Binge day to help weight loss???

[BasinHaircut]

Been googling a bit and found some threads about how having an occasional 'binge' or day totally off plan could possibly help weight loss by tricking the body into thinking that food is plentiful and so not holding onto fat.

The theory being that when you diet, your body 'thinks' food is scarce and is evolutionarily conditioned to hold on to energy reserves to help get though times of famine.

I have no idea if this is valid or not but it's definitely interesting. I definitely wasn't expecting a loss last week due to a Chinese takeaway but actually lost 2lb. I haven't been having many syns so maybe my body was holding on to fat and the 'binge' tricked it into letting go? OR maybe I was just super strict the rest of the week to compensate?

Anyone got any thoughts?

I know that it seems like a dangerous concept, but just wondering what everyone thought?

[Katenka]

It's very dangerous.

I work in the fitness industry. Many bodybuilders have a 'refers day' where they eat loads. It's stops their body wanting to hand on to fat.

But it is not an all you can eat. They eat a particular amount of fat, carbs and protein. What they eat depends on their diet.

The theory is that you body won't feel deprived of any macro nutrients and therefore let fat go.

The problem is getting the balance right. Too much food and you tip over into too many calories. It takes a bit of trial and error. The timing is also difficult. So some can do it every week. Some only every month.

The less body fat, the more often.

Also people who this works for tend to have a large amount of muscle and they train. So a lot of the carbs and protein help muscle growth and replace glycogen stores.

Personally I wouldn't recommend it for SW. Because with your Syns your body shouldn't want to hang on to fat. Body builders massively deprive their body.

I do think an odd day off can be good (emotional) if you are struggling. But having a day totally off plan and expecting a loss is dangerous. You could be lucky, but it could back fire.

[Owllady]

The only thing that works is eating less food

[BasinHaircut]

Thanks Katenka that's really interesting. I'm guessing that was probably the rationale behind what I was reading.

I'm not going to try it BTW, was just interested and wondered if there was any 'truth' in it.

I agree it's probably more emotionally resetting than biological. For me I think that if I feel like I need a takeaway or a cake etc, it's going to be far less damaging to have one and then move on, than try to ignore it and continuously fell u satisfied. Because that would make me more prone to cheat a little bit each day to try and keep that hankering at bay.

But again the danger comes from doing that too often, or by eating a whole cake rather than a slice etc.

[Owllady]

It's fine to have an occasional take away basin :)
Just watch your portion sizes. I really need to take my own advice

[Katenka]

One of my best friends is a competitive body builder and her refeed days are as much emotional as they are for the body.

But again it's carefully measured and tracked. If you body build and want to compete you body goes through so much. It's quite awful and I have no idea why people would do it. I know I can't do it. Personally I think it's dangerous.

Your body shouldn't be going through that much in SW. That's the point of it.

[BasinHaircut]

owl I'll never be able to control portion sizes when I'm having a takeaway!

No I don't think all the money in the world could make me consider body building/sculpting. I know a couple of people who do it and it is hardcore!

[MyFavouriteClintonisGeorge]

Why not schedule it? I have decided to make Sunday lunch (the only time we have pudding) the one time I relax my diet regimen. It won't mean all I can eat deep fried lard with sugar cubes to follow, but I will have a small portion of what everyone else is eating, including the pud.

[BasinHaircut]

Writing about saving syns on the support thread has made me think that actually, even if I had a takeaway every week, I probably wouldn't go over 105 syns for the week. so sort of a controlled re-feed, still sort of on-plan?

I know, I'm over thinking it now but I am wondering whether it could work now because DH IMO should be losing weight a lot quicker than he is. I wonder if a syn-heavy day per week (but still within 105 for the week) could help? As you say it's not how the plan is designed to work but it is making me think

[Katenka]

You can save Syns up. Lots of people at my group do.

However they do find they can sometimes maintain or put on even though they haven't done anything different.

Especially if it's not controlled or when you are closer to target.

[tabulahrasa]

Your DH should be having more syns anyway, men get an extra 10 a day.

I have take away, I just order low syn things and it rarely takes me over anyway.

[BasinHaircut]

Really?! Men get 25?!

[tabulahrasa]

Yes, they get 25...bastards, lol

[BasinHaircut]

Ohh I'm not sure I'll tell him

He basically just eats what I give him and doesn't really know how it all works. I keep telling him he needs to read the book though!

But the past few days I've been giving him a bit more so he is having closer to 15 syns per day now.