Carbohydrates, along with protein and fat, are vital macronutrients that give the body energy for overall health. While too many refined carbs can cause weight gain and health issues, the problem is not the carbs themselves but how much and what kind you eat. That’s why carb cycling, a new dietary approach, involves alternating between high and low-carb intake days instead of completely eliminating carbs.

While low-carb and ketogenic diets are effective for fat loss, they might be hard to maintain in the long term. That’s where carb cycling comes in, providing an alternative approach. Carb cycling involves customising carbohydrate intake based on personal dietary needs and fitness goals. In this way, you can determine when your body needs low, medium, or high-carb days.

Keep reading to learn more about this approach and decide whether it suits your preferences and goals.

What is Carb Cycling?

Carb cycling, alternating between higher and lower carbohydrate intake days, tailors consumption to changing needs over weeks. This strategy ensures the body receives necessary carbohydrates for fuel and glycogen replenishment on high-carb days, relying on stored fat for energy on low-carb days. People also engage in calorie cycling, adjusting intake based on carb days, with some opting for intra-day carb cycling, focusing high-carb foods around workouts.

Benefits of Carb Cycling

Cycling between low-carb days and high-carb days feels less restrictive and easier than maintaining a consistently low-carb diet. This approach also provides additional benefits, including:

• Promote Metabolism

• Promotes Insulin Sensitivity

• Supports Weight Loss

• Improve Athletic Performance

Cycling between low-carb and high-carb days feels less restrictive and more sustainable than maintaining a consistently low-carb diet. This approach offers additional benefits, promoting metabolism by optimising carbohydrates for energy and recovery on active days while encouraging fat utilisation on less active days. It enhances insulin sensitivity, controls blood sugar spikes, and supports weight loss by achieving a balanced insulin release. Athletes use carb cycling strategically to improve performance, exploiting glycogen depletion for a leaner appearance on stage and optimising muscle gain.

Who Should Try Carb Cycling?

For endurance athletes or those on a low-carb diet, carb cycling suits well. It can help with enhancing muscle glycogen and performance upon carb reintroduction. Some find a lower-carb diet aids in weight maintenance and overall health. People with metabolic or digestive issues can effectively benefit from carb cycling by concentrating carb intake around workouts. While popular among keto-like, high-fat, low-carb dieters, carb cycling is not exclusive to high-fat diets.

How to Start Carb Cycling?

To start carb cycling, track your macros through an app or food journal. Determining daily carb grams is highly individualised, considering factors like body weight, age, sex, workout intensity, and listening to your body’s hunger cues. You must emphasise personalised approaches for optimal results.

On high-carb days, about 60% of calories come from complex carbs, while on low-carb days, some carbs are swapped for healthy fats. Alternatively, use 50 grams of carbs per day as a starting point for low-carb days, considering it a baseline for reaching ketosis. Customise the plan according to individual preferences and how your body responds

If you are considering a carb cycle, a weekly plan could look like this:

• Day 1: 50 grams carbs (Least intense training day)

• Day 2: 100 grams carbs

• Day 3: 150 grams carbs

• Day 4: 200 grams carbs(High intense training day)

• Day 5: 125 grams carbs

After day 5, you can cycle back to day one. Maintain consistent protein levels while modifying fat in alignment with carb adjustments. If carb intake rises, reduce fat consumption to balance the calorie shift. This approach better suits those aiming to achieve weight or body fat loss.

The Final Word

Carb cycling offers a flexible approach to managing carbohydrate intake, providing potential benefits for weight loss, muscle gain, and overall metabolic function. By alternating between high and low-carb days, individuals can tailor their nutrition to meet changing needs. However, it is essential to approach carb cycling cautiously, considering present health conditions and long-term sustainability.

The effectiveness of this approach relies on personalised planning, tracking, and consistency. While carb cycling may suit some individuals, it is not recommended as a long-term solution. Therefore, always consult with healthcare professionals or nutritionists before making significant changes to your diet.

