Refeeds aka. Cheat Meals. Thoughts?

KevinMinnesota
KevinMinnesota Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
So I was told this by a fitness trainer that you should have a refeed or a cheat meal once a week depending on your personal preference and caloric deficit. He says that when you've been on a diet for so long, your metabolism slows down and that if you eat a lot for one meal per week, your metabolism would speed it up because it's thinking you're sick or something causing it to work harder to burn the calories.

I've done this for about a month now and I have found HUGE success in it. It helped me break my plateaus. He says that we're not this superficial muscular human being, you're either fat or skinny and it's important to trick your metabolism to gain muscle ( I agree). What do you guys think? I think cheat meals have been beneficial so far, but maybe someone can tell me their story and experience with it. Psychologically, I have been more prone to eating a lot every day.

Replies

  • lemonlionheart
    lemonlionheart Posts: 580 Member
    I think they can work really well if it helps you keep within your goal the rest of the week and your weekly calories still give you a deficit, but I'm not sure I really buy the metabolism speeding up/slowing down stuff. And it depends on what your definition of 'cheat meal' is- if it's eat whatever you want without logging once a week then that can really backfire; I have a small deficit and only a little to lose and one 'cheat' meal could easily blow my deficit for the week. I've had weeks at a time where my weight loss has stalled because of one big meal at a restaurant on the weekend!

    However if you are logging the 'cheat' meal and working it into your deficit, it can be motivating for a lot of people. Now, I aim for a weekly goal and often save up my exercise calories during the week so I can splurge a little on the weekend :)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I've never felt the need. If I want to eat something, I fit it into my calories, and I'm losing weight fine. However, if you're in a deficit, you're not going to gain muscle.
  • DiabolicalColossus
    DiabolicalColossus Posts: 219 Member
    I eat what I want in appropriate (for my calorie goal) qualities, so there's no need for me to assign the "cheat" value to food or a meal.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I don't personally like the word "cheat", as I'm doing nothing wrong. If I want to eat something, I eat it.
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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    MrM27 what is a structured refeed?
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I think your trainer has an idea, but may not be the smartest person ever. Your metabolism doesn't think you're sick from eating at a deficit.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    KevinMinnesota wrote: »
    So I was told this by a fitness trainer that you should have a refeed or a cheat meal once a week depending on your personal preference and caloric deficit. He says that when you've been on a diet for so long, your metabolism slows down and that if you eat a lot for one meal per week, your metabolism would speed it up because it's thinking you're sick or something causing it to work harder to burn the calories.

    I've done this for about a month now and I have found HUGE success in it. It helped me break my plateaus. He says that we're not this superficial muscular human being, you're either fat or skinny and it's important to trick your metabolism to gain muscle ( I agree). What do you guys think? I think cheat meals have been beneficial so far, but maybe someone can tell me their story and experience with it. Psychologically, I have been more prone to eating a lot every day.

    Yeah, this is all bro-science, which is based on myths.

    I work whatever I want into my calorie goals, including treats, but there is nothing wrong with having some extra calories if that's what you want to do.

    Also, plateau is just another word for eating too much. The only way to break trough a plateau is to eat less. Therefore, when your plateaus broke, that means you were eating less calories overall than you burned.

    Many people do intermittent fasting, which I believe has some days where they eat large amounts of calories, but they eat less on the other days. However, keep in mind that this is personal preference only and the only way to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    A structured refeed is not the same as a cheat meal.

    1 day of over eating will not have the impact on your metabolism that you think it will.

    Exactly.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    KevinMinnesota wrote:
    I was told this by a fitness trainer
    What nutrition training/education does this person have?
    What is his certifying body, and do they allow him to give fitness advice within his "fitness trainer" license?
    Or is he actually a dietician (doubtful, with that bad advice)?
    you should have a refeed or a cheat meal once a week
    Why undo all the hard work you've done toward losing weight by eating a large meal?
    And why "cheat"? I eat what I like, just in reasonable portions. Tonight I had KFC, including a biscuit & cookie. I have chocolate, peanut butter, nuts, Chinese buffet...
    He says that when you've been on a diet for so long, your metabolism slows down and that if you eat a lot for one meal per week, your metabolism would speed it up because it's thinking you're sick or something causing it to work harder to burn the calories.
    Bovine feces.
    If you're eating a VLCD for weeks / months, yes, your metabolism might slow a bit.
    But normal everyday eating at a moderate deficit (500-1000 cal) won't do it.
    And eating one large meal isn't going to undo the damage from long-term starvation.
    you're either fat or skinny and it's important to trick your metabolism to gain muscle
    You gain muscle by
    1) providing your body adequate nutrition
    2) stressing the muscles so they grow

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  • chely0753
    chely0753 Posts: 3 Member
    I've been able to cheat once a week and still lose weight. It helps me from not eating high calorie foods the whole week knowing i get to cheat on an upcoming day.
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    I could easily eat back my entire weekly deficit (and more) with a cheat/refeed meal. So I definitely can't do them once a week, or I wouldn't lose anything. I fit foods I like into my day, and sometimes that means eating at/over maintenance for a day (or the whole of last week lol). Psychologically it works for me because it shows I can achieve balance over the long term.
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    I don't do it that often, only occasionally, but I think it actually slows my weight loss down. I prefer to just regularly eat treats.
  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Also, plateau is just another word for eating too much. The only way to break trough a plateau is to eat less. Therefore, when your plateaus broke, that means you were eating less calories overall than you burned.

