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
Hello! I have a couple questions. Would PB2 powder count as a flavoring or fat? Are the est 2C of veggies (2 fistfuls) cooked weight or raw? I know most veggies shrink after their water cooks out, so I don?t want to be eating too many.
Hi Amanda: For vegetables, there really is very little difference between cooked and raw, so I wouldn’t worry about that. And for powdered peanut butter, 4.5 tablespoons count as a portion of fat. Hope that helps! 🙂
Do you know if there are any approved meal replacement shakes etc that would work well for this cycling plan? Protein powder is mentioned, but I was hoping for a brand. Maybe IsoPure?
Hi Allison: We don’t really recommend brands since what one person likes might be totally different than what you’d like. In general, aim for low-fat, low-carb powders with around 20 grams of protein per serving. This can equal the protein portion of any meal. 🙂
Hi Heidi and Chris,
I just started carb cycling on Monday of this week. I have always done low carb high protein to lose weight, so the idea of eating the good carbs is still new to me. I actually like it though. So far I have done really well with my eating. I also am a big Shaun T workout person. My go to workout right now is Insanity Max 30 I love it. I am doing the Turbo Cycle, and was wondering if on the reward day is that whole day okay to kinda slack off or just one meal of that day? I know not to go crazy. I do not have any of your books or anything as I can’t really afford it, so I just kinda researched on my own, and also I watch ya’lls show too. I have noticed I have more energy since eating steelcut oats in addition to my eggs in the morning, so I think I can do this. I got at least 30lbs. to get off, and would love for it to come off pretty quick. Do you think with what I have told you Iam on the right track so far?
Thanks so much!!
Hi Leslie: It sounds like you’re doing awesome! For your reward day on the Turbo Cycle, you can eat anything you’d like to that day up to an extra 1000 calories for a total of 2500 calories for the day. You can do this! 🙂
HI,
I’ve been reading your blog for a good long time now and am planning to start your Booty Building plan next week so I keep reading the different pages about the Carb Cycling because I need to get my diet on point too if I’m going to build up that booty! But I may have a stupid question . . . All the pages keep recommending 1200-1500 calories per day regardless of which carb cycle plan you do. But no where can I find the number carbs that should be consumed each day. How many carbs per day is considered a low-carb day and how many carbs per day is considered a high carb day? Is there somewhere on one of these Carb Cycling pages that it discusses the macro numbers and I just haven’t been seeing it?
Thank you so much!
Hi Marci: Here are the recommended macro percentages for all of the carb cycles: 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%. Extreme Cycle: Breakfast (EVERY day): Protein: 30%, Carb: 40%, Fat: 30%, High Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carb: 50%, Fat: 10%, Low Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carb: 10%, Fat: 50%. You can to this! 🙂
Wanted to leave my thanks here and let you guys know of my gratitude. Not too long ago I’ve asked here about whether it’s possible to loose “weight” (a volume of fat rather, to be more precise, as weight is just a relative number) when I happen to be movement-impaired (wheelie).
Even though I didn’t need to loose much and finding “cardio” opportunities was hard, I’ve opted for weight-lifting instead. And now, thanks to you, I’ve shed over ten pounds in roughly two months! I’m so happy … looking better, feeling better and even though “measly” ten pounds is nothing compared to what others managed to shed down, I just needed to “shape myself up” before things would happen to start heading too far.
What I would want to pass to people here, who, like me, struggle to find some efficient “cardio” excercise due to movement problems (can’t run or even walk) … lift weights. There’s no need to be afraid of becoming “bulky bodybuilder” and trust me, going for high-intensity serie WILL make you pant so hard only sprint can compare. Look for HIIT tips if you struggle like I did.
Good luck to all, I’m heading towards loosing my last few pounds, just cause I want to look even better, but it would be impossible to get this far without you!
Thank you, Heidi and Chris! <3
In reading this blog and several other pages on the different cycles. It shows the for Women that for Low Carb Days you should only eat around 1200calories and on High Carb around 1500Calories. Is this for everyone no matter how much weight they have to lose?
Just wondering for I have around 100lbs to lose to get to my goal weight and I currently workout 5 days a week burning between 250-500 calories depending on if it is lifting or cardio.
Can you please give advise. Thanks!
Hi Heather: Yes, those are the calorie recommendations for all women. You can do this! 🙂
Can you tell me is the extreme or the turbo better for weight loss?
Hi Kristina: I’d start with the Extreme Cycle. We wish you the best – you can do this! 🙂
Quick question. I just read this blog. The turbo cycle is what I’d like to try. If someone is doing this cycle and it’s 4 low carb days — does that mean that on those days I can’t lift weights? From what I understand low carb days are meant for rest days or cardio days only. Please let me know!! Thanks!!
Hi Sofie: On the Turbo Cycle, you’ll do two low carb days followed by a high carb day x two (days 1-6) plus your weekly reward day on day 7. And you can do whatever type of workouts you’d like to do on both low and high carb days. Some people do fine lifting on low carb days, but if you find that it doesn’t work for you, do cardio on those days and lifting on your high carb days. 🙂
Could You please tell me that how many grams of carb is one male fist size??
Hi Team Powell!!
I am a Crossfitter and I have tried numerous plans to try and cut weight and keep my strength (paleo, macros, etc.) without any real results so I am really excited to try the carb cycling. I am just not sure which cycle would be best for me. I crossfit 5-6 days a week. Any insight would be great!! Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Erin: You might want to try the Extreme Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/10503) or the Fit Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/2719). We wish you the best! 🙂
Thanks for So Much motivation. I think I could way better on my fat loss if I found it before. I just didn’t have anyone to do it the right way. Thank you team Powell.