Of refeeds and diet breaks
Replies
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Just checking in here. I'd had no significant weight loss since December, despite trying various calorie intake levels. Took a break from restriction for 6 weeks from the end of May to the beginning of July. Ate around 2800 calories per day for that period.
The good news - I was able to maintain weight in the 203-209 range over the 6 weeks. I seem to have more energy for workouts and have been able to increase lifting weight. It's good to know that I can maintain weight while eating at a fairly high calorie level.
Started a mild restriction (2500 calories per day) on July 5. We'll see if I can lose slowly at that level while hopefully lifting more weight.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread and shared their knowledge and experience. It's been very helpful to me.12 -
I've just had a lovely week at maintenance ahead of another 6 week cut.
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I just had mine too last week, after 2 days of going to back to my cutting calories, I dropped 2 lbs immediately. Of course, it's still early in the week, but still. It's probably some of the water weight being flushed out from the small increase of food the previous week when I was on maintenance.1
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I dropped 2 lbs within 2 days of returning to my deficit as well which is quick for me to start dropping water. Since I have no experience with diet breaks I am shocked at how easily I resumed my full deficit. There was no mental resistance and no residual hunger from getting accustomed to the higher calories. I wasn't really expecting any resistance because I like my system but you never know I suppose.
I took mine more to encourage my wife who needed it more than I did to take one too. I didn't think I needed one but I do feel better after doing it and I feel a sense of renewal. For my first couple of days afterwards I went back to the basics of weighing everything where I normally eyeball the low calorie stuff like cucumbers. I am not sure why but it didn't hurt to have a little refresher course I suppose.12 -
I am still wondering how come I am losing faster this week after my diet break. I hope it's just the water weight and glycogen that's being flushed out more than me simply losing weight at a fast rate. I wouldn't want to lose muscles. I am on pace to lose 2 lbs this week. I think I'll stick with my current cutting calories for one more week to make sure it was water weight all along and not me simply losing weight too fast. If I see that 2 weeks after my diet break I am still losing too much weight, I'll have to increase my calories. I am already close to my body fat % goal.3
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I did a diet break while on vacation last week. I was happy that I maintained (weighed the day after getting back). I weighed myself this morning after two days of being back on the program and I lost 1.4 lbs. I know it is water weight but very happy. Weight was coming off at about .5 lbs a week. I am at the last 5-10 lbs.1
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I am still wondering how come I am losing faster this week after my diet break. I hope it's just the water weight and glycogen that's being flushed out more than me simply losing weight at a fast rate. I wouldn't want to lose muscles. I am on pace to lose 2 lbs this week. I think I'll stick with my current cutting calories for one more week to make sure it was water weight all along and not me simply losing weight too fast. If I see that 2 weeks after my diet break I am still losing too much weight, I'll have to increase my calories. I am already close to my body fat % goal.
That's probably water. Saw your other post. That's a decent calorie level. Will probably slow next week. But, I think you are smart to keep an eye on it.0 -
I am still wondering how come I am losing faster this week after my diet break. I hope it's just the water weight and glycogen that's being flushed out more than me simply losing weight at a fast rate. I wouldn't want to lose muscles. I am on pace to lose 2 lbs this week. I think I'll stick with my current cutting calories for one more week to make sure it was water weight all along and not me simply losing weight too fast. If I see that 2 weeks after my diet break I am still losing too much weight, I'll have to increase my calories. I am already close to my body fat % goal.
That's probably water. Saw your other post. That's a decent calorie level. Will probably slow next week. But, I think you are smart to keep an eye on it.
As much as I want to get my cut done asap, I know it wouldn't do many favors if I did lose beyond 1% of my bodyweight.0 -
I am still wondering how come I am losing faster this week after my diet break. I hope it's just the water weight and glycogen that's being flushed out more than me simply losing weight at a fast rate. I wouldn't want to lose muscles. I am on pace to lose 2 lbs this week. I think I'll stick with my current cutting calories for one more week to make sure it was water weight all along and not me simply losing weight too fast. If I see that 2 weeks after my diet break I am still losing too much weight, I'll have to increase my calories. I am already close to my body fat % goal.
Water weight can take several days to be come off. I have been known to take 8 days to return to "normal". Just keep reminding yourself that it takes burning ~7000 calories to lose 2lbs of fat which is not something a person can normally do without intention or sickness.
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I am still wondering how come I am losing faster this week after my diet break. I hope it's just the water weight and glycogen that's being flushed out more than me simply losing weight at a fast rate. I wouldn't want to lose muscles. I am on pace to lose 2 lbs this week. I think I'll stick with my current cutting calories for one more week to make sure it was water weight all along and not me simply losing weight too fast. If I see that 2 weeks after my diet break I am still losing too much weight, I'll have to increase my calories. I am already close to my body fat % goal.
