What is carb cycling ? Now its not difficult to lose weight.
I’m so confident that carb cycling method works to lose weight, because it’s one I myself have used in the past and actively use with some of my clients.
Guys it’s time to get rid of that persistent belly fat by adopting a little known but highly effective research based eating technique called carb cycling. Proven to get results even with the most stubborn of belly fats.
by Fitness Expert Ingrid Dijoux — Owner and Co Founder Shapeit Gym & Street Wear — https://en.shapeitservices.com/
CARB CYCLING DIET THE OVERVIEW — EAT CARBS THE RIGHT WAY
Have you experienced this feeling of frustration from trying and painfully struggling with various “diets”? If your answer is yes, I understand how irritating that word is to the ears. You probably know of people, or maybe you yourself have tried this kind of “diet” where all sources of carbohydrates are to be banned…
(no no No, who would want to go without pizza forever? Not me, that’s for sure)
So, if you’ve tried this approach, chances are, you’ve experienced a rebound effect; whereby you’ve given into those never ending carb cravings and went all guns blazing. By this stage you probably realized that, that weight which you so struggled to lose came back quicker than you could say the word pizza.
The question then has to be asked…surly there’s another way. Well my friends, am here to tell you there is. In fact I’m so confident that this method works, because it’s one I myself have used in the past and actively use with some of my clients.
So what is carb cycling and how will it help you reach your goals?
Carb cycling is literally cycling your carbohydrate intake by using the days you train and the days you rest as an indicator as to what you’ll eat for that given day. In other words, the days when you go to practice your sports activity, will correspond to a high carbohydrate intake and the days when you do not practice any sports activities will be of a low carbohydrate intake. This is because you do not need the same amount of energy for the days in which you do not train. So in essence, this method of eating allows you to maintain a healthier relationship with carbohydrates, especially during your weight loss. Thus meaning you no longer have to demonize them by excluding them completely. Oh and by the way, the best part of carb cycling is that it is highly sustainable.
Now it should be noted that although some studies have attempted to say that humans can dispense with carbohydrates completely, as long as other macro nutrient intakes are correct; always remember that carbs are the number one fuel source, it’s how you consume them that matters.
Is carb cycling suitable for you?
The short answer is yes, because adopting this method will help you in objectifying your weight loss and also help you if you are struggling to come out of a stagnation phase. (You’re no longer able to see the numbers going down on the scale).
However it’s not just about weight loss. Carb cycling is also suitable for those of you who want to maintain your physical aesthetics & performance with less carbohydrate consumption. If however, you want to gain muscle mass, unfortunately studies have not yet confirmed a clear consensus as to the development of muscle mass through carb cycling. Again it should be noted that studies have not contradicted the theory that carb cycling could help to increase muscle mass.
How does crab cycling work?
Carb cycling can be done in one of the following two ways on a week by week basis.
Option 1:
Two days of high carbohydrate intake, 2 days of average carbohydrate intake and 2 days of low carbohydrate intake.
Option 2:
Three days of high carbohydrates intake and 4 days of low carbohydrate intake.
Whatever the day, the protein intake remains the same, the variation in the carbohydrate intake will however impact on your fat intake. On high carbohydrate days, less fat will be consumed and on low carbohydrate days, fat intake will be much higher. Thus, carb cycling should be seen more as a eating adaptation without any frustration because you’ll still be able to consume carbohydrates, fats, and protein! But be careful, this does not mean you no longer have to worry about controlling the source of your macro nutrients (so no, you cannot eat pizza every time it is your high carb day).
In addition, consuming food supplements can help you during your carb cycling journey. As previously mentioned, your protein intake must remain constant everyday and one of the best ways to ensure you always reach your daily target is through supplementation. I recommend supplementing your meals with whey isolate protein.
Why? Because it is the purest and it has a high protein rate. In addition to this, it is almost entirely lactose-free, cholesterol-free, fat-free and carbohydrate-free.
Now it’s not just about carbs, fats and protein. Consuming enough fiber is particularly important in order to allow better digestion in addition to being rich in vitamins and minerals. Many find it difficult to consume the recommended daily allowance of vegetables. Most supplement companies especially ones who provide organic and all natural supplements, will most like have some form or supplement mix that are is high in fiber. For example, Bulk powders’ super green mix Is a mix of broccoli, spinach, spirulina, kale and just a few scoops is perfect for your smoothies!
