The Extreme Cycle is the newest addition to our carb cycling family and is the result of our years of experience helping our peeps successfully transform their lives on Extreme Weight Loss. If you?re already a carb cycler, then a lot about this new cycle will seem familiar. If you’re new to carb cycling, check out the carb cycling basics first, and then get cycling!
Here’s what an Extreme Cycle week looks like:
- Monday: High carb day
- Tuesday: High carb day
- Wednesday: High carb day
- Thursday: High carb day
- Friday: Low carb day
- Saturday: Low carb day
- Sunday: Reset Day (and weigh-in day)
Those four consecutive high carb days will give your body a sense of normalcy and let you get into a routine with meal planning. Switching to two low carb days flips your weight loss into turbo mode, allowing you to burn the maximum fat, which is what we want, right?! And your weekly Reset Day (known as your Reward Day in other cycles), lets you eat all those foods you crave, boosts your metabolic rate, and actually helps you lose weight!
Just like with the other cycles, you’ll eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and every 3 hours thereafter for a total of 5 meals a day. When it comes to putting your meals together, this is what you’ll do:
- Every breakfast—on both low and high carb days—contains a protein, a carb, and a fat.
- On high carb days, for meals 2, 3, and 4, you’ll be eating a protein, a carb, and veggies. For meal 5, you’ll be eating a protein, a fat, and veggies.
- On low carb days, all 4 meals after breakfast will contain a protein, a fat, and veggies.
- And veggies—the non-root/non-starchy type—are totally “free” in the Extreme Cycle! You can enjoy them in limitless portions, and they are a huge key to helping you feel full throughout your day.
If you’re using our book, Extreme Transformation, where we talk about the Extreme Cycle and a lot of other amazing transformation-related things, all your meals are planned out for you for all 21 days of the cycle! We’ve created 21 days? worth of amazing meals for you, including Cheat Meals for your Reset Days. We’ve also included other options to make meal planning as simple and flexible as possible. And you can repeat the Extreme Cycle as many times as you want, or you can change to the Turbo Cycle if you need to shake things up a bit. And for all you macro counters (*hand raised*), calories and macros are figured out and listed for you with every single recipe. 🙂 If you’d like to put your own meals together, or are out and about and can’t meal prep ahead of time, follow this handy portion size guide:
- Proteins: Palm-size portion
- Carbs (grainy, starchy, and fruit): 1 clenched fist
- Veggies: 2 clenched fists
- Fats: 1 thumb
- Sauces: 1 thumb
Are you ready to take your transformation to the extreme and lose those extra pounds in the fastest and safest way possible? Then grab a copy of Extreme Transformation, and let’s go!
661 Responses
Hi, I’m trying to stick to the extreme cycle plan, following the 40 40 20 rule. Based on the 1500kcal a day, inserting such quantities in MyFitnessPal I came up with 150g protein a day, 150g carbs and 33g fat on HC days and 150g protein, 75g carbs and 67g fat on LC.
First of all does that sound correct?
If so, I’m finding it extremely hard to reach the 150g of protein na day, as I usually reach 100g max (I’m vegetarian but i try to fill up on your suggested vegetarian options pf protein and if I do respect the meal calory chart you give in the book I do not reach 150g either).
Is eating 100g a day not enough and could be ruining my chances to be succesful in the program? If it sounds ok instead, …what am I supposed to do with the remaining macros? Higher the carbs % on HC days to 50 for example and do 50C, 30P,20F and viceversa on LC days or what do you suggest?
thanks a lot!!!!!!
elisa
I am on the extreme cycle and am wondering if fat free cream cheese, fat free mozzarella, and fat free whipping cream are allowed at high carb meals. Also, can coffee be consumed in between meals?
Hi Jennifer: All of these would be considered fats, so you wouldn’t want to include them in any high carb meals. Plain black coffee can be consumed during the day, just be sure you’re getting all your water too. 🙂
Is it okay to workout 7 days a week, meaning even on my reset day Sunday? Or can I workout 6 days but just make my off day Friday instead of Sunday which is my reward/reset day? Will it mess up the plan if I workout on my reset day Sunday?
Hi Jennifer: You should be okay to move your rest day to Friday. Or, you could start your week on Saturday so your rest day and reset day are both on Friday.
So sorry to bother you again but I am still confused about cheese. If I use cheese that has zero fat (fat free), Is that still considered a fat? Wouldn’t I be able to eat the zero fat cheese on a high carb day because it contains no fat.
Hi Jennifer: We keep cheese – no matter what type – in the fats category. However, if you do eat it with a high-carb meal, be sure and count those calories towards your daily total. 🙂
If my goal is to put on some muscles without taking too much fat, is the extreme cycle good for me?
