Carb cycling is central to every quality nutritional guide I’ve ever come across.
It is recommended by some of the most highly-regarded coaches and transformation experts in the world and has been used by fitness models, bodybuilders and athletes to acquire some of the most impressive physiques ever seen.
In 2013, a British study confirmed what the fitness elite already knew instinctively, when it was found that this style of diet was superior to a standard, daily calorie-restricted diet for reducing weight and lowering blood levels of insulin (more on this later).
Yet, despite its effectiveness and popularity amongst the fitness elite, it’s a method of dieting that is shrouded in mystery.
For years, I wrongly assumed that carb cycling was an advanced technique that would make my life more complicated, and that I didn’t need carbs in my diet at all.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Implemented properly, carb cycling makes fat loss easier from a physiological standpoint and, best of all, it makes dieting enjoyable because you actually get to eat carbs (aka pretty much every food you love).
Many diets, such as Paleo or Atkins, almost completely ban you from eating carbs.
When I tried the Paleo diet for myself, I found this style of eating overly-restrictive, and after months on the diet – and many missed social events – I finally gave in.
But here’s the thing: I did lose weight, and lots of it.
To get a better idea of why that might have happened, it’s important to understand the effect that carbohydrates have on our bodies.
How Do Carbohydrates Affect The Body?
When you consume carbohydrates they are broken down into sugars (otherwise known as glucose) that then enter the blood stream.
A hormone called insulin is released to remove glucose from the blood stream.
A large insulin ‘spike’ will occur when you consume a simple, or refined source of carbohydrates (such as fruits, fizzy drinks, or chocolate), whereas a smaller ‘spike’ will occur when you consume a complex source (such as vegetables or certain grains).
Insulin has shouldered much of the blame for obesity in recent years. The idea is that insulin tells your body to remove glucose from the blood and store it as fat.
That’s not entirely accurate, because insulin actually tells your body to burn the glucose, instead of fat stored in cells. You can learn more about this process here.
But whichever way you look at it, carbs can make it difficult for you to lose fat.
So why not just cut them out completely?
Carbs are an extremely important source of immediate energy for your bodyโs cells.
Without carbs, there’s a good chance your metabolism will slow down, your stress hormones will sky-rocket, and your muscle-building hormones will plummet, making both fat-loss and muscle gain extremely difficult.
You can learn more about the long-term effects of a low-carb diet at Precision Nutrition.
IMPORTANT NOTE: if you live a very sedentary lifestyle (such as working in an office and doing absolutely no exercise), or have a lot of weight to lose, a low-carb diet is probably ideal because your energy requirements are much lower.
But for the rest of us, who exercise regularly, do lots of walking and activities while travelling, or like to eat out, carb cycling can be the perfect compromise.
What is Carb Cycling?
While it has a fancy name, carb cycling simply means eating more carbohydrates on some days and less on others.
High carb days promote muscle growth and help you perform at your best, while low carb days encourage fat loss (or at least, minimize fat gain).
You get the best of both worlds.
The total amount of carbs you consume in a week should average out around the same as it normally would. Your intake of protein and fats will stay relatively consistent the whole time (although some people overcomplicate things and cycle fats as well).
Why Does Carb Cycling Work So Well?
As world-renowned strength coach Jason Ferruggia puts it:
[In] any effective diet program carbs will be cycled.
Not only does cycling carbohydrates make it possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time, it also means that, by extension, you will also be cycling calories.
Since your intake of protein and fat stay relatively consistent, on high carb days you will consume more calories, and on low carb days will consume less.
A calorific deficit is absolutely essential to losing weight, and carb cycling makes it easy to create a net deficit that you can sustain for a very long time.
Just to reiterate; if you have a lot of weight to lose, you don’t need to carb cycle: to get the best results in the shortest amount of time, simply jump on MyFitnessPal, track your food intake and eat 500kcal under maintenance each day.
As you get leaner, however, it becomes more and more difficult to lose fat.