That's probably water. Saw your other post. That's a decent calorie level. Will probably slow next week. But, I think you are smart to keep an eye on it.
As much as I want to get my cut done asap, I know it wouldn't do many favors if I did lose beyond 1% of my bodyweight.
If your strength, recovery, and performance during training haven't taken a hit, then it's more than likely you're not losing gains. It also depends on your body composition. If you're already significantly lean, then yes, a loss of >0.5-1%/wk is rapid, but coming off a diet break, it should be water, glycogen, fat, and insignificant amounts of protein (as long as dietary protein is prioritized, this isn't really a worry regarding nitrogen balance).
If you're normal or overfat, then losses around 1+%/wk aren't really too bad either. Again, use strength, recovery, and training performance as a kind of reassuring guide that whatever you're losing is mostly everything else and minimal lean mass loss.2 -
Just in case anyone needed reassurance that long-term weight loss comes with often permanent lifestyle changes.
*I know it sounds redundant, but for some reason the word "lifestyle" gets associated with "current" without regard for future planning
"Increased physical activity, higher protein intake and greater lean muscle mass may have counteracted weight loss-associated metabolic compensation and highlights their importance in weight-maintenance programmes."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/29988905/
Move more overall, focus on protein, and strength train. Simple.10 -
Help, I'm doing everything right and can't lose weight!!
Jks, obviously.
Week one was a wash thanks to PMS and a hefty dose of IDGAF, undid my deficit and then some. Last week was much better though. It's true that the scale is being stubborn, but I'm sporting some impressive fluid retention. It'll move when it moves.
Finally got back to strength training (there's one of the fluid retention culprits right there), and trying to be consistent with hitting step goal, though the weather isn't cooperating and I'm not quite back to 'screw you, rain, I'm doing this anyway' mode (I have industrial level wet weather gear ffs, rain is a poor excuse). I may or may not do a refeed next weekend, I'll be prepared for it, but if I don't get hit with hunger from massive hormonal swing with ovulation I'll probably press on with straight deficit.
Finally sucked it up and logged my weight today. It ain't pretty (even accounting for fluid retention).11 -
First refeed weekend begins tomorrow - huzzah!! Earlier in the week I was thinking I wouldn't need it, but had been running a higher deficit in anticipation. Yesterday I was dithering because I'm a ball of water retention and don't really want to see the scale go up further. Today though it's clear the high deficit and sudden jump in activity level is taking its toll (srsly, how do people do that for months on end??), so I have carby goodness at the ready, other than needing to pick up some potatoes at the veg market tomorrow morning.
May take a bit of thought on dinner because my TDEE is much lower than in spring/summer and I'm already at my limit on how much activity I can handle at the moment (plus it's going to most likely rain all blimmin' weekend), so I'll need to scale back on what I'd usually eat for a refeed dinner.4 -
@Nony_Mouse ITA. I would last about 12 hours on an aggressive weight loss plan. My body and my brain do not do well when input and output aren't in the vicinity of balanced! When I'm exerting myself and haven't eaten enough, I get a headache and suddenly have zero patience.
Enjoy your refeed!
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@Nony_Mouse ITA. I would last about 12 hours on an aggressive weight loss plan. My body and my brain do not do well when input and output aren't in the vicinity of balanced! When I'm exerting myself and haven't eaten enough, I get a headache and suddenly have zero patience.
Enjoy your refeed!
Yeah normally I stick to a 700 cal daily deficit when I'm doing refeeds, to still balance out at 3500 for the week. But didn't refeed last weekend because it had been a wobbly week getting back on track (so deficit total was well below 3500), but over the past week I've had a couple of days a bit above 700, and a couple well above due to a weird lack of appetite. I did have a 500 cal day in there too, but deficit for six days is something around 5000 cals. Do not recommend!! Part of it may have been lower appetite with late follicular phase (yes, finally reading the Women's Book!), part bad timing around exercise, which seems to be back to blunting my appetite.4 -
I've got a question for those in the know on thyroid function:
My primary care doctor was willing to order bloodwork this week, and she reviewed a lot of the hormones that dealt with my PCOS diagnosis and my old insulin resistance diagnosis because she wanted to see if losing the weight that I had lost had helped. She was also willing to order a free T3 test, t4 test, and a TSH for me.
