Remember how those old railway trains ran?
Workers had to stand in front of a huge coal furnace, dumping huge amounts of coal. If the furnace is refueled regularly, the train will continue at full speed. Train speed decreases as coal input decreases. If there was no regular supply of coal to the furnace, the train would have stopped.
The metabolism of our body is very similar to this process. Carbohydrates are the main food group that "fuels" our metabolism, so it burns calories and gives us energy. Carbs are also very filling. Therefore, foods that reduce or strictly limit carbohydrate intake make us feel tired and lethargic. They make us irritable, hungry and overeating.
With a 7-day carb cycling plan, a person takes in carbs to boost metabolism. The plan is for foods high in crab to work on the body at the right peaks, burn and build muscle. The result is weight loss with less flab. It's easy! This makes carb cycling unique and revolutionary.
But there is a catch. That means not consuming too many carbohydrates and eating too much of them during the day. The catch is, you follow a 7-day plan where you eat more carbs on specific days and less or no carbs on other days. This allows your body to “cycle” your carb intake so you can lose weight and build muscle.
The theory behind this is that on days when your carb intake is low and intake is high, your body will have to burn for energy. This will lead to weight loss. The purpose of high carb days is to fuel your metabolism and keep it functioning at maximum level, giving you energy.
What is a 7 day plan?
The weekly plan alternates high-carb days with low-carb days to keep your metabolism in the normal cycle of burning.
On high carb days, you can increase your carb intake while reducing your intake. On low carb days, you can choose to eat less carbs or eliminate them altogether by increasing your intake of and protein.
Athletes and people who exercise regularly choose to synchronize their high carb days with exercise or workouts when their energy levels are high. You may want to consider this for a few days when you are particularly active.
The typical 7-day plan looks like this:
Monday: High carb intake
Tuesday: Low carb intake
Wednesday: High carb intake.
Thursday: Low carb intake.
Friday: High carb intake.
Saturday: High Carb Day - or an alternative to rewarding yourself. You can (moderately) indulge in your favorite foods. This is also known as "Cheat Day".
Sunday: Low Carb Day.
Versions of the 7-day plan
There are several versions of the plan that follow two or more carb days with a low carb day or some variation on it. Some examples:
Alternative Plan 1:
Day 1: High carbs
Day 2: Low carbs
Day 3: Zero carbs
Day 4: Low carbs
Day 5: High carbs
Day 6: Low carbs
Day 7: Zero carbs
Optional Plan 2:
Day 1: High carbs
Day 2: Low carbs
Day 3: Zero carbs
Day 4: Low carbs
Day 5: High carbs
Day 6: Low carbs
Day 7: Zero carbs
There are also many other versions like 4 high carb days followed by three low carb days. However, as a beginner, you may want to start with a simple alternative day plan.
You can switch to a different wheel once you hang it and feel ready. Or, you may stick to a basic plan throughout your journey until you achieve your weight loss goal.
If you find that carb cycling works for you, you can explore these other plans in depth. In this case, you need to consult a specialist. They help you customize the plan to best fit your weight goals, gender and lifestyle.
The alternative-day plan we use here is very simple for beginners and works for anyone.
Do you eat?
Carbohydrates: These are the main source of fuel for the body and are needed to increase metabolism. They are also required to activate the burning cycle.
Protein: This is the basis of your carb cycling plan. You should eat 1/5 to 1/7 of the minimum daily intake with each meal.
Fats: Intake is consistent throughout the plan. You can increase your s intake slightly on low carb days for more energy.
Calculate your daily intake
For best results, you should calculate your daily intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. This is a very simple multiplication process
Low carb day
Carbohydrates: Women should multiply their body weight by 0.6. Men should multiply body weight by 0.9. The resulting number indicates the number of grams of carbohydrate intake per day.
Protein: Women can calculate their daily intake by multiplying their body weight by 1.2. Men can calculate their daily intake by multiplying their body weight by 1.5. The resulting number will be the required daily intake of protein per day.
Fat: To calculate daily intake, women should multiply their body weight by 0.5 and men by 0.8. The resulting number of grams of fat consumed daily.
To calculate the total number of calories, add the sums from the three food groups.
High carb days
The same calculation is used, in this case, you have a higher intake of carbs and protein. Decreases your fat intake.
Carbohydrates: Women should multiply their body weight by 1.4 and men by 1.7.
Protein: Women multiply their body weight by 1.4 and men by 1.7 (yes, carbs ratio is the same)
Fat: Women multiply body weight by o.3 and men by o.6.
A total of three numbers gives you the total number of calories you can consume on high carb days.
Whether you eat three meals a day or six meals a day, it’s up to you how you divide your daily intake into a full meal.
Calories
For daily caloric intake, the recommended range is 1500 - 2300 for women and 1500 - 3000 for men.
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