Low carb diets: can you have cheat days?

[viking22]

I've done quite a bit of reading on low carb diets. The idea seems to be that most people eat so many carbs that they are mostly burning carbs (or stored glycogen) for energy. A low carb diet flips a metabolic switch so you become fat adapted and therefore burn more fat for energy (including stored body fat). But there is an adaptation period that can be up to a week or two where you can experience carb or keto flu and feel tired and irritable and faint and weak.

Some people (and this seems to be more bro science) reckon that a cheat meal or day once a week where you consume a higher quantity of carbs can be beneficial and help prevent your metabolism from slowing down and there are some indications that low carb diets can lower thyroid hormones and testosterone levels etc.

On the other hand some people argue that doing so kicks you out of fat-burning and spikes blood sugar and insulin and you'll then have to adapt back to a low carb diet and undergo unnecessary discomfort as well as taking a step back.

What do people think?

 

[Manure Spherian]

've done quite a bit of reading on low carb diets. The idea seems to be that most people eat so many carbs that they are mostly burning carbs (or stored glycogen) for energy. A low carb diet flips a metabolic switch so you become fat adapted and therefore burn more fat for energy (including stored body fat). But there is an adaptation period that can be up to a week or two where you can experience carb or keto flu and feel tired and irritable and faint and weak.

Here's how ya burn fat: be in a caloric deficit, regardless of what the macro makeup of your diet is. I got shredded to the bone (I mean a REAL 5-6% bf, not internet 5%) when I did one bodybuilding show and except for six days of the last week before the show, ate carbs everyday. In fact I started the prep with a decent amount of carbs on high and medium carb days (I did carb cycling).

Some people (and this seems to be more bro science) reckon that a cheat meal or day once a week where you consume a higher quantity of carbs can be beneficial and help prevent your metabolism from slowing down and there are some indications that low carb diets can lower thyroid hormones and testosterone levels etc.

Cheat DAYS do not do a damn thing. Neither do cheat meals, except for some enjoyment. "Refeeds," bumping up calories for a day here and there in a contest bodybuilding prep to move things along and not have someone burn out in the overtraining and underfeeding it necessary to get down to 5 to 6% bf.

On the other hand some people argue that doing so kicks you out of fat-burning and spikes blood sugar and insulin and you'll then have to adapt back to a low carb diet and undergo unnecessary discomfort as well as taking a step back.

You can still lose weight even though you eat a cheat meal here and there so long as on most days you are in a caloric deficit.

If you want to include carbs to lose fat, do it. If you want to do low carb, do it. Again, the most important thing is caloric amount. Second is protein intake.

Many people who speak about nutrition have no idea WTF they're talking about. That goes for people who look good.