Refeeds are for weak people?

[KingMike]

A dude at school today said that refeeds and cheats are a bunch of b.s. while dieting. He said that if everything is n place to stave off muscle wasting that you are good to go for 8-12 weeks? He said he has been eating a bowl of grits and his pwo meal for 5 weeks without a break. Is any of this true, am I just apig for wanting a carb day or cheat meal?

[IronFreakX]

A dude at school today said that refeeds and cheats are a bunch of b.s. while dieting. He said that if everything is n place to stave off muscle wasting that you are good to go for 8-12 weeks? He said he has been eating a bowl of grits and his pwo meal for 5 weeks without a break. Is any of this true, am I just apig for wanting a carb day or cheat meal?

yes you are

[KingMike]

Oink, oink ! I knew there was a reason I used to be 285 pounds, I love food. I am now addicted to oatmeal though and I think that 1 day a week of 2500 calories from oats while cutting will hinder my current progress.

[IronFreakX]

Oink, oink ! I knew there was a reason I used to be 285 pounds, I love food. I am now addicted to oatmeal though and I think that 1 day a week of 2500 calories from oats while cutting will hinder my current progress.

dude , cheating is fine...Who gives a fvck bout MR what the hell is name is says...construct ur diet rite..train rite..dont stray off ever...and enjoy ur cheat meal(s)/day...

[Giantz11]

Dude Refeeds are not bullshit, at all. The guy who told you that is a complete ****ing moron. Refeeds are mandatory in any prolonged diet. The issue is slightly more complicated than that, but just tell the dude he's a dumb **** and mention Leptin, and watch the 7 Dick Look that he gives you.

[IronFreakX]

Dude Refeeds are not bullshit, at all. The guy who told you that is a complete ****ing moron. Refeeds are mandatory in any prolonged diet. The issue is slightly more complicated than that, but just tell the dude he's a dumb **** and mention Leptin, and watch the 7 Dick Look that he gives you.

[Giantz11]

[IronFreakX]

and it keeps on going...

[SwoleCat]

Dude Refeeds are not bullshit, at all. The guy who told you that is a complete ****ing moron. Refeeds are mandatory in any prolonged diet. The issue is slightly more complicated than that, but just tell the dude he's a dumb **** and mention Leptin, and watch the 7 Dick Look that he gives you.

Exactly, homeboy is a moron.

~SC~

[KingMike]

He looks good but he is sort of a hermit. He never does anything and has muscle mags in the back seat of his dodge shadow, maybe he is a nit wit. I had a HUGE cheat day 7 days ago. This week is the BEST I have felt, and the leanest I have been for a while. I ate a buffet and got home and had about 4000 calories worth of ANYTHING fat free. I am not sure what the scales will say in the morning but I went out and bought 200.00 worth of clothing today that fit perfect. The shirts I bought are even tight in the arms and these same shirts were not 4 weeks ago. I am just scared that a refeed or cheat might stop my progress. Help me guys.

[IronFreakX]

He looks good but he is sort of a hermit. He never does anything and has muscle mags in the back seat of his dodge shadow, maybe he is a nit wit. I had a HUGE cheat day 7 days ago.This week is the BEST I have felt, and the leanest I have been for a while. I ate a buffet and got home and had about 4000 calories worth of ANYTHING fat free. I am not sure what the scales will say in the morning but I went out and bought 200.00 worth of clothing today that fit perfect. The shirts I bought are even tight in the arms and these same shirts were not 4 weeks ago. I am just scared that a refeed or cheat might stop my progress. Help me guys.

*come to the dark side , we have cookies

[collar]

u will be fine...
u can have a cheat day.....
but if u really worry bout it that much dont have a cheat day then.........
but i think then u will more cheat meals during week cause u wont be able to help urself............
so its up to u tho.........

[KingMike]

What can be preedicted results (8 -10 weeks) if I have NO carbs other than 175 spread through my PWO & PPWO and NO cheat or refeed days as opposed to NO carbs other than 90 spread over the PWO & PPWO with a cheat or refeed day. Calories would be the same on both...2350 on workout days and 2150 on non. I am 184, 14% or so, 6 foot tall and 31 years old.

