Carb cycling

[cookiecrumb]

I am thinking of doing some carb cycling and have read a few good articles. I need to drop a few xmas pounds that "snuck up" on me. Just wondering if anyone has tried this.....for how long.....and how it worked.

[namtrag]

I just started doing it too, so I am interested to hear other people who have already done it.

I am cutting almost all carbs, excepting broccoli, cauliflower etc, except as follows:

Day 1: 1 cup of brown rice, 1/3 cup with 3 different meals

Day 2: 2 cups of brown rice, again split into 3 meals

Day 3: 3 cups, etc

Day 4: no rice

Will give you a report in a couple or 3 weeks.

[cookiecrumb]

Originally Posted by namtrag

I just started doing it too, so I am interested to hear other people who have already done it.

I am cutting almost all carbs, excepting broccoli, cauliflower etc, except as follows:

Day 1: 1 cup of brown rice, 1/3 cup with 3 different meals

Day 2: 2 cups of brown rice, again split into 3 meals

Day 3: 3 cups, etc

Day 4: no rice

Will give you a report in a couple or 3 weeks.

Hi Namtrag, I will be interested to hear your "report"! I am going to try this:


Mon, Tues., Wed. : 50 grams carbs or less.

Thurs: 100 grams

Fri. 200 grams

Then start the cycle at 50 grams of carbs for 3 days again. Of course the other rules apply....ie: eating at least 1 gram of pro. per pound of body weight.....including good fats, etc. I will let you know how it goes too.

[someday]

Originally Posted by cookiecrumb

Hi Namtrag, I will be interested to hear your "report"! I am going to try this:


Mon, Tues., Wed. : 50 grams carbs or less.

Thurs: 100 grams

Fri. 200 grams

Then start the cycle at 50 grams of carbs for 3 days again. Of course the other rules apply....ie: eating at least 1 gram of pro. per pound of body weight.....including good fats, etc. I will let you know how it goes too.

cookiecrumb----our stats are similar and that looks about right for you imo. btw, you look great! very lean for 148.

[emmie]

Originally Posted by cookiecrumb

Mon, Tues., Wed. : 50 grams carbs or less.

Thurs: 100 grams

Fri. 200 grams

Will the carbs in your broccoli.cauliflower/green beans/whatever count towards the day's total?

[Eileen]

Or take a look at the Keto forum.

[Mr. Someday]

Carb cycling is super effective in dropping bodyfat! Timing is important as well, but I'm guessing you already know this cookiecrumb from your pics (unless you are just a genetic freak. lol) I have high, medium and low days when cycling and bodyfat loss is simply adjusted by adding more low days and/or more cardio. If I'm not in contest prep, I would only do a high, med, low, high, med, low rotation as there is no need to get extreme right from the start....just adjust accordingly as you go along. Also, carb cutoffs are a great idea to incorporate with the cycling as well (i.e., nothing but fibrous carbs after say 5-6pm, unless you work out at night). In my experience, fibrous carbs are nearly free foods, so I wouldn't count the carbs. Free or not though, they still suck!!!

[someday]

Originally Posted by emmie

Will the carbs in your broccoli.cauliflower/green beans/whatever count towards the day's total?

i don't count them, but my only veggies are broccoli, spinach, zuchinni, lettuce and peppers. i think cauliflower was on the list, but i can't eat it plain.

carbs that count are oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes... etc

[namtrag]

I am counting the same way as Someday, emmie.

[Gunn27]

I have used carb cycling with great success. So much so, that I plan to use it in my preparation for my first competition later in the year.

[Feelinthepump]

I did it for about 6 months when I was about 24. I got great results. Got down to 4.4% body fat - without using any type of fat burners/metabolism increasers. I will tell you how I did it, but keep in mind you will need to modify this to work with your own "body." You will probably think that I am insane, but this worked spectacularily well for me. If I remember, my cycling looked something like this:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday < 100 g of carbs (alot less) and as little fat as possible, with a total caloric intake just under BMR. Almost all my calories cam from chicken and spinach on those days. Ate about a pound of chicken breast everyday.

Friday - Total caloric intake @ BMR, but with the majority of it coming from complex carbs, low protein intake, and as little fat as possible.

Saturday and Sunday, Total caloric intake at least 2 X BMR. Don't remember the breakdown real well (this was 12-13 years ago) but I think it was approx. 40% protein, 30% complex carbs, and 30% fat. It's really important to eat like a pig on these days. I pretty much ate all day long.

Overall eliminated any NON-complex carbs from my diet completely. With the exception of one cheat meal - dinner every saturday night ate whatever I wanted. (within reason)

I know this sounds crazy, but it really worked. Better than ECA The only problem is that it is extremely tough mentally. Since you are constantly on a cycle back and forth you never get used to not having carbs. By Thursday morning your brain isn't functioning properly, and you are seriously ready to kill someone. You just don't have the energy to actually do it. I'd steer clear of this if you are in college right now. It would probably have a negative impact on your GPA.

