Carb cycling is the foundation of what I do every day and with every client. I know through years of experience with many different clients that carb cycling works, so I’m going to introduce you to the basics and the five different carb cycling plans—Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit, and Extreme. I’m stripping it down to the basics to get you started:
What is Carb Cycling + How Does it Work?
Carb cycling is an eating plan with alternating high carb and low carb days. It’s that simple. It also has built-in reward days or reward meals (depending on the plan you’re following), so you can still eat your favorite foods on a regular basis. Sounds pretty much perfect, right? You can eat healthy foods, enjoy foods you love, and still lose weight.
While each plan has a different mix of high carb and low carb days, each day works basically the same:
- Eat five meals—no more, no less.
- Eat breakfast within 60 minutes of waking or whenever your feeding window opens if you’re an intermittent faster.
- For breakfast, you’ll eat a portion of protein, carbs, and fat.
- For your next 3 meals (snack, lunch, snack), you’ll eat either a low or high carb meal depending on which day you’re on. So, if you’re on a low carb day, those three meals will be low carb. If you’re on a high carb day, those three meals will be high carb.
- Your last meal of the day will ALWAYS be a low carb meal. Always.
- Choose approved foods.
- Drink ½ your body weight in ounces of water every day. So, if you weigh 150 lbs, you’ll drink 75 ounces a day.
How Does Carb Cycling Work?
Carb cycling is based on the right combination of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats. In order to lose weight, our bodies need the right combination. Here’s why:
- Protein builds and maintains muscles and these muscles burn calories like an inferno. Protein also breaks down more slowly than carbs and fat, which burns even more calories and helps you feel fuller longer.
- Carbs are the preferred fuel source for your muscles and organs, and they come in healthy versions (vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes), and not-so-healthy versions (cakes, cookies, soda, doughnuts, candy, and many processed foods). Healthy carbs are also crucial for burning calories, and since they break down more slowly than those not-so-healthy carbs, they keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady, and they also keep your calorie-burning furnace hot so it burns more calories!
- Healthy fats (unsaturated fats) eaten in moderation help the development and function of your eyes and brain and help prevent heart disease, stroke, depression, and arthritis. Healthy fats also help keep your energy levels steady and keep you from feeling hungry.
Why do we alternate high carb + low carb days in carb cycling?
On high carb days you’re stocking your calorie-burning furnace so that on low carb days your furnace burns fat, and lots of it! This pattern tricks your metabolism into burning a lot of calories, even on those low carb days. It’s an amazing and well-proven process.
What are the Benefits of Carb Cycling?
Carb cycling has many benefits:
- It fits any lifestyle.
- You’ll learn how to shed weight and body fat and how to make smart lifestyle choices for the rest of your life. This puts YOU in control.
- You’ll feel better and have more energy.
- You’ll eat the foods you love.
- You’ll build lean, strong muscles.
- You’ll be empowered physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
I’ve only skimmed the surface of carb cycling, so learn more about our five carb cycling plans to find your ideal cycle, and let’s get cycling!
Get even more information on carb cycling in both or our books: Extreme Transformation (the newest edition to our carb cycline lineup featuring the Extreme Cycle) and Choose More, Lose More for Life (which features our other four cycles).
If you’d like some help creating your own meals, there’s a handy “Create Your Own Meals” chart in this post! To get a customized cycle for you and your goals + several workout programs (from gym-based to bodyweight to dance) + the all-important life lessons (the key to long-term transformation), check out The Transform App.
Note: If you’ve been carb cycling using our book, Choose Lose More, Lose More for Life, you’ll notice that we’ve changed a couple of things since that book was published: You now include a fat for breakfast, and every final meal of the day is a low carb meal. Like with a lot of things in life, the more you do them, the more you learn about how to do them even better!
xo,
1,381 Responses
Your carb cycling plans really appeal to me and I appreciate the open communication I find here on your web sites. In selecting a carb cycling plan, should age be a consideration? I am a young at heart 69 year old who is about 70 lbs. overweight. My hobbies are largely sedentary which I know isn’t great but I participate in an intense aqua aerobics class for three hours a week and average about 7600 steps per day, every day.. My overall health is good – no need for prescriptions (yea!). I simply need to get busy on a plan to lose weight safely.