This is a phenomenon that is sometimes referred to as ‘starvation mode’.
The problem with that phrase is that it has been tossed around very loosely over the years, and by some definitions it is a myth, but by others it is very real.
The scientific term for what we are talking about is ‘adaptive thermogenesis’.
It’s effects are very real and are well documented. Natural bodybuilder Tom Venuto does a great job of explaining it here. Here’s the takeaway:
Since your body canโt distinguish between severe dieting and starving, regulatory mechanisms are activated to decrease your rate of further weight loss… Your body adapts to energy-restricted diets and tries to restore you to energy balance or even back to your original weight.
Carb cycling offsets the effects of adaptive thermogenesis by ‘reassuring’ your body that it isn’t starving.
There’s one other factor that makes carb cycling work so well, and for me, it’s the most important: you only have to ‘diet’ every other day.
When you think about your favorite foods – if you’re being honest – most of them probably contain carbs. Avoiding them 100% of the time is difficult, maybe even impossible, and certainly not enjoyable.
And what about when you are traveling (especially in Asian countries) and want to try new dishes like pad Thai, massaman curry or ramen?
Yes, low-carb days require discipline. But it is much easier when you know the next day (assuming it’s high-carb) you’ll get to eat some of your favorite foods or try new dishes.
So, how do you know if it’s a high-carb or low-carb day?
How to Carb Cycle
When I said carb cycling made fat-loss easier than ever I really meant it.
There are only 2 rules you need to remember:
- Rule 1: On the days that you do your most intense workouts (like lifting weights or bodyweight exercises), eat starchy carbs (explained below) and fruit along with protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.
- Rule 2: On the days that youโre either off from the gym or are doing some kind of cardio, donโt eat any starchy carbs, but continue to eat protein, vegetables, healthy fats and a limited amount of fruit.
Thatโs all there is to it.
All you need to do is eat the same amount of protein, healthy fats and veggies throughout the week, and vary your intake of carbs depending on when you work out.
Here’s how a typical week might look:
Monday | Full-Body Workout | High-Carb |
Tuesday | Rest Day | Low-Carb |
Wednesday | Full-Body Workout | High-Carb |
Thursday | Rest Day | Low-Carb |
Friday | Full-Body Workout | High-Carb |
Saturday | Rest Day | Low-Carb |
Sunday | Rest Day | Low-Carb |
If you know you’re going out for a meal, or are likely to be eating a lot of carbs on a given day, reschedule your week so a workout falls on that day.
This strategy works really well when you’re travelling and know that you might not be able to eat perfectly for whatever reason on a particular day.
In general, you want to try to eat well as much of the time as possible. You shouldn’t think of high-carb days as a ‘cheat day’, but if you know you’re going to be eating carbs then this is the day it should be on.
Now, you’re probably wondering what ‘starchy’ carbs you should be eating on your high-carb days, so here’s a little table to help you figure it out:
'Good' Carbs | 'Bad' Carbs |
---|---|
Sweet/White Potato | Pizza |
Quinoa | Muffins |
Brown Rice | Cakes |
Whole Grain Bread | White Bread |
Whole Wheat Pasta | Pastries |
Oatmeal | Cereal |
The more you stick to the ‘Good Carbs’ column, the better off you will be.
Carb Cycling Meal Plan
With the above in mind, putting your own meal plan together shouldn’t be too difficult.
But if you need a little inspiration, here’s a sample meal plan you can use:
Low-Carb (Rest/Cardio) Day:
Breakfast: | Eggs or protein shake with water |
Lunch: | Salad with lots of meat andย veggies |
Dinner: | Steak with veggies |
Snacks: | A couple of handfuls of mixed nuts |
High-Carb (Workout) Day:
Breakfast: | Eggs or protein shake with water |
Lunch: | Burrito with lots of meat and veggies |
Dinner: | Fish cakes with jasmine rice and veggies |
Snacks: | Bananas, baby carrots or oatmeal |
Carb Cycling FAQ
What if I get hungry on low-carb days?
