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
Hello! I’m on my week 1 of Classic CC, however I’m a little confused regarding HC day with no fat.
For example, if i were to make an egg white omelet with spinach, i’ll have to use a bit of oil in order to cook it. However olive oil is counted as fat right?
How do we cook a dish ( protein + carb + veg ) without oil?
Also, can I drink dymatize elite 100 whey protein mocha during LC day? It contains 1 grams of carb. I wanna load up on my protein intake in case I’m not eating enough protein per meal.
This is fine for HC day right?
As far as protein drinks/powders in general, Chris and Heidi recommend whey-based products with between 15-20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs per serving. As long as your protein supplement falls within those guidelines, you’re good to go!
Hi Fion: You might try using nonfat cooking spray or an oil spritzer, which will add almost no fat to your foods.
i see. then can i check with you,
how many almonds = 1 fat portion?
also, is salmon counted as fat or protein? since salmon contains healthy fats
Hi Heidi 🙂
I’d just like to start by saying that this plan has been the single biggest breakthrough on my (long and previously largely unsuccessful) weight loss journey – I’m slightly evangelical about it and tell everyone I meet that it REALLY works! I had been on a plateau a long time and now am consistently (and easily) shedding weight. Thank you!!! I’m also really looking forward the new book (I’m based in the UK and it isn’t out here yet)….
My question is about fat on the high carb days (I’m on turbo). I use myfitness pal to log everything and am still unsure what percentage my total fat consumption should be on those days. I try to keep it as low as possible without being obsessive about it – but would love some help on the macros so that I know whether I’m generally on track. So on low carb days I have 10% carb, 35% fat and 55% protein… high carb is 50% carb, 10% fat and 40% protein… does that sound right to you? Is 10% fat ok on those high carb days?
Also, is there a better online tool I can use?
Thanks!
Lucie xx
Hi Lucie: I really don’t have recommended percentages to give you since we go by calories and portion sizes, but some fat will naturally be in the foods you eat no matter if you’re on a high- or low- carb day. I think your percentages look great, and as long as you’re following the portion size guides, you should be good to go! 🙂
I need some clarification for low carb meals…if I have a salad with chicken and use a greek yogurt type dressing which only contains 2.5g of fat per serving can I still add some avocado to my salad for fats or does the dressing use my fat amount? if I can have avocado how much can I use of it?
Great questions! You can count 30-50 calories of your dressing as a flavoring, then use the avocado as your fat. Try for a thumb-sized serving or about 1/3 cup (about 70-100 calories). Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Heidi, can you just explain the rules regarding flavorings. Is there a daily limit to the amount I use? I am mostly concerned about the higher calorie/higher fat items such as the vinaigrettes and hummus. Thanks!
Hi Heather: You can use flavorings when you’d like to, just make sure to count those calories and don’t go overboard. 🙂
Hello,
I was wondering about a high carb day snack. I wanted to do 1/2 cup 2% fage greek yogurt which is the protein but I was curious about the carb component. I wanted to do granola but I also wanted to do fruit. Would I be able to do 1/4 cup granola and 1/2 an apple instead of 1/2 cup granola or 1 whole apple? Thanks
Hi Michele: As long as your carbs equal one portion, you’re good to go! 🙂
I’m trying to figure out the right foods for each of my snacks, and there are times in the morning for my second meal, when I’m simply not that hungry, but I know I need to eat. So I was thinking of having greek yogurt or cottage cheese, and then add fruit and veggies for high carb day and a fat and veggies for my low carb days. But which brands of greek yogurt and cottage cheese are great ones to eat?!
Hi Jenni: This is a perfect idea! As for Greek yogurts and cottage cheese, you’ll want to choose reduced fat/low-fat or non-fat kinds. Besides that, you can choose whichever ones you like the best. 🙂
Hi,
Just wondering about flavored yogurts…If they are nonfat can we count them as a protein if they are greek yogurts? Thanks
Yes! 🙂
Hi,
Thank you for your quick response! I did notice the nonfat yogurts had more carbs and sugars when fruit are added or just vanilla. Are they still acceptable? Thanks again!
Yes, just keep an eye on those sugars. 🙂
thanks for your anwser! about portions?.i am using a calory counting app as well as the indications from chis?s book just to be sure im not exceding the calories, but like the amountts in the examples of recipes dont really seem to be the same as the ?hand portion? ones?.so just to be sure im not mistaking can you give me some advice on portions ( and this i ask because im on week 3 right now and have not lost much at all)? for example if it says 4ounces of egg whites, that is more than the palm of a hand when done like an omlet for example, or 200g of cottage cheese as wel?what should i stick to, his measurements in ounces, calories and grams of protein/carbs or hand portions? thank you so much!
The portion sizes should be pretty close, but you can count calories if you like to also. 🙂
I started the Turbo Cycle 4 weeks ago, today is my second day of Sling shot week..and I’m so full!! I’ve had a hard time grasping and fully understanding the thought process that I’m now eating 5 meals a day, not 3 meals and 2 snacks. There are days where I find myself hungry and anxiously watching the clock for when I can eat next, and others where I”m simply not that hungry in between meals. I’ve read, but wanted to verify because I’m so cautious and want to do this the correct way; protein bar wise, Quest bars are best for low carb days and Clif Builder bars for high carb days? I feel that maybe having the bar in the afternoon as meal #4 would be better for me since I’m typically still pretty full from lunch. Yay or nay? Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Jenni: For low-carb meals, Chris and Heidi prefer bars like 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 bars like 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. Hope that helps!
Hi! I have a question about protein bars….if i want to choose to eat them as snack both on HC and LC days, I understand they would need to have at least 15g of protein, but what about carbs and fats? how much should carbs and fats should there be inside to be on LC days? and on HC days? thanks a lot this would be really helpfull!!!!!
Hi Elisa: 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. Hope that helps!
thanks for your anwser! about portions….i am using a calory counting app as well as the indications from chis’s book just to be sure im not exceding the calories, but like the amountts in the examples of recipes dont really seem to be the same as the “hand portion” ones….so just to be sure im not mistaking can you give me some advice on portions ( and this i ask because im on week 3 right now and have not lost much at all)? for example if it says 4ounces of egg whites, that is more than the palm of a hand when done like an omlet for example, or 200g of cottage cheese as wel…what should i stick to, his measurements in ounces, calories and grams of protein/carbs or hand portions? thank you so much!