Refeed days?

[vancitybb]

How many of you utilize refeed days on a cut?

I'm seriously cutting for the first time in... well, a long time. I let myself get a little doughy, and bulking recently didn't help lol. I'm being pretty aggressive about it, and results are good so far. The scale is steadily going down and I'm liking what I see in the mirror.

I've never used refeed days, but the logic/science behind it seems sound. If I'm already seeing good progress, does it still make sense for me to throw in one refeed day per week? I guess it might prevent me from stalling and help preserve muscle mass?

My current enhancements, if that matters:

- 450mg/wk test cyp
- 90mg/wk primo (keeps my e2 in range)
- 120mg/wk tren ace (might go to 150)
- 3iu/day HGH
- 2mg/wk reta
- GLOW

 

[CoolRick]

How many of you utilize refeed days on a cut?

I'm seriously cutting for the first time in... well, a long time. I let myself get a little doughy, and bulking recently didn't help lol. I'm being pretty aggressive about it, and results are good so far. The scale is steadily going down and I'm liking what I see in the mirror.

I've never used refeed days, but the logic/science behind it seems sound. If I'm already seeing good progress, does it still make sense for me to throw in one refeed day per week? I guess it might prevent me from stalling and help preserve muscle mass?

My current enhancements, if that matters:

- 450mg/wk test cyp
- 90mg/wk primo (keeps my e2 in range)
- 120mg/wk tren ace (might go to 150)
- 3iu/day HGH
- 2mg/wk reta
- GLOW

You won't lose muscle on that much drugs.

If your metabolism isn't slowing down, no need for a refeed.

 

[vancitybb]

You won't lose muscle on that much drugs.

If your metabolism isn't slowing down, no need for a refeed.

Yeah i figured my stack is anti-catabolic enough. I feel good, bloods look good, BP is in range. I suppose I should just keep doing what I'm doing until it stops working eh?

 

[Brbpuppy]

Refeeds can be useful when you start getting very lean, towards the last 6 weeks of a cut or so. Also good for gathering data to use for a peak. And you can lose muscle on that much drugs, if you’re cutting too aggressively for too long, it can happen. Especially if sleep, recovery isn’t on point, or if you’re using T3 lol.

 

[CoolRick]

Yeah i figured my stack is anti-catabolic enough. I feel good, bloods look good, BP is in range. I suppose I should just keep doing what I'm doing until it stops working eh?

Absolutely, it's more than sufficient. Unless you are breaking down tissue excessively you will not lose muscle. That would be no fault of the drugs just the error on the trainer's end. The less you breakdown the less you have to rebuild. Pretty simple

Focus on the cut, train to maintain the muscle you have.

 

[Rhyno]

They can be useful to relieve some diet fatigue and restore some mental strength but that's about it. They can make a hard diet more bearable in terms of " boosting your metabolism " it doesn't work that way. Sure your metabolism will ramp up while it's got extra food to digest but guess what happens when you return to the diet.
How long have you been dieting and just how aggressive are we talking ?

 

[vancitybb]

They can be useful to relieve some diet fatigue and restore some mental strength but that's about it. They can make a hard diet more bearable in terms of " boosting your metabolism " it doesn't work that way. Sure your metabolism will ramp up while it's got extra food to digest but guess what happens when you return to the diet.
How long have you been dieting and just how aggressive are we talking ?

I'm 4 weeks in, maintenance cals are around 3000. First 2 weeks I took it down to 2500, and now I'm at 2200, so not super aggressive? Weight is still coming off pretty quick, though I'm sure a lot of it was water at first. I'm not prepping for a contest or anything like that, far from it. I'm just a regular guy who lifts and wants to get shredded before summer.

Edit: I reckon I've got about 10 lbs to go. If I can continue losing 1.5 lbs/wk, then i expect another 6 weeks should do it. That happens to line up with a Caribbean vacation I'm taking.

