Cycling carbohydrate intake for fat loss...

[the big 1]

Im 5.9
190lbs
fairly lean at about 14% bf

Just wondering if anyone can give me a few pointers as to whether this carb cycling diet looks OK, ive writen the macros for each day...

My maint kcals are 3000, so im gonna go for 2500 kcals on low days and 3000 on my carb up days...the goal here is fat loss...

Monday - low carb
tuesday - low carb
wednesday - high carb
thursday - low carb
friday - low carb
saturday - high carb
sunday - low carb

Low carb day macros
Pro 300g / carb 100 / healthy fats 100g / totals 2500kcal

High carb day macros
Pro 250g / carb 400 / healthy fats 44g / totals 3000kcal

so all my fats are coming from healthy sources, like nuts, salmon, natural peanut butter, olive oil and oily fishs...

All my carbs are low GI based, like sweet potatoes, brown pasta and rice, veggies(for fibre), steal oats etc...

My back and leg session's fall on wednesday and friday, so the high carb days are really gonna help me recover better...

My main aim is to increase my insulin sensitivity to carbs, because i dont react well to them...

any thoughts on how i can make this better are much appreciated, if ive left any important info out just ask me...

[the big 1]

bump

[Times Roman]

My main aim is to increase my insulin sensitivity to carbs...

I'm going to take a stab at this and suggest that trying to change your insulin sensitivity is like trying to slow a train. I don't think you can turn it around in a matter of days. Even the atkins diet explains the first two weeks with "no" (under 25gms/day) carbs is required to even start this process. I believe changing your insulin sensitivity is a long term goal, and if truly that is what you want to do, then you need to think a diet similar to what a diabetic would eat. Typically, I would think "low carbs" would mean under 50 grams a day, after your induction phase. To achieve improved insulin sensitivity, yes, typically you would expect a low carb diet. However, with such a diet, it usually would be an "all or nothing" approach, meaning you cannot pick which days you are on or off. With low carb, you are off, otherwise, you are on. Low carb is a strict diet.

If I'm wrong, please educate me.

[the big 1]

I'm going to take a stab at this and suggest that trying to change your insulin sensitivity is like trying to slow a train. I don't think you can turn it around in a matter of days. Even the atkins diet explains the first two weeks with "no" (under 25gms/day) carbs is required to even start this process. I believe changing your insulin sensitivity is a long term goal, and if truly that is what you want to do, then you need to think a diet similar to what a diabetic would eat. Typically, I would think "low carbs" would mean under 50 grams a day, after your induction phase. To achieve improved insulin sensitivity, yes, typically you would expect a low carb diet. However, with such a diet, it usually would be an "all or nothing" approach, meaning you cannot pick which days you are on or off. With low carb, you are off, otherwise, you are on. Low carb is a strict diet.

If I'm wrong, please educate me.

I dont know alot myself thats why im asking !

however, people who are already quite lean and exercise regularly are quite sensitive to insulin, so it wont be hard for someone with fairly low bf to increase insulin sensitivity...

not sure what you meant by i cant pick which days im on and off ??? on and off what ???

[Times Roman]

not sure what you meant by i cant pick which days im on and off ??? on and off what ???

on and off carbs. as you age, you become less sensitive to insulin, which is why you need more insulin to stabilize your blood sugar levels. this is called onset diabetes if it gets out of control. Everyone is born with a very low sensitivity to insulin (only a little controls blood sugar levels). But over the years, as the intake of carbs increases, the body needs more to do the same job. By reducing to almost zero your carb intake, you give your body a chance to desentitize, so to speak. But this is a slow process. If it were a quick process, then many diabetics that became so late in life would be able to "kick" in a matter of a short period of time. The reality is, many can't. A few years ago, my doc gave me the heads up that I could have problems later on if I don't change my lifestyle. So I went on a strict Atkins for a year, lost all the weight, switched to a south beach, kept the weight off, and my doc gave me a thumbs up on the insulin sensitivity (also the blood pressure and cholestoral). So if your goal is to improve your insulin sensitivity, then the reality is low carbs (less than 25 gms/day) for two weeks (induction phase), then the maintenance phase is under 50 gms/day. If you hold it there at 50 gms/day or less, then over time, you will be able to achieve your goals. Introducing carbs twice a week should trigger another induction phase for two weeks. No shortcuts here brother! unfortunately, the goals you stated, improved insulin sensitivity, may be at odds with your other goals - strength training and muscular growth. Maximizing one goal (muscular growth), will probably negatively impact the other goal (improved insulin sensitivity). Hope this helps!

