Low Carb Refeeds a No-No?

Thanks again for posting this problem on Lyle's forum Blade.

Lyle's reply is a little confusing however. I've always been under the impression that weight loss is a function of calories in vs. calories out. If you create a deficiency in the calories taken in taking into account activity levels, then weight loss should ensue.

I've had similar problems before when I used to help train a woman a while back. I calculated her weight and went by the suggestions for fat loss of 10cals x lbs-Bweight and no weight loss occured at all on a Zoneish type diet. This was more food than she was eating before she came to me, and after a month or so of this she had even gained a few pounds. I thought raising the calories a bit would kick start her metabolism, but this didn't seem to be the case.

Failing that I put her on basically a carbon copy of Sears 1200-1300 weekly calorie plan for "average women" in his book, and boom, weightloss on tap.

Which is why I was cautious recommending 1950 calories or thereabouts for this particular person. If she is losing no weight on a calorie deficient diet, I find it hard to believe that she could lose weight eating 650 calories in excess of what she is eating now.

I mean, there might be a reason behind it, but it seems to contradict the whole "calories in vs calories out" dictum of weight loss?
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Camelia @ Jan. 07 2003,3:17)]Thanks again for posting this problem on Lyle's forum Blade.
Lyle's reply is a little confusing however. I've always been under the impression that weight loss is a function of calories in vs. calories out. If you create a deficiency in the calories taken in taking into account activity levels, then weight loss should ensue.
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In theory it is, but the body defends this by altering hormone levels. Specifically talking about leptin, which is the prime director of all the appetite and hormonal changes that happens with dieting. Even though leptin generally represents fatmass, it also is effected by current energy balance (with high exercise and little eating, it would be large) and it goes down. So the body starts to lower metabolic rate, and effects hunger and about a zillion other systems. This is basically the starvation mode that the older bodybuilders used to comment on.

While I am unsure about the effect of a refeed on sustained leptin output (usually it increases for the period of the refeed and a bit longer), the mental effect of a refeed is worth it everytime.

But your friend should ramp up calories to baseline (12-13x) at least for 2-4 weeks, then start cutting them back down slightly.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Aaron_F @ Jan. 06 2003,10:32)]In theory it is, but the body defends this by altering hormone levels. Specifically talking about leptin, which is the prime director of all the appetite and hormonal changes that happens with dieting.
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Which brings us back to the original question about refeeds being a no-no for this person. :D

If she was to low carb it for a while at 12calsxlbwt for 3-4 weeks would she do the one day carb up?

If her weight goes up initially from the increased calories this can cause a lot of psychological upset to a woman who is dieting to lose weight. Would this reverse itself after a while?

Most women when dieting don't really care two figs for muscle retention while losing weight, they just want to see the scale move and the dress sizes shrink.

It's the same with this woman. Just wants to drop the pounds first and THEN hit the weights seriously and build from there.
 
If she wants to drop weight alone and not worry about muscle, good luck, the body will fight back.

Try a lower calorie (possibly as low as 800), low protein, low carbohydrate diet.

You will lose muscle, water and fat......
crazy.gif
 
The psychological ramifications would be the only thing to worry about. If she just sticks it out, she will see that the few lbs she gains back is from glycogen and water, and once she starts dieting again she will benefit from the increased MR - not to mention the luxury of losing fat by eating more than previously. Carbs don't convert to fat as easily as one may think from the media hype btw.
 
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