I'm looking at the results now, and wondering what they are telling me. I don't have a thyroid - it was removed in 2014 for cancer. My endo had kept me really low TSH for 3 years, and has been letting it raise since back in the spring as I'm in the lowest percentile for possible cancer re-occurrence. Despite having my TSH clear down to 0.01 at one point, I never showed any signs of being hyperthyroid at all, and still had some of the hypo symptoms.
Back in March, the last TSH level I had from my endo was 0.5 and this is where she wanted it to stay, so my last medication adjustment was then; however, the result from yesterday, despite having no changes in my medication, shows 2.24 - meaning my TSH has gone up in the last 4 months even though my medication has stayed the same. I'm uncertain why my levels changed so drastically, but I had fasted for approximately 12 hours before this blood test - would that have affected that TSH that drastically?
with a TSH at 2.24, my free T4 is showing at 1.02 which according to the test result, has a range of 0.7 to 1.25 - so my result is solidly in the middle to upper range of normal. My free T3, however, is sitting at 1.6, which according to the test results I have, has a normal range of 1.7 to 3.7 - meaning that while my free T4 seems to be fine, my free T3 is low.
I'm definitely going to have these results forwarded to my endocrinologist, but I'd like to know exactly what I need to be discussing with her with results like this - just to have some kind of idea of what may be going on when I go into the office. I do wonder if my fasting (I was having sugar testing done too) has anything to do with these results, or if maybe we need to consider trying me on T3 supplementation too in addition to my synthroid.
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Hello lovely refeed/diet break thread regulars!
Can I make a request for a new thread with Refeed / Diet Break FAQs & Cliff Notes in the OP?2 -
Hello lovely refeed/diet break thread regulars!
Can I make a request for a new thread with Refeed / Diet Break FAQs & Cliff Notes in the OP?
The OP is already a cliff notes of the salient points, I don't really think anything 'new' has come up since we (mostly @anubis609) rewrote it. I get that this thread is now very long, but the OP also says the bulk doesn't need to be any more than skim read, if that.
There's also the fact that this thread is in the 'most helpful posts' thread, so anyone who actually bothers to read that is going to hit on this one, rather than a new (and IMHO, unnecessary) version.6 -
Hahaha, I'm an idiot, I didn't check the OP again. I just remembered having such a hard time finding the info.
Thanks Nony!4 -
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I've been on a perpetual diet break since April... I'd like to get into a steady cutting phase but with partying planned (and unplanned) for the remainder of the year, I've just been squeezing in mini-cuts when I can. It's possible to have a social life and stay within a reasonable maintenance phase.9
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I've been on a perpetual diet break since April... I'd like to get into a steady cutting phase but with partying planned (and unplanned) for the remainder of the year, I've just been squeezing in mini-cuts when I can. It's possible to have a social life and stay within a reasonable maintenance phase.
Hi!!!
What I was on for several months can't even be called a diet break. I was busily working my way towards becoming overweight again (didn't, but not by much). On the downhill slope again, and all going according to plan should have my trim body back well before NZ summer.11 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »I've been on a perpetual diet break since April... I'd like to get into a steady cutting phase but with partying planned (and unplanned) for the remainder of the year, I've just been squeezing in mini-cuts when I can. It's possible to have a social life and stay within a reasonable maintenance phase.
Hi!!!
What I was on for several months can't even be called a diet break. I was busily working my way towards becoming overweight again (didn't, but not by much). On the downhill slope again, and all going according to plan should have my trim body back well before NZ summer.
Nice! I've just been floating around a 5-8 lb flux in either direction, depending on what was consumed. PSMF + alcohol makes for fun nights.. at least from what I can remember from them. Lol. As for training, I've been doing the bare minimum to maintain intensity and strength. Protein is still the primary focus of meals. Nothing new or exciting to add to what hasn't already been extensively covered.8 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »I've been on a perpetual diet break since April... I'd like to get into a steady cutting phase but with partying planned (and unplanned) for the remainder of the year, I've just been squeezing in mini-cuts when I can. It's possible to have a social life and stay within a reasonable maintenance phase.
Hi!!!
What I was on for several months can't even be called a diet break. I was busily working my way towards becoming overweight again (didn't, but not by much). On the downhill slope again, and all going according to plan should have my trim body back well before NZ summer.
Nice! I've just been floating around a 5-8 lb flux in either direction, depending on what was consumed. PSMF + alcohol makes for fun nights.. at least from what I can remember from them. Lol. As for training, I've been doing the bare minimum to maintain intensity and strength. Protein is still the primary focus of meals. Nothing new or exciting to add to what hasn't already been extensively covered.
