Most people are unsure of the difference between a cheat day & a carb re-feed day. That’s why we have expert advice for you to follow, check it out!
Cheat Days & Carb Re-Feed Days: The Difference
Before we get into the differences are between the two, I will say now that they aren’t the same. In fact, far from it!
A cheat day is where you decide to blow all your calories and macronutrients out of the window! There would be no counting of calories and no worrying about macronutrient targets. You eat whatever you want, whenever you want, throughout the day. It can be satisfying, as at times it’s a much needed mental break-away from counting calories and macros.
A carb re-feed day, on the other hand, is very much controlled and strategic. You know exactly what you’re putting into your body, how many calories you’re consuming and what macronutrient split you’re going to follow.
Typically, a carb re-feed is appropriate for someone who is very lean and usually in a calorie-deficit. If you’ve been in this deficit for quite some time, then your muscle carbohydrate stores are running extremely low. A carb re-feed day means increasing your carbohydrate intake by up to 50%, and in some cases maybe even higher, depending on how lean you are. You’ll drop your protein intake a little and keep your fat count as low as you possibly can, so you’re less likely to store fat and instead, you’ll boost your leptin levels (a hunger-regulating hormone).
Leptin reacts well with glucose, meaning you need to consume the extra calories from carbohydrates. This, in turn, will become glucose. The idea here is that your glycogen stores will be replenished. Your metabolism will also react positively because you’re feeding your body with what it’s craving. Below is an example of a carb re-feed day, of someone who weighs around 180-200 lbs (82-90kg) and has a very active lifestyle.
Usual calories and macronutrients:
Calories – 2,300kcal
Protein – 220g
Carbs – 180g
Fats – 77g
Re-feed day calories and macronutrients:
Calories – 2,610kcal (possibly even higher)
Protein – 190g
Carbs – 350g (possibly even higher)
Fats – 50g
The above figures are only an example and they might not be right for everyone. My advice would be to experiment with re-feed days. Bring in more carbohydrates after the first time you re-feed and see how your body reacts! It happens that you have to remember long-forgotten sores. And so it happened suddenly with me. Once in childhood, I hit my foot very hard (with my toes). I could not even imagine that a stroke could provoke a rare disease – Keller-2 disease. This process is chronic, after which micro-fractures occur. At that time, they still knew little about such a disease, and even now having faced this problem again, I noticed that I did not learn anything new. Recently returning after a walk with the children, on the street my foot fell wildly ill. It was impossible to step on the foot, in the evening the color of the legs changed, the pain intensified, and my calm disappeared. Judging by the symptoms and the Internet, I had a compression fracture or my old sore appeared in plain language. In the morning I was already at the doctor. For me, of course, his diagnosis was not intimidating and I asked to prescribe a pain medication because it was unbearable to endure pain. Soma was prescribed. I did not feel any side effects of the drug. There was nothing, neither nausea, nor vomiting, dizziness. The next day, I completely forgot that I was limping about pain in general.
Should you choose a cheat day or a re-feed day? This will depend on a few different factors but the main question to ask is, what are your current goals?
People who might consider a cheat day:
#1 People in a calorie surplus
#2 People who have saved (not consumed) a lot of calories on other days surrounding the cheat day
#3 The average gym-goer who is content with having good nutrition 6 days of the week and having a day off
#4 People who need a mental break away from counting calories and macros
People who might consider a re-feed day:
#1 People who are very lean and need to fully refuel their systems after a week of an intense calorie deficit
#2 Those in preparation for a competition or photo shoot to replenish their bodies for the next week of intense dieting
#3 Those whose nutrition has hit a plateau and weight loss has stopped. They could be starving their bodies if their calories are too low.
We conclude that the difference between cheat days and carb re-feed days are pretty big. Your fitness will help you choose which will suit you best.
