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 guys! This may seem to be a silly question but I’m going to ask it anyway. In your latest book it says that non starchy veggies are limitless. I’m using myfitnesspal to keep track of my calories (I like to cook and change up meals often) but I always add in every ingredient, including veggies. Should I not worry do much about counting non starchy veggies in my 1500 calorie allotment? Thanks in advance 🙂
Hi Natasha: Even though non-starchy veggies are “limitless,” it’s always best to count every calorie you eat. It really helps to keep you accountable.
Can you clarify carrots? It indicates in the Extreme book that they are a root veggie and listed under the carbs. But in other posts here I’ve seen it allowed as an unlimited veggie? Which is it?
Hi Elise: Carrots can be a bit tricky, but they can be counted as veggies. As with anything you eat, even though they’re “unlimited,” it’s good to track those calories. Hope that helps!
Thank you Heidi! One more question….on low card days where there are no fats included what do you cook with? Olive oil, coconut oil & avocado oils are all fats so how do you cook on high carb days?
Hi Rachelle: Try using non-stick cooking spray – works like a charm! Or you can use some oil in a spritzer too.
Heidi!! Love this program and you. I have a small question at breakfast I take shakes instead of eating real food. the shakes supposedly have all the protein & carbs you need. I need a fat with breakfast so do I add pieces of avocado to the shake or would the almond milk be considered my fat?
Hi Rachelle: This depends on how much almond milk you’re using. 2 cups equals a fat serving, so if you’re only using one cup, add in some avocado to make up the difference. There’s a great chart at the bottom of this post that shows you how many calories of each macro to include in each type of meal, and that can be super helpful! https://heidipowell.net/10617. ?
Hi! I’m on day 12 and loving the results! I do have a quick question though. My kids LOVE speghetti squash and I’d love to make some dinners using it, but is it a carb or considered a veggie?
Hi Nicole: Any type of squash is considered a veggie, and we’re so excited you’re loving the program! ?
Ugh. Why does my question keep getting deleted??
Hi Lacey: Your comment isn’t being deleted. All comments have to be approved before they post. ?
Hi team powell ! And tks for all your tips and advices! I choose the turbo cycle and in this post i can read your 2 new secrets for weight loss for extreme cycle: fat at breakfast and fat and no carb on high carb day. My question is what is better during turbo cycle on high carb days: maintain carb without fat at breakfast and dinner OR use fat at breakfast and dinner on low AND high carb days? Tks so much for your help!! Lov yu?(and sorry for my english…)???????
Hi team powell ! And tks for all your tips and advices! I choose the turbo cycle and in this post i can read you 2 new secrets for weight loss for extreme cycle: fat at breakfast and fat and no carb on hight car day. My question is what is better during turbo cycle on hight carb days: maintain carb without fat at breakfast and dinner or use fat at breakfast and dinner (+ carb) even on hight car days? Tks so much for your help!! Lov yu ???
Hi Michane: If you choose to follow the Turbo Cycle, then you’ll want to follow the meal guidelines for that cycle. Each cycle is put together a bit differently for various reasons. And remember, you can change cycles at any time!
Can I just say you guys are awesome! We are in the third week of the extreme cycle and I finally went out and bought the book. I had previously borrowed the first two from the library. I really enjoy the nerdy book and have lost 6lbs in the last two weeks without the book so I’m excited to use some of your recipes. But I have a question…
As I’m reading through them you have taken the time to calculate both calories and macros and portion sizes, which I greatly appreciate, however lb the top of the recipe it shows that in each recipe the protein, carb and veggie in the recipe. However I didn’t see a veggie in the recipe, fruit yes (which I thought counts as a carb) but not veggies. I’ve seen these with a couple, for example the triple berry threat. I should still add veggies to these meals correct? Thanks in advance
Darn auto correct! NEW book not nerdy book! Hehehe
Hi Natasha: Congratulations on losing 6 pounds – that’s awesome! Those graphics are with every high-carb meal just as a reminder and to keep things consistent throughout the book. Adding any extra veggies are optional for high-carb meals, and you can add veggies to any meal – both low- and high-carb – if you’re still hungry. Hope that helps!
Hi again
Just read that extreme plan women eat 1500 cal in both hc/Lc says and 2500 on reward but turbo it’s 1200 on Lc says and 1500 on hc days 2500 on reward. So on extreme your eating 1200 more calories a week more than on turbo. Why the caloric change.
I’m a macro girl does new book go in detail about the macro numbers forv each day other than just having them in the recipes
That’s exactly what I was wanting to find out. I am interested in numbers and percentages, just so I can work on my own meals a bit easier.
Hi Shana: There’s some great info in this post that gives you several options for meal planning on the Extreme Cycle: http//heidpowell.net/10617. Hope it helps!
Hi I have a question
If you do turbo plan so you use the format of extreme as far as adding fat to breakfast and take out carb on dinner meal or is that if you only follow extreme plan of four high carb and then two low carb
Also I read this extreme is fastest weight loss over turbo ? How can that be with four high carb days in a row vs having two low carb then high carb repeat.
Hi Katie: The two cycles – Turbo and Extreme – are different, so you’ll want to follow them as they’re outlined. And the Extreme Cycle is the new and updated cycle based on Chris and Heidi’s experiences with their contestants since “Choose More, Lose More for Life” was introduced (which is where the Turbo Cycle comes from). The reasons for the 4 high-carb days is in this post, as well as an explanation of the other changes in the Extreme Cycle. Both cycles can work, and you can change cycles at any time.