Well, I've only just gotten my act together, after several stops and starts that usually resulted in the stops equalling more weight gain.8 -
Reporting in with the forced cutting break...started a pretty steep deficit four weeks ago, (2 weeks post 14 day holiday and diet break) lost 4lbs in a couple of weeks...then started strongman training and there is no way I can do this stuff on that deep of a cut (was trying to cope on 1800 cals per day)...so heading up to 2000 and reckon 2250 ought to stem the ravenous hunger some. I have not lost any poundage for a couple of weeks, but the body is re-shaping even at my hefty 169ish lbs...jeans are loosening and waist is shaping out, back fat is definitely going (been taking photos, so painful to look at, but the progress, even if small can be seen!)
Not sure if it is the onset of autumn or just the strongman stuff, but the hunger levels are through the roof...facing the usual dilemma, wanna look spiffing, but wanna get eff off strong (on the reserve list for a novice strongman comp November)...just as I start to cut and lose some fat, my brain decides to switch to "hell I am strong and want to lift all the heaviest things" mode, bam! I guess the aesthetics side of it is gonna take way more time than originally planned...have been calorie cycling and day before training is higher carbs and cals...
Oh strength has increased, not decreased for a change, pecs and shoulders are feeling awesomely strong at the moment!10 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Help, I'm doing everything right and can't lose weight!!
Jks, obviously.
Week one was a wash thanks to PMS and a hefty dose of IDGAF, undid my deficit and then some. Last week was much better though. It's true that the scale is being stubborn, but I'm sporting some impressive fluid retention. It'll move when it moves.
Finally got back to strength training (there's one of the fluid retention culprits right there), and trying to be consistent with hitting step goal, though the weather isn't cooperating and I'm not quite back to 'screw you, rain, I'm doing this anyway' mode (I have industrial level wet weather gear ffs, rain is a poor excuse). I may or may not do a refeed next weekend, I'll be prepared for it, but if I don't get hit with hunger from massive hormonal swing with ovulation I'll probably press on with straight deficit.
Finally sucked it up and logged my weight today. It ain't pretty (even accounting for fluid retention).
Female hormones suck, don’t they? I remember one woman posting her weight-trending app graph and that sucker was so consistent it looked like an EKG. She spiked huge the same time every month. At least she knew what to expect. I’ve been lucky and haven’t experienced that kind of stuff (knock on wood, right?!).
You know what to do and will get back on track soon enough. It’s not only about trusting the process, it’s about trusting yourself. Have as much faith in you as we do!
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »Help, I'm doing everything right and can't lose weight!!
Jks, obviously.
Week one was a wash thanks to PMS and a hefty dose of IDGAF, undid my deficit and then some. Last week was much better though. It's true that the scale is being stubborn, but I'm sporting some impressive fluid retention. It'll move when it moves.
Finally got back to strength training (there's one of the fluid retention culprits right there), and trying to be consistent with hitting step goal, though the weather isn't cooperating and I'm not quite back to 'screw you, rain, I'm doing this anyway' mode (I have industrial level wet weather gear ffs, rain is a poor excuse). I may or may not do a refeed next weekend, I'll be prepared for it, but if I don't get hit with hunger from massive hormonal swing with ovulation I'll probably press on with straight deficit.
Finally sucked it up and logged my weight today. It ain't pretty (even accounting for fluid retention).
Female hormones suck, don’t they? I remember one woman posting her weight-trending app graph and that sucker was so consistent it looked like an EKG. She spiked huge the same time every month. At least she knew what to expect. I’ve been lucky and haven’t experienced that kind of stuff (knock on wood, right?!).
You know what to do and will get back on track soon enough. It’s not only about trusting the process, it’s about trusting yourself. Have as much faith in you as we do!
Gawd, I posted that six weeks ago! And then did another four weeks of going in circles...one the bright side, I am a kg lighter, and finally feeling like my head is back in the game.3 -
bmeadows380 wrote: »I've got a question for those in the know on thyroid function:
My primary care doctor was willing to order bloodwork this week, and she reviewed a lot of the hormones that dealt with my PCOS diagnosis and my old insulin resistance diagnosis because she wanted to see if losing the weight that I had lost had helped. She was also willing to order a free T3 test, t4 test, and a TSH for me.
I'm looking at the results now, and wondering what they are telling me. I don't have a thyroid - it was removed in 2014 for cancer. My endo had kept me really low TSH for 3 years, and has been letting it raise since back in the spring as I'm in the lowest percentile for possible cancer re-occurrence. Despite having my TSH clear down to 0.01 at one point, I never showed any signs of being hyperthyroid at all, and still had some of the hypo symptoms.
