While the Easy Cycle is the easiest cycle, the Classic Cycle is the simplest carb cycle. It offers a quick and easy introduction to carb cycling and results in fast and steady weight loss.
Unlike the Easy Cycle, which has a reward meal incorporated into every high carb day, the Classic Cycle has an entire reward day every week. Imagine that—a whole day to satisfy those cravings for your favorite foods! And you’ll still lose weight.
Here’s what a Classic Cycle week looks like:
- Monday: Low carb day
- Tuesday: High carb day
- Wednesday: Low carb day
- Thursday: High carb day
- Friday: Low carb day
- Saturday: High carb day
- Sunday: Reward day
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 of the day, eat either low or high carb meals (depending on which day you’re on). Your last meal of every day will ALWAYS be a low carb meal. Follow the portion size guide to put all of your meals together.
With the Classic Cycle, besides losing weight at a quick and constant pace, you’ll also be able to tune into what is happening in your body during this carb cycle process. You’ll learn and actually feel how food affects your body, and while you may experience some brief periods of nausea, headaches, low energy, and other symptoms as you change the way you fuel your body, these will be temporary. In the end, you’ll have a whole new appreciation for this marvelous body you have! And you can stick with the Classic Cycle throughout your weight loss journey or move onto another cycle. You are in control!
For more information on the Classic Cycle, check out our book, Choose More, Lose More for Life. Interested in learning about the new 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!
275 Responses
Hi this plan sounds perfect for me in terms of my workout plan. I light exercise on all the low. Carb days and on the high carb days weight train.
My only concern is on the reward day do I have to work out as this would usually be my rest day?
Also I’m looking to lose weight quickly and I see the turbo cycle is better for quicker results? Correct me if I’m wrong?! I do weight classes at the gym and tues, thurs and Saturday are best for this hence why I’m choosing the classic plan.
Advice for quicker results would be much appreciated.
Loving carb cycling!
Melanie x
Hi Melanie: You don’t have to workout on your Reward Day, and yes, the Turbo Cycle is great for faster results, so give it a try! You can do this!
Is there a complete food list for high/.low carb days? Would save time when meal planning if you can pick from cohesive food list versus calculating.
Hi Kyla: There is a list of approved foods in all of Chris and Heidi’s books: https://heidipowell.net/books-dvds/. And there’s a chart in this post that outlines how to put all your meals together: https://heidipowell.net/4514. 🙂
Hi Team Powell,
I’m also a Crossfitter and wanting to do Carb Cycling to take off the end of my (chub) weight. I’m 135 and would love to be back at 128 but that would be my no fun zone consistently. I’m not looking to increase my muscle mass, just wanting to lean out. On the days I lift, they should be high carb days but, that would be 5 times a week if I went by that. Help? What should I do?
Thank you for all the information you put out. You guys are amazing!
I’d start with the new Extreme Cycle, which has 4 high carb days in a row: https://heidipowell.net/10503/carb-cycling-the-extreme-cycle/. You can do this!
Dear Team Powell
I want to carb cycle but I do cross fit 4 days a week. from my understanding on the days you lift they should be high carb days. how would I go about this? I was told I need to eat up to 3000 calories a day to build muscle. this is all confusing. I have done carb cycling before but stopped because I missed fruit and sweet potatoes. ha ha its the little things…….
Hi Laila: If you’re wanting to gain muscle (and not necessarily lose weight), here’s a post that can help with that: https://heidipowell.net/10540. You can do this! 🙂
Hi Heidi, I know that you said to eat within 1/2 of wake up, but I work out when I wake up. Fasted workouts have been really working for me. What do you suggest I do?
Hi Martine: If that works for you, then go for it!
Heidi, this plan is the one that I’m going to start with. I’m excited to start. However, I’m a teacher and eating every 3 hours might be difficult for me. Right now I’m on summer break but when school starts it might be a little tricky. Any suggestions?
Hi Audrey: Here’s a post that can help you figure out a meal schedule that will work for you: https://heidipowell.net/10556/ask-the-powells-how-can-i-structure-my-meals-2/. You can do this!
I started carb cycling this week, and I’m doing weight training mwf (weight training days) and the cardio on tuth. Ive been doing them at night after dinner, but when I’m ready to go to sleep my stomach starts growling and won’t let me sleep. I wanted to know if there was a healthy snack I could eat or if i should eat dinner after my night workouts. I don’t plan on working out at night time all the time just a few days a week.
Hi Scarlett: Here’s a post that can help you with eating and working out: https://heidipowell.net/9194. And welcome to carb cycling – you can do this!
Thanks Team Powell. I always try to do things to the extreme, even when they are totally wrong for me. I will take this advice, and start out with the fit cycle on Monday. I start training for a half marathon on Monday. I just completed my third full on May 1 ?.
I have been trying the turbo cycle, but it just seems like not enough energy for me. I am a long distance runner. I am going to try the classic cycle for 1 or 2 cycles and see how it goes. I am 5’11” and with 1200 calories a day, I am just starving all the time. Should I increase the calories a bit more? I also run 4 to 5 days a week, plus the 9 minute missions(btw these are awesome).
Hi Vanessa: You might want to try the Fit Cycle: https://heidipowell.net/2719/carb-cycling-the-fit-cycle/. It has an extra HC day, which might help you since you are so active. 🙂
Quick question on the breakfasts for carb cycling – in the Choose More, Lose More book, the breakfast recipes show low carab day / high carb day versions. If you’re on a low carb day and want to use the recipe for the breakfast meal (first meal of day), do you always use the high-carb day options? Asking because it looks like the low-carb day option doesn’t include any carbs – just the veggies? Any clarification is appreciated!
Hi Carolyn: For the cycles in “Choose More, Lose More for Life,” every breakfast is a high-carb meal: protein + carb + veggies (if you’re still hungry). Hope that helps!
What’s the best way to move your cheat day without altering the whole schedule? I’m on the Monday start of the classic and need to make my chest day this week Friday instead of Sunday. Would I make Sunday a low carb day since that is what Friday should be? Any help for occasional cheat day swapping would be appreciated.
Hi Kelly: You can move the meal schedule one way or the other, but you will want to keep the high- and low-carb days in the order they’re outlined, and only move your cheat day as little as possible. So if you want your cheat day on Friday, then that will be day 7 of the week and Saturday will be day 1. Hope that helps!