# Cheat Meal (Refeed)



## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but when it comes to refeeds/cheat meals is there a way of knowing and calculating how much you should be eating and the frequency?

In my own mind it would make sense to factor in your BF%, body type, your overall diet and what you're trying to achieve but is there a way of covering all bases and knowing exactly how much you need or a limit not to exceed?


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

My philosophy for a "cheat" meal is just to do it when I fancy something in particular and don't eat for the sake of eating. If it's just one meal it's not gonna make a difference in the grand scheme of things..

Unless you're prepping for a competition or something? I guess you'd need to pay more attention to the content.

And why have you called it a refeed? are you on keto? low carb?


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## Milky (Nov 30, 2008)

On my re feed l eat the foods l miss but if l am full l don't eat for the sake of it.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

There's a difference between a cheat and a refeed


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## BennyC (Mar 18, 2010)

Frequency of a refeed will depend on your carb in take over the week, if any, presuming you're referring to carbs.

Your current diet/plan can dictate what you can get away with.

You can be smart with refeeds, choosing foods that are filling but with a relatively low calorie & specific macro content if you just want to feel full. Likewise you can choose the opposite if your aim is to load up. For example 100/200g of couscous is about 40g of carbs and about 200 calories but motherofgod it's filling. At the other end of the scale 400g sweet potato is about 80g of carbs and I could get that down without batting an eyelid, 2 croissants circa 60/70g but nearer to 700 calories and so on.


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

Thank you for your replies, I understand that a cheat & refeed are not one in the same but was looking to see if there's a way of knowing what an individual requires so you can know your own limits and what not to exceed so you can reach your goals if I'm not making sense I'm sorry haha.

For someone like me who's on very low carbs throughout the week circa 50-60g a day if I'm trying to cut what is the best way to refeed at the weekend and if say I fancy something bad do I ignore these cravings of just have an ice cream/chocolate or whatever it may be?


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

A lot of people say high GI carbs are better on a refeed. Take advantage of it. I would recommend starting at maintenance +500 and trial and error from there.

I've done maintenance +2000 cals including beer, ice cream and chips and cut successfully.

But I was pretty active and heavily depleted (1k cals deficit on a normal day)


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

Thank you that's a great help 

At the moment I'm having something savoury on Saturday night and something sweet on Sunday so two seperate meals but eating clean in between, can this work or does it all have to be the one day to be effective?

I've also been advised on a refeed day to exclude all fats, is this correct?


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

SpotMe? said:


> Thank you that's a great help
> 
> At the moment I'm having something savoury on Saturday night and something sweet on Sunday so two seperate meals but eating clean in between, can this work or does it all have to be the one day to be effective?
> 
> I've also been advised on a refeed day to exclude all fats, is this correct?


What you are describing in thd first paragraph is 'eating normally'

A refeed is simply a high carb, high calorie day whilst dieting to improve your metabolism and replace glycogen stores


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## laup (Jun 11, 2011)

Milky said:


> On my re feed l eat the foods l miss but if l am full l don't eat for the sake of it.


that was my problem i did 13 bowls of cereal in, in a day lol


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## secretuser (May 30, 2013)

I start late in the day as once you start its hard to stop...

One meal of what ever I fancy and eat till full.

At the most an evening (8pm-11pm)

Mainly simple carbs some fat and pro can be there or not... Not bothered about pro as will have stuck to my diet till this point there for having plenty of protein.


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

simonthepieman said:


> What you are describing in thd first paragraph is 'eating normally'
> 
> A refeed is simply a high carb, high calorie day whilst dieting to improve your metabolism and replace glycogen stores


The meals are high calorie, high carb meals so essentially I refeed over the weekend as opposed to a single day I tend to just have the one bad meal and eat clean around so I don't trigger my IBS.


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## cudsyaj (Jul 5, 2011)

simonthepieman said:


> What you are describing in thd first paragraph is 'eating normally'
> 
> A refeed is simply a high carb, high calorie day whilst dieting to improve your metabolism and replace glycogen stores


I've read a few of the PieMans posts and done similar day on sunday - lunch was Nando's half a chicken, 3 wings, some spicy rice and coleslaw with a few of the gf's leftover chips and half a medium Pizza hut pizza for dinner 

Did all the macros and hit +300kcals (ended up about 2700kcals). Felt much better yday evening for my workout even though I'd consumed under 50g carbs the whole day and today is looking like about 35g...

Thursday will be Medium carbs and Sunday will be pub lunch and whatever the hell I want again so long as it's abotu +300kcals 

Mon, Tue, Wednesday is low carbs, Thursday is medium, Friday and Saturday is low and Sunday is my day to eat nice food


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

Anyone who has been in my journal knows i eat as much as humanly possible in one day plus some more. If a cheat day isnt over 12000 calories then its just not a cheat day.


