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
My husband isnt a big breakfast eater but does enjoy having bullet proof coffee in the morning before his workout. It is a cup of coffee, 1 tbls grass fed butter OR organic coconut oil and 1/4 cup heavy cream. He was doing Keto for a while and liked how he felt on it but has had a difficult time sticking with it the last couple of months.
He liked doing the Extreme cycle in the past, and had great results, but does not like how much food he has to eat throughout the day. His job makes it VERY difficult for him to stop and eat every 3 hrs. He is a UPS driver and he literally works non stop all day! some days he is able to take a 10 minute minute break.
How could he do the extreme cycle while still being able to have a bulletproof coffee and eat the correct amount of meals throughout the day?
Once, he reaches is goal weight, is it ok to alternate high carb/low carb meals throughout the day and week?
When he previously did the extreme cycle, he followed the book and then changed to the App. He had much more success with using the book. Which one is recommended to use; the book or the app?
Thanks!
Hi Kelli: Here’s a post that can help him plan his meal times on a busy schedule: https://heidipowell.net/10556. As for following the book or the app, we recommend he does whatever will work best for him AND that he can do long-term. This is also the recommendation for any nutrition program…it needs to be something he can do now and long-term. This might mean tweaking any program so that it works best for him. We do recommend eating a source of protein with every meal, so that might be one thing he could work on first. Hope that helps!
Thank you! Is it ok to continue having the bulletproof coffee in the mornings as long as he adds a protein and carb source? How much fat to carb to protein ratio is needed? What food would you recommend adding to his morning bulletproof?
Is there a guide to build your own meals following the extreme cycle format?
Hi. I am 56, female. All my life I would have been described as an ectomorph. Ate what I wanted. Small boned and even after 4 children weighed at my most 120lbs. Along came the 40?s and I started gaining weight. And it has continued No Matter What. I did a doctor guided program and after 1 year lost only 10 pounds. I have worked out, done keto, hcg, intermittent fasting. Nothing. I have your book. At one point I downloaded the app but didn?t actually use it. I do know from the doctor and a medgem test that my BMR is 1000 calories so any program that starts me out at 1200-1500 calories is scary as heck. I cannot exercise off that calorie excess! So will
This work. I expect some weight gain but how much before I get scared and bug out. I cannot afford to gain more weight. And knowing my BMR is 1000 which plan and workout would you suggest. Is the app my best option. Last question is there any room for NOT eating 5 meals? That?s a lot of food. Thanks in advance
Andrea
Hi Andrea: First of all, your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest, which means no movement at all throughout the day. It’s as if you laid in bed all day long. Since you don’t do that, you will burn more calories throughout your day just doing your daily activities, not including any workouts. Your body needs more calories than your BMR just to function properly and for good health and to sustain your workouts. For those reasons, a daily calorie range of 1200-1500 is very reasonable. You don’t mention what your current weight is, but we recommend no woman eat less than 1200 calories a day. As far as which cycle to choose, I’d choose the one that will work best for you and that can work long-term. I’d begin with the Extreme Cycle, and we do recommend eating 5 meals, spaced every 3 hours, throughout the day to keep your body fueled and to keep you feeling fuller. Hope that helps!
Hello! Does it matter what body type that you are to be able to lose weight on carb cycling? I am 44 and seem to be stuck on losing weight. I?ve tried it all it seems like! I bought Chris? book on carb cycling and want to try if it will help. Thank you for your time and expertise!
Hi Cindy: We feel that most people can benefit from carb cycling, no matter what their body type. Give it a try! 🙂
I have the last 20 pounds to lose and I switched from lose weight to lean and shredded. I was on turbo up till now but it switched me to fit should I stay with turbo or do fit. I weight-lift at home 5-6 days a week and run 3-5 days a week.
Hi Lisa: I’d try the Fit program for a few weeks based on your workout schedule. 🙂
I?m 39 years old and have plenty of extra pounds. I am pretty active and crossfit 2 to 3 times a week. Is the classic plan ok to follow?
Hi Mindy: I’d start with the Extreme Cycle. 🙂
Hi! I am a teacher and mom of four! I don’t have a lot of time in the day to work out, but can usually get in a morning or evening walk. I would love to attack my weight loss from all these babies through mostly diet. Currently, I just count calories. What do you suggest?
Hi Whitney! Try carb cycling! There’s a chart in this post that shows you an easy way to put your meals together to begin: https://heidipowell.net/4514 Or you might also be interested in checking our app, The Transform App, which offers you a customized meal plan, workouts, and over 500 recipes (many are super quick!): http://thetransformapp.com You can totally do this!
