# Quick carb cycling question



## chopperead (Nov 7, 2008)

Morning guys quick question if i am carb cycling and on a no carb day how many carbs do i have in my pwo meal after i have had my pwo shake?


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## chopperead (Nov 7, 2008)

I have been a bit dis organized with this I started the year well and planned my keto diet and pretty much stuck with it. Planned on doing it for 6 weeks which i completed last friday and then i had a bit of a bad weekend went away with the girlfriend and ate and drunk the wrong things, wouldn't say i ate alot probably not enough but definately the wrong things. On monday my stomuch seem to have expanded massively and now not really planning this Carb cycling out im getting in a bit of a mess.

Can anyone point me towards some helpful pages i have looked obviously not hard enough. There was loads of info re Keto diets with examples of diets ect.

I am using Fitday so even a macros guide would be good.

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## MXMAD (Oct 11, 2007)

Here's a thread on a keto diet *> click me <*


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## chopperead (Nov 7, 2008)

Thanks but looking for carb cycling info, have read the sticky but just need a bit more help.


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## chopperead (Nov 7, 2008)

Thanks for your help GreekGoddess may well be pm you if i dont sort myself out within the next week, it seems as with everythig there are so many contradicting theory's that you bamboozled and then don't know what to do.

Dont know if im gonna get some stick for this but thought id post this up what i found on T-Nation. Some detailed info on carb cyling not sure if its any good or not !

link here :http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_carb_cycling_codex

The Solution

The solution that I'll (finally) explain to you is called carb cycling, but it would also be called calorie cycling. It sticks to the basic theory of ingesting carbs only in the morning and after workouts. The only difference is that the amount of calories and carbs consumed will vary each day. What will this accomplish?

• It'll allow you to include maximum fat burning days and maximum muscle accumulation days in each week.

• It'll prevent metabolic slowdown by providing frequent caloric spikes.

• It'll favor long term success because it's relatively easy to follow, especially compared to the more restrictive ketogenic diets.

Carb Cycling: The Basic Structure

Carb cycling is based on having three different carbohydrate intake levels during the week: high(er) carbs, moderate carbs, and low(er) carbs. Ideally these days are split according to your training schedule.

If you train 4 times per week:

• Select your two "priority workouts." These are the workouts where you're training the muscle groups you need to improve the most. On these days, you have a high(er) carbohydrate day.

• On the two other workout days, you consume a moderate amount of carbs.

• On the three "off days" you have a low(er) carb intake.

If you train 3 times per week:

• Select your two "priority workouts." On these days, you have a high(er) carbohydrate day.

• The other workout day has a moderate carbohydrate intake level.

• Among the four remaining days of the week, you have one more moderate carb day along with three low carb days.

If you train 5 times per week:

• Select your two "priority workouts" where you're training the muscle groups you want to improve the most. On these days, you have a higher(er) carbohydrate day.

• Select two "secondary workouts." On these days you have a moderate carb intake.

• On the remaining workout day and during your "off" days you consume a low(er) amount of carbohydrates.

Basically, one sentence could summarize the carb cycling philosophy: "Eat for what you did and have to do."

Calories and Carbohydrate Levels

When you've established your basic structure, you need to set the food intake appropriately. The first thing to do is calculate your daily energy expenditure: the amount of energy (in calories) you use each day. This baseline figure will be used to set caloric and nutrient intake during the various types of days.

First Step: Calculating Your Basal Metabolic Rate

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) simply means the amount of energy used by your body during a 24-hour period if no activity is performed. In other words, if you're inactive for 24-hours straight, you'd still "burn" the amount of calories equivalent to your BMR.

Your BMR is a function of your size, sex, and age. It's also influenced by your metabolic status (hypo or hyperthyroid state for example). We can calculate BMR with the following formulas (by Harris-Benedict):

For Men

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age)

So for a 30 year old bodybuilder of 220lbs (100kg) at 5'11" (178cm) it comes up to:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 100kg) + (5 x 178cm) - (6.8 x 30)

BMR = 2122 calories per day

For Women

BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.7 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age)

So for a 28 year old figure girl of 132lbs (60kg) at 5'6" (165cm) it comes up to:

BMR = 655 + (9.6 x 60kg) + (1.7 x 165cm) - (4.7 x 28)

BMR = 1380 calories per day

Second Step: Factoring in activity level

The amount of calories found using the Harris-Benedict formula is what your body burns every day, even if you do nothing all day. Obviously, the more active you are the more you'll burn fuel. So, energy expenditure will be increased when your activity level goes up.

To get an adequate estimation you need to multiply your BMR by an activity level factor:


*Activity level factor*

*Activity level*

1.0

Sedentary

1.2

Very light activity

1.4

Light activity

1.6

Moderate activity

1.8

High activity

2.0

Extreme activity



By sedentary we mean doing nothing all day (sleeping and watching TV).

By very light activity we mean doing nothing physical. Working a desk job or on a computer and not performing any type of physical activity during your day.

By light activity we mean having a non-physical job (desk, computer, etc.) but performing some sort of physical activity during the day (e.g. above average walking) but no hard training.

By moderate activity we mean having a non-physical job, performing some sort of physical activity during the day, and including a daily workout session in your routine. This is where most of you are at.

By high activity we mean either training plus a physical job or non-physical job and twice-a-day training sessions.

