How do you carb/cal cycle?

[ChefJoey]

Looking to make a serious attempt at carb cycling for the first time.

I've never quite had a heavy interest but after hearing so many positive results I've decided to do it for at least a couple months.

I'm hovering around 170# and 10-12% so ideally I would like to lean up a bit without dropping significant weight. Not overly concerned with gaining weight.

Would be curious to hear some stories and diet plans from you guys.

Cheers.

 

[The Solution]

Keep macros pretty much identical daily maybe drop 25-30g carbs on non workout days
Massive swings may really hamper recovery and may also crush you on off days, the thing that matters most is the caloric deficit, major swings are not necessary, but they can work, but in the end as long as your in a deficit you will still lose just depends on how you want to do things and personal preference (For instance UD 2.0 and massiive swings from PSMF to refeeds)

 

[ChefJoey]

Keep macros pretty much identical daily maybe drop 25-30g carbs on non workout days
Massive swings may really hamper recovery and may also crush you on off days, the thing that matters most is the caloric deficit, major swings are not necessary, but they can work, but in the end as long as your in a deficit you will still lose just depends on how you want to do things and personal preference (For instance UD 2.0 and massiive swings from PSMF to refeeds)

So you're saying keep macros the same each day, in a deficit, and drop carbs 20-30g on off days?

My maintenance is right about 2500 and that's what I've been eating at the last couple months and weight has been steady.

I thought carb cycling would be more like keeping cals the same but eating high carb on workout days (300g) and low carbs on off days (150g)?

I've been looking into this for awhile and feel it may be an eating style I'd adopt indefinitely, but need to figure out exactly how I'm setting it up.

 

[The Solution]

Like i said above, PERSONAL PREFERENCE on how you want to do it.

if you instantly eat the same thing everyday, then jack carbs up to 300g on workout days and 150g on normal days you just added 150g of carbs which is 600 kcals and that wont really aid your weightloss because you just increased your total kcal amount.

your not factoring your 2500 kcals into the picture, the total amount of kcals is what matters for weightloss, not cycling your calories or carbs, if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight, and when you stall you either have to drop kcals, increase refeeds, or increase cardio.
Depending on leaness, what your already doing, your volume, your frequency of training, and many other factors that make a major difference in the big picture of weightloss/fatloss.

like i posted above you could eat 300g of carbs on workout days and 150g on off days, but if your kcals still = 2500 then it wont aid your weightloss because you said you stalled. If you want to drop kcals to 2400 since you stalled and eat that everyday i bet the ball will start rolling again because you increased the deficit slowly. which is key to weightloss and retaining muscle and not trying to lose a lot of strength when dieting.

 

[ChefJoey]

Like i said above, PERSONAL PREFERENCE on how you want to do it.

if you instantly eat the same thing everyday, then jack carbs up to 300g on workout days and 150g on normal days you just added 150g of carbs which is 600 kcals and that wont really aid your weightloss because you just increased your total kcal amount.

your not factoring your 2500 kcals into the picture, the total amount of kcals is what matters for weightloss, not cycling your calories or carbs, if you are eating in a deficit you will lose weight, and when you stall you either have to drop kcals, increase refeeds, or increase cardio.
Depending on leaness, what your already doing, your volume, your frequency of training, and many other factors that make a major difference in the big picture of weightloss/fatloss.

Yeah, I understand the calorie equation in it all.

On lifting days, I'd be raising my carbs up to 300 but dropping fats to keep the same overall cals for the day.

Was more or less setting this thread up to hear how people set up their diet and approached it I guess.

 

[The Solution]

Yeah, I understand the calorie equation in it all.

On lifting days, I'd be raising my carbs up to 300 but dropping fats to keep the same overall cals for the day.

Was more or less setting this thread up to hear how people set up their diet and approached it I guess.

You just set it up yourself,
There are countless articles on carb cycling by layne, shelyb etc right on google and you can look them up.
Also you could read Lyle's Ultimate Diet 2.0 which is an amazing book and highly suggest it.

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

the most effective carb cycleing plan ive followed was the zero impact diet by jack owac.
it starts u off the first month 2 no carb/low carb days, and 1 carb day.
the second and 3rd month you switch to 1 on 1 off for carb days.
after the 3rd month you should be ready to return to the carbs everyday routine with the insulin resistance of a 10 yr old.

 

[hvactech]

the most effective carb cycleing plan ive followed was the zero impact diet by jack owac.
it starts u off the first month 2 no carb/low carb days, and 1 carb day.
the second and 3rd month you switch to 1 on 1 off for carb days.
after the 3rd month you should be ready to return to the carbs everyday routine with the insulin resistance of a 10 yr old.

12 weeks of carb manipulation! Id go insane

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

12 weeks of carb manipulation! Id go insane

cooking was tedious... but results were gtg. also anyone can handle a couple days of no carbs.. its when people drop into ketosis that the mind starts to freak out a bit..so you could probably do this style diet and not be too bothered.. whereas the strict keto style diet might make u loose yo mind.

 

[The Solution]

cooking was tedious... but results were gtg. also anyone can handle a couple days of no carbs.. its when people drop into ketosis that the mind starts to freak out a bit..so you could probably do this style diet and not be too bothered.. whereas the strict keto style diet might make u loose yo mind.

UD 2.0 may do the same on PSMF then massive refeeds.

 

[ChefJoey]

cooking was tedious... but results were gtg. also anyone can handle a couple days of no carbs.. its when people drop into ketosis that the mind starts to freak out a bit..so you could probably do this style diet and not be too bothered.. whereas the strict keto style diet might make u loose yo mind.

So far I've been keeping cals below maintainence and cycling carbs on lift-off days.

I lift 3 days a week so those are my "high" carb days (around 250) and then my 4 other off days I keep carbs below 150 and increase fats to keep overall cals the same 7 days a week.

Too soon to tell as its only been a week but I thought low carb days would drive me crazy but I've barely even noticed.

 

[john.patterson]

i keep my carbs pretty low all the time. training days i shoot for 200-250g carbs. rest days i up the fats a little and go 100-150g carbs. then i usually have a higher carb day (leg day) that's 300-350g carbs once a week. This method has been working well for me

 

[xR1pp3Rx]

UD 2.0 may do the same on PSMF then massive refeeds.

believe me.. like I said, zero impact was far too labor intensive. also I prefer a CKD over all other diets. UD2.0 is good for the masses but I even more prefer its paternal parent body opus when it gets down to the nutz and bolts.

 

[The Solution]

believe me.. like I said, zero impact was far too labor intensive. also I prefer a CKD over all other diets. UD2.0 is good for the masses but I even more prefer its paternal parent body opus when it gets down to the nutz and bolts.

I feel you on that, my first contest prep i worked as a landscaper, and i was walking almost 7-8 miles a day on top of cardio and low kcals on a diet (lowest i got was 2,000) because of how much NEAT (non exercise activity) i racked up, still all that walking takes a toll on your legs. some days i would wake up not wanting to walk or get out of bed it was so damn bad.

 

[ChefJoey]

So far I've been keeping cals below maintainence and cycling carbs on lift-off days.

I lift 3 days a week so those are my "high" carb days (around 250) and then my 4 other off days I keep carbs below 150 and increase fats to keep overall cals the same 7 days a week.

Too soon to tell as its only been a week but I thought low carb days would drive me crazy but I've barely even noticed.

Doing this for about 8 days now and already seeing some slimming in the waist and chest. Not too difficult to follow when you get a rhythm.

Going to be experiencing with some load days as even my "high" days barely crack 200g/carbs. Likely introduce one a week on a heavy lift day.