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
I drink a protein powder after workouts 3 days a week. Would this be considered a morning snack and one of my meals? Thank you
Hi Amber: Here’s a post that can help you figure out the eating and working out thing: https://heidipowell.net/9194. 🙂
I have some questions for breakfast on Turbo.
Can I have a full fat yogurt since there would be protein, fat and carbs in it?
What about Cottage cheese? Would it be considered a protein and a fat?
Hi Amber: Every breakfast on the Turbo Cycle is a protein and a carb, so you’ll want to stay away from fats. And Chris and Heidi recommend loe fat/plain Greek yogurt since it has a lot of protein and very few carbs, unlike “regular” yogurt. For cottage cheese, low fat is a great protein option. There’s an extensive list of foods and which categories they fit into in the Appendix of “Choose More, Lose More for Life,” so if you have the book, that’s a great resource. 🙂
Hello Heidi (and Chris),
My name in Kelly, I have had a difficult time for about 10 years now to lose weight and keep it off. I have spent money at weight loss clinics just to come out losing the weight but putting it back on. I just went there again this past March and to date have only lost 10 pounds despite sticking to their “plan”. This past Monday I decided to start using the Turbo Cycle of this program. I’m truly hoping it works..I need results. I just wanted to write to say that and to say I cannot wait for EWL to start again…the show is so motivational and I miss it a lot.
I am a huge fan of you guys! I, of course, watch the show. But I work in a public library where your books pass by my desk regularly. I finally decided to give this plan a try. I’m hoping it works for me, I’ve been struggling for a solid year trying to get the weight off. I’m sure you’ve answered this question a million times, but I am a runner so will this plan work for me? I run on my lunch break and don’t have time to lift weights. As soon as I leave work, I get home to two small kiddos so my night is usually consumed when I unlock my front door. You know the feeling, ha! Thank you so much for the amazing blog and inspiration you give on a daily basis!
Hi Casey: Yes, this plan can totally work for you! 🙂
You don’t include fat with the breakfast like you do with the other plans?
Hi Jasmine: You only include a fat with breakfast on the Extreme Cycle. 🙂
Hi, I’m wondering how exactly you fit your exercise into this? Do you make sure you are working out on your reward day and high carb days? I have about 30 more pounds I’d like to lose and I would like to try carb cycling but I want to make sure I’m doing it right, I don’t want to do something wrong and hinder my weight loss and or start gaining back what Ive already lost.
Hi Ginny: On the Turbo Cycle, you’ll workout Monday-Friday with a 9-Minute Mission (strength training) and Shredder (cardio), and you can rest on Saturdays and Sundays (Reware Day). Hope that helps – you can do this!
I drink shakeology in the morning. I know it counts as a carb and a protein but only has 170 calories. All together you are suppose to have 250 of carbs and protein. Can I add a fruit to add the 80 calories? I can’t add additional protein. On low carb days I have Vega which is a very low carb protein shake but I am a big shakeology drinker.
Also I noticed that on low carb days woman are suppose to have 1200 calories all together but if you add up the calories per meal from the chart it equals 1350. Is that right?
Last but not least should we include calories from veggies and marinara sauce and deduct from somewhere else?
Hi Laetitia: I think the chart you’re referring to for your cals for breakfast is for the Extreme Cycle, and these recommendations are different than for the Turbo Cycle. Here are some percentages of macros for this cycle if you’d like to figure things out for yourself: Easy, Classic, Fit, and Turbo Cycles: High Carb Meal (including EVERY breakfast): Protein: 40%, Carbs: 40%, Fats: 20%, Low Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carbs: 20%, Fats: 40%. And if you’re tracking calories, you’ll want to count everything you put into your mouth. Two fist fulls of veggies for all low carb meals are included in the program, and are also okay for high carb meals if you’re still hungry. Hope that helps!
Dear Heidi,
My name is Ali. I started off as a HUGE fan of Chris in the beginning, and have quickly loved you just as much! I am a wife, and a mother to the most amazing 5 littles (some not so little anymore) there has ever been! I am 5’5″ currently weigh 323 lbs, and I have been battling the bulge for 18 years. For years I would fill out the application for EWL and I could never find the courage to send it in. I would make my video, see myself, and in pure disgust I would delete the video, shred the application and found comfort in more food. I never did find the courage to send one in.
About 6-ish years ago I bought Choose to Lose. I read it in one day and started my carb cyling journey with Chris. Although the book was an easy read and I referred to it often, I couldn’t get into the groove. I struggled to stay relaxed and not stressed about what I was eating and everything I put in my mouth. I then began the awful habit of weighing every.single.day!… Just kill me!!! ….This was (and still is) pure torture! I tried for about 45 days and I could never fully grasp how to cycle correctly (what to eat & how much mostly), and after some hurtful comments by others I do what I always do best, I gave up.
I recently bought Choose More, Lose More read it again in just under a day. Have read it several more times and have referred to it again and again, but I just can’t find the will to try again.
On Valentine’s Day this year my son, who was 6 at the time, was given the life changing diagnosis of Juvenile Onset Type 1 Diabetes. Since that fateful day we have been plugging along for the last 6 months trying to adjust to our new way of life. What I have quickly come to realize is we have no one to rely on with his new medical needs. Both of our families have stated multiple times that they want nothing to do with it. They don’t want to learn how to help him, and that made me realize, that now more than ever, I (and the hubby) need to be healthy so that we can be around for a long time. Not only for our son, but the other 4 as well. Although this should be my “will” I’m in such a deep hole I don’t know how to dig myself out anymore.
I have been thinking for a few months that this is it I am going to apply for EWL and I don’t care what I look like I’m just going to do it, because I KNOW that I need help! I honestly don’t think I can do this on my own and I really don’t want to die at only 35! I want to LIVE my life with my family! It was devastating to learn that there will not be an EWL season 6…and so it goes that I will not be turning in my video or my application, I shouldn’t have waited! I sure was hoping you both could help a sister (and brother) out!
Thanks for these posts, it helps me try and put it all together. Hopefully someday I can write to y’all how I have overcome this beast!
I just bought your book Extreme Transformation, should be here tomorrow! I was just curious as to which plan you think would be better for me. I Crossfit 4-5x per week. I do want to lose at least 15 pounds as quickly as possible as I have an anniversary trip with my husband coming up in November and I can’t seem to get these last few pounds off. Would The Turbo Cycle or The Fit Cycle be better for me? I want to lose fat but I don’t want to lose the muscle that I have built!
Hi Heather: I’d start with the Extreme Cycle. Exercise is built into each day Monday-Saturday, so you should be good to go!
Hello Team Powell,
I am interested in doing the Turbo plan to lose these last, very stubborn 10 pounds. I work out heavily with weights every time I to the gym, which is 4-5x per week. The Turbo plan consists of 2 low carb days to 1 high carb day. Do you think I will still lose fat, while increasing muscle mass on this plan?
Hi Iddette: It’s very possible! Or you might want to try the Extreme Cycle, which has 4 high carb days in a row: https://heidipowell.net/10503.