    Meh. Bodies are weird, and don't count calories consumed to determine how much they ought to weigh. When I was actively losing, I regularly ate at a deficit, but I'd lose 10lb in a week then "plateau" or "stall" for 3-5 weeks, then lose another 5-10lb. Lyle McDonald mentioned it in one of his books - something about water potentially replacing triglycerides in depleted fat cells and refeeds triggering the restoration of a more normal water balance.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    chouflour wrote: »
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    Also, plateau is just another word for eating too much. The only way to break trough a plateau is to eat less. Therefore, when your plateaus broke, that means you were eating less calories overall than you burned.

    Meh. Bodies are weird, and don't count calories consumed to determine how much they ought to weigh. When I was actively losing, I regularly ate at a deficit, but I'd lose 10lb in a week then "plateau" or "stall" for 3-5 weeks, then lose another 5-10lb. Lyle McDonald mentioned it in one of his books - something about water potentially replacing triglycerides in depleted fat cells and refeeds triggering the restoration of a more normal water balance.

    I've had patterns like this as well, although not usually to this extent - more like a few lbs. generally attribute it to water weight.
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  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
    MrM27 wrote: »
    10 lbs a week? Well that's not smart.
    Thanks for the judgement. I'll be sure to file it appropriately - somewhere beneath the opinion of the medical professionals who have reviewed my medical record and were involved with my care at the time.
    If you're going to try and use Lyle's work at least understand it and present it as its intended not a you perceive it.

    The topic is of interest to me merely because fluctuating water balance explained my weight drops with long periods of stability in between and let me focus on the rate of change over a longer period of time.

    McDonald's work isn't directed at me, and I haven't read his books in years - which is why the comment was fairly offhand. I'm quite certain that anyone who's interested can google "Lyle McDonald water replacing triglycerides" - but here, let me help. http://bit.ly/1u5l4VL

  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
    ana3067 wrote: »
    as well, although not usually to this extent - more like a few lbs. generally attribute it to water weight.

    Yup, water balance is a funny thing. Although my GI claims that in a lot of people there's a fair amount of stool weight fluctuation, too.
  • Foamroller
    Foamroller Posts: 1,041 Member
    I second above notions of occasional refeeds. I wouldn't call it cheat meal though. It implies I'm indulging in something forbidden and a psychological license to go all overboard. Which could easily lead to a cheat week....

    I do fairly low carb on normal days. On one of the days a week I know I'm gonna burn a lot, I carb up with 100-200 g of spaghetti or rice. I usually experience a woosh the day after, loosing up to 1 kg on the scales. I'm not sure how that would work out if someone is eating high carb as default.

    As someone said above, we're all different. Trial and error FTW.
  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
    chouflour wrote: »
    Meh. Bodies are weird, and don't count calories consumed to determine how much they ought to weigh.

    (On re-reading, this comes across a little less weight variance/water-shifting/weight discontinuity is complex and a little more 1) Steal Underpants. 2) ?????? 3) Weigh less! - sorry about that. )

    Likewise, the OP's trainer's advice seems to involve a little magical thinking. As it is now, it works out for the OP, with minimal structure. Kevin seems to enjoy it, and find that it relieves the pressure of dieting. An completely unrestrained meal is likely to eventually backfire, and psychologically it seems harder to give up or rein that in meal than it would be to limit it from the beginning.

    Since the OP asked for experience, I'll share a little. I occasionally employ the "fewer calories during the week and lots on the weekend" model of consumption.

    It's not great for my metabolism. Compared to spreading the same calories out over the week, it's detrimental. My body gives me good indicators that I'm struggling during the week, including feeling cold and lowered blood sugar. Compared to eating only the lower number of calories - it's an improvement.

    If that one meal is a pigout - it seems problematic. I know that I can't do it unless I spread the extra calories out - no good comes of having your stomach struggle with too much food after limiting food all week.

    Psychologically, it just encourages me to have more low calorie days (because I feel bad and overfull the following day), and not eating feels both physically and mentally "better". I suspect that this is related to solid food being physically painful for me, so it probably doesn't apply to most people.

    I wouldn't recommend it (as described) for anyone, although a more structured/limited meal either formulated as a refeed, a diet break, or a reward meal (depending on the underlying plan) seems like a viable course.

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