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## laup (Jun 11, 2011)

Suprakill4 said:


> Anyone who has been in my journal knows i eat as much as humanly possible in one day plus some more. If a cheat day isnt over 12000 calories then its just not a cheat day.


Ha ha excellent outlook  do u do this even in comp prep?


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

laup said:


> Ha ha excellent outlook  do u do this even in comp prep?


Ive just finished a comp style cut and yes i had a cheat day equalling over 12k calories and then the day the diet finished in 36 hours i had eaten over 15k calories. I always log them in my journal with pics to tease all the other people dieting lol. Spent over £100 each time on junk lol.


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

cudsyaj said:


> I've read a few of the PieMans posts and done similar day on sunday - lunch was Nando's half a chicken, 3 wings, some spicy rice and coleslaw with a few of the gf's leftover chips and half a medium Pizza hut pizza for dinner
> 
> Did all the macros and hit +300kcals (ended up about 2700kcals). Felt much better yday evening for my workout even though I'd consumed under 50g carbs the whole day and today is looking like about 35g...
> 
> ...


If I treated the Saturday as my high carb day so approx 190g

Then on the Sunday moderate so approx 75-100g then on Monday <50g could that work?

Tuesday through to Friday could I just aim for 50g-75g?


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## Bear2012 (Jan 19, 2012)

Suprakill4 said:


> Anyone who has been in my journal knows i eat as much as humanly possible in one day plus some more. If a cheat day isnt over 12000 calories then its just not a cheat day.


Thats Insane but love it!


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

Bear2012 said:


> Thats Insane but love it!


So do i mate, its heaven. One cheat day the second i got up i started on the krispy kreme donuts. Bought 12 for the day but only had 11 because the missus stole one!!!!!!!!! I was close to ending the relationship that day, i dont share food!! lol.


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## Bear2012 (Jan 19, 2012)

SpotMe? said:


> If I treated the Saturday as my high carb day so approx 190g
> 
> Then on the Sunday moderate so approx 75-100g then on Monday <50g could that work?
> 
> Tuesday through to Friday could I just aim for 50g-75g?


A normal carb day for the average person is over 200g

Mon-fri I use 75-100g

Sat I use 150g

Sun I use 300g plus


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

Suprakill4 said:


> Ive just finished a comp style cut and yes i had a cheat day equalling over 12k calories and then the day the diet finished in 36 hours i had eaten over 15k calories. I always log them in my journal with pics to tease all the other people dieting lol. Spent over £100 each time on junk lol.


That's impressive, I would love to have a full on cheat day but I would end up curled in a ball in close proximity to a toilet, sorry not classy but true lol


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## Bear2012 (Jan 19, 2012)

Suprakill4 said:


> So do i mate, its heaven. One cheat day the second i got up i started on the krispy kreme donuts. Bought 12 for the day but only had 11 because the missus stole one!!!!!!!!! I was close to ending the relationship that day, i dont share food!! lol.


LMAO with my low carb diet its her buying it and I watch her eat it as she makes sure I can hear how much she is enjoying it. I leave it a couple of days and then say "Damn your ass is big woman!"


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

SpotMe? said:


> That's impressive, I would love to have a full on cheat day but I would end up curled in a ball in close proximity to a toilet, sorry not classy but true lol


I thought that but i literally couldnt feel full, kept going and going. I must say the day after wasnt great feeling lol.


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

Bear2012 said:


> LMAO with my low carb diet its her buying it and I watch her eat it as she makes sure I can hear how much she is enjoying it. I leave it a couple of days and then say "Damn your ass is big woman!"


LOL, i was lucky that she was dieting this time round.


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

Bear2012 said:


> A normal carb day for the average person is over 200g
> 
> Mon-fri I use 75-100g
> 
> ...


What would you suggest for someone who is carb intolerant and who's body LOVES fats and is carb intolerant :/


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

Few items from last cheat day


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

Suprakill4 said:


> Anyone who has been in my journal knows i eat as much as humanly possible in one day plus some more. If a cheat day isnt over 12000 calories then its just not a cheat day.


hero


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## laup (Jun 11, 2011)

Suprakill4 said:


> Ive just finished a comp style cut and yes i had a cheat day equalling over 12k calories and then the day the diet finished in 36 hours i had eaten over 15k calories. I always log them in my journal with pics to tease all the other people dieting lol. Spent over £100 each time on junk lol.


how often were your cheat days?

here what my cheat days usually consisted of


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

laup said:


> how often were your cheat days?


I only had 1 in 7 weeks!!!!! Usually though it would be once in every 2 weeks max. My coach just wanted to try a different appraoch that particular time.


