Dry Re-Feed or Drink Water? page

[Orchid]

I am confused on this point: should you drink lots of water (...or normal amounts of water) during a carb re-feed or abstain from water/do it "dry"? I don't want to negate the effects of the re-feed either way.

(I am eating 150 grams of carbohydrate today, 10 x the normal amount for me and all in a 3 or 4 hour window. I just did a 25 minute/3-mile run.)

[primalrob]

i don't think it matters either way. if you're thirsty, drink.

the idea behind a refeed is that you are going to increase your leptin for a day or two, which will make your body burn more fat as long as you switch back to low carb. drinking water with your carbs will cause some water weight gain, but it won't have any effect on your body fat.

[carlh]

the idea behind a refeed is that you are going to increase your leptin for a day or two, which will make your body burn more fat as long as you switch back to low carb.

Can you point me towards any particularly simple summaries of this strategy? Is that part of the leangains plan? I know I've seen info about it before but always ended up skimming it because I was under the (apparently mistaken) preconception that it was for building muscle, not burning fat.

[Dr. Bork Bork]

I just did a 25/3-mile minute run.)

Dude, if I did that hard of a workout, I'd be dying for water! Why refuse what the body cries out for? PB is about listening to one's body, right? So drink some water if you want it!

[Orchid]

I definitely want to restore the leptin levels (if they are in fact messed up, I can't really tell). But I suspect I may have some hormonal issues going on. Also, I may have some bloat so I wanted to get any potential water out of the fat cells.

So, I ate my 150 grams (124 net) over 1.5 hours with a bunch of protein -- no shakes or fatigue or anything and I feel good. I actually feel quite alert and sort of like I just smoked a doob, if that makes sense.

I know its sort of a puny re-feed, but I wanted to test the waters and not go big a la leangains...

No water yet...

[Orchid]

Dude, if I did that hard of a workout, I'd be dying for water! Why refuse what the body cries out for? PB is about listening to one's body, right? So drink some water if you want it!

I'm not thirsty yet, oddly.

[primalrob]

Can you point me towards any particularly simple summaries of this strategy? Is that part of the leangains plan? I know I've seen info about it before but always ended up skimming it because I was under the (apparently mistaken) preconception that it was for building muscle, not burning fat.

i'm pretty sure martin over at leangains, as well as lyle macdonald, have mentioned using carb refeeding as a method for fat loss. i know of a horrible program (IMO) called Cheat Your Way Thin that uses this method exactly, but i'm not sure where to find specific information. i started learning a lot about leptin after reading one tim ferris' blog posts a while back, and i'm working off the knowledge i picked up.
carb refeeds can help build muslce mass...they don't necessarily help with strengh...but are good to replenish glycogen stores.

[primalrob]

I'm not thirsty yet, oddly.

a 25 minute 5k is pretty good, but not really intense enough of a workout to make me thirsty...so i'm not surprised that you're not thirsty. i am curious, however, whether or not the refeed is making you thirsty...it seems like sweet potatoes or squash (if that's what you're eating) would make me want drink more than any exercise.

[yodiewan]

The two times I tried dry refeeds, I got massive insane cramping in my vastus medialis (one of the quadriceps muscles). I wouldn't recommend it on those grounds. I think the benefits (if I remember from a Lyle McDonald article) are just a temporary more "cut" look that will go away once you rehydrate. I think the dry refeed is mostly for figure competitors that have a show coming up really soon.

[Orchid]

Yeah, I just got thirsty a bit ago and starting drinking up. My carbs came from a sweet potato, a whole onion, garlic cloves, a can of stewed tomatoes (I know, weird -- but there's nothing carby in my kitchen), and a giant serving of cinnamon. I had some cottonmouth....

Thank you for the comment about cramps!: I want to avoid these -- I have enough of a problem with them already.