Refeed

Geschatte leestijd: 4 minuten It often elicits a strange look from my personal training clients. While the main goal is to lose body fat, I recommend enjoying some extra rice, pasta, oatmeal, or even Ben & Jerry’s. “But won’t that hinder weight loss?” is a response I often hear. When the goal is weight loss and less food is being eaten as a result, this is usually done by reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet. There is nothing wrong with this in itself because, especially when more protein is consumed in its place, it produces good results. However, after a while, weight loss can plateau, and there is a chance that hunger will occur more frequently and mood will worsen. [1] The reason weight loss stagnates is that various hormones no longer function optimally, particularly leptin [2]. This is the result of a prolonged calorie deficit and the body’s adaptation to the diet. To break this cycle, the body needs to be signaled regularly that the hormones can be produced again. This is achieved through increased energy intake. This is called a ‘refeed’.

What is a refeed?

A ‘refeed’ is the consumption of one or more meals where you consume more calories than usual, the so-called feeding of your body. How often such a refeed should be applied depends on your personal situation and goal. If you are overweight, you produce more leptin and therefore need a refeed less often [3]. If you have a large calorie deficit in your diet or have a low body fat percentage, then leptin decreases faster and you need a refeed more often [4]. Stagnation of weight loss, reduced strength during your workouts, and a deterioration of your mood can all be signs that you need a refeed. In addition to the effects on your hormonal functioning, a prolonged calorie deficit also has other consequences that can be negative for fat loss. By strategically planning a refeed, there are multiple goals that I want to share with you now.

Three Goals of a refeed

• Replenish glycogen stores
• A psychological boost between ‘heavy dieting’
• Regulate your hormones, especially thyroid and leptin

Replenishing glycogen through increased carbohydrate intake will increase your workout intensity. Taking a ‘break’ from your calorie deficit and being strict with yourself provides new motivation.

What does a refeed consist of?

A refeed is best comprised of carbohydrates. As mentioned earlier, a lack of (or minimal intake of) carbohydrates can lead to performance loss and impaired thyroid function. Your glycogen stores become depleted when you eat low carbohydrates for days, and levels of the hormone leptin will decrease. By eating a larger amount of carbohydrates, you will get a boost for your leptin and thyroid hormone while also replenishing the glycogen store in both your liver and muscles. The latter will have a positive effect on your strength training and minimize loss of muscle mass. You can maintain the amount of proteins and fats from your daily targets, as both have little to no influence on your leptin and thyroid function [5]. Fat intake may even be reduced during a refeed as it can lower leptin concentration [6]. Example: The daily maintenance for a 26-year-old woman weighing 65 kilograms is based on 2000 calories. Because she wants to lose weight, she maintains a calorie deficit of 20%, which amounts to a total of 1600 calories per day. She consumes 1600 calories daily and obtains these from the appropriate distribution of the so-called “macronutrients”, carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

• Days 1 to 6: 1600 kcal (calorie deficit)
• Day 7: Refeed. Higher amount of carbohydrates and therefore a small calorie surplus.

The small calorie surplus she consumes on day 7 does not prevent her from consuming fewer calories than she burns in a week’s cycle. Therefore, she will still lose fat mass while not having to suffer from the calorie deficit mentally and physically. As mentioned, with a higher body fat percentage, a refeed should be applied less frequently. If you are ‘lean’, you may benefit from eating slightly above your calorie requirement more often. Note that this is not a recommendation for you. Everyone has different needs, and this example is for illustration purposes only.

Dangers of a refeed

How and whether you can apply a refeed depends on your personal preferences. For some, a so-called refeed day or ‘cheat day’ is the perfect opportunity to indulge in all the chocolate, hamburgers, and Ben & Jerry’s they encounter. Personally, I am not a fan of the term ‘cheat meal’ or even ‘cheat day’ for this reason. After all, you can eat anything, as long as it remains within proportions. Moreover, the term refeed is often confused with eating a ‘cheat meal’, which is often applied less strategically.

How to proceed

If every 5 to 14 days (approximately) you feel the need for a mental break from your diet or notice that your mood and intensity of your workouts decrease, you can greatly benefit from a refeed. However, do not use it as a license to eat as much because you ‘deserve’ it or are ‘due for it’. Planning a (small) calorie surplus correctly does not have to hinder your fat loss; it will even make you stronger, boost your metabolism, and help with long-term fat loss. Good luck!

References

1. McDonald, L. (1998). The ketogenic diet. Austin, TX: Body Recomposition.
2. Klok MD, Jakobsdottir S, Drent ML. The role of leptin and ghrelin in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans: a review. Obes Rev. 2007;8(1):21–34. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2006.00270.x.
3. Rexford S. Ahima. Revisiting leptin’s role in obesity and weight loss. J Clin Invest. Jul 1, 2008; 118(7): 2380–2383
4. Mathieson RA, Walberg JL, Gwazdauskas FC, Hinkle DE, Gregg JM. The effect of varying carbohydrate content of a very-low-caloric diet on resting metabolic rate and thyroid hormones. Metab Clin Exp. 1986;35(5):394–398.
5. Dirlewanger M, di Vetta V, Guenat E, Battilana P, Seematter G, Schneiter P,Jéquier E, Tappy L. Effects of short-term carbohydrate or fat overfeeding on energy expenditure and plasma leptin concentrations in healthy female subjects. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 Nov;24(11):1413-8.
6. High-fat meals reduce 24-h circulating leptin concentrations in women. P J Havel, R Townsend, L Chaump and K Teff.doi: 10.2337/diabetes.48.2.334. Diabetes February 1999 vol. 48 no. 2 334-341