Do you have a hard time going without your favorite foods, but you still want to lose weight? Then the Easy Cycle is for you. In this cycle you alternate low carb and high carb days, and on every single high carb day you can have a reward meal, as long as that meal isn’t your dinner meal.
That’s right, you can eat the foods you love—four days a week— and still reach your weight loss goals. And by favorite foods I mean pizza, ice cream, bacon, chocolate cake, cheesecake—they’re all okay. The power of this cycle is that if you get those favorite food cravings on low carb days, you only have to wait until the next day to satisfy them. Anyone can do that! Success can be yours with this cycle.
How is this possible? First of all, you’ll be following the low carb/high carb eating plan for your non-reward meals, and the success of this pattern has been proven many times over. And even though you’ll be rewarding yourself, you’ll be rewarding yourself less often. Let’s say you usually eat seven servings of ice cream a week. With the Easy Cycle you’re already eliminating three bowls of ice cream a week, and that’s a lot of calories! You’re satisfying your cravings without depriving yourself, and losing weight.
Here’s what an Easy Cycle week looks like:
- Monday: Low carb day
- Tuesday: High carb day w/ reward meal
- Wednesday: Low carb day
- Thursday: High carb day w/ reward meal
- Friday: Low carb day
- Saturday: High carb day w/ reward meal
- Sunday: High carb day w/ reward meal
Every breakfast—on both low and high carb days—will consist of a portion each of protein, carb, and fat. For the next three meals, you’ll either have a high carb or low carb meal (depending on which day you’re on), and then your last meal of the day will ALWAYS be a low carb meal. Follow the portion size guide, and you’re good to go!
And yes, you won’t lose weight as quickly as you would in other cycles, but the important thing is that you will lose weight, and you’ll also be forming healthy habits that will last a lifetime. And when you’re ready, you can move onto another cycle if you want to. Or you can stay with the Easy Cycle throughout your weight loss journey. It’s totally up to you!
For more information on the Easy Cycle, check out our book, Choose More, Lose More for Life.
Interested in learning about our new cycle, the Extreme Cycle? You can get all the info in our new book, Extreme Transformation.
And if you’d like some help creating your own meals, there’s a handy “Create Your Own Meals” chart in this post!
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!
151 Responses
Hi! Discoverying you guys have been amazing. I’m still reading and trying to understand wich is the best cycle for me and already order the book! But, can you tell me, if I work oout early in the morning, 6:30 AM, when should I have breakfast?
I do XFit for 30 mins tuesday, Wed, Thurs, and Sunday; Mon and Fri I do pilates. My goal is to lose 15 pounds by March 19. … If you can recommend a cycle for me ??? I would really appreciate it. THANKS
Hi Sarah: Which book did you order? Each of the books contains different carb cycles. As far as eating and working out, here’s a post that can help you figure out what will work best for you: https://heidipowell.net/9194. 🙂
Hi! I am having a hard time doing “regular” carb cycling due to getting the induction flu. As much as I fight thru it up to 2 days with no relief, I can’t function in my work life and well that’s not good. I thought about trying your “easy” cycle and slowly ease into the other phases. My workouts have it that I need to do 2 low carb days in a row, maybe that is why I am struggling??? Any advice? Induction flu is no fun and just makes me want to binge in the end! Help!
Hi Michelle: The two low carb days in a row in the Turbo Cycle can cause issues for some people, so I’d try either the Easy Cycle or the Classic Cycle for a few weeks, and then switch to Turbo if you’d like to. And don’t forget about the reward days/meals (depending on which cycle you’re on) too! You can do this!
You often give percentages when asked about low and high carb days, but for me I need to know what that is in grams. Is a low carb less than 50 and high carb 60-100?
Hi Ian: It all depends on the calories, and since each person puts their meals together a bit differently, it’s really difficult to specify exact grams. Here’s how you can do it: Daily protein and carb grams: total daily calories X recommended percentage ? 4 = total grams for the day. For fats: total daily calories x recommended percentage ? 9 = total grams for the day. Once you have a daily total, you can divide these grams between your meals as you’d like, keeping in mind the recommendations for how to put your meals together. Hope that helps!
I’m very interested to see if I can do this. Several years ago I did a metabolic diet and lost 63 lbs. I was so excited. Toward the end of this weight loss I was diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis. When I started the medication I began to gain weight. After reading about this autoimmune disease, it stated that difficulty losing weight and weight gain is one of the issues associated with this. Since losing the 63 lbs, I have gained about 30 of it back and I am miserable.