 

[Brbpuppy]

I'm 4 weeks in, maintenance cals are around 3000. First 2 weeks I took it down to 2500, and now I'm at 2200, so not super aggressive? Weight is still coming off pretty quick, though I'm sure a lot of it was water at first. I'm not prepping for a contest or anything like that, far from it. I'm just a regular guy who lifts and wants to get shredded before summer.

Edit: I reckon I've got about 10 lbs to go. If I can continue losing 1.5 lbs/wk, then i expect another 6 weeks should do it. That happens to line up with a Caribbean vacation I'm taking.

If you’re only 4 weeks in, and you still have a decent amount of fat to lose (no lines in glutes etc…) Then you’re a long way from needing a refeed.

 

[vancitybb]

If you’re only 4 weeks in, and you still have a decent amount of fat to lose (no lines in glutes etc…) Then you’re a long way from needing a refeed.

Thanks bro. I see guys on YouTube saying they add refeeds once or even twice a week after just 2 weeks of cutting. Makes me second-guess what I'm doing. Really, I should just trust the process that's already working for me.

What signals should I watch out for that would indicate that's a tool I should deploy? If my weight stalls, then my first instinct would be to drop calories lower, not eat more lol.

 

[Brbpuppy]

Thanks bro. I see guys on YouTube saying they add refeeds once or even twice a week after just 2 weeks of cutting. Makes me second-guess what I'm doing. Really, I should just trust the process that's already working for me.

What signals should I watch out for that would indicate that's a tool I should deploy? If my weight stalls, then my first instinct would be to drop calories lower, not eat more lol.

I’m far from being the person to answer these questions for you man. I’m still learning what works for me at this point.
If you notice a sharp strength drop, or your sleep is suffering and there’s been a string of nights of bad sleep, then something like a moderate carb increase for one day can help put your head above water for a bit. Or say you end up having a large increase in activity and you end up dropping like 4 pounds in a week, that could warrant a refeed.

 

[CoolRick]

Thanks bro. I see guys on YouTube saying they add refeeds once or even twice a week after just 2 weeks of cutting. Makes me second-guess what I'm doing. Really, I should just trust the process that's already working for me.

What signals should I watch out for that would indicate that's a tool I should deploy? If my weight stalls, then my first instinct would be to drop calories lower, not eat more lol.

I watch for a slow down in bowel movements or if I start feeling really cold. If you want to get fancy you can check your inner ear temperature against your baseline/ average temperature.

 

[Rhyno]

Thanks bro. I see guys on YouTube saying they add refeeds once or even twice a week after just 2 weeks of cutting. Makes me second-guess what I'm doing. Really, I should just trust the process that's already working for me.

What signals should I watch out for that would indicate that's a tool I should deploy? If my weight stalls, then my first instinct would be to drop calories lower, not eat more lol.

If it's still working, keep things the same.
All too many people on socials have little actual knowledge on the topic , they are parroting and following trends. Refeeds were big earlier on in my competing, people just wanted them to over eat.
Like I said, they offer little other than a mental break from the rigors of hard dieting unless you've planed a long diet phase and have programmed them in. They do make a prolonged diet easier to deal with.
IF the mental stress has began to be too much, then a refeed can be great. There would be other uses of you were prepping but you said you were not and likely can complete your diet without one.
Having said that your not prepping so the only one you're accountable to is yourself, if you feel like a refeed in a couple weeks, have one. Just know a refeed is not a free for all. When done well it's the same quality foods you've been eating , just more volume. Throwing in a full pizza is sabotage

 

[storman]

Imo, if not cutting for a contest and just trying to get to say 10%ish coming from 20%ish then a once a week meal will probably be fine. That is, as long as its not over done. There are way too many people that are 2 steps forward, 2 steps back.
Also if a little shit food fucks with your head and you cant stop or get back on track, then its best to leave it out all together.
Competition prep is a difference conversation