[Giantz11]

At 14% BF I'd say that you could go a few weeks without a refeed. But remember your body strives for homeostasis, so it will adjust accordingly to low cals and reduce thyroid outut and so on. Leptin levels will decrease and you will eventually stall out the leaner you get. It is more important for you at this current BF% if you are going to have a refeed, to make sure you are getting alot of carbs, refil glycogen stores as well as boost insulin and thyroid. At this time of high carbs try and keep fat low, the leaner you get the more often you need to refeed. Also you will be able to incorporate worse and worse foods. It all depends on how quickly you are trying to get lean.

[SHRED]

At 14% BF I'd say that you could go a few weeks without a refeed. But remember your body strives for homeostasis, so it will adjust accordingly to low cals and reduce thyroid outut and so on. Leptin levels will decrease and you will eventually stall out the leaner you get. It is more important for you at this current BF% if you are going to have a refeed, to make sure you are getting alot of carbs, refil glycogen stores as well as boost insulin and thyroid. At this time of high carbs try and keep fat low, the leaner you get the more often you need to refeed. Also you will be able to incorporate worse and worse foods. It all depends on how quickly you are trying to get lean.

No this is some great info.

[mitch911]

At 14% BF I'd say that you could go a few weeks without a refeed. But remember your body strives for homeostasis, so it will adjust accordingly to low cals and reduce thyroid outut and so on. Leptin levels will decrease and you will eventually stall out the leaner you get. It is more important for you at this current BF% if you are going to have a refeed, to make sure you are getting alot of carbs, refil glycogen stores as well as boost insulin and thyroid. At this time of high carbs try and keep fat low, the leaner you get the more often you need to refeed. Also you will be able to incorporate worse and worse foods. It all depends on how quickly you are trying to get lean.

i dont understand the part about worse and worse foods.are u talkin about on the reefeed days or just in general diet?

[Giantz11]

On the refeed days, as you get leaner you will be abele to get away with eating worse foods, for sure. At 14% BF though, I'd try to have a "clean" refeed day. Still incorporate Hi Gi carbs and all that fun stuff but try not to mix in trans fats and saturated fats with it, this could hamper ones progress. Maybe not so much one meal but a whole day can for sure.

[Giantz11]

Like I said, it all depends on how quickly you want to get lean!

[ttuprincess]

if anything i think personally that refeeds and cheats help me lose weight faster

[Giantz11]

if anything i think personally that refeeds and cheats help me lose weight faster

All depends on the cheat day!!! I know I can cheat better then you can

[ttuprincess]

All depends on the cheat day!!! I know I can cheat better then you can

Oh i dont think this is true.... just ask Vette about my eating habits

[Giantz11]

Nice Nice, Nothing like a girl that cheat with the best of them!

[bor]

IMO, there are 2 sides to that story :

1. Cheating isn't necesarry for the first 3-4 weeks because your metabolism probably hasn't slown down so much yet........BUT :

2. cheating will keep you sane and on track, and without it most people will probably get off the diet alltogether

I suposse the guy is one of those fat-advice-giving-know-it-all-bastards right?

[bor]

Oh i dont think this is true.... just ask Vette about my eating habits

Those avatars just keep getting better and better

[KingMike]

I am currently losing arounf 1 1/2 pounds a week, while getting stronger EVERY workout while incorporating a day set aside every 7-8 days that includes ANYTHING low fat or fat free and one HUGE cheat meal of buffet style. I have always cheated like this and always lost atleast a pound the following week. Of course a 1 on, 1 off split with cardio EVERy morning and twice on non workout days and a PERFECT diet for 7-8 days probably helps matters. That is why I am in a pickle. I know I can cheat big and get right back on the health horse and still lose 1-2 pounds and keep getting stronger. My clothes are getting baggy in the waist and tighter in the upper body while dieting, this has never happened while cutting, thank GOD for you guys and the almight Swole, I have followed his posts on every borad this side of Mexico for 1 year and got this shit down to a tee.

[Giantz11]

this side of Mexico for 1 year

LMAO!