I am a women, 37 years old, 113lbs 17% fat…Hard to put on some muscles i put on fat very easily
Hi Karine: You might want to try macro counting, and you can learn more about this here: https://heidipowell.net/10990. And there are some other helpful links at the bottom of the post too. Hope this helps – you can do this!
Hi Heidi – can you tell me where the Extreme cycle fits relative to the Classic and Turbo cycles for fat burning – i.e. is it between those two, or does it burn more fat than the Turbo cycle? Thanks!
Hi Tara: The Extreme Cycle is the cycle we recommend since it’s the newest and most up-to-date cycle for losing weight. Give it a try!
Hi guys!
I have a question. How do we know how many grams of carbs we should be eating on our high vs. our low days? I am 5ft 11″, and I am 150 lbs. I am quite slender, and have a hard time retaining any muscle. I also do crossfit 4 times a week. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsie: There is a helpful chart at the end of this post (as well as some other awesome info): https://heidipowell.net/10617. And here are the recommended macro percentages for the Extreme Cycle: Breakfast (EVERY day): Protein: 30%, Carb: 40%, Fat: 30%, High Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carb: 50%, Fat: 10%, Low Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carb: 10%, Fat: 50%. 🙂
Hi i’m brand new to the extreme cycle and i’m a numbers girl. I know that the suggested portions are listed and the suggested calories for making your own meals but I would like to know what the suggested grams are for low carb, high carb, and breakfast meals and what my calorie goal should be. I’m 5’8 169lbs. and my current activity level is low (hopefully will be more soon). Hope to hear from someone soon! 🙂
Hi Callie: You should aim for around 1500 calories a day, and here are the macro percentages to shoot for for each type of meal: Breakfast (EVERY day): Protein: 30%, Carb: 40%, Fat: 30%, High Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carb: 50%, Fat: 10%, Low Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carb: 10%, Fat: 50%. Hope this helps – you can do this!
Been following the classic cycle and lost 30 pounds in 60 days (20 in the second month). I use fitness pal to track my calories and carb/fat/protein percentages. Question though, you say you can have unlimited vegetables (those on your list) but they add carbs/calories/protein to my daily total in my fitness pal. Should I just not track those vegetables? I get anal about staying under 1200/1500 cals on my low/high carb days.
Hi Donna: The two fist fulls of veggies with meals on the Classic Cycle are included in those calorie amounts, but if you’re tracking calories on your own, it’s a good idea to count every calorie you put in your mouth. And congratulations on losing 30 pounds! That’s awesome!
I am impressed with your results. I have the Chose to Lose book and I’d like to begin following this plan. May I ask what you did for exercise to help you lose about a half a pound a day on average?
Hello Heidi. I just want to inquire about the extreme transformation version of carb cycling. I recently started the classic style carb cycling from choose more Loose moore . Is it worth it for me to switch at this point to the extreme? I want to follow the plan that you recommend most because I have confidence in the success you to have accomplished . Thank you for your time.
Hi Jennifer: Any of the cycles can work, so I’d continue with the Classic Cycle since you have the book and it has some very helpful info and tools in it, and you can change cycles at any time! You can do this!
9 lbs of 100. It’s been really great so far. I’m excited about the progress I’m making and I feel confident this program will work
Hello Heidi,
I have recently started extreme carb cycling. This saterday I must attend a formal diner with loads of carbs and fats and a little amount of protein. But saterday is my low carb day. How do I solve this without ruining my weight loss results?
I alsof have a question about macros. According tot the macro calculator I need 186 grams of carbohydrates, 165 grams of protein and 52 grams of fat. How many do I need each meal on high carb days, low carb days and for breakfast?
Greetings from the Netherlands
Hi Johanna: All your macros are figured out for you in the Extreme Cycle, so you’re good to go there! And you can get some other great meal planning tips in this post: https://heidipowell.net/10617. It is okay to switch your reward/reset day every once in awhile if you need to, then begin your week with day 1 on the next day. Again, only change your reward/reset day if you absolutely need to. You can do this!
I got the book yesterday and I want to start the High Carb day 1 on monday. But I don’t want to waste Thursday (today) – sunday. What is the best way to start right now? Just start with the 4th day of carbs (today is Thursday for me) and proceed. Or should I start differently?
Ramona
Netherlands
Hi Ramona: Yes, just start with whatever day aligns with your current day, and you’re good to go!
I just purchased the book and I’m so excited to get started.
I am thinking of starting my week on either Sunday or Saturday, based on my work schedule. As long as I follow the HC/LC days, would it be possible to repeat meals? I am a creature of habit and do the best when I stick to the same meals throughout the work week. Would it be okay to find a days worth of meals I like for HC and LC and repeat those Monday-Friday?
Hi Michelle: Yes to both questions! Get some great meal planning options in this post: https://heidipowell.net/10617. You can do this!