Is Carb Cycling An Effective Way to Lose Weight?

Is Carb Cycling An Effective Way to Lose Weight?

Feb 22, 2023 mindpump

People will do just about anything to lose weight. From the cottage cheese diet, to the carnivore diet, nothing is off-limits. One strategy that has really caught my eye is carb-cycling, a relatively simple approach to manage your carbohydrate intake.

This article will address what carb cycling entails, the pros and cons of this dieting approach, and whether it is right for you. 

What is Carb Cycling?

Carb cycling is a dietary plan that involves adjusting your carbohydrate intake over a set interval of time. With this method, you fluctuate between eating low-carb foods and high-carb foods, where you eat fewer carbohydrates on one day, and more carbohydrates on other days.  

Another strategy is to carb cycle throughout the day: you can eat a large amount of carbohydrates in the morning, and much fewer throughout the day, and vice versa.

Some benefits of carb cycling can include:

-Reducing calorie intake

-Preventing metabolic adaptation

-Decreasing cravings

-Supporting athletic performance

-Reducing inflammation

Here Is Just One Example of How To Structure a Carb Cycling Diet

Monday: High-carb (250-300g of carbs)

Tuesday: Medium-carb (150-200g of carbs)

Wednesday: Low to no-carb (0-100g of carbs)

Thursday: High-carb (250-300g of carbs)

Friday: Medium-carb (150-200g of carbs)

Saturday: Low to no-carb (0-100g of carbs)

Sunday: Low to no-carb (0-100g of carbs)

Again, this is just one example. Ultimately, it should be structured around your workout routine. High-carb days allow you to maximize your glycogen stores so that you can sustain your long and/or intense workouts. Eating high-carb on training days will provide you the energy you need, while promoting recovery post-workout.

When it comes to performance in the gym, evidence does not support the notion to train on a ketogenic diet; you get more bang from your buck on a higher-carbohydrate diet. So for those who do FEEL better eating low-carb most days, this strategy provides the best of both worlds.

Should You Be Carb Cycling?

Here are some things to consider before you try carb cycling:

-This is an intermediate to advanced nutrition approach because it requires tracking macros. If that is something that hasn’t worked for you in the past, or if it is too tedious, it may not be the right strategy for you.

-It requires precision and meal planning. This is not the type of strategy that will allow you to eat whatever you find hidden in your pantry or fridge. You need to plan ahead for this to work.

-If you have an unhealthy relationship with food, this hyper-focused strategy may not be for you. With such a high focus on monitoring calories and macros, the goal for someone with an adverse relationship with food shouldn’t revolve their day around categorizing, eliminating, or tracking food.

-If you regularly work out, and can say with complete confidence that you include 1 to 2 high-intensity days during the week, carb cycling could introduce a new approach to maximize performance.

-Since you are trying to lose weight, you still need to be in a calorie deficit. On low-carb days, you need to be okay with primarily just eating fat and protein because your calorie deficit will need to come from carbs.

Keep in mind, this strategy isn’t heavily researched, and everyone will not have the same experience with carb cycling. Don’t commit to it as a lifestyle right away; try it for 2 to 3 weeks and ask yourself these questions:

Do I feel good, or worn out?

How is my performance in the gym?

Do I have enough energy on low-carb days to complete non-exercise daily activities?

Is this a sustainable approach?

Has my relationship with food gotten better, or worse?

So, Is Carb Cycling the Real Deal?

In terms of using carbohydrates to appropriately time your workouts on heavy and light intensity days, carb cycling can be an effective way to lose weight. By using more carbs on heavy training days, you can get the most out of workouts with the added energy gained from the extra carbs.

This is also a better alternative than lowering carbohydrate intake altogether. Though carbs are not an essential macronutrient like fat and protein, meaning it is possible to live and thrive without them, it is extremely hard in today’s modern world to limit carbs daily and adhere to that lifestyle. But by cycling low-carb days with high-carb days, it makes the prospect of carbohydrate control a little bit more manageable.

So does carb cycling really help you lose weight?

It CAN, but this strategy would be more suitable for someone who is already doing all the “right” things: eating a balanced diet, not overconsuming calories, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep. Adding a carb cycling strategy to your routine can make a small difference, when implemented correctly.