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The countdown is on as I'm nearing 7 weeks away from stage. Each day, I'm a little more tired than the last. I'm up early for my first cardio session, then back after work for my second set and weight training. I am eating 6 meals a day of weighed and measured portions, timing them for every three hours; yet, somehow I plateaued. Last Saturday I did my usual weigh in first thing: measured my neck, shoulders, chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves, and upper arms: slight changes, but nothing big. Then I stepped on the scale: no change. Plateaus are something that happens in every weight loss journey, as the body adapts to the new regime after a number of weeks. I was expecting this, but needed to evaluate my approach.
I have already placed my body in a regular caloric deficit and, aside from my keto days, don't think it would be mentally or physically healthy for me to drop my calories any further. On top of that, I don't want to "up" my cardio time any further until closer to the end. I knew my leptin levels have dropped: my daily energy was lacking, my sex-drive was gone, I was having less energy for my workouts -less energy means less effort put out- and I have been fighting mood-swings between meals. I took all of this into account while making a plan. I knew I needed a day/meal of caloric "indulgence" that would boost my vitamins and energy and increase my leptin, but to do this, I needed to decide whether to have a cheat meal or a refeed day.
Yes, cheat meals and refeed days are two different things that address similar and different issues. A refeed day is a short-term (one day), PLANNED period of overeating focused on macronutrient intake that surpasses your regular daily caloric intake. A cheat day is a day in which no food is tracked and foods outside the normal routine are consumed. One, a refeed, is scientifically based on boosting leptin levels in the body which decrease when body-fat levels and carbohydrate intake are reduced. The other, a cheat day, is more of a mental break from a rigorous diet, often times helping satiate cravings in order to maintain future diet adherence. Both have their merits, however when deciding which to follow, it should be noted that if you're in a fat-loss phase, this one day may have a negative impact on your overall results. Especially if your cheat meal occurs weekly!
When you're in the middle of a caloric deficit plan, you're body is wanting to put back on weight and a day of too many calories of fat may actually make you gain back a few pounds! So when you're sitting there, gorging on burgers, fries and cheesecake on your "cheat day," you're body is actually rejoicing in the glory of extra-calories and storing them as glycogen for the expected return of caloric deficit. Also, it has been proven that a cheat meal high in fat can actually promote an even greater dip in leptin levels. Low leptin levels and excess fat storage does not sound like a great plan to me!
When you're on a strict fat-loss diet, your glycogen stores are next to empty. Glycogen, for those of you who didn't take Biology 101, is a multi-branched molecule created from the breakdown of glucose (sugars) absorbed during digestion of food. Its created to be a readily mobilised form of energy for the body to draw from, storing it for future use when energy is needed. Glucose comes from the carbohydrates in our food. A high-carbohydrate meal (high glucose) has been found to increase leptin levels in the body and help satiate appetites for 24-48 hours. A refeed day, planned with a 30% increase in carbohydrates, can relieve the stress from caloric restriction, fill muscle carbohydrate stores, and provide me with energy for more rigorous training in the days to come. Also, it means more pancakes!
I chose a refeed day. Not just for the proven biological advantages, but because I am working on having a better relationship with food throughout this prep. It is too hard to look at a cheat day as a reward, unknowingly warping my view of "good" and "bad" foods, and will most likely end up in me over-indulging on sweets and french fries. My refeed meant that I still tracked my food. It meant that I still ate my regular six meals. It, also, meant that I was able to include that extra piece of toast with my eggs and make an extra protein pancake at night. I felt good. I felt rested. And because of my calculated approach, I felt I had no reason to shame myself and feel guilty for "overindulging."
It is so important to reassess your personal views and relationships with food, especially when putting yourself through a caloric deficit in order to achieve a goal. Doing your research, keeping your mental health a priority above the goal, and approaching each faze with knowledge and understanding can help you keep your head "above water" when times get tough. During these times, it is far to slippery of a slope to fall into disordered eating, deeming foods worthy of praise or shame. Like every diet/caloric restricting process, take time to regularly evaluate your physical and mental progress. And if, ever, you feel that you have lost control, don't be afraid seek professional and medical help. As I keep saying, prep is not for the faint of heart.