[Times Roman]

an easier way of saying this is that switching back and forth between low and high carbs during the week will be a total waste of time if your goal is to reduce your sensitivity to insulin.

[the big 1]

on and off carbs. as you age, you become less sensitive to insulin, which is why you need more insulin to stabilize your blood sugar levels. this is called onset diabetes if it gets out of control. Everyone is born with a very low sensitivity to insulin (only a little controls blood sugar levels). But over the years, as the intake of carbs increases, the body needs more to do the same job. By reducing to almost zero your carb intake, you give your body a chance to desentitize, so to speak. But this is a slow process. If it were a quick process, then many diabetics that became so late in life would be able to "kick" in a matter of a short period of time. The reality is, many can't. A few years ago, my doc gave me the heads up that I could have problems later on if I don't change my lifestyle. So I went on a strict Atkins for a year, lost all the weight, switched to a south beach, kept the weight off, and my doc gave me a thumbs up on the insulin sensitivity (also the blood pressure and cholestoral). So if your goal is to improve your insulin sensitivity, then the reality is low carbs (less than 25 gms/day) for two weeks (induction phase), then the maintenance phase is under 50 gms/day. If you hold it there at 50 gms/day or less, then over time, you will be able to achieve your goals. Introducing carbs twice a week should trigger another induction phase for two weeks. No shortcuts here brother! unfortunately, the goals you stated, improved insulin sensitivity, may be at odds with your other goals - strength training and muscular growth. Maximizing one goal (muscular growth), will probably negatively impact the other goal (improved insulin sensitivity). Hope this helps!

thanks for your in put mate, very helpful...

so say i drop the insulin sensitivity goal for a moment and say my goal is to lose fat and keep my muscle....wont this diet help for that ?

i have read many articles saying that cycling carbs is great for fat loss ?

[NVR2BIG1]

if your carbs and macros are where they need to be, there is no reason to have high carb days/low carb days. Besides, how do you know your body really needs xy amount of carbs on day 1,2 or day 3? This approach to dieting is a poor one, I've rarely seen people who go 100 grams/day carbs for extended periods of time and look any better than a guy who eats 2-300 grams/day of carbs. Actually they usually end up looking worse, they lose a bunch of weight but a bunch of muscle in the process. Everyone is going to tell you that if your protien is really high you wont lose muscle, but I'm here to tell you thats bullshit, when you go too long on low carbs you lose muscle and lots of it

[the big 1]

if your carbs and macros are where they need to be, there is no reason to have high carb days/low carb days. Besides, how do you know your body really needs xy amount of carbs on day 1,2 or day 3? This approach to dieting is a poor one, I've rarely seen people who go 100 grams/day carbs for extended periods of time and look any better than a guy who eats 2-300 grams/day of carbs. Actually they usually end up looking worse, they lose a bunch of weight but a bunch of muscle in the process. Everyone is going to tell you that if your protien is really high you wont lose muscle, but I'm here to tell you thats bullshit, when you go too long on low carbs you lose muscle and lots of it

what about my high carb days when i have 400 grams of carbs ? wont that stop me getting to depleted ? and replenish glycogen ?

doesnt having the same amount of calories and macros day in day out slow the metabolism down when dieting ? your body adapts to the low calorie diet and slows down its metabolism and fat burning stops, by having a high carb day and increasing calories twice a week your metabolism normalises and fat burning continues ....

[Times Roman]

thanks for your in put mate, very helpful...

so say i drop the insulin sensitivity goal for a moment and say my goal is to lose fat and keep my muscle....wont this diet help for that ?

i have read many articles saying that cycling carbs is great for fat loss ?

Yes. Those are better goals. Fat loss and keep muscle. But now you need to take the swings out of your carb intake, and maintain a healthy level.

