Carb Cycling Diet I Have Used In The Past To Loose Fat

[OhTwadi]

If you have any questions, please PM me as I would like to keep this thread clean and devoid of any bickering. Thank you

I have used this diet in the past to loose 2lbs per week consistently. 2lbs/week is considered to be on the safe side of things.

Note that this diet is an adaption of a somewhat complex diet I read on bodybuilding forum a few years ago. I seem to have lost the link to the original source however. Needless to say there are a lot of foods listed which are not suitable for vegetarians, however, I have tried to provide options for vegetarians as well.

Also note that when talking about consuming protein, I am assuming that you are doing some form of resistance training. I highly recommend that you do resistance training as part of your exercise program. You do not need to use additional weights, body weight will suffice for beginners.

Goal of this diet is to lose body fat while minimizing muscle loss. Here your exercise routine will contour to the diet plan.

There are three types of days while on this diet:

• High Carb
  
• Low Carb
  
• No Carb Days
  

- Assume 5 meals/day - 1/5 of total protein intake per meal (32g/meal for me @ 162 lbs) - (can have lots of extra protein, if needed)

- a "lean source" is one that has no more than 10% of its calories from fat

- keeping dietary fats on the low side, with the majority of fats coming from supplemented EFAs (essential fatty acids)-specifically fish oil (high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids -- EPA/DHA).

- you will be supplementing with fish oil at 10 to 20 grams a day

HIGH CARB DAY:

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- 3 meals can have as much carbohydrates (only from the 'Approved Carbohydrates' list). You must eat the minimum amount of protein at each meal as discussed above

- each one of those meals must include a small piece of fruit, between 50 and 100 calories worth

- can choose which meals (3 of 5) will have carbs and which don't, but the meal preceding and following your workouts must be a carbohydrate meal. I will have carbs for breakfast, and carbs for post workout meal. Pre-workout meal will have a few carbs, maybe yogurt, to give me enough energy for the workout

- eat until you are satisfied. eat clean, good quality carbs

LOW CARB DAY:

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- two meals may contain carbs

- at least the meal following your workout must be a carb meal. I will have carbs for breakfast and post-workout only

- eat approximately one gram of carbohydrate (only from the 'Approved Carbohydrates' list) per pound of bodyweight per low carb day. (I will have 160g total carbs for 2 carb meals)

- don't forget your small piece of fruit, at these carb meals

- simply learn general portions of the carbohydrates you choose to eat, so you don't have to measure everytime, which is a royal pain in the behind for me!

NO CARB DAY:

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- only carbs you can have is the fibrous type - green leafy vegetables, dark colored ones

- only consume protein (and some fats); again from the list

Veggies:

- green leafy, low calorie, fibrous vegetables

- salad (no dressing), cabbages, escarole, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, squash, and kale are appropriate. Generally, any vegetable that contains less than 50 calories per cup

Each and every day, whether it be a high, low, or no carb day, at least three meals, each and every day should include one cup of green veggies. It can be with or without your carb meals. You may find it more pleasing to the palate to consume your vegetables with your no carb meals.

POST WORKOUT NUTRITION:

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- Assuming you are lifting weights, recommend, at a minimum, between 30 and 50 grams of whey protein. If you are only doing cardio, you probably do not need a protein shake but try to have as much protein from your food intake as possible

- can be a protein only meal, and then followed by a carb meal on carb days, or can be taken with oatmeal (or another carb from the list) on carb days

- On no carb days, obviously you'd just be having the whey protein

MEASURING PROGRESS:

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- you are likely to look and feel bloated at the end of, and the day after, your high carbohydrate days. This is normal and not an indication of lack of progress

- measure/weigh yourself once every other cycle is more than sufficient; so you are measuring every 6 days; keep it consistent, measure after the same cycle every time; I recommend measuring after a high carb day

Approved Carbohydrates:

• Brown rice
  
• Oats (Slow Cooked Preferred)
  
• Sweet potatoes or Yams
  
• Fiber One (All Bran) Cereal
  
• Starchy Veggies (corn, peas, etc.)
  
• Beans/Legumes
  
• Approved Yet Limited Carbohydrates**
  
• Whole-wheat pasta
  
• Whole grain breads, pitas, etc.
  

Approved Lean Protein Sources (A)

• Cottage Cheese (0 or 1% fat)
  
• Tofu and skimmed milk
  
• Chicken (white meat)
  
• Turkey (white meat)
  
• Tuna Fish (can)
  
• Fish (flounder, tuna (fatty or not), salmon, shark, etc.)
  
• Shellfish (all types)
  
• Protein (preferably whey post workout, and casein before bed; MRPs must be low-carb)
  
• Lean beef (including lean cuts of steak)
  
• Egg whites (egg beaters)
  

Approved Higher-Fat Protein Sources (B)

• Cottage Cheese (Whole Milk)
  
• Chicken (dark meat)
  
• Turkey (dark meat)
  
• Eggs (half whites, half whole eggs)
  
• Steak and other meats (not exceptionally high fat cuts)
  

TO PUT IT ALL INTO ACTION:

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• Try not to put two no carb days back-to-back
  
• Certainly do not put two high carb days back-to-back
  
• Maintain what amounts to (roughly) a weekly ratio of 1:1:1 of the three types of days; and error towards the lower calorie side rather than the high calorie side
  
• heaviest, hardest, and highest volume workouts on high carb days.
  
• Put your off days on your no carb days. Or, use these days for cardio work or you lightest low volume days. active recovery workouts would be ideal here (stretching, core)
  

recommend, at a minimum, 30g of high quality whey protein

- can be a protein only meal, and then followed by a carb meal on carb days, or can be taken with oatmeal (or another carb from the list) on carb days

- On no carb days, obviously you'd just be having the whey protein

[OhTwadi]

Let me also add that you dieting does make the body weak so you probably do not want to do this for more than a 4-6weeks at a time. It might work better for you to give it a test run, do it for a week and so how you do. I highly recommend that you consume a multi vitamin when following this diet.