# Carb Cycling!



## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Hey guys, I've started with a new carb cycling routine and I have started to notice changes after 2 weeks! It's been pretty good. Has anyone done this type of diet and noticed anything good or bad about it?


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## NorthernSoul (Nov 7, 2011)

I did a timed carb diet. I.e Maltodextrin right after my work out only for a short period and weight loss went well on that.


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## mark22 (Jul 13, 2011)

I'm giving it a go as I've been rubbish lately and really can't be bothered with keto full on. I'm fine with no carbs or no food really until late afternoon. So it's not hard to do, then bang in some pwo and a normal dinner, seems simple enough.


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## Twilheimer (Mar 10, 2014)

I think it's a great method. Perhaps unsustainable for long periods of time though, well, it was for me!


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## M1lkyBarKid (Oct 8, 2009)

Yeah, seems to be working for me, the hardest days are the low/mod carb days, no carbs is simple day as you stick to eggs, bacon, nuts, quark, cheesestrings, chicken and then treat myself to a steak.


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Aye, im not sure how long to keep it up for. I've been on it now for about 3 weeks and seen quite big change in composition and muscle def. Low carb days are the hardest for me. Especially breakfast. I need food in the morning otherwise I'm starving come lunch lol


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## DC1 (May 5, 2014)

I'm doing something similar with 3 low days followed by a medium day, then high, then low then medium and repeat.

I'm also incorporating this with a IF protocol as I have my dinner around 6-7pm at night. Train fasted at 6.30am, Isolate shake after training and then solid food around 10am which consists of 5 whole eggs. Leave carbs out until my second solid food meal to assist in fat burning as I'm taking HGH on waking.


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## hermie07 (Sep 16, 2008)

g_pickup87 said:


> Aye, im not sure how long to keep it up for. I've been on it now for about 3 weeks and seen quite big change in composition and muscle def. Low carb days are the hardest for me. Especially breakfast. I need food in the morning otherwise I'm starving come lunch lol


Did you make the diet up yourself or is it a generic one from the internet?


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

I read a lot about it online and made up my own routine. So far I've dropped roughly 10% body fat in 3 weeks with loads of exercise included so It is working.


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## hermie07 (Sep 16, 2008)

g_pickup87 said:


> I read a lot about it online and made up my own routine. So far I've dropped roughly 10% body fat in 3 weeks with loads of exercise included so It is working.


What was you starting stats mate as that's great progress so far


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Well, I was quite a big guy before. Like 20 stone big. I was about 70% at my worst 4 years ago then dropped it to 50 at the start if last year then I've been getting less and less. I was at 39% at the start of the year and before I started this diet I was 36% now I'm 26.75% lol. It's been a long process. Still a way to go


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

My weight has fluctuated crazily too, i went down to 14 stone with more fat then went up to my current weight of 17.5 stone with 26.75%. I hope that makes sense lol


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## NorthernSoul (Nov 7, 2011)

Great weight loss. Probably added 20 years onto your life lol


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Cheers man. Aye I hope so lol. It's the biggest reason why I'd like to compete. Even if it's just the once. To say I done it. Still a lot of hard work to be done.


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## hermie07 (Sep 16, 2008)

What does you typical high and low days look like?


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Mon, tue, wed, Fri and Sat are low carb days. I try to stay below 50g and on Thurs and sun is high card day but I still keep the intake under 200. I work out 5 days a week split routines Inc cardiovascular and swimming


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## cudsyaj (Jul 5, 2011)

g_pickup87 said:


> Hey guys, I've started with a new carb cycling routine and I have started to notice changes after 2 weeks! It's been pretty good. Has anyone done this type of diet and noticed anything good or bad about it?


Yeah I did this:

Mon, Tues - low carbs 50-100g

Weds - Med 150g

Thur, Fri - low

Sat - med

Sunday - HIGH 350-400g

Worked really well for me last summer, never managed to get super cut / shredded (overall I wasn't strict enough with it, slip extra carbs here and there etc) so this year I've opted for outright keto.


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

That's cool. I'm planning on sticking tot his for a few month and try to drop a bit more body fat then check out the keto diet.


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## RACK (Aug 20, 2007)

Find it by far the best and easiest way to diet/eat


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## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

I like carb cycling diets alot. Keep them perhaps moderate on training days and drop them plenty on non-training days. I'm actually doing 2 semi-fasting days per week now.


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## hermie07 (Sep 16, 2008)

Any one ever tried this for carb cycling?

http://scoobysworkshop.com/advanced-fat-loss-carb-cycling/


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## mark22 (Jul 13, 2011)

Bull Terrier said:


> I like carb cycling diets alot. Keep them perhaps moderate on training days and drop them plenty on non-training days. I'm actually doing 2 semi-fasting days per week now.


Can I ask how you are doing the two semi fasted days?


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Is it similar to intermittent fasting maybe??


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## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

mark22 said:


> Can I ask how you are doing the two semi fasted days?


I have a 16 hour fast starting from the dinner of the previous day, so presuming that I have my dinner at 8pm I'll have my first meal of the semi-fast day at around 12.00. I keep my calories on the semi-fast days to around 1200 and don't even attempt to eat too much protein. I keep the semi-fast days on far lower amounts of protein (and everything else also).

There are several reasons why I follow this protocol.

1) I'm cutting and it's an easy way to reduce weekly calories and lose fat.

2) Semi-fast days increase insulin sensitivity.

3) Fasting (or semi-fasting in my case) has proven life expectancy benefits (by lowering systemic IGF-1 levels).

4) Keeping protein far lower at intervals of around 72 hours is beneficial to avoid the high-protein paradox (i.e. a reduction in absorption of certain amino acids when continually hammering high-protein day after day).


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## MattLovin85 (Aug 12, 2013)

How do you guys keep fibre up when cutting carbs?


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## mark22 (Jul 13, 2011)

MattLovin85 said:


> How do you guys keep fibre up when cutting carbs?


I add freshly ground flax seed into my shakes.


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## mattyhunt (Dec 12, 2013)

Sounds like it's going well congrats on the progress so far @g_pickup87

Looking to start carb cycling myself, I've hit a plateau over the last few months and need an extra shift.

Do you have higher carb days on training days?


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## g_pickup87 (May 4, 2014)

Thanks @mattyhunt

It's been hard work  I work out 5 5 days a week and my high carb days tend to be on my off days whish are Thursay and Sunday. I still stay under 200g.


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## TheScam (Apr 30, 2013)

Some impressive weight loss!

About this time last year I did my first carb cycle and was real strict on it. Best weight loss results Ive ever seen on myself. I went from being a stocky 5ft11, 13.5 - 14st to at my lowest being 12st 4lbs, yet still being complimented on my chest / arms size and my resulting abs.

I was strict for I would say 2 months, then enjoyed the summer a little and then broke my arm 6 weeks before holiday so unfortunately never got proper "washboard" abs.

Just starting this again now the football seasons finished (don't care so much about diet when im training and playing 4-5 x a week)

I try and do low, zero, low, high, low, zero, low, high 4/8 day splits.

Zero days are as low as possible. If I hadn't had some dark chocolate last night my carbs yesterday would have been around 10g but usually is 25g or less

Low carbs is around 100g mark or less

High carb is 250ish carbs, effectively a cheat day but get my carbs from fruit, sweet potato, wholemeal bread/wraps etc.

Since I began, iv introduced 3 others to carb cycling with similarly impressive results in short times.


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