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
Hi! I just downloaded the app & am starting my program on Monday….will the workouts be unlocked? I wanted to make sure I have the equipment I need! I?m hoping to get out of my year-long plateau! I?m 37, mommy of 4, 4?11? 145 lb, I got down to 137 a year ago. My goal weight is 125. I really need to get there for health reasons. I hope this can help me!
Hi Jennifer: Yes, your workouts will be unlocked once you officially start the program. We hope you love it!
I?m about to start carb cycling the extreme version and am wondering what consists of a reset day? Is it a low carb day? Or high carb day? with a cheat meal?
Hi Amy: Your reset day allows you to eat 1000 extra calories (so aim for 2500/day), and these calories can be healthy, treats, or a combo of both. We encourage you to get a portion of protein every meal, and here’s a post that can help with meal planning on the Extreme Cycle: https://heidipowell.net/10617/. You can totally do this!
Hi Heidi,
If I am going the extereme cycle and want to skip the reset day, should this be replaced with a high carb or low carb day?
Thanks!
Hi Adam: We really recommend you don’t skip your reset day. The extra calories are important for resetting your metabolism, and it also helps to take care of any cravings you have during the week, especially for those treats. You can eat healthy foods, treats, or a combo of both on your reset day. We do encourage you to eat a serving of protein with every meal if possible. I hope this helps!
What is considered high carb and low carb
Hi Kori: Basically, a high carb meal contains a portion of protein and a portion of carb. A low carb meal contains a portion of protein and a portion of fat. And you can add non-root/non-starchy vegetables to any meal if you’d like. Hope that helps!
Hi Heidi, I?ve started my transformation a week ago. 211 5?5 30 female. I?ve been carb cycling. Since I?ve started carb cycling ive been getting night sweats is that normal? Thank you!
Hi Nicole: Carb cycling really shouldn’t be causing night sweats, but if you’re noticing a change, it could be because your body is getting adjusted to low and high carb days, especially if this is your first time carb cycling. It should get better soon! 🙂
hello..
I am currently diagnosed of pre- diabetes..I am interested in the card cycling programs you are offering and would like to check which suits my condition.
I am 173 CM Hight
40 years of age
I weight 117 KG- Reduced ( 15 Kilos in the past 6 months) by cutting all carbs from my diet.
the diet is currently causing me fatigue , lots of food cravings that I can’t resist cause I am someone who can’t eat fatty food all the time.
I am looking for a lifestyle diet to help me get in shape, enjoy the process and get rid of my diabetes symptoms.
I am on Victoza 3mg and gluphage XR 1500 a day.
please let me know if you can help.
regards,
Rula
Hi Rula: Carb cycling can work for you, but as with any nutrition and exercise program, you’ll want to discuss it with your healthcare team first in case they want to modify the program in any way. Here’s a post from this blog that might help also: https://heidipowell.net/5078. I hope this helps, and we wish you all the best! 🙂
You like examples of carbs and proteins, but what kinds of fats do you choose for your fat portion on low carb days? What would a low carb meal look like?
Hi Libby: You can choose nuts, nut butters, cheese, cream cheese, any healthy oils, etc. Does that help? And a low carb meal is made up of a protein, a fat, and veggies (the non-root/non-starchy types). 🙂
I’m interested in carb cycling, but I eat dinner with my family. How would this program work in a situation like this? Thank you!
I have this problem too and it is always what sabotages my progress! Can someone please also explain the best way to handle a mess-up at dinner? If the next day is a high carb day, should I let it be a low carb day instead?
Hi Amy: Nope! Just move on. One little mess up won’t really affect anything. You got this!
Hi Christine: Your family can eat what you do, and if you’re eating a low carb meal, just add in a carb for your kids. If you’re eating a high carb meal, add in a fat for your kids. They need protein, fat, and carbs at every meal. You can do this!
I have the transform app and have been making great progress! But the other day during an ab move a felt a hernia! Going to doctor today for an ultrasound ?.. but anyway, should I still do squats and deadlifts etc…? I wanna keep progressing without further injuring myself. Help!
Hi Charlene: I’d definitely wait to talk to your doctor before doing anything that could affect that hernia. Stick to your nutrition program, since nutrition is 80% of transformation, work out as you can, and you’ll be good to go! We hope you feel better soon!
Which carb cycling is best for breastfeeding mom?
Hi Nicole: Here’s a post that can help you figure out what’s best for you: https://heidipowell.net/2275. We wish you all the best! 🙂