Starchy carbs fill you up quickly and typically contain a lot of calories, so you might find that you feel hungry on your low-carb days. When you’re hungry you’re more likely to give in to your cravings, so it’s important that you know what to do when it happens.
Instead of reaching for a frozen pizza eat more protein and vegetables. Eat as much as it takes to make yourself full.
How many carbs should I eat at every meal?
The beauty of carb cycling is in its simplicity, so don’t overcomplicate it by trying to count the amount of carbohydrates you consume. Just remember the rules:
- On high-carb days eat starchy carbs and fruit along with your protein, veggies, and healthy fats.
- On low carb days donโt eat starchy carbs or fruit, but continue to eat protein, veggies, and healthy fats.
There’s no need to overcomplicate your meals. You can eat more or less the same thing each day, but simply swap your starchy carbohydrates for more vegetables on low-carb days.
Can I do a high carb days if I only do cardio?
I don’t recommend it. The reason high-carb days are aligned with the days you do a bodyweight workout or lift weights is that your muscles will be ready to utilise the glucose after a tough workout.
I think everybody should be doing some form of resistance training, but if you want to lose weight and only do cardio, then you should stick with a conventional calorific deficit of 500kcal a day.
Any other questions? Thinking of giving carb cycling a go? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for the clear, concise blog. This is a help as you know this is my #1 challenge nowadays. My regiment that I am restarting after some busy weeks is:
Mon: heavy weight training
Tue: interval / cardio training
Wed: heavy weight training
Thr: interval / cardio training
Fri: heavy weight training
Sat: cycle ride
Sun: rest or light cycle
I’ll do my best to follow your dietary suggestions!
Carb cycling is perfect for that sort of workout schedule. Let me know how you get on!
PS, I haven’t forgotten about your email. Will be in touch soon.
Carb cycling is a perfect fit for that sort of workout schedule. Let me know how you get on!
PS, I haven’t forgotten about your email. Will be in touch soon.
Will, where would something like lentils fit in this cycle? A serving (one cup) has 60g of carbohydrates, but less than half of that is starchy. The majority of the carbs are fiber. Would that still be best left on non-weight training days?
And for high-carb days, would you have starchy carbs for every meal, or just focus it around pre- and post-workout?
Last question, I swear!: Would the rules of carb cycling be different when trying to build muscle?
Thanks a bunch!
I’d personally limit lentils to high-carb days, and on low-carb days eat meat, healthy fats and veggies. But if you’re a vegetarian/vegan don’t worry about it. Just try to keep your intake of starchy carbs lower on days that you don’t train.
On high-carb days I eat starchy carbs with most meals. I only worry about my total intake of carbs (research has shown this is what matters), not when I consume them in the day.
The rules are exactly the same for building muscle and losing fat, but you obviously want your total intake of carbs and calories to be higher when trying to build muscle.
Hope that helps!
That helps tremendously, thank you so much!
Thanks very much for the info. It is much more concise than other blogs on this topic. In the past I would be restricting carbs and feel very sluggish on my heavy workout days. I will definitely try this!
You’re welcome Melissa! So glad you’ve found it useful and will be back to eating good ol’ carbs! ๐
I do circuit lifting on M,W,F and cycling on T,Th. I would lay off carbs on cycling days, correct? Also, is this considered “over training” due to exercising every day? Finally, do I need to completely give up fruit on low carb days?
Yep eat the majority of your carbs on M/W/F. You don’t need to completely give up fruit on your low-carb days, but I would limit it to one or two pieces and make sure the majority of your carbs are coming from veggies.
You will only be ‘overtraining’ if you’re not eating enough calories to fuel all that exercise. So just make sure that you’re eating plenty of wholesome food and you will be OK.