[mrclark]

Hi, so is there a general rule of thumb for the frequency of a refeed in respect to "cutting and BF % ?" Let's say the goal is to continue to cut & reduce BF%.

i.e. <10% BF

10-16% BF

17-20% BF

20-30+% BF
Again, it is varied individually but how long is too long to not have a refeed for these BF%'s....

Lastly, what are examples of some "clean refeed foods?" Pizza???

Thanks alot!

[bor]

The amount of times between cheat days doesn't depend on bf%, but on the speed of one's metabolism...

And when people say clean refeed foods - they are usually on a low carb diet, so those would be bigger amounts of carbs, but without mixing them with fats...

[CarbonCopy]

I go crazy on my cheat day(Sunday's), and I put on about 5lbs of water, which I drop towards the end of the week. But, if I don't cheat I seem to lose a lot of muscle and get really, really flat. I'd have to say if it wasn't for the cheat day not only would I go insane, I'd get really weak feeling and flat. Cheating does seem to help me train harder and lift harder versus staying really clean for extented periods of time. And this question is for anyone, what about cheating, but cheating clean? How have your results been with that method?

Thanks,

CC

Didn't mean to jack your thread bro, just thought this would be a good place to ask my questions.

[andy78139]

I think cheat days are an important part to getting lean.
I'm coming to the end of a 13 week cutting diet (1st contest in 12 days!) and have gone on my instincts throughout as to when to cheat.

By insticts i mean, when i feel my body has slowed or my hunger is soo great i have lost motivation. I go easy on what my insticts tell me, coz lets behonest my body doesnt want to be 4% bodyfat. And if i listened to my basic insticts i wudnt be lifting in the gym i wud be deficating and trying to mate with the gym bunnies. lol

ive had cheat days at;
4 weeks in
6 weeks in
8 weeks in
9 weeks in
10 weeks in
10 weeks 6days in

As u can see my cheat day frequency increased as my bodyfat has gotten lower. I feel they are good for motivation. Being flat and depleted i get demotivated looking in the mirror, cheat days fill me out a bit and rekindle my motivation and desire to get into contest shape.

[Giantz11]

Andy, Excellent point. The need to refeed and cheat as you get leaner is actually to trick your body into letting you to continue to lose BF. As soon as you get below your natural setpoint, your body will struggle to lose BF, this is a basis for survival. But by refeeding you are able to elevate your thyroid output, cAMP and well as insulin which has an effect on Leptin signaling which will end up tricking your body into thinking its in the Fed State, rather than the truth which is you are way to low in BF!

[CarbonCopy]

When you guys refeed is it pretty much anything goes food wise? I mean I love junk food and sweets, which I have been eating on my cheat day. But, I always feel bloated and lethargic the next day. So much so that my body just doesn't want to hit the gym. Anyone else have the problem? Is there a wrong way to cheat?

Thanks,

CC

[Kärnfysikern]

A dude at school today said that refeeds and cheats are a bunch of b.s. while dieting. He said that if everything is n place to stave off muscle wasting that you are good to go for 8-12 weeks? He said he has been eating a bowl of grits and his pwo meal for 5 weeks without a break. Is any of this true, am I just apig for wanting a carb day or cheat meal?

I havent read the rest of the thread so this might already be posted. But all people doesnt love food equaly much. Im telling you one thing. Sure I maby could go 8-12 weeks without cheatin but that would COMPLETELY take away the joy from my life and nothing I mean NOTHING would be worth that sacrifice.

[mark956101957]

What the heck are refeeds thats a word I have never seen before?

[JayceonTaylor]

Im all for refeeds as they are a vital tool in avoiding metabolic shut-down. But is one day enough? How much of an impact can one day improve leptin levels and metabolism?

I did an 8 week lean-out phase March/April and did not cheat but kept calories higher day-2-day. My weight went from 245-235lbs and my body fat dropped substantionally. This was effective as day-2-day it was so much easier as i was consuming a decent amount of food.

I suppose its a matter of more than one way to skin a cat eh....

[CarbonCopy]

I've done the 2 day cheat before, but prefer the 1 cheat day approach. 2 days just makes me feel like crap and I don't think it helps my cause any.