Originally published on Examiner.com.

For years, carb cycling was a secret weapon used by body builders who wanted to bulk up to build muscle, then melt the calories to cut their final layers of fat. When personal trainers discovered that secret, they began to develop?diets utilizing carb cycling principles?to help their own clients achieve their weight loss goals. Among those trainers: “Extreme Weight Loss” stars Chris and Heidi Powell. In addition, Chris authored “Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution”.

In a recent interview with the Daily Burn, Heidi explained the principles of carb cycling. She uses it with her weight loss clients, noting that they get “dramatic changes” when they combine?carb cycling diets with exercise.

A British study backed Heidi’s discovery of just how well carb cycling works for weight loss. In that study, women eliminated high carb foods twice a week, eating normally the rest of the time. They lost nine pounds during a four-month period, compared to five pounds in four months for women who followed a daily 1,500 calorie Mediterranean diet.

Heidi says that carb cycling works because eliminating carbs causes the loss of both fat and water. But if you totally cut carbohydrates for too long a period, you harm your metabolism. The result: Returning to carbohydrates causes a rebound effect. And that’s what carb cycling prevents.

Through carb cycling, you never deprive your body for too long. Your metabolism functions at its optimum state, shifting to a metabolic fat burning state on low carb days. Here’s how it works:

• High carb days provide you with “boost” days to increase metabolism
• Low carb days provide you with “burn” days to blast fat fast