[NVR2BIG1]

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what about my high carb days when i have 400 grams of carbs ? wont that stop me getting to depleted ? and replenish glycogen ?

doesnt having the same amount of calories and macros day in day out slow the metabolism down when dieting ? your body adapts to the low calorie diet and slows down its metabolism and fat burning stops, by having a high carb day and increasing calories twice a week your metabolism normalises and fat burning continues ....

Your saying your already at 14% bf right? Try this bro, go the other route and remove almost ALL FATS. Throw in some lean red meat once every couple days but other than that no fats, no peanut butter, no flax oil, no fish oil,, NOTHING. At 14% your body has enough stored fat for energy as it is, once you start zoning in around 7-8 % now add the supplemental fats back in. I dont keep taking and taking on my diet, I actually begin adding things back into the equation as my bodyfat gets lower. But the problem I've found with 2 days low carb, 1 day high carb, is just because you have that one higher carb day, when you do this over a prolonged period of time, wks and months, your still taxing muscularity. Also, those super low carb days seem to make it more desirable to cheat, on a moderate carb diet I can keep things smooth and steady and go 2,3, maybe even 4 wks with no cheat meals. I've found my body not to like being shocked, all this talk about how you have to shock your body and keep it guessing is over rated dude. How do you know 100 grams of carbs on your low carb days is enough, how do you know 400 grams on your high carb days is enough? On average over the course of 3 days thats 200 grams/day of carbs, why not just do a steady 200 grams/day of carbs and feel more stable/energetic? This is just my opinion dude, from my own experiences. But I will say this, I've done diets for many competitors, and nobody ever looked like shit on my moderate carb/low fat approach. All that peanut butter and almonds, and flax oil, that shit clogs you up and weighs you down bro, these cats are all like talking parrots on these boards. They all tell you to take your flax oil and eat the shit out of peanut butter and greens and no carbs. **** all that, people aint that damn different, people think they're carb sensitive but if they ate low glycemic carbs on a steady basis tghey'd be surprised they're just like everyone else, they can go 2-300 grams/day and look fantastic. Also, 2-300 grams/day already is low carb!! Think about it bro, all the energy you expend in the gym, cardio, even 2-300 is low, but 100 is insane. Unless a thyroid problem I see no reason to go that low

[Times Roman]

[/COLOR]

what about my high carb days when i have 400 grams of carbs ? wont that stop me getting to depleted ? and replenish glycogen ?

doesnt having the same amount of calories and macros day in day out slow the metabolism down when dieting ? your body adapts to the low calorie diet and slows down its metabolism and fat burning stops, by having a high carb day and increasing calories twice a week your metabolism normalises and fat burning continues ....

forget the carb swings! on heavy carb days, you body will dump insulin, which in turn will force your body to dump glycogen. A very vicious cycle indeed! A little creatine may do the trick instead of all the carb swings!

[NVR2BIG1]

forget the carb swings! on heavy carb days, you body will dump insulin, which in turn will force your body to dump glycogen. A very vicious cycle indeed! A little creatine may do the trick instead of all the carb swings!

precisely!! With a moderate carb/low fat approach, the body starts eating all of the fat it can very quickly, the muscles still get proper fluid intake and nutrients so they look big and full, and after most fat stores have been utilized and bodyfat drops, now the carbs start making the metabolism burn even faster and faster. You eat 2 cups of rice and an hour later your starving again, this is what you want.

[the big 1]

