Confused about carbs and how they fit into carb cycling? Believe me, you’re not alone! Many of my most frequently asked questions are about carbs. And yes, with all the talk of “carbs this” and “carbs that” in the media, it can get a bit confusing. It gets even more complicated when you think you need to keep track of grams of carbs per meal and per day and the “good” vs. the “bad.”
It’s time to rethink how you think about carbs, agreed?!
First, the basics: Carbs—and the roles they play in your diet—are actually pretty simple. If it comes from a plant, it’s a carb, and carbs are the preferred fuel source for your muscles and organs. Breads, beans, potatoes, table sugar, fruits, and vegetables are all carbs.
There are two categories of carbs: simple and complex. The simple, not-so-healthy ones are found in foods such as cakes, cookies, some commercially made breads, and many processed foods. Fruits are also considered simple carbs because of the type of sugar they contain, but they’re a healthy choice because they’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, antioxidants, and some fiber. Your body breaks down simple, not-so-healthy carbs very quickly, which spikes your blood sugar levels and stimulates the release of insulin, resulting in a craving for more simple carbs. And that is soooo not good!
Complex, healthy carbs—like those found in legumes, root vegetables, whole-grains, cereals, breads, and pastas—are typically high in fiber, which slows food digestion and the release of sugars. This keeps your blood sugar and energy levels steady (and longer lasting), so your calorie-burning furnace stays hot and burns more calories! And that is awesome!
So how do carbs fit into our carb cycling program? It’s actually pretty simple. No matter what carb cycle you choose, every breakfast of every day will contain a carb. Every breakfast, every day. Your carb can be a grain, a legume, a starchy or root veggie, or a fruit.
In the Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit Cycles, on low-carb days, your remaining four meals (spaced every three hours) consist of a portion each of protein, fat, and veggies (think fibrous green veggies, not the starchy, root kind), and on high-carb days, your remaining four meals (spaced every three hours) are made up of a portion each of protein and complex carbs (grains, legumes, starchy or root veggies, or fruits). To learn more about the new Extreme Cycle, go here. And no matter which cycle you choose, if you’re ever still hungry, you can always throw in a portion of veggies (again, the fibrous greens). Remember: With carb cycling, you can have non-root/non-starchy veggies with every single meal (starchy, root veggies, like potatoes, will fall into the carb category)! Pretty simple, right?
Here’s what it looks like, including some handy portion size helps, for the Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit Cycles:
Here’s the most important take-away about carbs: With carbs and carb cycling, it’s not about a magic number of grams of carbs to eat every day. It’s about that carb for breakfast every morning and spreading your carb intake throughout your high-carb days so your body gets the greatest benefits from those healthy carbs you eat. Carbs are amazing, and they can be an important key to achieving your transformation goals. 🙂
693 Responses
hi, sorry I have so many questions, one last thing for today, this is my first day of doing the classic cycle, and I’m feeling abit tired, low energy, I know it’s just withdrawl, but should I push thru and do cardio today, or give it a few days so my body can adjust?? thanks
hi team Powell, is it okay to split proteins, for example, in the morning, can I have half a serving of turkey, and half a serving of egg beaters, and the same for carbs and fats?? thanks
Hi Tina: You can put your meals together however you’d like to as long as you’re following the portion size guides, so yes, you can have 1/2 of one protein and 1/2 of another, as long as the total equals one portion. The same goes for carbs and fats too. 🙂
My apologies i posted this question in a blog and can’t find where I wrote it. Anyways after reading the book I’m still slightly confused. Away from your lists you made, how can I determine or calculate if something is a high carb or low carb?
How do I use the nutrition facts to determine what category it belongs to fat , carbs, protein..etc
Hi Guys!
I will be starting carb cycling today! I am determined but have some questions 🙂
First off.. If I workout first thing in the morning should I eat my breakfast? Usually I fast until after I workout.
How do I incorporate my shakes? Can I have them for snack and then include a portion of fat to that meal? Or can I have just the protein shake?
Im sure I will have a lot of questions but these are the most pressing ones right now. Thank you in advance for your help! 🙂
Hi Andrea: Here’s a post that can help you figure out the eating and working out thing: https://heidipowell.net/9194/qa-with-the-powells-to-eat-or-not-to-eat/. For your protein shakes, if it has between 15-20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs per serving it can be the protein portion of any meal. Good luck!
how much egg beaters can we have on the classic cycle???