[fvogel67]

Hey cookiecrumb,I am doing the almost exact same thing you want to do.I am into the third week and getting great results.Good luck.

[emmie]

Thanks Someday and Namtrag !

Does this apply even if someone eats a hell of a lot of veggies? So far I've had close to 40g carbs just from broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans...and I could eat a lot more!

I'm not actively trying to cut down on my carbs, but I am always in awe when I read that someone can get by on 50 g. carbs/day. I've been curious about how people count the carbs, and since I have the capacity to eat a ton of veggies (non-starchy) I always count the calories and carbs from them.

[namtrag]

If my trainer, who has me cycling for the first time, says broccoli, cauliflower and the like don't count, I am gonna believe him. Once you see the pic you will know why.

[cookiecrumb]

Originally Posted by someday

cookiecrumb----our stats are similar and that looks about right for you imo. btw, you look great! very lean for 148.

Hey, thanks, I was thinking the same thing about you at 5'6, 148. You look awesome. I want your abs and am going to try to get them for summer.

[cookiecrumb]

Originally Posted by Mr. Someday

Carb cycling is super effective in dropping bodyfat! Timing is important as well, but I'm guessing you already know this cookiecrumb from your pics (unless you are just a genetic freak. lol) I have high, medium and low days when cycling and bodyfat loss is simply adjusted by adding more low days and/or more cardio. If I'm not in contest prep, I would only do a high, med, low, high, med, low rotation as there is no need to get extreme right from the start....just adjust accordingly as you go along. Also, carb cutoffs are a great idea to incorporate with the cycling as well (i.e., nothing but fibrous carbs after say 5-6pm, unless you work out at night). In my experience, fibrous carbs are nearly free foods, so I wouldn't count the carbs. Free or not though, they still suck!!!

Thanks for the info. Are you (Mr. Someday) and Someday related?

[cookiecrumb]

Originally Posted by Feelinthepump

I did it for about 6 months when I was about 24. I got great results. Got down to 4.4% body fat - without using any type of fat burners/metabolism increasers. I will tell you how I did it, but keep in mind you will need to modify this to work with your own "body." You will probably think that I am insane, but this worked spectacularily well for me. If I remember, my cycling looked something like this:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday < 100 g of carbs (alot less) and as little fat as possible, with a total caloric intake just under BMR. Almost all my calories cam from chicken and spinach on those days. Ate about a pound of chicken breast everyday.

Friday - Total caloric intake @ BMR, but with the majority of it coming from complex carbs, low protein intake, and as little fat as possible.

Saturday and Sunday, Total caloric intake at least 2 X BMR. Don't remember the breakdown real well (this was 12-13 years ago) but I think it was approx. 40% protein, 30% complex carbs, and 30% fat. It's really important to eat like a pig on these days. I pretty much ate all day long.

Overall eliminated any NON-complex carbs from my diet completely. With the exception of one cheat meal - dinner every saturday night ate whatever I wanted. (within reason)

I know this sounds crazy, but it really worked. Better than ECA The only problem is that it is extremely tough mentally. Since you are constantly on a cycle back and forth you never get used to not having carbs. By Thursday morning your brain isn't functioning properly, and you are seriously ready to kill someone. You just don't have the energy to actually do it. I'd steer clear of this if you are in college right now. It would probably have a negative impact on your GPA.

Thanks for the reply. No worries about being in college here, unfortunately. I am serious about getting lean and mean for summer.......I WILL have Someday's 6 pack!!!!

[emmie]

Originally Posted by namtrag

If my trainer, who has me cycling for the first time, says broccoli, cauliflower and the like don't count, I am gonna believe him. Once you see the pic you will know why.

I wish you could see the smile on my face! Yeah, doesn't look like the broccoli carbs have done him any harm .

May I ask you, do you restrict the amount of veggies you eat, or do you you just treat them as a free food? And you disregard their caloric content?

I'm sorry if I'm seeming dense about this, but since I do count everything (if it goes in my mouth, it's counted) I'm wondering if it's worth it. The way I see it now, 300 calories worth of veggies is 300 calories. Period.

[cookiecrumb]

Originally Posted by namtrag

If my trainer, who has me cycling for the first time, says broccoli, cauliflower and the like don't count, I am gonna believe him. Once you see the pic you will know why.

OK, I believe him!!!!

[warbird00]

Originally Posted by cookiecrumb

I am thinking of doing some carb cycling and have read a few good articles. I need to drop a few xmas pounds that "snuck up" on me. Just wondering if anyone has tried this.....for how long.....and how it worked.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do...11783&pageNo=0

EDITops, just relized this was 35 over, oh well, i can still help
goodluck

[jspirate]

Originally Posted by emmie

Will the carbs in your broccoli.cauliflower/green beans/whatever count towards the day's total?

