, the process works in a continuum over a period of days and weeks of calorie deficit. The only thing that would be accomplished by juggling one's calorie intake on a day-by-day basis would be to further-complicate one's calorie tracking and meal planning. Based on what I see posted in the various forums on this site almost by the minute, just trying to eat to the same deficit amount every day is difficult enough for the majority of posters here who are trying to drop some chub.


Simplify. If nothing else, it makes compliance easier.

[tkdnj]

Nobody ever lost fat by eating more food.

The body doesn't gain or lose fat like flipping a light switch; instead, the process works in a continuum over a period of days and weeks of calorie deficit. The only thing that would be accomplished by juggling one's calorie intake on a day-by-day basis would be to further-complicate one's calorie tracking and meal planning. Based on what I see posted in the various forums on this site almost by the minute, just trying to eat to the same deficit amount every day is difficult enough for the majority of posters here who are trying to drop some chub.

but at the end of the week, you are in the same total caloric deficit (again, I am coming from the perspective of being able to do it accurately)

[EjnarKolinkar]

For example if your TDEE is 2500, and you go on a deficit of 500 calories per day (consuming 2000 calories per day or 14,000 calories per week), is there benefit in consuming 1700 calories M-F and 2750 on Saturday and Sunday?

Most folks would find in this example that the steep deficit 5 days a week would have negative effect on compliance, training quality, and recovery. Training is the key factor in muscle retention, sacrifice it and no nutritional intervention can make up the slack.

I'm not suggesting that varying caloric intake is by definition evil. I'm just saying that nutritional gymnastics can never be allowed to take the lead over training quality.

[OldFartTom]

Anyone can plug details into a calorie calculator but long term compliance is the challenge.

I'm sure this has some merits for people who are already proven to be good at complying with diets, but agreeing with ironwill that it could be disastrous for newbies. It's almost like saying "advice only suitable for people who don't need it"

But interesting viewing, Thanks drudixon.

[tblodg15]

I started off my weight loss journey 1 1/2 years ago by purposely eating more calories on the weekends and less during the week. I had not researched anything and was just doing it because I wanted to enjoy going out to dinner with my family and not feel guilty by eating what I wanted. I would tighten up during the week and always make sure my weekly average was on target. I found it ironic once I started reading about nutrition that I could call these refeeds but it was just trying to lose weight and still enjoy meals with the family on the weekends.

Anyways, I started tracking calories/macros in January and the attached graph shows:
- my overall average calories is 2,056
- my Fri, Sat, Sun average is 2,286
- Monday thru Thursday average is 1,887.

During this time frame I have lost 27 lbs at an average of 1.1 lbs per week and 0.6% by following this strategy. Definitely not saying it is for everyone but I prefer this method and the results have been great.

*note: the few really high calorie days on Saturday in the 3,000 range are days when I go riding my quad off-road all day with my buddies where I will burn 4,000+ calories in just the 8 to 9 hours that I am riding.

[d2mini]

I started off my weight loss journey 1 1/2 years ago by purposely eating more calories on the weekends and less during the week. I had not researched anything and was just doing it because I wanted to enjoy going out to dinner with my family and not feel guilty by eating what I wanted.

EXACTLY THIS.

I'm so tired of the "fit in foods you like all week" comments.
First of all, when on a cut... with like 1800 calories... that little piece of mini snickers is just a tease.
Second, I'd rather eat higher quantity of "ok" foods than lower quantity of "omg" foods because the former is more filling and satiating. Very important with limited calories.
And third... sanity. Both for me and my family. Makes the weekends MUCH more enjoyable to be able to eat sensibly but not worry so much and not be so restricted.

Now if you are just falling off the wagon and doubling your daily intake on the weekends, well you're just a damn fool.
You still need to have some common sense and exercise control.

[dragman72]

I do things my way and it's working. Doesn't make it right just right for me.
Monday - Saturday I keep myself around 350-400 calories under what I feel my maintenance is. Sunday I start the day the same and then I tend to straight up loss my mind and eat 10,000 calories in a 4 hour window before bed. Then Monday right back to super clean.
I have been doing this for 5 months or so now and my weight has stayed the same, but I have become noticeably harder and more vascular and my BF% is defiantly dropping.
I will be changing this shortly with vacation but will probably go back to it after a month or two of consistent dieting (after vacation) then just go by feel until I get back to what I do now.

[ironwill2008]

Now if you are just falling off the wagon and doubling your daily intake on the weekends, well you're just a damn fool.

You still need to have some common sense and exercise control.

....which is the point I constantly attempt to make in these forums concerning beginners who state they are struggling to lose a pound, and post thread after thread about "refeeds, "cheat meals," "carb cycling," keto, IF, 'paleo,' and whatever diet scheme dr oz is pushing this week.

People who have been into this for a year or two (or more) are still in it because they've figured out what works for them and have had some success at it. Not so for beginners, or at least the majority of them posting on this site.



Simplify

[tblodg15]

Ironwill, I agree for sure that beginners or folks without much self discipline could fail miserably by allowing higher calories on certain days.

[d2mini]

....which is the point I constantly attempt to make in these forums concerning beginners who state they are struggling to lose a pound, and post thread after thread about "refeeds, "cheat meals," "carb cycling," keto, IF, 'paleo,' and whatever diet scheme dr oz is pushing this week.