SO HOW DOES CARB CYCLING HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS?
To keep this simple, on the days when you train, the high intake of carbohydrates will allow you to have the necessary energy for your activity, you will rebuild your glycogen stock (where energy will come from for the next sessions) thus avoiding catabolism and allowing you to improve your performance.
In return, during your rest days and subsequent low carbohydrate intake, the body will be more able to burn fat as fuel because low carbohydrate intake forces our body to switch to an energy system mainly based on fats. In other words, your body will be focused on using your fat storage as energy. Remember carbs are the main source of fuel to the body, and if your body cannot burn carbs, it will burn fat. Now before you get excited and think that stopping carbs all together means, your body will just burn fat, well I have bad news. Your body is not concerned about having a six pack or a flat stomach. Our brains are programmed to maintain survival for as long as humanly possible. So if we take away any the body’s main source of fuel consumption for too long, eventually our brains will trigger what’s called survival mode. In this case, your metabolism grinds to a halt and when that happens …, well you do that math.
Now you’re probably thinking, “wait hang on, you said studies showed that humans could do without carbs”? Yes, yes I did, but those studies did not say you could lose weight effectively this way and furthermore, keep it from coming back. Hence why the process of intermittently lower your carb intake adopts better metabolic flexibility in regards to weight loss.
Are there any other benefits of carb cycling?
Indeed yes. I’m sure you’ve all heard of the hormone insulin and how it helps to regulate blood sugar when it is too high. For some individuals this hormone does not function properly because it is not produced by the pancreas or is not used properly by the body. In turn this can lead to unwanted weight gain. Carb cycling on days of low carbohydrate intake can increase the sensitivity of this hormone so that it is better able to further regulate blood sugar levels, causing the body to properly use the ingested glucose, stimulating carbohydrate synthesis. Prolonged periods of elevated blood sugar levels will lead to weight gain, hence why regulation is so important. It also improves cholesterol and general health.
The days of high carbohydrate intake, on the other hand, improve the functioning of hormones influencing the awakening of your appetite (ghrelin) and the regulation of it (leptin), in particular thyroid hormones and testosterone.
So you see carb cycling has numerous benefits. There are, however, some things that should not be overlooked if you want to take things further to ensure that you achieve your objective:
You still have to watch what you eat, but if done correctly carb cycling can offer more freedom as to enjoy your favorite meals.
Calorie intake
Carb cycling is not a magic weight loss fix. Let me be clear, by adopting this eating method, the key principles of weight loss still remains. In order to trigger weight loss you must create a calorie deficit. In other words, consuming fewer calories than you burn. Carb cycling is based on your Basal Metabolic Rate, so the amount of calories you have to consume will be specific to you.
If you are trying to build or maintain mass, it goes without saying that you will adapt your caloric intake, respectively by eating at a caloric surplus or the necessary intake relating to your metabolism.
The quality of the nutrients
Be careful here, because some people adopt the carb cycling method, thinking it allows them to eat any source of carbohydrates and types of food. However, this can affect your set objectives and the overall benefits of carb cycling. So you cannot be disappointed with this eating method if you do not give yourself the means to exploit its benefits fully.
Other ways to approach carb cycling
- eat more or less carbohydrates depending on the intensity and duration of your workouts. The longer and more intense the session, the more carbohydrate consumption will follow.
- eat more or less carbohydrates depending on your body fat percentage. The lower the fat mass, the more carbohydrates will be.
- eat a larger amount of carbohydrates before a competition.
Consume a significant amount of carbohydrates over one or a few days during a prolonged diet phase
Summary
We have explained the overview as to what carb cycling is and what its impacts are on physical objectives such as weight loss, performance and health… We have seen that it is not about eating everything without paying attention to the quality of the macro nutrients. Remember this blog post is aimed at providing a quick overview as to what carb cycling is and how it could potentially help you achieve your goals. But just like a car, there are many moving parts to this eating habit (so to speak), with each part requiring its very own blog post to discuss in detail; something we will be discussing further at later dates.
“Interested in personal training and or online coaching, then head on over to Gym Wear ou Coaching personnel | La Réunion | Shapeitservices and see how my training methods can help you achieve your goals”.
Read testimonials from our happy clients and see before and after pictures, because you are not yesterday, you are today for a better tomorrow — Ingrid Dijoux.
Gym Wear or Personal Training | Shapeitservices