Carb cycling diet please critique!!

**Evil.Davies** · 06-07-2011, 02:28 AM

Hi guys i've been looking into this area quite a bit done a bit of research and come up with a diet plan which i think is right for me, id just like someone with more experience to give it the once over. Basically my goal is to lose about 5% body fat for beach season, im training hard at the moment so im hoping to pack on a bit of lean muscle too.

As for cycling carbs im looking at low, med and high days, low on a mon, wed, thurs and sun, med on a tues and sat and high on a sun. Has anyone had any experience with this method of dieting? how have you found it?

Training wise I usually lift mon, tues, thurs, fri and sun and do cardio tues, fri and sun, im fairly fit and run about 7km in 40 mins or so, although im slowing increasing the distance. Think ive got cardio for fat loss covered, does anybody think i should be doing more?

Stats:

Age: 27
Height: 191cm
Weight: 205lbs
BFP: 19.4% (electronically measured)

Diet

Low Carb Days

Pro Carb Fat Calories
Eggs 200ml 22 0 20 272
Porridge 50g 5 30 4 178
Shake 30g 23 1 1 104
Chicken 1 Portion 43 19 4 192
Tuna 1 can 30 0 1 129
Shake 50g 41 3 4 212
Prawn
Stir Fry 1 Portion 31 14 3 201
Noodles 1 Portion 12 70 2 346
Shake 30g 27 0 0 112

Totals 236 137 39 1,746

Medium Carb Days

Pro Carb Fat Calories
Eggs 200ml 22 0 20 272
Bread 3 Slices 12 48 3 279
Porridge 100g 11 60 8 356
Shake 30g 23 1 1 104
Chicken 1 Portion 43 19 4 192
Tuna 1 can 30 0 1 129
Shake 50g 41 3 4 212
Iso Drink 500ml 0 30 0 130
s&s chick 31 56 4 504
Rice 100g 7 74 3 350
Shake 30g 27 0 0 112

Totals 247 291 48 2,640

High Carb Days

HIGH Pro Carb Fat Calories
Eggs 200ml 22 0 20 272
Bread 3 Slices 12 48 3 279
Porridge 150g 17 90 12 540
Shake 30g 23 1 1 104
Chicken 1 Portion 43 19 4 192
Tuna 1 can 30 0 1 129
Shake 50g 41 3 4 212
Iso Drink 500ml 0 30 0 130
h&m chick 35 34 19 536
Rice 150g 10 111 4 530
Nuts 150g 31 32 75 923
Shake 30g 27 0 0 112

Totals 291 368 143 3,959

Any advice or opinions welcome!

Thanks for taking the time to look!

Evil.davies

p.s. apologies for the groupings of the macros i did space them out but it seemed to reformat when i posted them. if anyone would like me to email them a word document containing the diet sheet please let me know.

thanks again

E.D

**38jumper38** · 06-07-2011, 06:50 AM

Do you know your maintenance calories? if you stay low 500 calls you will lose fat, lower than that you may lose fat and muscle.

***FireGuy*** · 06-07-2011, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by Evil.Davies

Hi guys i've been looking into this area quite a bit done a bit of research and come up with a diet plan which i think is right for me, id just like someone with more experience to give it the once over. Basically my goal is to lose about 5% body fat for beach season, im training hard at the moment so im hoping to pack on a bit of lean muscle too.

As for cycling carbs im looking at low, med and high days, low on a mon, wed, thurs and sun, med on a tues and sat and high on a sun. Has anyone had any experience with this method of dieting? how have you found it?

Training wise I usually lift mon, tues, thurs, fri and sun and do cardio tues, fri and sun, im fairly fit and run about 7km in 40 mins or so, although im slowing increasing the distance. Think ive got cardio for fat loss covered, does anybody think i should be doing more?

Stats:

Age: 27
Height: 191cm
Weight: 205lbs
BFP: 19.4% (electronically measured)

Diet

Low Carb Days

Pro Carb Fat Calories
Eggs 200ml 22 0 20 272
Porridge 50g 5 30 4 178
Shake 30g 23 1 1 104
Chicken 1 Portion 43 19 4 192
Tuna 1 can 30 0 1 129
Shake 50g 41 3 4 212
Prawn
Stir Fry 1 Portion 31 14 3 201
Noodles 1 Portion 12 70 2 346
Shake 30g 27 0 0 112

Totals 236 137 39 1,746

Medium Carb Days

Pro Carb Fat Calories
Eggs 200ml 22 0 20 272
Bread 3 Slices 12 48 3 279
Porridge 100g 11 60 8 356
Shake 30g 23 1 1 104
Chicken 1 Portion 43 19 4 192
Tuna 1 can 30 0 1 129
Shake 50g 41 3 4 212
Iso Drink 500ml 0 30 0 130
s&s chick 31 56 4 504
Rice 100g 7 74 3 350
Shake 30g 27 0 0 112

Totals 247 291 48 2,640

High Carb Days

HIGH Pro Carb Fat Calories
Eggs 200ml 22 0 20 272
Bread 3 Slices 12 48 3 279
Porridge 150g 17 90 12 540
Shake 30g 23 1 1 104
Chicken 1 Portion 43 19 4 192
Tuna 1 can 30 0 1 129
Shake 50g 41 3 4 212
Iso Drink 500ml 0 30 0 130
h&m chick 35 34 19 536
Rice 150g 10 111 4 530
Nuts 150g 31 32 75 923
Shake 30g 27 0 0 112

Totals 291 368 143 3,959

Any advice or opinions welcome!

Thanks for taking the time to look!

Evil.davies

p.s. apologies for the groupings of the macros i did space them out but it seemed to reformat when i posted them. if anyone would like me to email them a word document containing the diet sheet please let me know.

thanks again

E.D

There is only 10 grams difference between your low and medium and your high is only about 100 grams more. You really need to widen the gaps. Something like 0-20 grams low, 75 grams medium and 300 grams on the high day.

Originally Posted by 38jumper38

Do you know your maintenance calories? if you stay low 500 calls you will lose fat, lower than that you may lose fat and muscle.

This logic doesnt apply to carb cycling, the whole idea is to go well below 500 on you low days, slightly lower than TDEE on your meduim and well above on your high day(s).

**Evil.Davies** · 06-07-2011, 08:57 AM

thanks for your responses guys. Is it safe to go that low on a low carb day? wouldnt eating no carbs at all leave me with no energy to train? also i wouldnt be able to take on any carbs to recover from a workout, wouldnt that be counter-productive, or is it that carb cycling only works as a fat loss tool and not as a muscle building tool?