We have two refeed calculators below:
(1) The “simple refeed calculator” is for those that DO NOT know their current macros.
(2) The “advanced refeed calculator” is for those that DO know their current macros.
Do you know your current macros?
To start, please answer: Do you know your current macros?
What Is The Refeed Calculator?
The refeed calculator is a tool that we’ve developed to give you an estimation of the number of calories you should be consuming when you’re refeeding.
Refeeds are temporary increases in calories that function to positively impact hormones, satiety, and energy levels so that continued weight loss progress can occur.
While dieting you will be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, this means that you’ll be eating less than your body requires.
When refeeding the goal is to bring you out of a calorie deficit by increasing your calories back to a maintenance level (the number of calories that you require to maintain your weight).
The refeed calculator is designed for those who aren’t sure how many calories to consume on refeed days or what macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins) these calories should be coming from.
- Check out Nutrition Tools page for all of our calculators.
How To Use The Refeed Calculator?
The refeed calculator should be used as an estimation of the number of calories to consume while refeeding, as well as providing the ideal macronutrient distribution from which these additional calories are composed.
The calculator will determine your target calories for your refeed day(s) and what macronutrient targets are specific to you and your inputs and therefore is designed to give you the most benefit from your refeed.
The recommendations that the refeed calculator provides are best utilized when put into a macro tracking app like MacroFactor that can help you stay on target with your calories and nutrient intake while refeeding.
The calculator does not tell you how often or how long to refeed but you can learn more about this in my other article “How Often Should You Refeed?”
How Does The Refeed Calculator Determine The Refeed Calories & Macros?
The Simple Refeed Day Calculator
The simpler version of the refeed calculator is for those who do not know their current macronutrient targets or calorie consumption.
The calculator’s inputs gather data that tells it about your body composition, your activity level, and calculate your maintenance calories based on this information.
The calculator also accounts for any decreases in metabolism (decreases in the number of calories you burn throughout the day) as a result of dieting.
The refeed day calculator not only determines your refeed calories but based on these calories it also gives you some macronutrient targets.
The reason for this is that having this increase in calories come mostly from carbohydrates is the most beneficial for a successful refeed. Therefore the calculator ensures that fats and protein are not overshadowing carbohydrates on refeed day(s).
The Advanced Refeed Day Calculator
The advanced refeed calculator is designed for those who know their macronutrient targets and average calorie consumption.
The calculator functions to maintain your current intake of protein and fats while increasing your carbohydrate macronutrients enough to increase total calories to a maintenance level.
Who Should Use The Refeed Calculator?
The refeed calculator should be used by those who are dieting and are ready for a refeed.
The calculator is useful for these individuals because it helps to identify the number of calories and proportion of macronutrients that will provide the intended benefits of a refeed.
Why Should You Refeed?
4 reasons why you should refeed:
- Increases Leptin Levels
- Increases Energy Levels
- Reduces Downregulation of Metabolism
- Improves Diet Adherence
1. Increases Leptin Levels
Leptin levels will increase from increased carbohydrate consumption and this is beneficial because leptin is the hormone responsible for helping you feel satiated and therefore can reduce feelings of hunger.
2. Increases Energy Levels
Increasing your calorie and carbohydrate consumption will result in increases in energy that you can use to fuel workouts, increase non-exercise activity, or simply improve your ability to recover.
3. Reduces Downregulation Of Metabolism
While dieting your body adapts to burn fewer calories throughout the day as a protective mechanism, but by refeeding, you can reduce the slow down of your metabolism by signaling to your body that food is coming in and that it doesn’t need to preserve calories for vital functions.
4. Improves Diet Adherence
Incorporating refeeds can give you a mental break and make the dieting process more tolerable by having something to look forward to. For this reason, including refeeds can make it easier for you to stick to your diet for longer periods, which will bring better dieting results.
Other Refeeding Resources
- Refeed Day Example: Sample Meal Plan With Macro Breakdown
- Should I Workout On A Refeed Day? (A Nutritionist Answers)
- Refeed vs Cheat Day: Differences, Pros, Cons
- Should I Refeed While Cutting? Yes, Here’s Why & How
- How Often Should You Refeed? 7 Signs You Need A Refeed
- Refeed After 5 Day Fast: 7 Rules To Follow & What To Eat
- Refeed After 3 Day Fast: 7 Rules To Follow & What To Eat