Your saying your already at 14% bf right? Try this bro, go the other route and remove almost ALL FATS. Throw in some lean red meat once every couple days but other than that no fats, no peanut butter, no flax oil, no fish oil,, NOTHING. At 14% your body has enough stored fat for energy as it is, once you start zoning in around 7-8 % now add the supplemental fats back in. I dont keep taking and taking on my diet, I actually begin adding things back into the equation as my bodyfat gets lower. But the problem I've found with 2 days low carb, 1 day high carb, is just because you have that one higher carb day, when you do this over a prolonged period of time, wks and months, your still taxing muscularity. Also, those super low carb days seem to make it more desirable to cheat, on a moderate carb diet I can keep things smooth and steady and go 2,3, maybe even 4 wks with no cheat meals. I've found my body not to like being shocked, all this talk about how you have to shock your body and keep it guessing is over rated dude. How do you know 100 grams of carbs on your low carb days is enough, how do you know 400 grams on your high carb days is enough? On average over the course of 3 days thats 200 grams/day of carbs, why not just do a steady 200 grams/day of carbs and feel more stable/energetic? This is just my opinion dude, from my own experiences. But I will say this, I've done diets for many competitors, and nobody ever looked like shit on my moderate carb/low fat approach. All that peanut butter and almonds, and flax oil, that shit clogs you up and weighs you down bro, these cats are all like talking parrots on these boards. They all tell you to take your flax oil and eat the shit out of peanut butter and greens and no carbs. **** all that, people aint that damn different, people think they're carb sensitive but if they ate low glycemic carbs on a steady basis tghey'd be surprised they're just like everyone else, they can go 2-300 grams/day and look fantastic. Also, 2-300 grams/day already is low carb!! Think about it bro, all the energy you expend in the gym, cardio, even 2-300 is low, but 100 is insane. Unless a thyroid problem I see no reason to go that low

that is brilliant advice mate, thankyou very much.

just a few questions...

1. shall i totally cut out fats, for example - the fats in the oil i use to cook meats, also things like adding a yolk or to to my whites in the morning for flavour, is that ok ? how low should i take fat intake ?

2. I usually eat about 320g of protien a day, is that to much ? im 190lbs btw

3. i just cant see myself losing weight on high carbs ? do you think its maybe because i cut carbs at meal 3, then meals 4,5 and 6 are pro/fat ?

[the big 1]

precisely!! With a moderate carb/low fat approach, the body starts eating all of the fat it can very quickly, the muscles still get proper fluid intake and nutrients so they look big and full, and after most fat stores have been utilized and bodyfat drops, now the carbs start making the metabolism burn even faster and faster. You eat 2 cups of rice and an hour later your starving again, this is what you want.

OK im convinced, im making a f*cking log for this new diet!!!
ive shunned carbs for so long i dont even remember the last time i ate over 200grams in a day !

[the big 1]

Im gonna shoot for

protien 300 grams
carbs 300 grams
and have 1 meal a day where i have a few fats, like eggs or nuts...

this would add up to about 2500 calories a day...

[Times Roman]

that is brilliant advice mate, thankyou very much.

just a few questions...

1. shall i totally cut out fats, for example - the fats in the oil i use to cook meats, also things like adding a yolk or to to my whites in the morning for flavour, is that ok ? how low should i take fat intake ?

2. I usually eat about 320g of protien a day, is that to much ? im 190lbs btw

3. i just cant see myself losing weight on high carbs ? do you think its maybe because i cut carbs at meal 3, then meals 4,5 and 6 are pro/fat ?

I'm going to take another stab at this. If you really want to lose bf, then I would seriously be looking at cardio. Diet for musclar growth and cardio for fat loss. I do a 30 to 45 minute walk/jog daily, and my calorie intake is up, and I am slowly reducing BF, and at the same time adding LBM. I think if you try to control both goals (reduce BF and improve LBM) with diet alone, you fall short of your potential.

[Times Roman]

Im gonna shoot for

protien 300 grams
carbs 300 grams
and have 1 meal a day where i have a few fats, like eggs or nuts...

this would add up to about 2500 calories a day...

but instead of three big meals, break it up into eqally spaced 5 smaller meals of the same amount. it improves metabolism and you will get a better result.

[the big 1]

but instead of three big meals, break it up into eqally spaced 5 smaller meals of the same amount. it improves metabolism and you will get a better result.

ive been eating 6 meals a day for over three years ! im just pissed off with my conditioning , i do cardio daily aswell, i think it may be the drop in carbs what is slowing my metabolism , so im gonna just have 5 carb and protien meals, and 1 fat and protien meal a day...

i dont wanna totaly cut fat from my diet, for health reasons

[Times Roman]

Everyone is going to tell you that if your protien is really high you wont lose muscle, but I'm here to tell you thats bullshit, when you go too long on low carbs you lose muscle and lots of it

I think I agree with this statement. Proponents of the Atkins diet, and other low carb diets, all tend to say, and accurately so, that large amounts of fat can be lost. They make claims that the weight you lose can be upwards of 80 to 90 % fat. Ok, sounds good, right? What do you think that other 10 - 20 % is? Let me tell you brother, it aint sand in your pocket. It's LBM. So If a dude loses 50 lbs on a low carb, hi protein diet, and 80% is fat, that means he just lost 10 lbs of muscle. That's almost a years worth of growth!!!

