The Importance of Re-Feed Days

What is a Re-Feed day?

A Re-Feed day is a day where you increase your carbohydrate intake by 100% or more, increasing your calories up to maintenance level or slightly above. 

Who Needs a Re-Feed Day?

A re-feed day is only needed to be included in your diet if you are cutting and in a calorie deficit which means consuming less calories than your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). 

The importance of including re-feeds in your diet is a factor of a few things such as:

- Leanness (the leaner you are, the more important)

- Calorie deficit (the greater deficit you are in, the more important)

- Length or dieting (the longer you have been dieting the more important)

- Carbohydrate intake (the lower, the more important)

- Exercise (type/amount/etc.. The more aerobic in nature, the more important)

- Genetics

What is the purpose of a Re-Feed Day?

The purpose of a re-feed day his is to help boost your metabolism and help restore your Leptin hormone levels. When dieting and on a low calorie diet, your metabolism will drop (meaning you will be burning less calories) plus your leptin hormone levels will drop in attempt by the body to spare body fat. (safety mechanism for the human body). 

So What are Some Carbs to Have On a Re-Feed Day?

Any carbs of your choice are fine, low G.I complex carbohydrates and also high G.I simple carbohydrates it does not matter, just consume carbs. 

This includes:

- Rice

- Oats

- Sorbet ice-cream

- Weetbix bites

- Cerials

- Pancakes

- Bananas

- Pasta

- Popcorn

The Youtube clip below, talks about Re-Feed and High Carb days:

             

Published by Kevin

References:

Image: http://www.med-health.net/images/10437344/image001.jpg

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yDPpc1Yazs