People who have been into this for a year or two (or more) are still in it because they've figured out what works for them and have had some success at it. Not so for beginners, or at least the majority of them posting on this site.



Simplify

Agreed. Many beginners are looking for an easy fix, a way to bend the rules. Doesn't work that way.
Unfortunately common sense seems to be in short supply! lol

[ironwill2008]

Agreed. Many beginners are looking for an easy fix, a way to bend the rules. Doesn't work that way.
Unfortunately common sense seems to be in short supply! lol

Besides the search for the 'easy fix,' (definitely an issue for lots of beginners) many don't believe that losing fat is, in fact, as simple a process as keeping track of daily calories to insure a calorie deficit.

[d2mini]

Besides the search for the 'easy fix,' (definitely an issue for lots of beginners) many don't believe that losing fat is, in fact, as simple a process as keeping track of daily calories to insure a calorie deficit.

Yup.
The irony that the whole concept of calories in/calories out is so simple/easy! But putting it into practice which requires some discipline feels tooooo harrrrrd. Ohhh eM Geeeeeee. /whine

[tkdnj]

so it seems the prevailing thought is that IF you can ACCURATELY refeed (for example on the weekends); and your AVERAGE daily deficit is accurate (for example you are AVERAGING a 500 calorie daily deficit even though the actual number varies depending on the day), you will be just as successful as the dieter who is consuming the same amount of calories everyday (in this example an actual 500 calorie daily deficit). BUT the dieter who does refeeds gets the additional (theorized) benefits regarding metabolism and muscle retention

[gipper53]

I've noticed a trend in my weight loss related to refeeding and deload weeks.

My journey: I've lost 40lbs since mid January; at 5'-10" I've gone from 235 to 195 (as of this morning) by diligently watching calories, sticking to Fierce Five, and consistent cardio.

Ok, enough on that... The trend: about every 8-9 weeks I start feeling run down from all the exercise. My lifts start failing, and I generally feel like crap while lifting weights, overall energy drops, etc. Also, right around this time the weigh loss seems to stall out, and I'll have about two weeks where the scale doesn't want to move despite the calories and exercise remaining consistent. When I feel like this, I've done a deload week to recoup.

So, I've now done 3 deload weeks since January, and just came off the last one. I do the light weights in the gym, keep cardio low intensity, and eat a few hundred calories more per day than usual. The next week I feel great when I get back to the "real" routine. And surprise, usually within a few days the scale starts moving pretty fast again. I'll usually have a sharp weight drop within a week (like 3-5 lbs) and then it keeps dropping consistently again at the 1.5lb/week progress. It will keep steadily dropping for about 6-7 weeks, then the symptoms start again.

Not saying I'm doing anything magical here, but for me deload weeks and 'refeeding' during them seem to help keep the progress moving along and helps avoid burnout. It's been consistent 3 times now so I don't think it's a fluke. I guess the body can only take so much training at a calorie deficit before it just starts "stalling out". Deloads and refeeds seem to kickstart everything again in my case.

[SMASH23]

There is an argument for both sides. Cheat meals have been used forever to help curb the slowdown of metabolism and increase lepin. Ive been following a improvised Dave Palumbo type keto diet the past 2 months, starting weight at 210lbs. I try to refeed 1 day a week, eating carbs within a 5 hour time span, but realistically, half of the weekends over the past 2 months I've been eating carbs both Saturday and Sunday. which is incorrect in regards to the DP keto instructions. But i have been seeing results.

My Monday-Friday diet is somewhere in the ball park of 1800 calories- protein/fat. My Saturday diet is typically pancakes/burger/fries/pizza things like that, so i am not strict by any means. but i am down to 196lbs

Admittedly, if i were following a proper diet with a tracked refeed i would be further along in my weight loss but i am not sloppy fat and i want to enjoy my life. i did most of my weight loss from March-May on high protein/low carb. I know theres some Keto haters, but honestly the energy benefits alone are the reason i chose to switch in the beginning of May. I was so lethargic on a high protein/low carb/veggie diet, and by making the switch i had energy almost instantly. Plus, i am a big advocate of healthy fats so i feel better knowing i am getting them in.

the only bad thing i have to say about Keto is the observable depletion of my glycogen stores. it mentally fcuks with you to see your shirts and sleeves getting looser than usual so quickly. BUT, when i refeed, i look like i have a pump!

[induced_drag]

Ill throw a wrench into the discussions and bring out some "broscience". If I am going to eat more,(especially higher carb) I prefer to do so post workout.

I have seen through personal experimentation that I can ingest very high levels of of simple sugars intra, or post workout with very negative side effects. If i were to ingest 80g of dextrose in a rested state, I would get a 'high' followed by a crappy feeling low. Taken post workout, I have ZERO effect, other than adding to a 'pump', veins popping out...etc.

I have at times thought about doing bloog sugar monitoring over intervals and see if I can observed in my blood markers what I feel, but I just operate on gut on this one. I have always been sensitive to sugars. I have tested as slow as 55 in a fasted test. Anyway.....I can say is when I am leaner, it seems like my response to eating heavy carb meals is different post workout.