Just fell across your site and love the layout, nice and simple! Super busy at mo with moving from NZ to Vancouver, setting up my location independent business (whenever I have time), & keeping my clients happy, etc etc.. so I am going to just print out this and draw up a basic menu plan around it & then I don’t need to think about it!
I did what you did too re. the no carb thing/paleo thing and I do exercise intensely 6-7 days per/week (approx 2hrs), and had the same thing happen. Also losing weight was ridiculously slow & if I had even say 1 piece of toast or other grainy carbs despite being under in calories still, I ‘d end up with even less or no results for that week. I progressed still but just so slowly! I have some toning but nothing like I should have with what I do! Now of course with the schedule being crazy I just kind of crashed and flagged it and whatya know I’m up 2kg in two weeks!!Eek! So thank you & so glad I found this site!! I’ll check out those links too! Also,do you know Sean Ogle on Location 180? What he does and the community on his site would be right up your alley I’m sure! ๐
Hey Kristi!
Thanks for the kind words – glad to have you here ๐
Sorry to hear that you went through the same experience with me with the whole low-carb thing, but it’s good to know that I wasn’t alone! Carb cycling allows you to enjoy carbs (and all the foods you love) every other day, which is what I think makes it so effective in the long term because it’s something that people will stick to!
Never been to Vancouver but it has always been my dream to go there. I hope you love it! Thanks again for stopping by – hope to see more of you around the site ๐
PS, just checked out Sean Ogle’s site. It looks great! Will be paying close attention. Thanks for the tip!
Hey thanks Will and sure thing!
Thanks for this article and the explanations in its simplest form. I’m now able to apply and adjust accordingly.
No problem! Thanks for stopping by ๐
Will – I work out (lift and/or cardio) in the early morning. I am confused as to the timing of the high carb day. Should it be the same day (i.e. after the lifting session) or possibly the day before so that the fuel is already on-board for the heavy lifting. Maybe it doesn’t matter as long as the cycle is high carb one day, low the next.
High carb days should coincide with days you lift weights. It doesn’t matter when you eat the carbs on that day (ie before/after), only that you eat enough in total. Hope that helps!
Hi! Is it ok to have a glass of dry red wine on low carb days?
It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but generally speaking I would try to save alcohol for high-carb days.
this is a very easy to read / follow article but I do have a question for you will. There are days of the week where I do two days cardio in the morning and lifting in the afternoon. On those days how do you recommend that I carb cycle?
On those days I would definitely recommend going high-carb. High-carb days should fall on the same day as lifting weights, so doing cardio on the same day gives you all the more reason to eat more carbs. Hope that helps!
Hi Will,
thanks for this easy to follow guide on carb cycling. I am about to start the lean schedule of tony Horton’s P90x3 workouts which are based on 30mins extreme workouts 7 days a week. the lean schedule has more cardio and core /flexibility workouts and a few resistance workouts . some of the cardio are weighted workouts. what would you advise in terms of how to carb cycle?
Hi Pamela,
I’m not a fan of the P90X programs because I think they’re way too intense and don’t permit enough time for recovery, but if it’s working for you then that’s all that matters. Given the intensity, my advice is to keep carbs high throughout the entire 7-day period to avoid burn out.
Will
Hi will, thanks for the advise on carb cycling, It sounds logical and easy to maintain., I’ve have just signed up for your travel strong, workouts as I live on a boat and space is quite restricted, so your workouts are very practical.
What if u do weight lifting and cardio in a day? I do 6 days weights most wks and 3 cardio sessions a wk
Hey Louise!
It really depends on your goals, but in general I suggest that you make any weight training days high-carb, so if you’re doing cardio on that day as well then you have all the more reason to go high-carb.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This is good information without that bro science stuff. I really don’t have time to be counting my meals I go by portions.
I train pretty much every day so most days I’ll be training with low carb. I will save legs for the high carb.
Also I do fasted cardio in the mornings and usually followed by weight training a couple hours later. Should this be a low carb or high carb?
