I've seen references to "refeeding", please can someone explain for me

1) What is a refeed?

2) Why would someone use this technique?

3) How does it work? Is it sort of fooling your body?

4) At what point would someone do a "refeed"?

Is there anyone out there that has trialled this, and found it worked?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Keisha, I did it last weekend and I can tell you that it didn;t really work for me becuase I went overboard. Granted I lost all the weight that I gained, but I feel like I'm right back where I started, plus you have to fight back through the first few days of induction. Temptation is right there as well, just as strong as ever. I haven't cheated since I did it, but I have been more tempted that I was before I started it. I'm fine now.
What I did was just start on Friday at lunch and just started eating whatever I wanted to. I got back on track on Monday. It was nice to eat whatever I wanted to, but I felt horrible all weekend. I was sleepy and bloated and it was a real wake-up call to why I like Atkins WOL so much.
It depends on the person of course, but you're so close to goal you might try it for one or two days and you'll see why LC is the way to be.
Good luck with it if you do, but I'd suggest against it depending on what type of person you are. No one knows you like you do!

I do the occassional re feed.....usually just one day or one meal tho. That way I don't feel like crap all weekend. I don't usually go overboard either....stay away from chips and sugar and too much really carby stuff. so far it has worked in helping me when I stall but it is an individual thing...some people only gain and don't lose when they do it and feel terrible.

1) What is a refeed? - It's basically when you load your body up with carbs again. If you go to the CKD forum, you'll find great info on it, there are theoretically good ways and bad ways to do the refeed in terms of the types of carbs you eat and how, etc.

2) Why would someone use this technique? Some believe it jumpstarts the metabolism, keeps your body from depressing metabolism that may occur after dieting for a while.

3) How does it work? Is it sort of fooling your body? That's the theory, you fool your body into thinking it will have lots of food coming in so it can stop conserving and go back to burning.

4) At what point would someone do a "refeed"? Some, CKDers primarily, do it all the time, every week. Others try it to break a stall.

Is there anyone out there that has trialled this, and found it worked? I tried it. The results weren't clear cut though. Though I lost the amount I regained from the refeed plus a pound or so, my weight loss after that week went back to normal (slow), so it doesn't appear to have affected my metabolism much.

Hope this helps. Really, if you are interested, go to the CKD forum, there is great info there.

Valerie

Hi,
I do high-cal, high-carb, low-fat refeeds for 24 hours (Friday evening to Saturday evening) and stay under 25 carbs Sunday-Friday afternoon. But these refeeds are highly calculated - that is, I count calories and carb grams on Fitday and my weight lifting and cardio is geared to work with the refeed. It's really quite a science, I think, and if you do it right, it works. I do the refeeds primarily to maintain strength for my weight lifting and High-intensity cardio while I'm losing fat. I don't think I would do them if I weren't exercising as intensely as I do. (yes, see the CKD forum advice).

Also, having once been a carb addict, I find that I hate eating candy and sugary things now (required for a refeed). blaagh. Toast is good though. I'm still much happier eating low-carb all week Funny how you get used to things - especially when they make you feel good.
Robyn

Should you NOT exercise while on a refeed in order to replenish your system properly? My understanding is exercise before and after but not during.

I have been stalled for four weeks now, all the while keeping pretty strict on Atkins and exercising solidly and regularly.

Here's my plan (If I do it!):

- I am probably going to try refeeding from Friday night through Saturday night.
- Strict <20 carb Atkins beginning again Sunday morning along with a daily exercise.
- Back to OWL carbs (40-60g) from next Wednesday.

What do the experienced refeeders think?

Oh, and as far as refeed foods, is it:

- High carb, high glucose
- Low fat
- Avoid fructose
- Work from sugary to starchy as you move through the refeed

(Not sure on this but going to check)

A refeed or sometimes refered to "carb up" is not solely a gorging of carbs on the weekend (wouldn't that be nice ).

A refeed is done to help build muscle. It is done after a strict week of very low (induction level) carbs, high protein, high fat diet. During the week, you include cardio (although I guess some don't) and weight training. Typically friday being the toughest workout or a depletion workout (although you can alter the days of the week to fit your schedule as long the last day before refeed is depletion). Immediately following your depletion workout you begin the refeed. It is a very precise amount of carbs, protein, and fat (very very lowfat). This all depends on your lean body mass. The refeed lasts anywhere from 12-48 hours, although from what I"m learning 24 is probably the most for a woman without carb spillover into your liver (producing fat). You will gain over the course of the refeed due to water retention. A refeed is again, not a gorging of food....neither is it a pizza and beer party. It's a great program and works very well if you are willing to put the effort into the workouts. I gained 2 lbs of lean body mass already this week. The CKD forum is great and refers to many other sites to get info. if you are interested. I would not refeed if you are not following the plan as it is too easy to go overboard and gain the fat.

Hope this helps!

Sorry I forgot to add that most people do not exercise during the refeed as your body would immediately use the carbs for fuel and very little would be left to repair muscle.

I agree with the post from sybs. Refeeds are to restart your metabolism, but whenever i fall off hte wagon, I have to workout harder to lose the weight from the refead and then spend the next few days getting back into ketosis again. So for me, their not worth it.

I am too scared to try it, but I do hear it works!

I have never tried it myself, but I have a friend who refeeds once a month for 1 hour. Here is a good article that explains what a refeed is and how/why it works.

Atkins used to recommend this in this 1999 edition, to bost metabolism for people with high metabolic resistance. This refeeding is much more appealing than doing a Fat fast. Don't know why they changed it.