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## Bear2012 (Jan 19, 2012)

SpotMe? said:


> What would you suggest for someone who is carb intolerant and who's body LOVES fats and is carb intolerant :/


I would find out what carbs you are intolerant of and also take digestive enzymes to help break down carbohydrates


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## laup (Jun 11, 2011)

Suprakill4 said:


> I only had 1 in 7 weeks!!!!! Usually though it would be once in every 2 weeks max. My coach just wanted to try a different appraoch that particular time.


Ahh thats why u got away with so much in the day  I was doing a sunday refeed weekly, I might try waiting longer between refeeds when i can get mentally prepared


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

laup said:


> Ahh thats why u got away with so much in the day  I was doing a sunday refeed weekly, I might try waiting longer between refeeds when i can get mentally prepared


Ive done a 10 week cut before mate with this type of cheat every saturday and it worked just as well as the diet where i only had 1. I remained fuller on the 10 week one with regular cheats though and didnt look half as flat.


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## laup (Jun 11, 2011)

Suprakill4 said:


> Ive done a 10 week cut before mate with this type of cheat every saturday and it worked just as well as the diet where i only had 1. I remained fuller on the 10 week one with regular cheats though and didnt look half as flat.


Where u doin CKD or low carb? for the rest of the week?


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

laup said:


> Where u doin CKD or low carb? for the rest of the week?


Low carb mate and even lower on non training days.


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## secretuser (May 30, 2013)

Suprakill4 said:


> Ive just finished a comp style cut and yes i had a cheat day equalling over 12k calories and then the day the diet finished in 36 hours i had eaten over 15k calories. I always log them in my journal with pics to tease all the other people dieting lol. Spent over £100 each time on junk lol.


Every week?


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## Suprakill4 (Jul 11, 2008)

secretuser said:


> Every week?


No mate had 1 in 7 weeks on the last cut, but a cut i done around 2 years ago i hammered junk in every saturday.


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## SpotMe? (Feb 2, 2012)

Bear2012 said:


> I would find out what carbs you are intolerant of and also take digestive enzymes to help break down carbohydrates


I take a probiotic and my flaxseed has bio cultures, I was told to avoid anything that makes me bloat I wouldn't want to list everything as it's endless but any grain be it oats, rice and the worst... wheat. I also react to dairy so anything containing that is out the window.

I dieted with sweet potato and just wasn't shedding the pounds so removed the sweet potato and looked and felt much better. It was suggested to me that the issue may be due to the fructose. But for one day it isn't an issue same as white potatoes.

So for my refeeds my options are limited I tend to eat chocolate only when I'm really seriously craving it as it makes me ill and I get the gluten free bread for my burgers so there's always an alternative I just have to me mindful of what I'm putting in my mouth.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

SpotMe? said:


> I take a probiotic and my flaxseed has bio cultures, I was told to avoid anything that makes me bloat I wouldn't want to list everything as it's endless but any grain be it oats, rice and the worst... wheat. I also react to dairy so anything containing that is out the window.
> 
> I dieted with sweet potato and just wasn't shedding the pounds so removed the sweet potato and looked and felt much better. It was suggested to me that the issue may be due to the fructose. But for one day it isn't an issue same as white potatoes.
> 
> So for my refeeds my options are limited I tend to eat chocolate only when I'm really seriously craving it as it makes me ill and I get the gluten free bread for my burgers so there's always an alternative I just have to me mindful of what I'm putting in my mouth.


An idea could be to have high and low calorie days. With a big difference between days.

Have you looked into alternate day fasting. ADF.

It's not fun, but it 'might'work


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## Bear2012 (Jan 19, 2012)

SpotMe? said:


> I take a probiotic and my flaxseed has bio cultures, I was told to avoid anything that makes me bloat I wouldn't want to list everything as it's endless but any grain be it oats, rice and the worst... wheat. I also react to dairy so anything containing that is out the window.
> 
> I dieted with sweet potato and just wasn't shedding the pounds so removed the sweet potato and looked and felt much better. It was suggested to me that the issue may be due to the fructose. But for one day it isn't an issue same as white potatoes.
> 
> So for my refeeds my options are limited I tend to eat chocolate only when I'm really seriously craving it as it makes me ill and I get the gluten free bread for my burgers so there's always an alternative I just have to me mindful of what I'm putting in my mouth.


The dairy is likely to be lactose to be honest. Fructose intolerance has been closely related to IBS from which I suffer but since using peppermint oil I have experienced very little of this problem these days.

Food types that have a high fructose-to-glucose ratio will cause you a problem. Glucose enhances increased absorption of fructose, so fructose from foods with fructose-to-glucose ratio <1, like white potatoes, can be readily absorbed. Foods with F2G 1> like some fruits will cause you problem and may include sweet potatoes.

You just need to watch how much fructose you consume and try to keep it below 0.5g per 100g and that should help


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