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
Just curious how this plan works for someone that has had bariatric surgery? Not sure what I would need to adjust? Help!
Hi Tracy: We do have people who have had bariatric surgery follow our carb cycling plans, we just recommend they discuss the plan with their healthcare team first and then follow any modifications they may recommend. 🙂
I am 5’3″ and weigh 144#. I would like to get down to 130-135#. I go to CrossFit 3 days a week and walk approximately 4 miles a week. I want to start running 3 days a week to start 10k training. I have lost about 10-15# on a 1200 calorie diet a day but am at a stand still. What would be the best carb cycling for me? How many carbs should I eat on a low carb day and how many on a high carb day?
Hi Connie: You could try the Extreme or the Fit Cycles, and there are links to our carb cycles in this post: https://heidipowell.net/2713. As far as your ideal macro range, that can be very personal based on your biometrics and your goals, and there’s a macros calculator in this post: https://heidipowell.net/10990/ While that calculator doesn’t adjust for low and high carb days, we do offer a customized macros program as well as several workout programs in our app + over 500 recipes, and that could be a great option too! http://thetransformapp.com I hope that helps! 🙂
I have some sort of exercise (rowing (with weights mixed in workout) and running (training for a marathon) every day of the week except Sunday. I would like to loose some weight. Which Carb cycle program would be most beneficial? I do not necessarily need gym guidance as my low impact weights at the row studio cover full body (legs, arm, core and back). I need to make sure I am fueling enough for all my exercise whilst allowing for body fat reduction.
Hi LT: I’d do the Extreme Cycle: https://heidipowell.net/10503. You might also be interested in our app – The Transform App, which offers you a totally customized carb cycling-based nutrition program based on you and your goals. It’s awesome! http://thetransformapp.com 🙂
Are the results from the MACRO calculator above what i aim for on my high carb day? How much do I alter my results on a low carb day. (It said i should be eating 1900 cals/day, 180 grams/carbs, 154 gr/protein, 64 gr/fat)…I work out a LOT ~ HIIT training 5-6/days a week (60-90min sessions) but am not loosing the weight (i’d like to tone up and loose the layer of fat covering up my muscles).
Hi Chas: The results from the macro calculator are for a “normal” day, no low or high carb. If you’d like to carb cycle, there’s a “Create Your Own Meals” chart in this post that can help: https://heidipowell.net/10617. 🙂
What is the difference in the reward day on turbo cycle and the reset day on Extreme cycle? I’ve been on the turbo cycle for quite some time and lost a lot of fat but moderately lost weight. My clothes are loose. I thought I would try the extreme cycle for a while as I hit a plateau on the turbo cycle.
Hi Julie: Reward Days and Reset Days are the same thing – we use different terms based on which program it is. And congratulations on those baggy clothes – that’s an awesome sign of progress! And go for the Extreme Cycle – you got this! 🙂
I have looking into the keto diet because I have PCOS and I’m hight sensitive to carbs. I am insulin resistant. My sugars jump sometimes and they can also drop at times. I came across a article about modified keto diet with carb cycling. Your name popped up. I just want to get healthy. Something to stabilize my sugars to loose weight and feel better. I am about 50pounds overweight. PCOS brings a lot of other heath issues with it. Thanks PS I watched Chris show when it was on all the time. Thanks!!
Hi, I signed up for Weight Loss and Turbo cycle. However, the app isn’t showing me the high/low carb pattern I saw on Heidi’s website. My understanding is that starting on Monday the days should be low, low, high, low, low, high and reward.
Did I setup something wrong in the app? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Kathy: Welcome to Transform! You can be confident that the app is assigning you the correct cycle to help you achieve your goals! The cycles in the app can be a bit different since they’re customized to you and your goals. We hope you love the app!
Is it ok that your workout days happen to be on low carb days or should you rearrange the days so that you workout on your high carb days?
Hi Alvienia: The program is set up to be able to work out on both high carb and low carb days, so you should be good to go!
Hi! On the slighshot week, with every meal being high carb, does that include the last meal of the day? I only ask because the app shows that every meal is low carb but I don?t see the slingshot week in the planner. Thanks!
Hi Sunshine: Yes, but just for the slingshot week. 🙂
Love you guys! But would love to know which carb cycle to follow for my goals. I’m currently 183, 5’6″ female. I don’t have a “goal number,” in mind because I’m focused on losing fat. I’m thinking the turbo cycle? Also wondering what constitutes low carb vs high carb on 1200-1300 calories per day? Thanks!
Hi Sarah: If you’d like to follow the Turbo Cycle, there’s a great chart in this post to help you put your meals together: https://heidipowell.net/4514. And you’ll aim for 1200 calories on low carb days and 1500 calories on high carb days. If you’d like to follow the Extreme Cycle, our newest cycle, you can learn more about it here: https://heidipowell.net/10503. And here’s a post with some great meal planning tips and tools for this cycle: https://heidipowell.net/10617. You can do this! 🙂