Leptin related question

C

Claudio

New Member
I have read quite a lot on refeeds but one thing I haven't found is how important they are when dieting when you are still above your setpoint.

For example, say my setpoint is 8% but I start my diet at 12% with the intention of getting to 6%. Should I implement refeeds straight away or wait 'til my system starts fighting me (at below 8% presumably).

I have always implemented refeeds pretty regularly from the commencement of my diet but until I get to about 7-8% bf I rarely feel hunger pangs and other symptoms of low leptin levels until I get to about 7-8%bf.
 
You answered your own question. :D

If you don't incorporate refeeds until you ge below your normal body fat levels, and you feel fine and the dieting is succesful, don't change it. Everybody's leptin production is related to how much fat they usually carry. Your levels are probably "relatively" high for you at 12%.

Still, more calories will help you retain more muscle anyway you go about it.
 
That is quite interesting. It helps confirm something I always felt intuitively.

Oddly enough I was speaking to a bodybuilder in my gym today who competes here in Great Britain who felt he didn't need refeeds because his natural setpoint is so low (he thinks about 6%) that if he started with refeeds all he would be achieving is unnecessarily extending the time frame of his diet. So that instead of dieting for 8 weeks he'd have to diet for longer (say 12 weeks) because of the higher calories he'd be taking in during the course of a week due to refeeding. He felt instead of dieting for 12 weeks he'd be better off bulking for 4 extra weeks.

It certainly gave me pause to think because I had kind of taken on board what I'd read from guys like Lyle in isolation(e.g. increase the frequency of refeeds as you get leaner) instead of using my own setpoint as a reference point for when to commence refeeds. So although Lyle may say you should refeed once every 4-5 days when you get to about 7-8% that advice only sounds applicable to guys whose current bf% is below their setpoint.

If someone, had a really low setpoint (maybe someone brought up malnourished as a child whose mother didn't eat much during pregnancy?) would they never have a problem with leptin levels plunging when dieting as an adult?

And no, I'm not thinking of recommending this as good parental advice. :)
 
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