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
I LOVE carb cycling. It has changed my life. Couple of questions…
I get bored sometimes for my last meal of the day and don’t want meat for protein. Ideas? Can I have skim milk (cows milk) on Kashi high protein cereal?
Also, I found this awesome recipe (not sure how it tastes yet. Haha) Want to try it as part of my breakfast. Where do you think it would fit in? As a carb and fat? Can I have this?
http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2013/02/the-life-changing-loaf-of-bread/
Started this today. Cannot find the answer to my question. Hopefully you can help. Can I munch on veggies between the 3 hours if if I find myself hungry?
You shouldn’t eat between meals if at all possible. Most people find that they are still full almost up to the time that they are ready to start their next meal. If you do find you need to cheat, you should double check your portions and make sure that you are getting enough at each meal. If you need to have something in between, vegetables are your best bet.
Is it a problem or unhealthy if I skip breakfast and lunch and replace it with the shake? I have a regular meal for dinner but I am usually busy or too lazy to make food. I fell in love with the shake just because I don’t feel hungry.
Is it necessary for me to have snacks and eat in between?
You should eat every three hours. If you are carb cycling, the Bod-e shake is for high carb meals.
I just finished reading Choose to Lose and I am very excited to get started. As I make out my meal plan for my first week I ran across a problem. I work 7pm to 7am. The day before my shift, I sleep some and sometimes not at all due to school. So my question is when should my days end and start?
So I’m usually up all day and night Fridays, then go to bed Saturday at 8:30am, then I wake up to got to work around 5pm. Sunday mornings I get off and sleep until 12pm. The rest of the week I have a normal sleep/wake schedule.
Thank you so much!!
Start your 1st meal after your official “wakeup”, whenever that is. Good luck!
confused. I just got started, so on high carb days, I can have wheat bread? but is dressing and mayo considered flavoring? What if I use olive oil as a dressing?
Dressing and mayonnaise are considered fats. Enjoy them on low carb days. Wheat bread can be enjoyed at a high carb meal as your carb. Olive oil is a fat. If you are using a spritz of it for cooking (to cook meat in) you can count it as a flavoring but otherwise it would be a fat.
Heidi:
My husband and I are very active but started the carb cycling diet just to feel better. I also have been struggling with a little but of weight gain from birth control. Do you have any suggestions for balancing hormones in conjunction with the diet? I’m desperate to see some change 🙁
Heidi,
I did my first day of carb cycling. I also started my Veema Bod-e. I felt a little nautilus today and not great. Do you think its just the change?
Could definitely be your body detoxing. Drink LOTS of water. It helps! 🙂 Congrats on starting your journey!
What is a day or two of eating like for you Heidi? What is on your sample menus?
Hello Heidi I’ve been following you and your husband since season 1 and I totally get everything that you guys are doing. I bought the book and DVD and I just can’t seem to make anything stick why??? :'( I’m so depressed please help me please!
Create a very doable promise. Do it each day. Babysteps!
Can you share tips on how to make good use of my time at the gym? I never know what to do or how long to stay. I need help on coming up with a routine. I love the Extreme Weight Loss show and I’m always watching to see what you have your contestants doing in the gym. Advice from anyone is welcome.
Thanks! : )