Back in March, the last TSH level I had from my endo was 0.5 and this is where she wanted it to stay, so my last medication adjustment was then; however, the result from yesterday, despite having no changes in my medication, shows 2.24 - meaning my TSH has gone up in the last 4 months even though my medication has stayed the same. I'm uncertain why my levels changed so drastically, but I had fasted for approximately 12 hours before this blood test - would that have affected that TSH that drastically?
with a TSH at 2.24, my free T4 is showing at 1.02 which according to the test result, has a range of 0.7 to 1.25 - so my result is solidly in the middle to upper range of normal. My free T3, however, is sitting at 1.6, which according to the test results I have, has a normal range of 1.7 to 3.7 - meaning that while my free T4 seems to be fine, my free T3 is low.
I'm definitely going to have these results forwarded to my endocrinologist, but I'd like to know exactly what I need to be discussing with her with results like this - just to have some kind of idea of what may be going on when I go into the office. I do wonder if my fasting (I was having sugar testing done too) has anything to do with these results, or if maybe we need to consider trying me on T3 supplementation too in addition to my synthroid.
I work intently with my docs to go on How symptom free I am, not just the numbers. My TSH can vary by 2 points (always in the normal range by my lab’s standards) while my Free T4 is very stable. My Free T3 is not, and I supplement T3 as well. I feel much better since I started taking the T3. The studies I’ve read show very little impact on TSH through additional supplementation of T3, however, the majority patients reported an increased quality of life. If it’s a placebo effect, I’ll take it!
If you’re only taking a T4, consider asking your doc about a T3. It’s very different than the T4. T3 is in and out and doesn’t take weeks to fully metabolize in your system like the T4. You will likely notice the impact in a few days. Your body should convert T4 into T3, but might be doing a crappy job.
Also, if you’re on generic meds, can you find out if you’re on the same generic each time you refill? There are literally hundreds of T4s out there and most pharmacies stick whatever is cheapest. Which means you can get a different one each time. My old doc was convinced this was a problem for me. The medication is the same, but the colorings, fillings, coatings, and binders can differ. She wrote my prescription for the name brands and my TSH levels stabilized within six months. And they were varying a crazy amount the couple years before that. Like sometimes 18.0 variance—from -2.0 to 16.0 and every Wheeler in between every 8 weeks! Could it have been something else? Absolutely! But I felt so bad, I just wanted to feel better and didn’t care what “fixed” me.
My current insurance company makes its own meds, so I get the same one every time now. Dunno, but I thought it might help.
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »Nony_Mouse wrote: »Help, I'm doing everything right and can't lose weight!!
Jks, obviously.
Week one was a wash thanks to PMS and a hefty dose of IDGAF, undid my deficit and then some. Last week was much better though. It's true that the scale is being stubborn, but I'm sporting some impressive fluid retention. It'll move when it moves.
Finally got back to strength training (there's one of the fluid retention culprits right there), and trying to be consistent with hitting step goal, though the weather isn't cooperating and I'm not quite back to 'screw you, rain, I'm doing this anyway' mode (I have industrial level wet weather gear ffs, rain is a poor excuse). I may or may not do a refeed next weekend, I'll be prepared for it, but if I don't get hit with hunger from massive hormonal swing with ovulation I'll probably press on with straight deficit.
Finally sucked it up and logged my weight today. It ain't pretty (even accounting for fluid retention).
Female hormones suck, don’t they? I remember one woman posting her weight-trending app graph and that sucker was so consistent it looked like an EKG. She spiked huge the same time every month. At least she knew what to expect. I’ve been lucky and haven’t experienced that kind of stuff (knock on wood, right?!).
You know what to do and will get back on track soon enough. It’s not only about trusting the process, it’s about trusting yourself. Have as much faith in you as we do!
Gawd, I posted that six weeks ago! And then did another four weeks of going in circles...one the bright side, I am a kg lighter, and finally feeling like my head is back in the game.
And when you circle back, we’ll be here! Glad you’re feeling better! Isn’t it weird how time can fly? Feels like yesterday when you’re mired down, but when you clock the actual passage, WOW, a couple of months has gone by.2 -
Oh, um, well....the cutting break has turned into another 2.4lb loss/whoosh...that was with upping the cals (and creatine to 10g on training days, 5g "rest" days) and obviously moving some heavy *kitten* weights around for a couple of hours...maybe the recomp is it?! My traps, mid upper back, glutes and forearms are stiff, I have bruises all over, felt almost total exhaustion on our max event lifts day Saturday, but I am stoked. Not so tired today, thank goodness!4
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