In a situation like this I think it really depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re trying to lose weight and you don’t mind a stricter diet, then by all means stay low-carb with the occasional high-carb day (on leg days, as you suggest, is a good idea).
If, however, it’s about performance and recovery, then you’re going to need more high-carb days. I would even say that every day you do weight-training should be high-carb or at least moderate-carb.
Hope that helps!
My schedule is as so:
Monday- 30 Min HIIT
Tues- Weight lifting
Weds- Medium cardio/Medium LIfting/ OR 30 Min HIIT
Thurs- Kickboxing (45 mins)
Friday- Weight lifting
Sat (Sometimes)- HIIT + Weight Lifting within 60 mins bootcamp
I am a vegetarian. In my family we consume kidney beans, lentils, and chickpeas alot (curries) How can I allocate those? And when should i eat them? How should I plan my carb cycling? Also, no tracking correct? I did IIFYM and i have a fear of fats and carbs sometimes. Not sure how to break out of tracking. Whats a 107 lb 5’6” girl supposed to get for macros to only gain lean muscle and tone. I dont want to lose any weight. Just tone get more defined abs. Also nut butters are allowed as healthy fats right? For a snack 2 tb w/ protein shake on low carb and high carb?
Hello I was just reading your blog post on carb cycling. I have two books on Amazon. One is a Carb Cycling Recipe and Diet book and the other is a cookbook with recipes you can make in advance and then heat up for lunch or dinner. I think one or both of the books might be of interest to your audience. Can I send you a PDF version of one or both books? If you like them, it would be great if you could post a quick review on your site or if you want, we could setup a giveaway for your users, that could also be done as part of your review.
You can get more information at http://www.carbcycle.net and http://www.fitrecipe.net
Hello, your article explains a lot more than other websites I’ve found but the biggest question I have is do I adjust my calories for days I do high/low carb? or do calories stay the same just adjust fat and carbs? Thank you ๐
Hi Anna! Protein and fats should stay the same and it is only carbs that you should be cycling day-to-day. In doing that you’ll also be cycling calories (which is part of the reason it works so well!)
I’m an EMT, so I work 24 hr shifts then off for 48. I go to the gym every day that I’m off but because of the nature of my job, its difficult to cook at the station sometimes given the fact that I could be called out at any given time. I’m interested in really trying carb cycling, at rhw advice of one of the trainers at the gym; however, I am only able to work out about 4 days a week. What would you suggest? Besides meal planning cause I am a single mom and don’t really have time to do that.
Hi Will. Thanks for this article. It makes total sense to me. BUT here is my question. I am currently training to climb Mt. Whitney on my 50th birthday this August. (after two years of cancer treatment….making my way back to pre cancer fitness) I need to drop about 15lbs and have been doing basically endurance cardio exercises 3x a week (stairclimber and cycling) , with some circuit training two times a week. Plus hiking of course. So since I am not doing a lot of weight training should I stick with low carb or where in my week should I cycle high carb? Did any of that just make sense? HA.
Hi Will. I am training to compete in a fitness competition in May and my trainer has me carb cycling. I lift weights 6 days a week and do at least 45 to 60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week as well. The scale has not moved in 2 weeks and I am feeling so defeated. I am following everything just as instructed. Is it normal not to lose weight right away? My trainer said my age has something to do with it and it takes longer ( I am 37 ) I am also a fitness instructor who teaches cardio classes so cutting cardio would be tough:( Please help!!
Love the article! Thanks for posting such helpful information!! So, quick question… where do beans fall here? They are kind of a protein/carb cross and I think they are super important!!!
thank you so much for posting this up. I have been researching carb cycling and trying to figure out how to incorporate it into my lifestyle; however, it all seemed so complicated. The way you explained it is perfect and makes it very simple to follow. Hope it works. I weigh 140 and I’m trying to drop to 120-125. Hopefully I can using this method and them maintain the weight loss. One question though: on carb days, should I be eating the good carbs (like whole grain pasta, oatmeal etc) with every meal? Most of the websites I am seeing they tell me a specific amount in grams but I don’t know much about nutrition so I don’t really know how much that is. I have a portion control plate I usually use. What do you think?
