If you’ve been following a low carb diet (low carb, keto, carnivore) for a while and have been experiencing weight loss plateaus, hormone imbalances, low energy, or a decline in athletic performance, you might want to consider implementing strategic refeeds.
A refeed is an intentional, strategic increase in calories consumption This can be via carbs, fats, or both carbs and fats. Often done on a periodic weekly basis. These refeeds are an effective strategy for minimizing potential negative hormonal &/or metabolic effects from longer term dieting or low carb intake.
So lets talk Carbohydrates and Insulin
We know carbs have a larger impact on the hormone insulin. Most of us that follow a low carb diet have chosen to go this route for more efficient blood sugar balance as well as improved mental, emotional, and physical improvements. When our bodies don’t respond properly to insulin, we increase our risk for disease like metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Alzheimer’s, and more.
Insulin is responsible for telling our cells (mostly muscle, liver, and fat cells) to soak up sugar from the bloodstream. If your cells don’t respond, the level of sugar in your blood remains high and can begin to have toxic effects. This is called “insulin resistance”.
One way we can become resistant to insulin is from eating carbohydrate-rich foods in excess, especially from refined, heavily processed sources like sugary cereals, donuts, cakes, candy, brownies, poptarts – you get the picture. These foods result in excess glucose in the blood, leading to chronically elevated blood sugar and cells that eventually become resistance to insulin signalling. Chronically elevated blood sugar is a serious problem in and of itself, but so is becoming resistant to insulin, as it serves many important functions in the body.
When You Might Need to Implement Refeeds
Carbs can help athletic performance.
They’re not the devil, you’ll hear me say it over and over again what it really comes down to is our relationship with foods and they’re application.
Carbs are helpful for optimal high-intensity performance. They provide fuel for your muscles in the form of glycogen. Long term low carb dieting can lead to depleted glycogen in muscles/liver and a hindered ability to perform high intensity, glycogen-demanding exercise, especially in the beginning stages of adapting to a low carb lifestyle. HAVE PATIENCE. Performance will improve and even out over time.
One diet strategy that has been shown to actually increase performance is a carb cycling method, where athletes & avid exercisers switch between periods of low and high carb intake. The aim is to maintain the ability to efficiently use both carbs and fats for energy, referred to as “metabolic flexibility.” Not only does this ability reduce risk of disease, it also improves performance and can aid in fat loss.
In other words, properly timed carbohydrate refeeds can be an effective strategy for optimizing athletic performance and maintaining metabolic flexibility when following a low carb diet.
You can also incorporate caloric refeeds by increasing your fats macros (vs carbs) and therefore increasing your over calories to maintenance or a slight surplus in time of dieting. This is a great mental & metabolic break for many and will also help restore your “tank.”
Weight Loss Plateaus
The dreaded plateau! Trying to lose the last 5-10lbs can seem like a never ending cycle. It’s not uncommon to see significant weight loss in the first couple weeks of a low carb diet, but then stall. Coincidentally, it’s shown that 1 week is all it takes to see a drop in leptin levels.
If you’re close to your fat loss goal and have reached a plateau, a refeed can give you the hormonal & metabolic boost needed to shed the last few pounds.
How to Do a Carb Refeed
There are many ways to do a carb refeed, and depending on your situation one may be better than another. Each method involves a larger quantity of carbohydrate intake at a scheduled time, but the size and frequency will vary based on individual activity levels, genetics, bioindividuality, goals, training modalities, digestive needs, etc.
A few common methods you can experiment with to see what works for you:
Weekly
Best For: Individuals who engage in lower intensity physical activity, are currently dieting and need a mental break like on the weekends, or are seeking the health benefits of a low carbohydrate diet but want to avoid any possible negative long-term effects.
How to Do It: Pick one day or one meal per week to eat a larger amount of carbohydrates. For example, your refeed could be on a weekend or on your most physically-active day.
Recommended Amount of Carbs: 50-150g carbs, depending on the individual.
Post-Training
Best For: Individuals that perform a intense training sessions (heavy resistance training, CrossFit, HIIT, Orange Theory, Spin, etc) each week and want to optimize performance and recovery, while maintaining ideal body composition.
How to Do It: On big training days, increase your normal amount of carbohydrates in your first meal post-workout.
Recommended Amount of Carbs: 50-150g carbs for most, depending on the individual’s needs
Daily
Best For: Serious athletes who train nearly every day or multiple times per day who need to enhance recovery between sessions and have no negative physical or mental issues with carbs.
How to Do It: Pick a meal to consume a larger amount of carbs. Most often this is post-workout &/or at dinner.
Recommended Amount of Carbs: 50-200g carbs, depending on the individual.
Less Optimal Sources of Carbohydrates
When choosing where to get carbs for your refeed, some sources are more optimal than others. Refined carbohydrates, stripped of their fiber and micronutrients, tend to cause a greater spike in blood sugar compared to their whole food, fiber-rich counterparts. They are better used around training pre/post when you want this spike for fuel and recovery like white rice & all natural/low sugar cereals, rice cakes. Additionally, refined carbs have been shown to promote overeating and weight gain, alter your gut biome, and damage your intestinal barrier.
Here are some carb sources that you’d be better off avoiding during refeeds:
- White, processed, non nutrient dense bread
- Pastries, cake, brownies
- Pasta
- Candy, chocolates
- Sugar-sweetened beverages
- Most packaged foods — check the ingredients!
More Optimal Sources of Carbohydrates
A more optimal carb choice is going to be one that replenishes glycogen, balances insulin sensitivity, and also provides valuable nutrients. Unrefined, complex carbohydrates from whole-food sources are going to be a more optimal choice for most for getting the most out of your carb refeed unless you have issues with fiber, high fodmap fruits & veggies, etc.
Here are some of the more optimal carb sources for a refeed:
- Starchy vegetables like potatoes, squash, yams, etc.
- Properly prepared grains like white rice, quinoa, oats, etc.
- Natural fruits
- Nutritive sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, or blackstrap molasses
Summary
Carb refeeds & fat refeeds in general can be a valuable tool if used appropriately. There are several options, from once a day to once a week, but some experimentation will be necessary for determining the exact method that works best for you.
Some of the benefits you may start to see after strategically including more carbs &/or fats in your diet include:
- Balanced hormones
- Better body composition
- Enhanced athletic performance and faster recovery
- Increased energy
- Reduced cravings
- More restful sleep
Hope this helps team! You’re always welcome to message me on Instagram!