Earlier this year I decided to try a no carb/low card diet. I was surprised that I started losing weight. I lost about 22 lbs and came to a halt. I tried and tried to get over the plato but with no luck. I stayed as close to the plan as I could but it just wasn’t working anymore. I’ve gained about 8 llbs back which is not terrible but I’m still over the weight I want to be.
Fingers crossed and wish me luck!! Here we go!!!!!
Hi Lisa: You can totally do this! 🙂
Hi Heidi,
I’m relatively a small person 5’1″ 114lbs but I have some flub around the middle. I go to the gym every other day when I can and work out at home most days in between. I eat healthy. I can not seem to tone up and build muscle. I’ve been eating my weight in protein and still nothing. I don’t want supplements or protein drinks so how can I do this? What am I doing wrong? Oh I do have an auto imm I need disease called sarcoidosis , its an inflammatory disease. Is that why I’m not getting anywhere? Please help 🙂
Thanks so much,
Nikki
*auto immune disease
Hi Nikki: It sounds like you’re doing awesome! Here are a couple of posts that might help: https://heidipowell.net/10540 and https://heidipowell.net/10990. And it’s best to run any nutrition program by your healthcare team first and then follow any modifications they might recommend. You can do this!
Hi Heidi,
I am getting ready to start the carb cycling. I have ordered the Choose more lose more book but haven’t received it yet 🙁 . I also ordered Chris’s workout video. I received it today (yay) and started working out. I do have a few questions at this time.
1. Can I chew gum?
2. I work 12.5 to 14 hour shifts (a nurse), it can be very physically (and emotionally) demanding. Would you suggest high carb or low carb days for the days I am at work.
3. I am 5’7″, 277 lbs and 54, how much can I roughly lose weekly if I stick with the program and exercising with the video 4 days a week?
Caren
ps… LOVE your weight loss show!
Hi Caren: Welcome to carb cycling! Let’s get you some answers to your questions: 1. Yes, and we recommend sugar-free gum. 2. Here’s a post that can help you figure out your eating schedule with a crazy work schedule: https://heidipowell.net/10556. 3. Chris and Heidi recommend a 10% weight loss goal for your first 90 days, so aim for that! And try and get in a 5th day of exercise during the week if you can. You can do this! 🙂
Hi Heid! I just started extreme cycle and I’m feeling extremely bloated! I retain water very easily and an even on a diuretic! Can that many carbs make you retain fluid?! Should I be trying a cycle that’s less carb days in a row? Thanks
Hi Rachel: Yes, carbs – even the healthy ones – can cause some water retention, especially if you’re not used to eating as many as are in the plan. Give it a few days, and your body should get used to all those healthy carbs. 🙂
On low-carb days, I crave fruit and oatmeal really, REALLY badly! (And sometimes energy bars)
As a result, I feel like I use my high carb days to indulge in those things a bit much.
I feel like it’s hard to find snacks for low-carb days.
I eat veggies, a hard-boiled egg, and sometimes yogurt, but my brain is thinking: EAT ALL THE FRUIT YOU CAN NOW.
Also, I do eat chocolate-covered coconut every day (within the serving size!) but I then I started eating other melty chocolate to dip my cashews in (still w/in serving size though).
Am I on a slippery slope, here?
=(
Hi Tina: You can eat oatmeal or fruit as the carb portion of your breakfast on low-carb days, so that might help. And be sure to follow the portion size guides on all days, and check out the complete list of approved foods in “Choose More, Lose More for Life” for a list of options you can choose from for all your meals. You’re the only one who can decide if you’re on a slippery slope – just make sure you’re keeping those promises to yourself, stick to your eating plan exactly, and you can do this!
I just finished Chris’ book, Choose to Lose, today. I am so excited to begin cycling! Thank you for the great recipes!
Heidi,
I am thankful for you and your husband’s desire and passion to help those who desire to be healthier. Thank you both for your dedication and passion.
I have ordered the book Choose More, Choose for Life, and maybe my question will be answered there. I get up early to exercise and I am concerned about eating when I first wake up and then immediately go workout. Can I eat as soon as I am done working out instead?
Thank you so much!
Hi Andrea: Here’s another blog post where Chris and Heidi talk about eating and working out – I hope it will give you some ideas on what will work best for you! https://heidipowell.net/9194/qa-with-the-powells-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/.
Thank you for the quick reply. And yes, that helps.
I will certainly experiment and see what works for me.
Thanks!!!! ?