In the past few years I was able to drop 36 pounds (not in the most healthy of ways), however it has slowly been creeping back on. I am very active and work out alternating days with Orange Theory and lifting 5 to 6 days weekly. My body responds well to lifting but the cardio has not changed my body from what I can see. From the reading I have been doing it seems that carb cycling may be exactly what I need to do, but I am unsure which plan to follow. I want to be sure I have energy to continue to work out!
Hi Jeannine: I’d start with the Extreme Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/10503). It works great with workouts! 🙂
Hey Team Powell 🙂
I have about 45lbs to lose, and am wondering which cycle would be best for me, working out 6 days per week-some of which involves hiking. Also for low and high carb days, what would be the percentage of daily calories coming from carbs? Thanks!
Hi Sarah: I’d begin with the Extreme Cycle, and there’s a chart in this post that shows you how to create your own meals. You can get the percentages for all macros in this chart. Just remember that a gram of protein or carbs has 4 calories, and a gram of fat has 9 calories. https://heidipowell.net/10617 Hope that helps! 🙂
I am a teen (15) and want to do carb cycling. I want to do it 6 days a week. The first three days would be high carbs and low fats and the other three days would be low carbs and high fats?
Am I correct or not. Would appreciate an answer thanks have a good rest of day!
Hi Tan: With teens, we really don’t recommend carb cycling. Since you’re still growing and developing, we recommend you work with your healthcare team on any nutrition and exercise programs and follow their recommendations. The most important thing you can do is eat healthy, whole foods throughout your day. Try and have a protein, a carb (fruits, starchy/root vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc,), vegetables (non-root/non-starchy), plus a healthy fat (olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc.). It really can be that simple! And make sure you’re also drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water every day too (if you weigh 100 lbs, you’d aim for 50 ounces, for example). And also make sure you’re getting enough sleep! Hope that helps! 🙂
I have lost 80 pounds in the last year and a half and have 10-15 more to lose. Haven?t lost any for 3 months. Which carb cycling plan would benefit me?
Hi Denise: I’d begin with the Extreme Cycle! 🙂
Am I correct?? if I do three days of high carbs In those three days I do big workouts and in the other three days I do low carbs I would do a low to no work out?
Hi: Which days you work out on can be different for each person. Some people do better working out on high carb days, others on low carb days, and for still others, it really doesn’t make any difference. Do what works best for you and your goals!
Whats the difference between the turbo and extreme carb cycling? Which is better for weight loss and building muscle?
Hi Cao: The difference in the two cycles is the number of low and high carb days. We recommend beginning with the Extreme Cycle, and then if your progress ever plateaus, switch to the Turbo Cycle for a few weeks. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi, Thanks for telling me about it. transform app as guided is customized and i want to know whether the workout plans need to be changed in every month as the 6th day rule and even nutritional plan for every month so as to achieve fat loss. If so can you tell me.
Also the heart rate of mine required during cardio activities for achieveing the goal.
Have a great day ahead.
Hi Sumi: If you’re using the app, you’ll have a year + of workouts ready to go for you, and your nutrition program can change as you progress towards your goals. As for your ideal target heart rate range, that depends on your age and it can be a bit different for each person based on a few factors and how intense each workout is going to be. Here’s an article that can help: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/target-heart-rates
And you have a great day too! 🙂
What is the reasoning behind the lower fat on the high carb days? I thought adding fat helped slow the glycemic impact of carbs. I?m reading your book and it may say all of this but I?m trying to wrap my head around the concepts.
Hi Eve: Great question! 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. And we do still include enough fat on high carb days (we now add a fat to every breakfast every day on all carb cycles) so it can play it’s appropriate function every day. Hope that helps! 🙂
First of all, wow! I can?t believe you respond to all of the comments. I am 52, 5? tall and 122 pounds. For the past 2 years I have had weight loss and maintenance success with HCG diet but restrictive with carbs and fats. For the past few months I have hit a plateau. I was able to reach 113lbs but now struggle to maintain 120-122 because of cheating. I feel like I live by the scale everyday. I just came across V shred and carb cycling. My question is which program would you suggest and I?m deathly afraid of gaining weight again when HCG was the only thing that has worked for me in the past. Can I expect to see temporary weight gain initially? I just don?t want to get discouraged when I see the scale going up. It would be helpful to be reassured that weight gain is temporary and to stick with it. Or should I not necessarily see weight gain following this protocol after eating much lower calories in the past? Thank you so much!!!
Hi Kirsten: Great questions! When you start following a non-restrictive program, you can see some initial weight gain as your metabolism resets after being restricted. Again, this should be temporary. And in our programs, we recommend only weighing yourself once a week (on the morning of your reset/reward day) since the scale can naturally fluctuate from day to day, even if you’re sticking to your program to a T. Here are a few posts from Heidi’s blog that might help:
https://heidipowell.net/8679
https://heidipowell.net/9353
https://heidipowell.net/12026
You got this! 🙂