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 there:)
I?ve started the turbo cycle and just have one question. For the low carb days, is there a carb gram limit to how much I can consume in a day to still be considered low carb?
Hi Charity: For the Turbo Cycle, you’ll only want to eat a carb with breakfast, and then no carbs the rest of the day. There’s a great chart in this post that shows you how to put your meals together on the Turbo Cycle: https://heidipowell.net/4514. We don’t have gram counts available – we’ve tried to make things as simple as possible. Simply follow the chart, and you’ll be good to go! 🙂
Hey Guys!
So I am looking to figure out what your thoughts are on my breakfast that I do. So I am a fasting workout lady! I also work out at 4:45am until about 6am mon-fri unless im too tired and can’t get up. But I never eat when I wake up I get up do my normal routine takes about 20 min. Drive to gym & drink my preworkout on the way there. Once I get home from the gym thats when I eat so Im home by 630 at the latest. Most programs I find the people dont work out early mornings and I can’t seem to find anyone that can give me some info on if what Im doing is ok or not. My schedule is busy and I do not have time in the evenings for the gym or during the day mornings are my only option. But am I ruining my plans with not eating before the gym? I have done this for 5 years now and sometimes i wake up feeling ugghhh but eating isn’t the first thing on my mind if i go to the gym if I dont I do eat breakfast as soon as I get up. Let me know what you think as I would like to know if I am hindering my progress doing this.
Thank you
Jolene
Hi Jolene: We believe you should do what works best for you! And here’s a post that might help: https://heidipowell.net/9194. You’re doing amazing!
Hello Heidi and Chris!
I am on month 7 of my weight loss journey. I have managed to lose about 40 pounds. I originally started, by just cutting out junk food and introducing healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. I believe I was doing carb cycling unknowingly. I was able to lose my first 30 pounds this way before I hit a plateau. This was from January through June. As far as exercise I began by walking, progressed to trying crossfit for 3 months and now I’m working on my strength (3 days/week) and cardio (2 days/week). Since the plateau I attempted to do the Keto diet twice and always failed at about day 10-12. I even tried to do whole 30 as well. I am wondering your thoughts on me trying carb cycling. I love to eat healthy, but still like to enjoy my treats. I am currently about 35% BF and my goal is fat loss. I am not sure what my starting BF was but I was 275 lbs when I started and now I am 233. I would like to get down to at least 20% BF. I am just really trying to avoid another long plateau and hoping to find that this works for me.
Thank you for the guide and all of the information.
Hi Jenn: Congratulations on losing 40 pounds – that’s awesome! I’d definitely give carb cycling a try, and there are links to all of Chris and Heidi’s carb cycles in this post: https://heidipowell.net/2713. And you can change cycles at any time too! Another option is Chris and Heidi’s new app, Transform with Chris & Heidi, and it offers you a totally customized nutrition and exercise program that changes as you progress towards your goals, which means you shouldn’t ever hit a plateau. You can learn more about their app here: http://thetransformapp.com. No matter which option you choose, you can totally do this! 🙂
Hi I am starting carb cycling and am currently training for a rim to rim Grand Canyon hike in October which means I am hiking, walking or doing some sort of weight training 6 days per week. I am a 43 year old female, 5ft 4 in and weigh 167. When I started getting ready for this hike my weigh hovered around 156-159 but no consistent meal plan or workout plan. Every day I feel as if my legs are swollen and sore so I don’t know how much is water retention and/or swelling. I believe my ideal weight should be around 135. I have tried so many different types of dieting, cutting carbs, juicing, etc and don’t want to join any of the local weigh loss centers out of desperation but I am frustrated. I want to lose about 30-35 pounds of fat and continue training at the same time. I am looking at the turbo cycle and wondered if that is the best option for me. Thoughts?
Hi Jessica: Any of the cycles can work, so choose the one that will work best for your schedule and goals. And you can change cycles at any time too! The Turbo Cycle can definitely work, and if you find you need more carbs for your workouts, you can try the Fit Cycle. You can do this!
I have a question! I’m just starting to get into carb cycling and I’m afraid that the 1200-1500 calorie amounts list for women are lower than a diet I can stick to long term. Do you think I would still see results if I did 1400-1700 or 1450-1800? Results would certainly be slower, but i could still get it done that way right? I am a 32 year old, 5’7″ female who weighs 145-150 lbs trying to trim down to 135-140.
Hi Jessica: You might want to check out the Extreme Cycle (https://heidipowell.net/10503), or Chris and Heidi’s new app offers you a customized nutrition and workout program based on you and your goals, and you can check it out for free for one week. It’s amazing! You can learn more about their app here: http://thetransformapp.com. Either of these options can help you achieve your goals! 🙂
After years of being overweight, my top weight ended up at 256 lbs. Now with sleep apnea, high blood pressure, hypothyroidism and pre diabetes, I decided to try the Dash Diet. I lost 10 lbs and started exercising at the gym, which made me feel pretty good, but I haven’t lost or gained any more weight…I’m kind of stuck at the 10 lbs weight loss. Do y’all think that carb cycling will help my get over the plateau, and should I build some ways into my plan to change things up for the next time I hit a plateau?
Hi Pat: Carb cycling could definitely be a good option for you, and we recommend you discuss any nutrition and exercise program with your healthcare team first and then follow any modifications they may recommend. And the way Chris and Heidi’s carb cycling program is formulated helps prevent any plateaus. You can do this! 🙂
Hi I am on extreme and I read above that you consider carrots a carb but they are listed as UNLIMITED in the extreme transformation book!
Hi Marni: The information about carrots in this post you’re referring to has been changed for the new book. Carrots are technically root veggies, but they carry such a low carb impact AND they’re so full of nutrients, that Chris and Heidi changed them to veggies in the new book. 🙂
Hi, I’ve just started carb cycling after reading the book choose more to lose more.
In the book it doesn’t really specify, how often should I switch up the TYPE of excercise that I’m doing for my shredders? Also, am I able to repeat said excercises after a certain time span without my body adapting too well? I’m limited to things mainly in my neighborhood and my home.
Thanks!
Hi Ryan: If you have an activity you really like, you can totally do that for your shredders. It is good to do some other activities also to work different muscle groups and so your body doesn’t adapt, so maybe throw in a different activity for your shredders 1-2 times a week. You can also change up the intensity and duration of your shredders as your fitness levels increases, and that can help also. Hope that helps!
I have another question? If I eat the kind granola bars for snack is that only on a high carb day and counter towards my protein and carbs? Thank you
Hi I have the book but confused on a few foods.
Can I eat hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon, and turkey or chicken sausage or sausage in general? Thank you
Hi Dina: In the Easy, Classic, Turbo, and Fit cycles, 2 egg yolks are considered 1 fat portion and 4 egg whites are considered a protein portion. Bacon and sausage are considered fats. If you’re following the Extreme Cycle in “Extreme Transformation,” there is a complete list of acceptable food ideas beginning on page 302. I hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you so much