How to Do Carb Cycling
Choose a method., Determine your carb and calorie goals., Space out your days evenly., Come up with a meal plan., Monitor your progress.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose a method.
There is no one correct way to carb cycle.
People use different carb cycling plans to meet their different needs and goals.
Therefore, you should choose a carb cycling plan that suits you.
If you want to lose weight, for example, you might want to do a plan that involves low-carb days for five days each week, and then have two high-carb days.On the other hand, if you are looking to gain muscle, you might want to try a more even mix of four high carb days and three low carb days.
As an example, the “classic” carb cycling schedule involves alternating for 6 days each week between high- and low-carbs.
On the seventh day, you get to have a “cheat” day where you don’t need to monitor your calorie and carb intake so closely. -
Step 2: Determine your carb and calorie goals.
As a general rule, on this diet, women should plan to take in about 1,200 calories each day and men should plan for about 1,500 calories on low-carb days.
On high carb days, you’ll eat slightly more calories.
Another general rule to keep in mind when starting out is that on high-carb days you should aim to consume about
1.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight.
So if you weigh 150 pounds, you would want to consume 225 grams of carbohydrates.
On low-carb days, you should try to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods, and stick to foods that are high in protein., It’s important to try to keep a balanced schedule, which involves spreading out your high- and low-carb days so that you don’t have too many of the same days back-to-back.
Instead, try to alternate, or at least spread them so that your days are fairly even.For example, if you are doing two days of high carbs and five days of low carbs, you might feel tempted to make both Saturday and Sunday high-carb days.
However, it would be better if you spread these two days out.
For example, you could make Tuesday and Saturday your high-carb days. , One of the best ways to stay on track with your carb cycling is to come up with a meal plan for each day.
Make a detailed plan regarding what you will eat for each day of the week.
Having a clear plan will help keep you on track.An example of a low-carb day meal plan could look like this:
For breakfast, two scrambled eggs plus half of a bell pepper.
As a morning snack, you can have a protein shake and a handful of berries (e.g. raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.) For lunch, have three ounces of grilled chicken with one cup of asparagus.
For an afternoon snack, have one-third of a cup of oatmeal (cooked) with ten almonds.
Have a three-ounce steak with two cups of steamed broccoli or cauliflower for dinner.
For a high-carb day, your meal plan might look like this:
Half a cup of oatmeal with walnuts and berries of your choice for breakfast As a mid-morning snack, enjoy an apple with two tablespoons of nut butter (e.g. peanut butter or almond butter).
Half of a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch.
As an afternoon snack, eat one cup of three bean salad with one cup of quinoa.
For dinner, try three ounces of grilled chicken with one cup of whole wheat pasta topped with pesto. , It is important to keep a close eye on your progress to see what is working and what isn’t working so you can adjust accordingly.
If, after sticking to a schedule for a few weeks, you haven’t seen any progress, then you may need to adjust your carb cycling schedule.
For example, if you’ve been eating low-carb for four days each week and high-carb for three days each week, you might want to try switching to five days of low-carb and two days of high carbs.Also look at the things you are eating.
This diet relies on having a healthy eating lifestyle and is not a quick fix-all.
On your high-carb days, you should be eating healthy sources of carbs such as fruits, whole grains, and legumes.
On your low-carb days, you should still be eating healthy.
Fish and lean meats, such as chicken are a good source of protein, which will help keep you from feeling hungry.
In addition to that, you can eat leafy green vegetables that are low in carbs. -
Step 3: Space out your days evenly.
-
Step 4: Come up with a meal plan.
-
Step 5: Monitor your progress.
Detailed Guide
There is no one correct way to carb cycle.
People use different carb cycling plans to meet their different needs and goals.
Therefore, you should choose a carb cycling plan that suits you.
If you want to lose weight, for example, you might want to do a plan that involves low-carb days for five days each week, and then have two high-carb days.On the other hand, if you are looking to gain muscle, you might want to try a more even mix of four high carb days and three low carb days.
As an example, the “classic” carb cycling schedule involves alternating for 6 days each week between high- and low-carbs.
On the seventh day, you get to have a “cheat” day where you don’t need to monitor your calorie and carb intake so closely.
As a general rule, on this diet, women should plan to take in about 1,200 calories each day and men should plan for about 1,500 calories on low-carb days.
On high carb days, you’ll eat slightly more calories.
Another general rule to keep in mind when starting out is that on high-carb days you should aim to consume about
1.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight.
So if you weigh 150 pounds, you would want to consume 225 grams of carbohydrates.
On low-carb days, you should try to avoid carbohydrate-rich foods, and stick to foods that are high in protein., It’s important to try to keep a balanced schedule, which involves spreading out your high- and low-carb days so that you don’t have too many of the same days back-to-back.
Instead, try to alternate, or at least spread them so that your days are fairly even.For example, if you are doing two days of high carbs and five days of low carbs, you might feel tempted to make both Saturday and Sunday high-carb days.
However, it would be better if you spread these two days out.
For example, you could make Tuesday and Saturday your high-carb days. , One of the best ways to stay on track with your carb cycling is to come up with a meal plan for each day.
Make a detailed plan regarding what you will eat for each day of the week.
Having a clear plan will help keep you on track.An example of a low-carb day meal plan could look like this:
For breakfast, two scrambled eggs plus half of a bell pepper.
As a morning snack, you can have a protein shake and a handful of berries (e.g. raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.) For lunch, have three ounces of grilled chicken with one cup of asparagus.
For an afternoon snack, have one-third of a cup of oatmeal (cooked) with ten almonds.
Have a three-ounce steak with two cups of steamed broccoli or cauliflower for dinner.
For a high-carb day, your meal plan might look like this:
Half a cup of oatmeal with walnuts and berries of your choice for breakfast As a mid-morning snack, enjoy an apple with two tablespoons of nut butter (e.g. peanut butter or almond butter).
Half of a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread for lunch.
As an afternoon snack, eat one cup of three bean salad with one cup of quinoa.
For dinner, try three ounces of grilled chicken with one cup of whole wheat pasta topped with pesto. , It is important to keep a close eye on your progress to see what is working and what isn’t working so you can adjust accordingly.
If, after sticking to a schedule for a few weeks, you haven’t seen any progress, then you may need to adjust your carb cycling schedule.
For example, if you’ve been eating low-carb for four days each week and high-carb for three days each week, you might want to try switching to five days of low-carb and two days of high carbs.Also look at the things you are eating.
This diet relies on having a healthy eating lifestyle and is not a quick fix-all.
On your high-carb days, you should be eating healthy sources of carbs such as fruits, whole grains, and legumes.
On your low-carb days, you should still be eating healthy.
Fish and lean meats, such as chicken are a good source of protein, which will help keep you from feeling hungry.
In addition to that, you can eat leafy green vegetables that are low in carbs.
About the Author
Beverly Bell
Beverly Bell has dedicated 5 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Beverly focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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