Hi Lin: All comments have to be approved before they post, so that’s why you didn’t see your comment. These carb cycles can work for any age! And it sounds like you’re already on the right track to achieve your transformation goals! You can do this!
First off I want to say Thank you. Extreme Transformation and carb cycling has done more than just allowed me to lose weight.
I started carb cycling in March and was really really successful for 3 month then fell off the wagon, broke promises left right and center. So I’ve stalled, not lost and even regained a couple pounds. It’s hard for me because I am new to where I live and don’t have a support system or transformation team to keep me on track and accountable. So I make silent promises again, and of course breaking them.
I reread the book and learn a few more skills especially Lesson 10 and 11. Letting go of things is hard for me, and definitely acknowledging any successes I have. I grew up being told where’s the A+ if I got an A. So the idea of I should have done better regardless of how well I did, is hard wired. I’m still working on that. I have been successful and even hit my goal weight, but then said, I could do better and added another 10 pounds to my goal.
I have been eating primarily the recipes out of extreme transformation, but I love cooking, and wanted to try to make some of my old favorites (a lot of them from Skinny Taste, others just my own concoctions ) and have some questions about macros. I know each gram of protein and carb have 4 calories and fat has 9, but when I’m looking at a recipe how do I calculate how much to eat so it fits in my daily goal. (right now I’m doing 40% carb, (158g) 40% protein (109g) and 20% fat (48g) on a high carb day and switching the fats and carb on Low carb days.
How do I calculate macros easily or use carb cycling with different recipes?
Also, (and sort of more importantly) is there any group, blog, FB page for support and group discussion? Somewhere I can go when I am struggling?
Thanks again! You’ve helped me change my life.
Hi Jennifer: Thank you so much for your comment, and we’re so excited carb cycling has been working so well for you!!!! Here’s a post that can help you figure out how to create your own meals: https://heidipowell.net/10617. And you can find great support right here and on Chris and Heidi’s Facebook pages too. 🙂
Hi Heidi! Doing the extreme cycle! On low carb days I struggle to even walk up the stairs I lack so much energy.. Would it be detrimental to my results if I didn’t work out on low carb days?
Hi Rachel: If you’re new to the Extreme Cycle, it can take your body a bit of time to adjust to this new way of doing things. And be sure and eat that carb portion for breakfast, and then veggies throughout your day (which also have some carbs in them). And feel free to adjust your workouts to match the LC and HC days. You might do an easier workout on LC days until your body gets adjusted. You can do this!
Hi Team Powell. I am trying to go from 195 to 140. Should I start off carb cycling or should I just start off with a basic low calorie diet?
I am vegan and I am having the most difficult time finding examples of Carb Cycling meal options for vegans.
Hi Aidan: You can go right into carb cycling! There are 5 cycles to choose from (links to each are in this post), and there are several vegan options too.