We've all seen the headlines: "Grapefruit burns belly fat!" "Celery is a negative calorie food!" But are these claims really true? The truth is, there's no magic bullet for weight loss. Even though some foods can contribute to a healthy diet, they are unable to eliminate fat on their own. Let us examine the science underlying these common weight loss myths in more detail:

Myth #1: Grapefruit is a Fat-Burning Fruit

Although grapefruit is a nutrient-dense and delicious fruit, its ability to burn fat is greatly overstated. There is some evidence to suggest that grapefruit may assist in controlling insulin levels, which may have an indirect effect on managing weight. But grapefruit doesn't burn fat directly, and eating too much of it can interfere with some medications.

Myth #2: Celery is a Negative Calorie Food

Celery is a low-calorie food, but it's not negative calories. There is a tiny amount of calories burned when chewing celery, but not nearly enough to make up for what you eat. Although celery is an excellent source of fibre and water, it is not a miracle cure for weight loss.

Myth #3: Chili Peppers Torch Fat

Capsaicin, a substance found in chilli peppers, has the ability to mildly increase metabolism. It is unlikely to have a substantial impact on weight loss, though. Moderation is crucial while eating spicy food because it can also irritate your stomach.

Myth #4: Caffeine is a Fat-Burning Machine

While it can boost alertness and enhance physical performance, caffeine isn't a very effective fat burner. It might raise your metabolism a little bit, but it will only have a temporary impact. Anxiety, sleeplessness, and jitters can also result from consuming too much caffeine.

Carbs (carbohydrates) are found in a variety of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, bread, and pasta. Your body uses the foods you eat to produce glucose. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. Now, when I say carbs are not the enemy, I mean good carbs –the carbs that fuel the body to give energy. There are what you would call “bad carbs” out there as well, which are carbs that have been processed and have added sugar such as white bread, cakes, cookies, etc.

Eating a low carb diet helps to get the weight off quickly. But while you are losing weight on your low carb diet, you are not losing fat. On a low carb diet, you are simply losing water weight as your body breaks down stored carbohydrates. Once you begin eating carbs, you will gain the weight back. A low carb diet is not a normal balance of nutrition. I was a low carb chic for a little over a year and I lost a great deal of weight! Most days I felt great and then there were days that my energy level was depleted, on top of the fact that I worked out 5-6 days a week. It was not until I started working with registered dieticians, personal trainers, and my professors here at UAB that I realized I needed carbs to help my body with losing weight. Having a healthy balance of carbs in my diet gave me more energy to crush my workouts and burn more fat.

“Did you say carbs help you burn fat?” Why, yes, I did! Carbs not only fuel the body but aid in fat metabolism. Have you ever heard the phrase “fat burns in a carbohydrate flame”? Your body requires glycogen (glucose) to burn fat molecules for energy. Where do we get glucose from? CARBS! Once I started eating carbs again, I did gain some weight back. But with cardio, strength training, and choosing healthier carbs, I have been able to and still working towards the healthy/fit body that I want.

Carbs have many other benefits as well. Carbs fuel the brain, kidneys, heart muscles, and central nervous system. The fiber found in carbs helps with digestion and keeps you full longer. It is all about choosing the right carbs. Choose carbs that are full of nutrients. Here are few healthy carbohydrate rich foods:

• Whole grains: quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta, and whole-grain breakfast cereals.

• Fruits: berries, citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, bananas, and kiwifruit.

• Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, yams, corn. peas and carrots.

• Legumes: lentils, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, chickpeas, and soybeans

• Milk products: low-fat milk, plain yogurt, and soy yogurt

The Dietary for America 2010 recommends 45-65 percent of calories come from carbohydrates for adults. Which would be 225-325 grams of carbs on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Carbs are not the enemy; they are just the opposite! Fuel your body the right way. Have a great day, stay active and don’t forget to check out more My PHAT Life content!