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
I just started the Extreme Cycle and have a question about the workouts. If I’m doing HIIT 30-45 mins 6 days a week, should I still incorporate cardio everyday? Or would the HIIT double as strength and cardio?
Hi Allison: Your HIIT can count as your cardio. 🙂
Also, would RXBars be good for high carb days? (210 Cals, 8g Fat, 19 Net carbs, 12 Protein)
Hi Allison: These bars have a bit too much fat for a high carb meal, and they also need a bit more protein. There’s an awesome chart at the end of this post that can help you know how to put your meals together: https://heidipowell.net/10617. Hope it helps! 🙂
Hello! We have been doing the extreme cycle for 4 weeks now and have been really enjoying the food and the results. My husband lost during the slingshot week and I gained 3.5lbs. Is that normal?
When measuring the meats and sweet potatoes, etc., is it the weight precooking or after cooking that we should use?
Also, we take an omega 3-6-9 that has 35 grams of fat from chia and flax seeds. Should we take this at a specific time of day so it doesn’t mix with the carbs? Or should it matter?
Thanks!
Hi Kelli: Did you mean 35 calories from fat? If so, you can take this any time and you’ll be okay. 🙂
Hi Kelli: It can be possible to gain a bit of weight during the Slingshot Week since you’re eating double carb portions and carbs can retain water, but things should get back to normal quickly! For measuring foods, if the recipe calls for pre-cooked foods, then I’d go with those measurements. If it calls for cooked, use those measurements. There really isn’t a big enough difference between the two to worry about. If you’re preparing your own meals (without a recipe, like meat and veggies, for example), always go with cooked when measuring. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi! It was 35 calories from fat, 3.5 grams total. Also, the triple berry recipe uses kashi go lean cereal, can any of the go lean cereal be used?
Hi Kelli: Yes, any of those cereals would be great!
hi! I just purchased the book. If I want to meal prep for me and my husband would I just double the portion sizes on the food shopping list provided? Also, can I get a suggestion for protein powder to use. Thanks!
Hi Aimie: Since many of the men’s portions are more than the women’s portions (this can be true with ingredients also), you really can’t double the portion sizes. And Chris and Heidi recommend low-fat, low-carb protein powders with around 20 grams of protein per serving. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hello Team Powell! I have a question about the extreme carb cycling and tracking macros! I am a female – what should my macros be for high carb days and what should the be for low carb days? I have the book but cannot find this info in there, I will be using some of the recipes in the book but will also be making my own so I would love to know this! Thank you!
Hi Tana: All your macros are figured out for you on the Extreme Cycle, however, if you’d like to put your own meals together, here’s a post with several options, including the “Create Your Own Meals” chart at the bottom. https://heidipowell.net/10617 The calories recommendations/macro/meal in this chart can be very helpful! 🙂
Hi Chris!!!! I absolutely adore you!!!! Love Extreme Weight Loss one of my favorite shows!!!! But anyways I just wanted to know if I could lose more than 10% in the first 90 days because my BMI is 55%.
Hi Dae: Chris and Heidi recommend a 10% weight loss goal for the first 90 days for everyone. You can do this!
I have never been big into carbs eating them maybe 2-3 times a week.
A- Is is ok to eliminate carbs altogether on certain days?
B- I would also like you insight on using raw honey rather than other sweeteners? (for in oatmeal or coffee)
C- I hate the taste of protein powders, so am I able to substitute a protein like egg whites or just omit it?
D- When your meals have Greek Yogurt is that Plain or any flavor we choose?
Thank YOU
Hi Gina: Let’s get you some answers to your questions: A. It’s best to include carbs in your diet in the right amounts in the right times (as outlined in carb cycling). Carbs do have some very important functions for good health and weight loss, and you can learn more about this in this post: https://heidipowell.net/2713. B. Chris and Heidi recommend no calorie sweeteners like stevia, truvia, and xylitol. C. You can substitute other protein sources for protein powder if you’d like. Here’s a post that offers several meal planning options on the Extreme Cycle: https://heidipowell.net/10617. D. Chris and Heidi recommend fat-free plan Greek Yogurts. Hope this helps – you can do this!