I am wondering. Would you consider Pilates and ashtanga yoga as weight lifting days since many of the poses incorporate body weight (chataranga, chair pose wtc..) and core muscles or would you consider it more of a cardio workout?
Would you consider ashtanga yoga and Pilates weight based workouts since many poses use ones body weight and there is a focus on the core or would you classify it as cardio
Just read this and going to give it a go. A few questions.
1) On weekends I do weights and cardio in the morning. Should I try do these later on so I can get most of the starchy carb I take pre workout? If I worked out in the morning and then ate starchy carbs in the evening is that not advisable?
2) Is yoga classed as a bodyweight workout? I’m thinking ashtanga or vinyasa. So that day could be classed as a high carb day?
How many carbs do I need on high days, on low days, if I want to lean out and tone
wow what a concept; living at a calorie deficit helps you lose weight. Must be a genius. I on the other hand have been the last 10 years eating 3000+ calories (85% carbs), NEVER limit my carbs or any form of calories for that matter, got a bmi of 20 and lean as anything. I eat the items you call bad and good carbs. So if the aim is to keep it easy as you said above, to lose weight LONG-term, and sustainability because you can eat as much as you want… ignore these fad low carb, paleo, carb cycling stuff.
Hello – thanks for writing this article.
You say to “eat more carbs” on workout days which will make it so I’d “eat more calories”, but how much more carbs? How many more calories is an adequate amount to eat? If I’m trying to cut fat, should I be eating at a calorie deficit on my non-workout days then eating at a Maintaining level on my workout days? Let me know! Thanks.
and is this good for people who have pre-diabetes to do?
This is a very informative article and you’ve made simple something that could wind up being very confusing indeed. I was wondering (because I do cardio and resistance in one gym session) if I could still have carbs on those days. You said that with cardio, carbs aren’t recommended but what if I just had one or two meals that day containing carbs? Perhaps for lunch since my workouts are usually in the evenings. Could this work?
Yep, consuming carbs on the days you do both resistance training and cardio is a good idea.
I’ve been doing hiit for a few months and love it (about 20 minutes 30 seconds off 30 sec on, then I usually do about 10 minutes of abs after) on a low carb diet with a high carb meal after hiit. But I’ve been thinking I need to start changing it up a bit to see a really difference now, but I can’t do weights. Do you think I could still do carb cycling with hiit instead of weights?
How much do you need to lose
I’m wondering if carb cycling is good for fat loss then why is it not recommended for someone with a lot of fat to lose? I have tried the cut 500 calories per day thing and it hasn’t worked for me. I’m currently doing Keto, 20 g carbs a day and lost 25 pounds in 51 days, however I have stopped losing and still need to lose another 65 pounds.
Hi Pauline! I just started the keto diet, I’m glad to hear it worked for you. I’m on this site trying to figure out if keto or carb cycling is better for big weight loss, I would like to loose 40 pounds! Thoughts from anyone…
Thanks!!
Great article like always Will, you made carb cycling incredibly easy to understand.
My goal back in May was to lose 30 pounds. I initially lost 16 pounds following the 3 week diet, which was awesome. Now I’m going to try this carb cycling method to lose the rest.
What is the 3 week diet? Also congrats on the weight loss, I would like to lose a similar amount.
It’s basically 3 weeks of different phases. A detox phase, a fasting phase and a low carb phase. It’s a bit on the extreme side, but it works so well. If you google search: “19 pounds in 3 weeks” there’s a good blog post on it worth reading.
I’m now going to try carb cycling to steadily lose the weight.
Got a question, how do you maintain the same amount of fats? Like do you keep eating the same? Sorry for the noob question, carb counting consuming me at times.