I have a question. When you are tracking your water consumption, do you include the water that you put into your protein shakes? Thank you
Hi Leah: Yes, you can count that water towards your daily total, but try to drink your recommended water in addition to what’s in your shakes. 🙂
Hi Team Powell,
I am on my 6th week of carb cycling- turbo. The first week I lost 4 lbs., 2nd- 2 lbs., 3rd- 2 lbs, 4th- 2lbs. I guess by the end of my slingshot week (I still watched what I ate), I gained 2 lbs back. And for the whole 5th week I just maintained. I thought “damn I was right I shouldn’t have done the slingshot week!!”. But this week I started back like to week 1, and in two days I’ve lost 2lbs. + 1!!!! I feel completely different this week. Now, I’m craving veggies like crazy. I look forward to my “cheat day”, but I don’t want some crappy McDonalds or something. I want like a slice of pizza from a REAL pizza place or a burger from a legit burger joint. I want something that will be worth it. I’ve never been happier on a diet EVER. I feel that it’s easy once you find some good recipes. I’ve been finding sooooo much on Pinterest, things to keep the food fun and not the same old boring stuff every night. Anyway my problem is, I’m not eating enough calories. I’m maybe eating 800-almost 1000. But im eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Which I NEVER did before. But it’s all good stuff, more protein than what is recommended and a lot of veggies. I use cheeses often in a lot our dinner recipes. But on my macros my fat is always high, protein is high and carbs are low, which is what I want right? So how can I make the calories without eating too much fat but low carbs. For fatty stuff I’ll eat avocados, nuts, cheese, stuff like that. With all that said I’ve lost approx 10-11 lbs. and I could not be happier with this lifestyle change. I do not deprive myself, I just pay attention to what I’m putting in my mouth and HOW MUCH!!! I look forward to my reward days so it makes it more exciting to think about what I want to eat for that one day all week! Love this diet, I’ve NEVER stuck to a diet like this and I don’t even like to call it a “diet”, more of a conscious way of eating. Thanks for the inspiration, I was miserable before and I still have a ways to go but seeing the results is really motivating me!!!
Hi Erika: You’re doing awesome!!! As far as hitting those calorie recommendations, it is important that you aim for 1200 on LC days and 1500 on HC days so your body has the nutrients it needs to function properly AND lose any extra pounds. If you follow the portion size guides for the cycle, you should be good to go. And here are some macro percentage recommendations that might help too: High Carb Meal:
Protein: 40%, Carbs: 40%, Fats: 20%, Low Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carbs: 20%, Fats: 40%. Hope that helps!
Hello,
I am going to try the Turbo Cycle. I already eat very clean, watch my macros, and am in the gym lifting with a trainer 3x per week. I also do my own cardio and/or yoga on the days I do not lift (another 3x per week) and then take a rest day usually on Saturday or Sunday depending on my weekend plans.
In general, I usually end up eating out and/or going out for drinks about 2-3x per week for work and social occasions. I do my best to stick to the healthier options and arrive with a sense of my remaining macros but I also really hate being a stick in the mud when out and it is always during these times that I find macro and cycling mentally burdensome.
My question is this: instead of having a free day during my weekly cycle, can I just count it as another LC day and consider the few meals and drinks I have during the week as my freebies? Within reason of course…
Hi Alana: The Easy Cycle allows you a reward meal during the week on HC days instead of a weekly reward day, so that might be a good option for you: https://heidipowell.net/2715/carb-cycling-the-easy-cycle/. And welcome to carb cycling – you can do this!
Loving the book! I’m a big fan of protein powders as I have used them for years and years. I get mine here that was recommended from a friend: http://thrivingwith.isagenix.com/?sc_lang=en-US
I’ve been experiencing some amazing results and am super happy I’ve paired this program with healthy eating and my protein shakes. Thanks you guys!
Hello, I have a question that I haven’t been able to find an answer to in the book. When measuring out a portion of chicken, should I be weighing it raw or cooked? For instance, if a portion is 3oz of chicken, is it 3oz raw or 3oz cooked? If it matters, I’m on the Turbo cycle. Thanks!
Hi Jen: If a recipe calls for cooked chicken, measure it after you’ve cooked it. If it doesn’t specify, measure it raw. Hope that helps!
Hello. I have a question about the Turbo plan. On week 4, 8, etc. do you still slingshot and do high carb weeks? I’ve been on the classic cycle for about 1.5 weeks and thinking about switching over to Turbo on week 3. Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi CE: On the Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit Cycles, every 4th week is a Slingshot Week – a week of all high carb days. Hope that helps!