If you want to shed those extra pounds extra fast, the Turbo Cycle is for you. Of the four original carb cycles (Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit), this cycle takes off weight the fastest. Unlike the Easy and Classic cycles, which alternate low and high carb days, the Turbo Cycle pits two low carb days against every high carb day. That means you’ll burn fat two days in a row before your body’s furnace (metabolism) is re-stoked on your high carb day, and you’ll lose weight really, really fast!
Even though the Turbo Cycle has an extra low carb day as compared to the Easy and Classic cycles, it is not a severely calorie-restricted cycle that will crash your metabolism. And since you’ll have two low carb days in a row, you may feel less energetic on the second low carb day. But this is okay. These low carb days are powerful weight loss accelerators!
Here’s what a Turbo Cycle week looks like:
- Monday: Low carb day
- Tuesday: Low carb day
- Wednesday: High carb day
- Thursday: Low 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, you’ll eat either a high carb or low carb meal (depending on which day you’re on). Your final of the day will ALWAYS be a low carb meal. Follow the portion size guide to put all your meals together. And as with the other cycles, you can stay with the Turbo Cycle as long as you want, or you can change cycles at any time. This program is tailor-made to you and you alone!
Learn more about the Turbo Cycle in our book, Choose More, Lose More for Life. And if you’re interested in learning about the Extreme Cycle, check out our 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!
950 Responses
Hi, I would really like to try this and I want to buy your recipe book. My question is I’m a mom of two young kids and work part time and we are always on the go. Except first breakfast and dinner, I will be away from the hoyse for most meals. Do your recipes include some simple on the go ideas? I have fridge access at work, but some of my meal times would be while shuttling kids to and from school/acrivities.
Yes, there are some on-the-go ideas. You can also keep a small cooler in your car, and that should help. Protein shakes/bars are a great on-the-go option that require no refrigeration, so those are good on-the-go options also. You’ll need to plan ahead, but it can be done!
I have been competing in women’s figure bodybuilding since June 2013. I followed a keto diet to drop my body fat down to 10% while working out and although I placed in top 5 three times in both of my competitions, the judges said I was too thin. So I am taking a year (or more if needed) to gain and build more muscle before I step on stage again. I have been off of Keto since middle of May this year. I am trying to follow a diet that has carbs in it but would the carb cycling work for me? If so which one?
I’d try the Fit Cycle since you are so active. Good luck! 🙂
Question: I’m doing turbo and am fairly new. Is there an amount of carbs on low and high days we are looking to stay under? Say, 50 total carbs for the entire day on LC and 100 carbs a day on HC days? I’m a bit confused. And I guess I kinda need a number to go by for the daily intake of carbs.
In carb cycling, we don’t count grams, we count portion sizes. There’s an awesome graphic (as well as some other great info) in this post that will show you how to put together every carb cycling meal: https://heidipowell.net/4514/carb-confusion/.
I have to take my thyroid pill when I wake up in the morning, at 4:30 am and wait an hour before I can eat. I do not eat my first meal until 6 am when I arrive at work, does that hurt my chances of succeeding?
Not at all. You need to make your medications your first priority, so just adjust your breakfast time around your medication requirements. Happy carb cycling!
Thank you for the reply!!!! One last question then I’m off to “Carb Cycling land”. I absolutely love Jillian Michaels would it be ok to do her workout DVD’s while on the carb cycling program in place of the exercises in the book?
I have a question, Shakeology has carbs in it, but would it be allowed for the 2nd meal of the day on a low carb day? It has about 6 grams of sugar and 14 grams of carbohydrates. But because it is full of vitamins and nutrients is this something that would benefit me or be better off leaving to the high carb days?
It would be best for high carb meals. 🙂
Hi I’m Kim and I just purchased the book Choose More for Life. I’m excited to start but I had a few questions. I am a mom of three and I get up (roughly) 5:30am…….it seems my last meal of the day is going to be really early….how can I do this? Also my commute home is about an hour so I’d be going over the every 3 hours in the evenings? I really want this program to work desperately and I don’t want to mess up….I’m only 5’1 and I weigh 180lbs which is way too much for my frame…..Please help me start off strong! 🙂
Hi Kim: Here’s a post that might help: https://heidipowell.net/2960/ask-heidi-anything-what-if-i-cant-or-dont-eat-every-three-hours/. And just do the best you can with your crazy schedule and you’ll be fine. If you eat your first meal at 6, then you’d eat at 9, 12, 3, and 6. But again, just do the best you can. Happy carb cycling – you can do this!
I have purchased the book but is there anywhere that you outline a sample day? It’s one thing to say which are high and which days are low but I would love a visual idea of what that looks like in the form of actual food and not simply in the form of portions of each component. Is that possible?
Here you go:
Here are some meal ideas for low and high carb days (all recipes are from Chris and Heidi’s books: “Choose to Lose” and “Choose More, Lose More for Life.”).
Low carb day:
Breakfast (within 30 minutes of waking): Basic Omelet with a corn tortilla to make it a wrap.
Snack (3 hours later): A protein shake with a portion of a healthy fat, like peanut butter, mixed in.
Lunch (3 hours later): Tomato Basil and Garlic Chicken with a portion of olive oil drizzled on top.
Snack (3 hours later): Sonora Cottage Cheese with a portion of avocado.
Dinner: (3 hours later): Lemon Chicken drizzled with salad dressing.
High carb day:
Breakfast (within 30 minutes of waking): Denver Omelet with a portion of your favorite fruit or oatmeal on the side.
Snack (3 hours later): Greek Yogurt Parfait with a portion of low fat granola.
Lunch: (3 hours later): Caribbean Jerk Chicken with a portion of brown rice.
Snack (3 hours later): Protein shake with a portion of oatmeal mixed in.
Dinner (3 hours later): Apple Cider Chicken.
And remember, you can have veggies (the non-root/non-starchy type) with every single meal, and you can use any of the foods on Chris and Heidi’s approved foods list – in the proper proportions – to create meals to fit your needs. Happy carb cycling!
Thank you so much that helps!
I’m on Day2 of the Turbo Cycle and haven’t found this answer yet. Since I’m doing 4 low carb days a week this way, will I do 4 of the Shaper exercise days as well?
Thanks for your help
The complete exercise program – what you’ll do every day (9-Minute Missions and Shredders) – is outlined in the book. It’s as easy as that! Happy Turbo Cycling!
Question, looking at your program. Signed up for the app, but I have a question. Just found out husband’s comapny is closing down, meaning we really need to tighten our belts right now, so although I would love though I would love the vemma stuff right now, probably needs to wait. What can we use as a replacement for that? can we just do regular protein shakes or what? Thx.
You can carb cycle without using the Vemma products. Check out Chris and Heidi’s complete carb cycling program in their book, “Choose More, Lose More for Life.” It will teach you everything you need to know and do to achieve your transformation journey! And here’s some great info on protein powders: https://heidipowell.net/6274/protein-powder-its-not-just-for-shakes-anymore/. Happy carb cycling!