Awesome detail!
i wanna ask why it called low carbs but u said no carbs in four days anther question in the 3 days when i eat carb before the workout our after ? i used to do my workout after i wake up on an empty stomck and what is the period that i used that type of diet?
What time a day do you workout? I workout in the mornings & wonder if a banana an hour after my morning workout would sock it to me the rest of the day.
Hey Melanie,
My recommendation would be to consume protein immediately after your workout, and save you carbs for lunch, a mid-afternoon snack and dinner.
Hope that helps!
Best article I’ve ever read about carb cycling
When you say cardio do you mean low heart rate activities or does a HIIT count as cardio?
Basically I’d like to know how you define cardio in this article with reference to carb cycling as HIIT often involves muscle training also.
But I love the way you explain the carb cycling process!!
Great info.. This does work.. I will go one step further and say on low carb days, don’t have any fruits (maybe just Berries)
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A work buddy of mine got me doing this last year and I had great results. Then I got side tracked. Ready to start again and reading this really helped.
I do have a question.
Where does low fat cottage cheese fit into the plan? I could eat a cup of it and a lb of carrots and 2 table spoons of sunflower seeds and be happy with that snack for months!!!!
Hi….i want to know if moderate cardio 20-30 min 65-70 rmp after lifting heavy is ok ?
1. when you first stated the first two rules for the first time you said one could eat a limited amount of fruit on low carb days. But towards the end of the article you said not to eat fruits on low carb days. Which one is it?
2. can carrots be eaten on low carb days? I ask because i know carrots also contain sugars.
Thank you
Thank you so much for such a great article! I’ve been vegan for 7 years but i’ve been really confused as to what to eat in the past 9 months since i started looking into starch based diets. I’ve tried both high carb/low fat and high protein/low carb, both have their drawbacks with regard to my energy and recovery levels and how satiated I feel. Neither seems to be helping me with weight loss and sometimes it can feel like i just don’t know how to eat anymore! I do aerial hoop twice a week which is high intensity & sometimes i just don’t have the stamina. I have a desk job, so pretty much sedentary all day but thankfully now the evenings are getting lighter here in the UK i can start to walk again after work. Although i’ve not lost any weight, my body shape is changing so i know there’s muscle under there somewhere ๐ but i do have at least a stone of fat to loose.
I have never even looked into carb cycling before but you have explained it in a logical way that seems really easy to grasp and stick to, it sounds like the best of both world really!
My only struggle is with low carb vegan breakfast, I usually eat at my desk at work and do like my oatmeal. Maybe on the low carb days I can have less oats, with a protein powder topped with yogurt and a little fruit.
I feel excited to try this and hopefully start seeing some great results. I’ve never commented on a blog before but felt compelled after reading this, so thank you again ๐ xx
Hey Emily! I personally use brown rice protein powder – would make a great low carb vegan breakfast!
Thanks for the info above i have been reading up on carb cycling for a couple weeks now to get a better understanding of it and if its right for me. This is so easy to understand and makes complete sense ๐ im a beginner with training and understanding nutrition, this has been a great help!
Will, this is a great article! I am a mother of 3 ages 5, 3, and 6 months and I work full time sometimes 60 hours a week and I have to travel. Trying to get back on track and lose the 60 lbs I put on from the pregnancies. I have tried diets and fail everyone cause I am always hungry. Thanks for the article.
My IIFYM plan has a specific daily calorie target – for my goals I’m eating at a 20% deficit. With carb cycling, will the low carb days create an even greater deficit or should I bring up my fat intake to compensate so that my deficit isn’t too drastic?
How does carb cycling fit in with IIFYM/flexible dieting?
Great article like always Will, you made carb cycling incredibly easy to understand.
If anyone wants to take it a step further, it’s worth trying something called ‘Macro Patterning’. It works by switching between low carb and high carb cycles in a very strategic way so your body can’t adapt. You can find a really good guide on it at: CarbMethod.COM