[gbrice75]

This is an interesting thread that I will definitely keep an eye on. This board is FULL of people who are big on protein/fat meals. I have pained for a year over these theories and various advice from board members. My diet has been modified and refined so many times, it's insane.

I am currently on a roughly 40/40/20 split - was at 3000 calories/day, but noticed some fat gain so I dropped it back to 2500 calories - however the majority of calories cut were from carbs. I am now eating roughly 300g protein, 200g carbs, and 65g fat each day.

When you say low fat, how many grams are we talking in a day? I can't believe we're coming full circle, back to low fat talk!

Looking forward to feedback and also some other members' opinions here.

[the big 1]

This is an interesting thread that I will definitely keep an eye on. This board is FULL of people who are big on protein/fat meals. I have pained for a year over these theories and various advice from board members. My diet has been modified and refined so many times, it's insane.

I am currently on a roughly 40/40/20 split - was at 3000 calories/day, but noticed some fat gain so I dropped it back to 2500 calories - however the majority of calories cut were from carbs. I am now eating roughly 300g protein, 200g carbs, and 65g fat each day.

When you say low fat, how many grams are we talking in a day? I can't believe we're coming full circle, back to low fat talk!

Looking forward to feedback and also some other members' opinions here.

hey man i totally know were your coming from, it can be hard to follow a strict diet because even if its calculated perfectly on paper, in reality its far from perfect...

Ive currently been eating around 2500 kcal also, and doing cardio, my first three meals are pro/carb and the last three are pro/fat and veggies.
It actually didnt work to bad at getting me lean, but i was fairly flat and on only 150grams of carbs a day, which i now know is the reason for me losing that 'buff' look i had previously...

My new approach after getting advice from ROMAN and NVR2BIG is going to be, high protien, moderate carbs and low fat...
300 protien 300 carbs, and just get fats from the meat i eat and oil i use to cook it in... then every 3 days im having a beef meal before training so im not to deprived of fat... (sound good fellas ?)

To be honest, after eating 300g of carbs and protien today i feel GREAT !, i have a real appetite and more energy, my delt and tri workout was brilliant, and i feel satisfyed and dont crave junk as usual... i think it was all that peanut butter, brazil nuts and oils that were slowing down my metabolism and making me feel lethargic ?

[Times Roman]

hey man i totally know were your coming from, it can be hard to follow a strict diet because even if its calculated perfectly on paper, in reality its far from perfect...

Ive currently been eating around 2500 kcal also, and doing cardio, my first three meals are pro/carb and the last three are pro/fat and veggies.
It actually didnt work to bad at getting me lean, but i was fairly flat and on only 150grams of carbs a day, which i now know is the reason for me losing that 'buff' look i had previously...

My new approach after getting advice from ROMAN and NVR2BIG is going to be, high protien, moderate carbs and low fat...
300 protien 300 carbs, and just get fats from the meat i eat and oil i use to cook it in... then every 3 days im having a beef meal before training so im not to deprived of fat... (sound good fellas ?)

To be honest, after eating 300g of carbs and protien today i feel GREAT !, i have a real appetite and more energy, my delt and tri workout was brilliant, and i feel satisfyed and dont crave junk as usual... i think it was all that peanut butter, brazil nuts and oils that were slowing down my metabolism and making me feel lethargic ?

I agree. It is definately a tight rope we walk. I think as long as your carbs don't go too low you should be OK. Im not a nutrionist so I'm not going to throw a number out there for how many grams of carbs you need... we are all different, so you will have to go trial and error. About six months ago, my carbs were too low, and I was coming to work post work out, grumpy, irritable, not feeling 100%. A lady in my office used to body build and worked at a gym. She was the one that asked me if I was eating enough carbs. Once I upped my carb intake, things immediately got better for me... better work outs, better attitude, wasn't so tired all the time. You will have to play around with it, but once you start to experience the sides I just mentioned, that's probably a clue you are running too few carbs and time to up it a bit. Good luck bro and tell us how it turns out for you!