When following the extreme transformation slingshot week do we still have a cheat day on day 7 or is that still a high carb day with double the carbs? Can we eat from the clean cheat meals in the book for day 7? Also, do we double the carbs in breakfast for the slingshot week? Thanks!
Hi Chad: For the slingshot week, day 7 is a high carb day with double portions of carbs for every meal that contains carbs.
What do you recommend for someone who can’t eat snacks during the day. I am a hygienist and I’m unable to eat in between meals.
Hi Sandi: Here’s a post that can help you figure out a meal schedule that will work for you: https://heidipowell.net/10556. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Sandi! I too am a hygienist. I know how crazy it gets – with not even time to pee! LOL!
In our practice we have a mini fridge close by where I can store my lunch/snacks. Here’s what’s worked for me; When it’s time to re-fuel, after I’ve dropped my tray off in the sterilization area, I wash up, grab my nitrate-free turkey breast slices (low carb days) in a mini covered container) and have a few bites and wash it down with a few gulps of my protein shake ( pre-made before work) . I carry my shake and little snack container back to my op where I have a side cupboard for personal items and place my shake and container of remaining turkey there. Wash up, flip the room, finish my turkey and shake, and then have a few water swishes before bringing in the next client. If you don’t have a fridge near by then perhaps a small lunch bag with an ice pack to store the shake/ etc. and place in a cupboard in your op. On high carb days, before work, I make two protein shakes blended with frozen berries for my ‘snacks’. It can be done with a little planning – and you are so worth this little gift to yourself! Best!
Could you clarify something please? I am getting ready to do my first slingshot week and am reading how to do it. It seems the extreme book and choose more lose more describe them differently. Extreme says to do 7 high carb days and double your carbs every meal. Choose more lose more says 7 high carb days in a row but to follow the meals exactly like a normal high carb day (no doubling of carbs per meal). Which is correct? Also, do I continue choosing a breakfast from the extreme cycle book that is carb, fat and protein since its supposed to be high carb?
Also, what are we supposed to follow for meal #5? Will it be low carb/high fat like on normal high carb days or will each meal of the day for 7 days be high carb? And, how will the reward day be done since the 7th day is still high carb? Can we choose clean cheat meals from extreme cycle to follow for the 7th day?
Hi Chad: Please see my previous reply…for meal #5, you’ll do it as normal high carb day. And your reward day will be a high carb day also with double portions of carbs. Hope that helps!
Hi Chad: Yes, the slingshot week is a bit different between the two books. For the Extreme Cycle, each day will be a high carb day, and you’ll follow the regular high carb day meal outline AND double the carb portion for every meal where you’d normally eat a carb. Hope that helps!
Would breakfast carbs also be doubled?
For the slingshot week, yes. 🙂
Feeling a bit frustrated. I’ve just done one week of the extreme cycle and am really looking forward to a reset day today after feeling crazy restricted on this diet and having a hard time finding meals to fit my macros that I like. But I’m willing to do that to lose the weight. However… I felt fine on Friday, but on Saturday (second low carb day) I had NO energy, felt foggy and had a massive headache all day. Not a good combo for a mom of three little kids. Again, I might be able to tolerate that if I was losing any weight. BUT this entire week my weight has been slowly creeping UP. I gained two pounds (which is the high end of my fluctuation limit). I’m doing the strength training and 50 min hard cardio 6/week. So I’m confused and frustrated, and not feeling well on this cycle. Is any of this normal at the start, or is this cycle just not for me?
I should mention that I’m a pretty petite person so 2 lbs on me is like 5 or more on someone else. Also wondering if this is water weight since I’ve increased my water intake? And if so, when will this normalize and stop showing as gains on the scale? I know the number on the scale isn’t the most important thing, but this first week…. it shouldn’t be going up like it might with muscle gains. I’m a regular exerciser and eat mostly healthy, just never carb cycled before.
Hi Crystal: This can be a normal reaction for some people, and it should get better. And remember, it can take your body a bit of time to adjust to a new way of doing things, so give the Extreme Cycle another week, make sure you’re following the meal plan exactly, drink your water every day (1/2 your body weight in ounces), watch your sodium intake, and hopefully, this week will go better! And here’s a blog post about meal planning on the Extreme Cycle that might help also: https://heidipowell.net/10617. 🙂