Do not count the carbs for the vegetables listed above, but there are vegetables were you do need to count the carbs. Corn and some other veggies can get relatively high on the GI index, so you have to keep that in mind.

Kindest regards...

[glycomann]

Originally Posted by cookiecrumb

I am thinking of doing some carb cycling and have read a few good articles. I need to drop a few xmas pounds that "snuck up" on me. Just wondering if anyone has tried this.....for how long.....and how it worked.

Years ago my wife and I did a similar cycle for 6 weeks. It worked really well. She could get to ketosis nearly every day but I couldn't but both did well on the diet. The one we did cycled protein as well. The protein days were difficult. Higher carb days were such a relief.

[eddied27]

cookie and others.....carb cycling works and I think others have pointed that out!

Check out this thread from last year and also Halleluyah's Carb Cycling; Fix for Fat Loss Plateau (link on first page of below thread). By far....some of the better material about Carb Cycling on this board.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=706139

Good luck with it cookie.....and others!

[namtrag]

Don't count the broccoli type vegs, they are free. I would love to be there when you tried to eat 300 calories worth, thats a lot of broccoli.

I eat a whole bag of Birdseye Steamer Broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, etc at lunch every day. 12oz of vegs only 140 calories.

[someday]

emmie- i get unlimited veggies in any of my meals,but keep in mind there is a difference in types of veggies.....hence mentioning my list. the same would not apply if you were eating carrots, peas, tomatoes, onions.. etc.

cookiecrumb- yes, we are related. lol...happily married for 15 years w/ two kids. and btw, my av is from my last show a year and a half ago and i competed at 125. i am 15 weeks out from a show now and hope to come in around 130 with even better abs this time.

[empresscat]

Originally Posted by cookiecrumb

OK, I believe him!!!!

Me too.
Whatever it was he said...


What were we talking about?
(*me-ow*)

[emmie]

Originally Posted by namtrag

Don't count the broccoli type vegs, they are free. I would love to be there when you tried to eat 300 calories worth, thats a lot of broccoli.

You might want to be there to see it, but you probably wouldn't want to be there a couple of hours later

Originally Posted by someday

emmie- i get unlimited veggies in any of my meals,but keep in mind there is a difference in types of veggies.....hence mentioning my list. the same would not apply if you were eating carrots, peas, tomatoes, onions.. etc.

Thanks Someday! Those (the NSV) are the only veggies I eat. Occasionally I'll munch on a carrot, but I know that their carb count is significant higher than some other veggie choices. I appreciate your input.

One more boneheaded question: If my daily caloric budget were 1800 cals and I have, up to now, been counting the calories I've been getting from veggies, do I now have carte-blanche to add in calories from pro or fat...essentially "replacing" the 300 veggie cals (which don't count) with 300 calories which DO count?

I still hold on to the belief that a calorie is a calorie, no matter what the source - but I'd be delighted to be proven wrong!

[someday]

i don't know your stats and i'm not sure what your goals are...not to mention what you're eating right now, so i can't really give an informed opinion.

[cookiecrumb]

Originally Posted by someday

emmie- i get unlimited veggies in any of my meals,but keep in mind there is a difference in types of veggies.....hence mentioning my list. the same would not apply if you were eating carrots, peas, tomatoes, onions.. etc.

cookiecrumb- yes, we are related. lol...happily married for 15 years w/ two kids. and btw, my av is from my last show a year and a half ago and i competed at 125. i am 15 weeks out from a show now and hope to come in around 130 with even better abs this time.

Heyya Someday. OK, that makes sense, that your avatar was at your competition weight. You look great! I am fairly lean at 148, the avatar photo was at about 152 pounds actually. ...... I am thinking that at about 135 I can have that 6 pack!! I am going to apply the info. from this thread and see what happens. Hopefully I will be able to put up a new avatar with my "ripped self" by June. I will just keep looking at your pic....it is very inspirational!!

[emmie]

Originally Posted by someday

i don't know your stats and i'm not sure what your goals are...not to mention what you're eating right now, so i can't really give an informed opinion.

You're absolutely right! It was more of a rhetorical question, and I should have stated it as such. I'm on-target with my goals and satisfied with my current diet. I suppose what attracted me to this topic is, as I said earlier, my awe that people can get by on 50g or less carbs per day. Knowing now that they do not count the carbs from fibrous veggies makes 50 g seem more do-able. 'Tho I'd still have a hard time with it! And have no plans to try it.

But...what about the idea that a calorie is a calorie, regardless of whether it comes from broccoli or oatmeal?