[n00bs]

Just curious what makes you think you have insulin sensitivity? Have you had any tests to confirm this or just something you ''feel'?


n00bs

[Times Roman]

...and btw... don't forget to eat your veggies! =)

[the big 1]

...and btw... don't forget to eat your veggies! =)

Haha, always mate, i love my greens !

[the big 1]

Just curious what makes you think you have insulin sensitivity? Have you had any tests to confirm this or just something you ''feel'?


n00bs

Well those who are extremely sensitivity to insulin are better off because there body will use the carbs they eat better, by storing them in the muscles instead of adipose tissue...

but when someone holds alot of fat or eats the wrong food or is diabetic, they become resistant to insulin...and basically dont burn there fuel they eat...

Now, im not insulin resistant, but im around 14 % bf and need to lose some fat, so increasing my insulin sensitivity would help me alot, because i wont store so much fat when i consume large amounts of food...

to do this im doing lots of cardio and eating slow digesting carbs, im also taking ALA, which is a supplement that helps flush all the carbs and aminos you eat right in to were you need them ie THE MUSCLES !!!

I think i got this right ? but you see what i mean now ?

[the big 1]

so heres my new diet...(brief, macros only)

Meal 1 - egg whites and oats
Pro 50 carb 50

Meal 2 - sweet potatoe and chicken breast
Pro 50 carb 40

Meal 3 - sweet potatoe of turkey breast
Pro 50 carb 40

Meal 4 - sweets potatoe and chicken breast
Pro 50 carb 40

Pwo - 1 scoop casien , 1 scoop whey , 3 apples
Pro 50 carb 50

meal 5 - White fish and wholegrain pasta
pro 50 carb 50

meal 6 - 2 scoops of casien
pro 50

Daily totals - pro 350 / carb 270 / fat is low...
Total calories - around 2500

Fat = small amounts of oil to cook meat and eggs
meal 4 is beef instead of chicken 3 times a week...

I feel soooo much better on this diet, does it look good?

[Times Roman]

so heres my new diet...(brief, macros only)

Meal 1 - egg whites and oats
Pro 50 carb 50

Meal 2 - sweet potatoe and chicken breast
Pro 50 carb 40

Meal 3 - sweet potatoe of turkey breast
Pro 50 carb 40

Meal 4 - sweets potatoe and chicken breast
Pro 50 carb 40

Pwo - 1 scoop casien , 1 scoop whey , 3 apples
Pro 50 carb 50

meal 5 - White fish and wholegrain pasta
pro 50 carb 50

meal 6 - 2 scoops of casien
pro 50

Daily totals - pro 350 / carb 270 / fat is low...
Total calories - around 2500

Fat = small amounts of oil to cook meat and eggs
meal 4 is beef instead of chicken 3 times a week...

I feel soooo much better on this diet, does it look good?

Looks like you've got all the bases covered EXCEPT for those dang green veggies? =)

btw... sweet potatos are good starches that are real friendly on the glycemic (sp?) index... more so than regular potatos. Good show! I also see all your complex carbs (starches) come in the form of high fiber / slow converting whole foods. Everyone's program will look a little different, but this one has it's merits. On another note, the only simple "sugars" I do are while working out I have a squeeze bottle of honey handy. Makes all the difference in the world to me... keeps me on my edge. I'm not saying I'm recommending it, just mentioning it.

[the big 1]

Looks like you've got all the bases covered EXCEPT for those dang green veggies? =)

btw... sweet potatos are good starches that are real friendly on the glycemic (sp?) index... more so than regular potatos. Good show! I also see all your complex carbs (starches) come in the form of high fiber / slow converting whole foods. Everyone's program will look a little different, but this one has it's merits. On another note, the only simple "sugars" I do are while working out I have a squeeze bottle of honey handy. Makes all the difference in the world to me... keeps me on my edge. I'm not saying I'm recommending it, just mentioning it.

ive got loads of veg in the freezer, cabbage, spinach, peas, broccoli ect...
the only problem is i work as a labourer and leave my lunch in the van, so if i leave green veg in plastic tub all day in a hot van it stinks bad ! and goes a bit stale, so ile just try getting in my veggies in my later meals....

