carb reloading

[macka]

SO what do you guys eat for a carb reload? Yesterday I had 2 heaping plates of red beans and rice. A little bloated and gassy today, but feeling awesome.

[Ron Partlow]

I eat carbs every day right up to the show, so I don't have to "re-load". Are you dieting for a contest? Why were you carb depleted? I go pretty low on the carbs when dieting, so I use the odd cheat day to fill right up. If you're sensitive to those, then a good high carb day will do. Depends on how flat you are.

If you tend to feel "bloated" try spreading the carbs out over the whole day, instead of just 1-2 meals. Try a few different things.

[JonnyO]

Ron when your dieting, do you use the whole day for cheating or just a meal or two? Also how many weeks out would you eliminate the cheats?

[Ron Partlow]

Just depends. I like dieting really hard and then using full cheat days. I probably use an average of 3-6 cheat days per diet, depending on how long the diet is, etc.

With Scott Abel, the calories were lower, so I would get depleted faster and then get more cheat days. Scott really likes to give you a full cheat day 3 weeks out.

This year, working with Chad, we did a shorter diet, 15 wks, and i had way more to lose. He has given me 2 cheat days so far, and I have my final one 2-3 weeks out from the show.

I have also had really good success just having a cheat meal, or 2 hour cheat window every week up to 3 weeks out. Before I hired Chad this year, I was going to do my own diet, and planned on using a weekly meal/window depending on my weight loss and how depleted I was.

I like cheat meals for some of my clients, and full days for others. Some people may only get 1-2 meals the whole diet. Others get so many I can't believe it.

Rob Churchill, IFBB Pro fro Vancouver Island, whom I have worked with since 99, uses a full cheat day every week almost all the way to the show, and he's 53! Just gets ripped so easy, and NO CARDIO. Great metabolism.

Cheers
Ron

[macka]

I eat carbs every day right up to the show, so I don't have to "re-load". Are you dieting for a contest? Why were you carb depleted? I go pretty low on the carbs when dieting, so I use the odd cheat day to fill right up. If you're sensitive to those, then a good high carb day will do. Depends on how flat you are.

If you tend to feel "bloated" try spreading the carbs out over the whole day, instead of just 1-2 meals. Try a few different things.

Thanks, I'll give that a go. I'm dieting for me right now, but I do want to step on stage at least once. I'm trying a "hard" diet to see what my body does, and how it responds to different foods.

[macka]

just bumping to update. Spreading the carbs over the day just makes me crave them more when I hit the hard dieting. I will go back to the window method. I am down to 198 though.

[baza]

Though probably not the most beneficial, I feel best on a full cheat day of anything and everything. Feel best, I'm talking the next couple days following, full, veiny and strong... and lately very little wate retention.

I've done clean cheat days with approx 100g of clean carbs, from oatmeal, lower fat, and don't feel or look nearly as good.

Like I said, may not be the best strategy, but I made progress each week, felt great, so no need to change.

[macka]

its not so much how I look at this stage, I'm trying to stay on track, and the cravings are murder. I have the mega munchies right now, and I just finished off some pork rinds and a glass of water.

[baza]

Last week I have been having bad cravings too. I also have been having cheat weekends instead, so I don't know if that is why, like it is carrying over into the week. But I also went to Olive Garden on Tuesday, which was my first time eating anything bad during the week since December. Luckily I don't have any junk in the house. Though I ate too much frozen fruit I put in my shakes, better than a bag of chips thoug lol

[steve_d]

I've done clean cheat days with approx 100g of clean carbs, from oatmeal, lower fat, and don't feel or look nearly as good.




Even if this was in addition to your normal daily intake, its still only 400 calories extra. I wouldn't even see a difference and I weigh 70 pounds less then you!

[baza]

Sorry, I meant 100g of clean carbs per meal * six meals so 500-600g of clean carbs.