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
Hey guys, I am planning a carb cycle for my daughter and I was wondering if you could give me some good ideas on meal 2 which would be her snack at school before lunch. Any health bar would be an easy choice just not sure which one is the best option. I appreciate your help. Thank you!
Hi Brooke: It’s best if kids eat proteins, carbs, and fats at every meal, and here’s a post that can give you some good ideas: https://heidipowell.net/8937.
Can I use coconut oil to cook minced meat ( 1tbs for 5 meals ) for low carb days!!
Thank you!! Iam starting tomorrow ?Wish me luck?
Hi Sasha: Yes, you can use coconut oil as part of a low carb meal, and this would count as the fat portion for that meal. You can do this!
Hello Powell team.First of all I have to say Im in love with you as a Family.I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina(Sarajevo) and we dont have chance to follow your program all the time , so Im catching what I can on internet.
Im just starting Turbo Cycling Carbs , and Im pretty happy and excided.Im little bit confused about breakfast ( i dont know what to eat ) and pre workout meal.I work out 6 times per week,(around 90 min, both cardio and weight exercise).My workouts are around 7 p.m. so i really dont know what can be my snack before workout.
Thank you so much for helping to so much people.You are real inspiration.
i hope this way of eating will help me hit my goal (to loose fat and weight-15kg) Im struggling whole my life.
LOVE YOU HEIDI and Chris <3 from other Continent
p.s. sorry if I have some typing mistakes
Hi Berina: Welcome to carb cycling! For breakfast, you’ll have a portion each of protein and carb, plus veggies if you’re still hungry. And here’s a post that can help you figure out the working out and eating thing: https://heidipowell.net/9194. You can do this! 🙂
Hi Heidi. I recently just had a baby (6 weeks ago). I am currently breastfeeding but want to start my workouts again. I am interested in doing the fit carb cycle. I weightlift and do cardio 5 days a week if not 6. I don’t want to lose anymore weight as I have lost all my pregnancy weight plus some a week after birth. I’d just like to build my muscle back up. So my question is do I stick to the calories you have posted for low carb and high carb days or should I be eating more since I breastfeed and workout? Thanks
Hi Amanda: Congratulations on your new baby! Here’s a post that outlines Heidi’s breastfeeding carb cycling program: https://heidipowell.net/2275. Hope it helps you figure out what will work best for you. 🙂
Hey Heidi!
Maybe you said something about this already, but I’m a little lost on how many carbs I should be eating on high carb days! 🙂 And the amount of low-carb days is scaring me a bit bec I’m recovering from extreme calorie restriction and binge eating. I am trying to lose weight because I blew up like a balloon after being so low carb low cal, and then binging on food for a good 5 months. But then extreme restriction after noticing I was gaining more weight than I wanted. My body won’t lose weight anymore bec it thinks I’m starving so it’s been storing everything as fat I guess. It’s been a complete nightmare and I am so discouraged :(… I feel like I have tried everything. My whole life I have been an athlete and I just want to get back to my old self. A friend recommended carb cycling to help with this “metabolic damage”, so yeah… Just lost ha! Thank you for all you do! A lot of my friends from Reebok know you and I hope we cross paths one day! 🙂
Hi Tara: If you’re following the Extreme Cycle in “Extreme Transformation,” here’s a post that outlines several meal planning options as well as how to put your own meals together macro-wise: https://heidipowell.net/10617. If you’re following one of the other cycles, here are some general macro recommendations: High Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carbs: 40%, Fats: 20%. Low Carb Meal: Protein: 40%, Carbs: 20%, Fats: 40%. And remember, each gram of protein or carb = 4 calories, and each gram of fat = 9 calories. And here’s another post that might help too: https://heidipowell.net/10990/macro-tracking-questions-answered/. Hope this helps – you can do this!
Hey I am beginning carb cycling, what would hummus be considered?
Hi Kelly: Hummus is considered a carb in carb cycling. 🙂
I’ve always been active in sports and weight lifting and have tried many diets and constantly yo-yo dieted. Every year I feel like I have improved a little when it comes to not falling off plan.. but recently I’ve really wanted something that my boyfriend and I can follow that will lead us to success and to maintain it for the rest of our lives. I don’t want to follow fad diets but more make it something that is realistic to our every day life. I’ve watched your shows and you guys look and are amazing people and are definitely an inspiration to us. I’ve done some research on carb cycling, also on 21 day fix containers ( easy way to measure ur macros.) I don’t want to lose any more weight but I want my body to stay toned and keep working on my physique without feeling fatigue after 1 week eating healthy. I feel like we under eat at times, therefore it leads us to binging for next 3-4 days and feeling exhausted…. Its a constant battle for us and i’m just looking for something that will change our lives and that we can make it a lifestyle that works for both of us and to better our bodies. I’m very interested in your transformation book as I could probably learn more about this topic.
Hi Christina: Check out “Extreme Transformation,” and this post might also help you with your goals: https://heidipowell.net/10540/ask-the-powells-gaining-healthy-weight/. You can do this!
Just started carb cycling! on low carb days, 1200 calories is recommended on the chart-as well as 1500 on high crab days. I exercise pretty hard and am active throughout the day. Do you recommend eating back in the exercise calories, or sticking to these calories recommendations on the LC and HC days?
Thanks!
Hi Cassie: If your goal is to lose weight, you don’t want to eat back any calories burned through exercising. It’s like this: calories consumed – calories burned = calorie deficit (lose weight) -or- calorie surplus (gain weight). Hope that helps!
Cassie
I’m excited to hear how you do!! I started today!!! ?
Hey there. I have 2 meal replacement shakes a day and they do have carbs in them. Are they ok on low carb day? On low carb day according to the chart we just eat carbs for breakfast? How do you know how many grams of carbs per day?
Hi Teri: Which cycle are you following? Chris and Heidi recommend low-fat, whey-based protein powders with between 15-20 grams of protein and less than 5 grams of carbs per serving. This can count as the protein portion of any meal, both LC and HC.
I have a question in regards to your plan. If you’re lactose intolerant, what do you recommend for your meal plans that have dairy in it? Are there other healthy alternative fats without having to eat cheese?
Thanks!
Yes! All three books have extensive food lists with many non-lactose options for both proteins and fats. And you can put your own meals together for all 5 cycles, so that should be helpful too. 🙂