As for during workouts, i have sume gaspari super pump 250, its good stuff but its well expensive, i may try honey and see how i go....

[YoungGunsNY]

hm.. okay - well i skipped past a lot of the posts in the middle...but why would everyone advise carb-cycling?

it is an effective dieting technique!

I'm currently following it myself..a different method yeah - but it works wonders...

the trick is depleting your body off glycogen stores and then refilling them and during the refeed you suck it all up and hold it to last you the next few low days...

now..a low carb diet leaves you low on energy constantly.. its funny that the only day im low on energy is my high carb day - im guessin bc the glycogen wore off from the last refeed..

I just wasn't a fan of one 2 low carb days and then one 3 low carb days..i prefer 3..but im no expert..i jus base my workouts upon my diet schedule.. heavy compound lifts the first & second low carb day..off the third..and arms on the refeed day bc they dont really deplete as much glycogen

*im not an expert i was helped every step of the way..

[YoungGunsNY]

^ of course, my cutting diet was working good for a while..but it plautued for a while i guess - started carb-cycling.. and it's amazing how lean and full u look after you have a re-feed.. you get a little soft looking on the 3rd low carb day.. but then u become so full once you refeed your muscles..its amazin watching the transformation..

[the big 1]

this is interesting, i think im gonna stick with high pro, moderate carb for 12 weeks and increase my cardio, then if i havent got as lean as i plan to (8-10% bf), i may try cycling...

however, ive learned from many on this site and from personal experience that low carb diets in any form, with or without loads, premote binge eating and overeating....they work well if youve got the will power and dedication, but the health benefits of a consistently balanced diet always show better and 'healthier results'... theres nothing worse than actually smelling of a lump of meat and having stiff stools all the time, also low carb high pro diets make your insides acidic ! not nice !....

[YoungGunsNY]

hm, although the carb-cycling does require strict dieting - you can allow a cheat meal on your high carb day..however...it's best to watch what you eat (the type of carbs..not sugary sweets but maybe an italian hero sandwich or so)

this has actually helped me stay on such a strict diet for so long...every day I follow a different plan so I don't get too bored with it..and my high carb days are every 4days so i make sure i cheat on that day only ..nd if its during the week i dont bother..

[Times Roman]

however, ive learned from many on this site and from personal experience that low carb diets in any form, with or without loads, premote binge eating and overeating....they work well if youve got the will power and dedication..

This statement is partially true..... if you hold your carbs to 25gms a day or less (load phase) for two weeks, it's really rough for the first few days, up to a week. The second week is easier, but after the second week, especially when you double your carb intake to 50gms a day, the desire for carbs goes away, and so does the binge eating and overeating. This is the maintenance phase.

Please note, this diet i'm speaking of is NOT intended for weight lifters and other "extremeaphobe's".... more for people that don't exercise, all the way up to the "moderate" end of the scale. For people that are looking for muscular growth, this aint the diet for you! Trust me, I was on a 50gms (or so....) of carbs a day diet while hitting the heavy weights and I was an asshole until this blonde chic suggested I up my carbs. Once I did, the "assholeness" in me went away, and everyone around me was happy again!!

[the big 1]

This statement is partially true..... if you hold your carbs to 25gms a day or less (load phase) for two weeks, it's really rough for the first few days, up to a week. The second week is easier, but after the second week, especially when you double your carb intake to 50gms a day, the desire for carbs goes away, and so does the binge eating and overeating. This is the maintenance phase.

Please note, this diet i'm speaking of is NOT intended for weight lifters and other "extremeaphobe's".... more for people that don't exercise, all the way up to the "moderate" end of the scale. For people that are looking for muscular growth, this aint the diet for you! Trust me, I was on a 50gms (or so....) of carbs a day diet while hitting the heavy weights and I was an asshole until this blonde chic suggested I up my carbs. Once I did, the "assholeness" in me went away, and everyone around me was happy again!!

Im an asshole too !!!, ive been doin low carb diets for LONGGGGGGG !!!!

Im now on 300grams carbs a day, and low on fats, i feel great, im big and full and my wieght isnt fluctuating due to water loss, and im still losing fat due to daily cardio... thanks for the all the help by the way TRoman...ashole! lol