On Extreme Weight Loss and in our books “Choose to Lose: The 7 Day Carb Cycle Solution” and “Choose More, Lose More for Life,” Chris and I teach people how to lose weight and get healthy using a program called carb cycling. When you carb cycle, you eat 5 smaller meals a day, 1 every 3 hours starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
Eating this often is new to many people, especially those that skip breakfast and suddenly realize halfway through the day, that they’ve also missed lunch. Irregular eating can derail your fitness goals.
Preparation is key to eating every three hours. While we all know the best laid plans can go awry with an emergency, you get stuck in traffic, a meeting goes longer than planned, etc., so many people ask Chris and I what happens if I accidentally skip a meal or am unable to eat my meal on time. What do you do?
Find out the answers by watching this week’s Ask Heidi Anything.
264 Responses
Thank you so much for all of the information!! i just bought both books and am looking forward to starting my carb cycling on Monday!! I do have a question though. I couldn’t find anything about pumpkin in the food lists. I like to add it to smoothies and oatmeal sometimes. Where does it fit in and how much can I have. I typically add a tablespoon or two of the canned pure pumpkin. Thanks!!
Hi Robyn: Pumpkin is counted as a veggie in carb cycling, so it can be the veggie part of any meal, and it follows the regular veggie recommendations – up to a two fist full-size portion at each meal. If you only use a tablespoon or two, you can make up the rest of your veggie serving with other veggies. Good luck!
Hi! I started my diet two weeks ago: in the first week I lose 2 kg, while in this second week nothing… Why? What can I do? 🙁
Hi Nadja: It’s pretty common to lose more weight the first week and then for weight loss to slow down as your body adjusts to a new way of doing things. Keep following your chosen carb cycle exactly (nutrition, exercise, slingshot week, reward days/meals, and water consumption), and that weekly weight loss rate should improve. And remember, you can change cycles at any time.
Hi,
I was wondering which meal you would use as breakfast if you work a 3rd/Night shift.
Thanks,
Liz
Hi Liz: Working different shifts can be a bit tricky! Your breakfast would be the meal you’d eat after waking up, and you’ll try and eat it within 30 minutes of waking. Then you’d eat every 3 hours from there for a total of 5 meals a day. Hope that helps!
I’m confused about eating within 30 mins of waking – which Chris’s first book says to do, but he also recommends in the same book to workout before eating in the morning. But if you do the 10 minutes of shapers, plus 30 (and eventually up to 60) mins of Shredders, then that’s at least 40-60 minutes before eating anything in the morning. Which order are we supposed to follow — eat first? Or exercise first? Thanks
Hi Laura: Here’s another post that talks about eating and working out: https://heidipowell.net/9194/qa-with-the-powells-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/. And the key is to do what works best for you!
Ant ideas for a great protein powder to use instead of whey?
I’m allergic to whey and I haven’t found a soy product that I like.
Since Chris and Heidi recommend whey based powders, I don’t really have any non-whey based powders to recommend. You’ll just want to make sure that your powder has between 15-20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs per serving.
Hello! I am a health coach and personal trainer myself. I sleep, eat and exercise well. However, I’m always tired. I’ve had my blood work done and everything looks normal. Any suggestions? What vitamins do you take? I don’t want to be addicted to caffeine. Thanks!
Hi Kristin: So sorry you’re having these issues. Chris and Heidi recommend that you discuss any dietary supplements with your healthcare team first, and then follow their recommendations. And I’m so sorry, but I’d have to refer you back to your healthcare team for your tiredness – I hope you can find some answers soon! We wish you the best.
Hi..I just started the turbo cycle. Is a 2 scoop protein, 12 cup almond milk, 1/2 banana and 1 and 1/2 cups raw spinach a good breakfast or is that too much carbs?
Chris and Heidi usually recommend only using 1 scoop of protein powder, depending on the powder you’re using. Since your banana is the only true carb (the spinach counts as a veggie), this shake should be awesome!
I’m a little confused about how many calories to eat. I’ve lost 65 pounds in the past year and a half by cutting out all carbohydrates, but now my body’s metabolism is shot and I gained back another 15-20 and feel like despite all of my amazing efforts for fitness (I do insanity or work out for at least an hour everyday) and diet that I have not “cheated on” since beginning my weight loss journey, it is still impossible for me to lose weight.
This is my all time favorite show and I love the Powell Pack! I came across carb-cycling and trusted the engineers behind the lifestyle and I think this can fix my problem. I do have a few questions, however if anyone will be willing to help me before I start.
1. How many calories should I eat everyday and how do I up my portions if I need to eat more. The book did not specify how many I should eat and how to increase the amount if needed. I am 23 years old, 167lbs and 5 foot 7 (and female).
2. If you get protein bars such as quest or atkins, do they count as carbs, proteins or both?
3. I’m a little nervous about cheat day, as I haven’t had any bad foods in a very long time, and I don’t want to gain a bunch of weight in one day.
4. If you were previously on Atkins or a low carb diet and stopped losing weight, can you lose weight carb-cycling? (Is this the right diet for me?)
THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading this! I’m just lost and tired of being stuck and would love some advice.
-Helena
Hi Helena: Here are the answers to your questions: 1. Women eat 1200 calories on low carb days and 1500 calories on high carb days. You can find this info on pages 58, 72, and 73 in “Choose More, Lose More for Life.” These calorie recommendations are good no matter how many pounds you want to lose. 2. Here’s some info on protein bars: For low carb meals, Chris and Heidi prefer Quest and Kind + Protein bars. They have some carbs on the label, but since most of these carbs are dietary fiber, they are actually what we call “non-impact carbs,” and these carbs don’t count. They also have a good amount of protein and fat?-perfect for low carb meals! For high carb meals, they recommend Think Thin and Cliff Builder, even though they do have some fat content. The key to knowing which bar is best for which type of meal is to look at both the carb and fat content. If more calories come from fat than carbs, then that bar is a good option for a low carb meal. If the reverse is true, then that bar is a good option for a high carb meal. Chris and Heidi do recommend consuming only one protein bar a day, since it is best to eat whole foods whenever possible. 3. On your cheat/reward day, you simply eat up to 1000 extra calories of any foods, and you don’t have to eat “cheat” type foods – these extra calories can be from healthy foods. 4. You should be able to lose weight carb cycling if you follow the program exactly. It has been proven to work over and over again. One other thing, be sure to do the slingshot week (all high carb days) every 4 weeks. Happy carb cycling!
I’m on day 3 of the shakes and I do the vemma shots but I have not received the bode burn. So how can I eat what the personal trainer app recommends if I don’t have the bode burn to go along with it? Please help need to know what to do
You can eat a portion of a protein to replace the Bode Burn. 🙂
He’d, Like you I’ve been through an eating disorder. I’ve recently got ur hubby’s new book which is amazing.what I lack most is motivation.I’ve watched quite a few of the save my life in a year n I can relate to alot if them.in sense if wen chris isn’t directly there with them they lack motivation. How can I over come this?
Are you planning on taking any trips to the UK? Would love to meet u one day.
Here’s how you can overcome this, and this is a tool Chris and Heidi use with every single person they work with: Make and keep a small, simple promise to yourself every day. It works! Learn about the process here: https://heidipowell.net/8679/it-really-is-all-about-promises-2/. Give it a try – you can do this!