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
Where does unsweetened vanilla almond milk go in food groups?
Hi Laetitia: On the Turbo Cycle, up to 2 1/2 cups is considered a beverage, and more than that is considered a fat. 🙂
Hi. I hear amazing things about cycling and want to try but have a question. I occasionally go out after work with coworkers and we will have wine or margaritas. Is this allowed?
Hi Laeitia: Any alcoholic beverages are considered “reward” foods, so you’d only drink them with a reward meal or on a reward day, depending on which cycle you’re following.
what if youre a vegetarian? Is there a good meal plan for the week in this book?
Hi Ivy: There are some vegatarian options, and you can always substitute vegetarian options for many of the meat-based options in the recipes. And you can also put your own meals together – check out the chart in this post: https://heidipowell.net/4514. 🙂
Hello – I bought the book Choose to Loose and have been following the turbo cycle. I am getting into my groove in week 2… I realize you promote portion sizing with general guidelines to stay around 1200 calories for LC days and 1500 for HC days for women. Being a numbers person, I am pretty tied to the numbers and also the macros to try to maximize my results. My question is the 2 servings of vegetables with my meals… Are these truly “free” or should I layer them into my count? Although they are not much, they do add up and I have an extremely hard time getting to my 40P/20C/40F and 1200 calories on LC days when I layer in the veggies…
Thanks for the advice!
Laurie
Hi Laurie: It’s best to count everything you put in your mouth, but if your veggies are throwing your counts over a tiny bit, you should be fine. 🙂
Hi I don’t know if I’m writing in the right place but I was follow the carbs cycle but monday during a burpees session my hernia on my back shooted me!! Now I’m on the sofa! what kind of cycle do I have to follow whitout exercise?. Since Monday I’m doing low carbs day but I’m not sure I’m doing the right things
Hi Tommy: So sorry to hear about this! You can follow any of the cycles for the nutrition part while you’re healing, then re-introduce exercise as you can as directed by your healthcare team. We hope you recover quickly!
I attend 45 minute Row/Resistance Training classes (HIIT) 4 times a week at 5am….which eating plan should I follow for the maximum results the fastest? I am thinking TURBO….I usually fast before these 5am workouts, is this okay to eat my first meal after I workout at 6am….since that will have been 1.5 hrs after I have been awake?
Hi BriAnne: I’d go with the Turbo Cycle or the new Extreme Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/10503/carb-cycling-the-extreme-cycle/). And here’s a post that can help you figure out the working out and eating thing: https://heidipowell.net/9194/qa-with-the-powells-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/. Hope this helps!
Thank you so much! Very helpful!
Once you reach your ideal weight/body…what plan is good for maintenance?
Hi BriAnne: Learn more about maintenance in this post: https://heidipowell.net/5137/weight-loss-maintenance/. 🙂
This is a praise report and a big thank you to team Powell and support team! 12 weeks ago I decided to make a change in my eating habits and my lazy day to day habits as a stay at home mom. Gather all the turbo cycle information and what I needed to do to make that big change.
In just the last 11 weeks I’ve lost 28 lbs! Through having a few slip ups, being sick a week, and even hitting a weight loss plateau for 2 weeks, I’ve managed to stay on course. I’ve never been so proud of myself, this is something I never thought I could do!
Original weight 216, now and 188 and not stopping!
This is awesome! Congratulations!!!! ?
I’m super proud of you for doing so well! The best part of sticking with it and accomplishing your goals is the way you feel mentally I think. When you achieve….you become so much happier. I’m getting right there with you. We are on this journey at the same time. Continued blessings to your health journey. – Leah
Q: I have been doing turbo cycle for about 3-5 months and the results are amazing. However, since you dont mention it, I will ask. Is this the best cycle for losing overall body fat, or is the Extreme Cycle better? Tell me if Turbo Cycle is the optimal way to lose the stubborn fat on my body and will shed the extra pounds on my lower portion of stomach and obliques. I am doing this 3 weeks and then pause 1 week then continue again. The goal is 85kg (currently 100 down from 138). And I am doing intervals after training AND circuit training, so this is something I take very seriously. Please answer.
Best regards,
Danny
Hi Danny: Both the Turbo and Extreme Cycles are great for achieving your transformation goals, so if the Turbo Cycle is working for you, I’d stick with it! And you’re doing awesome!
Hi Team Powell,
I am starting the Turbo Cycle soon. My question is on the meal prep. I bought Chris’s book Choose More, Lose More. With that I got an attached PDF file with all the different acceptable foods broken out into 100 calorie portions. However, if i use the Hand Measurements vs. the Cooking Measurements, I will be over my daily calorie intake that i’m suppose to be on. Which one should I go off of, the hand portions or cooking measurements? Also, on the Turbo cycle, can i just stick to the 2 fist fulls of veggies on the 3rd (lunch) meal and 5th (dinner) meal?
Hi Taylor: Welcome to carb cycling! The 100 calorie portions are only for reference, and you’ll want to stick to the portion guide when putting your meals together. Follow those portion guides, and you should be good to go! For the veggies, it’s best to add them to all low-carb meals, and you can add them to high-carb meals also if you’re still hungry. Hope that helps!
Hi team Powell !
Had a few questions regarding the turbo cycle. On Sunday’s with reward day with extra 1000 calories should that be consider a higher carb day ? Also can you spread your 1000 extra calories though out the day as well? And. Should there be a certain amount of carbs I should stay in between too? Thanks
Hi Amy: On your reward day, you can eat anything you want up to an extra 1000 calories for a total of 2500 calories. There are no macro recommendations, and you can eat whenever you’d like to. Hope that helps!