Hi Tina: It should say on the label, but usually 1/4 cup equals 1 egg. Remember: Egg whites are considered proteins (4 egg whites = 1 protein portion) and yolks are considered fats (2 yolks = 1 fat portion). Hope that helps!
Hello! Im 22 years old, in pretty good shape, a dedicated ashtanga practitioner, but I cant seem to lost that extra 7-10 pounds that is over my sculpted muscles! Every part of me thats thinner (chest, shoulders, abdominals) has distinct visible muscle tone. The parts not so thin, hips thighs arms, are very strong but have a layer of fat over the muscle. I just know there is beautiful muscle under there!!! I am considering starting the turbo cycling. Will it help me lose that stubborn fat???
Thanks!
Hannah
I am also very knowledgeable about nutrition!
Yes, the turbo cycle could work for you! Follow the portion size guidelines in this post, and since you don’t have much weight to lose, you might also want to count calories since you don’t have that much wiggle room in your daily calorie amount. You can totally do this!
I’m 2 months post pregnancy and I want to get back on track with my weight loss. I’m interested in what tests you preform to determine the best weight loss track. I know my BMI and Fat, I want to go deeper in knowing my body comp.
Also I workout throughout the week (both cardio and weights) but I’m curious to know if there was one exercise that is the best what would it be?
Hi Abbey: Congratulations on your new baby – that’s so exciting! As far as what body comp-related testing you should have, I’d chat with your healthcare team and see what they recommend. And there are so many different forms of cardio, and it’s great to include a variety in your workout routine so that you’re working different muscles in different ways. It also helps alleviate workout boredom too. And one of the most important things is to do activities that you like so that you’ll continue to work out. As long as you’re getting your heart rate up, it’s a great form of cardio.
I have a question about “movement” (BM)
sorry!
I think I may not be getting enough fiber, any suggestions?
thanks
Hi Karen: You’ll find fiber in whole grains, legumes, fruits (especially berries), and veggies – any carbs really. Be sure your whole grain products and cereals contain as much fiber as possible, and look for strings, stalks, and seeds (not nuts – seeds like in kiwi, for example) in other carbs because these are definitely fiber-related. And make sure you’re drinking all your water too (1/2 your body weight in ounces every day. 150 lbs = 75 ounces, for example). Hope that helps!
hi to you .. my name is Erica i lost a good amount on paleo it had begun my journey with good eating and hard core workouts , i have plateaued and thinking of trying your carb cycling even though this and these foods will be non paleo… should i buy your books to help me come up with foods for the day whether its high or low carb day?
Thanks
Hi Erica: There is an awesome list of foods and a lot of recipes in “Choose More, Lose More for Life,” so that book can be a very helpful tool as you begin your transformation journey.
I’ve read the whole book & a few of these websites & just when I think I’ve got it, I get confused again. Forgive me if you’ve answered this a hundred times, but I need help with protein shakes!
The vegan powder my husband uses has 15 grams of carbs per serving, so I need to find a different one that I can use every day.
The info about Powel Perfect Protein shakes days they have protein, fat & carbs, so I can’t use this every day, right?
What’s the best protein powder that I can use every single day, adding either carbs or fats, depending on which day I’m on?
Hi Deanne: For protein powders in general, Chris and Heidi recommend whey-based powders with between 15-20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs per serving. This serves as the protein-only portion of any meal. And please feel free to ask any other questions – I’m here to help!
Hi Heidi!!
Thanks for all this info and help! a couple quick questions!
1. Are quest bars okay to have on lo-carb days as a snack w/ some veggies??
2. On hi-carb days, you say no fat… is it okay to have low fat and just stay away from hi fat foods such as nuts, avocado, nut butter? Would low-fat quest bars be okay in the hi-carb days?? How do you stay away from fats on hi carb days??
Ginamarie 🙂
Hi Ginamarie: Let’s get you some answers! 1. Yes, Quest bars are good options for low carb days, and they do count as both the protein and fat portions of those meals, so you’re right – you’ll just need to add veggies. 2. On high carb days, you won’t eat any fat whatsoever except for the flavorings (low fat/reduced fat dressings, for example). And you won’t want to eat Quest bars for high carb meals because of the 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. And to stay away from fats, on high carb days, you’ll only be eating proteins, carbs, and veggies. Hope that helps!