By extreme activity we mean a very physical job and daily hard training.

So if our 220 pound bodybuilder with a BMR of 2122 calories/day is moderately active, his daily energy expenditure is bumped up to 2122 x 1.6 = 3395 calories per day. This is the amount of food to consume to maintain present body weight.

Third Step: Adjusting caloric intake to your goal

To gain muscle you should ingest more calories than you use up each day. To lose body fat you must do the opposite. A 20% increase or decrease seems to be ideal for most individuals. This isn't a drastic increase/decrease, so it shouldn't lead to excessive muscle loss or unwanted fat gain.

Our sample bodybuilder has a daily caloric expenditure of 3395kcals/day. If he wants to gain muscle mass he should bump his caloric intake up to 4074kcals/day. And if he wanted to lose fat he should decrease it to around 2716kcals/day on average.

Note that depending on your body type and metabolism, you may need to adjust these figures. Ectomorphs will need to increase caloric intake more than 20% to gain muscle maximally (around 30% is best for them) and they should decrease it less when trying to lose fat (by 10% instead of 20%). Endomorphs should only increase by 10% when trying to gain size, but lowering it by 20% is adequate for them when trying to lose fat.

For example, if our 220 pound bodybuilder is an endomorph he should ingest 3734kcals/day when trying to gain mass (instead of 4074kcals/day).

Fourth Step: Setting nutrient intake for the "moderate days"

Protein intake should remain stable during all three types of day. At least one gram per pound of bodyweight is necessary, but I recommend 1.5g/pound of bodyweight for better results (so 330g/day for a 220 pound individual).

When trying to gain mass, the carbohydrate level on the "moderate" days should be the equivalent to the protein intake. So in the case of our 220 pound bodybuilder, that comes up to 330 grams.

So he's now consuming 2640kcals/day (1320 from proteins and 1320 from carbs). Let's say that he's an endomorph. If he wants to gain muscle mass, his caloric intake should be around 3734kcals/day. So he has 1094kcals to consume in the form of fat, preferably good fats. Since fat has 9kcals/g, this comes up to 121g of fat per day.

So to recap, our endomorph bodybuilder of 220 pounds wanting to gain size should consume the following on "moderate" days:

330g of protein

330g of carbs

121g of fat

If he desires to lose fat, carb intake on the average days should be set at 1.25g per pound of bodyweight. For our sample guy that comes up to 275g per day.

Protein intake is kept at 1.5g/pound of bodyweight (330g in our example) and the rest of the calories are made up with fat.

In the case of our endomorphic bodybuilder who should consume 2716kcals/day to get ripped, we come up with 2420kcals from proteins and carbs, so he has around 300kcals to consume in the form of fat, or 33g/day.

To recap, our endomorph bodybuilder of 220 pounds wanting to get ripped should consume the following on "moderate" days:

330g of protein

275g of carbs

33g of fat

Fifth Step: Setting nutrient intake for the other days

Protein and fat intake remains constant during the week. Only carbs fluctuate up and down. During high(er) carb days, bump carbohydrates to 125% of moderate days. During low(er) carb days, intake is lowered to 75% of the moderate days.

To continue on with our example, our 220 pound bodybuilder would consume:

1) When trying to gain mass:

High(er) carb days = 330g protein, 412g carbs, 121g fat

Moderate days = 330g protein, 330g carbs, 121g fat

Low(er) carb days = 33g protein, 247g carbs, 121g fat

2) When trying to lose fat:

High(er) carb days = 330g protein, 344g carbs, 33g fat

Moderate days = 330g protein, 275g carbs, 33g fat

Low(er) carb days = 330g protein, 206g carbs, 33g fat

Sixth Step: Adjusting intake as the diet goes along

Warning: In my honest opinion, no one who's trying to get muscular should follow a restrictive fat loss diet for more than 16 weeks in a row. And most people would be better off using 8-12 weeks of dieting. More than that and you're bound to lose muscle mass or at least limit your capacity to gain muscle mass. If you haven't gotten to the degree of leanness you wanted after 12 weeks of dieting, take 4 weeks "off" of your diet (continue to eat a good clean diet, but increase your calories) and then go for another dieting period.

When trying to lose fat, you'll need to eventually lower your calories as your body gets used to your level of food intake. With carb cycling this is less of a problem since carbohydrates and calories fluctuate. But still, every 3-4 weeks you'll need to decrease carbohydrates and calories slightly to continue losing fat at an optimal rate.

However, you shouldn't make any drastic cuts, as this is the reason most people lose muscle during a fat loss diet. I suggest dropping around 20g of carbs per day every 3 or 4 weeks. For example, if you're consuming 344g, 275g, and 206g, you'd reduce it to 324g, 255g, and 186g. If fat loss hasn't slowed down, there's no need to reduce anything though.

When trying to gain mass, there's no set pattern of increasing caloric intake. If after 2-3 weeks you haven't been gaining size, increase protein and carb intake by 25g each. At first, add this amount to your post-workout meal. If after another 2-3 weeks there's no change, add the same amount to your breakfast. If you're still not gaining, add some more to your post-workout shake, etc.



Meal Breakdown
​
To maximize food absorption and favor muscle gain over fat gain (or to preserve muscle mass while dieting) you should ingest 6-7 meals per day. Three of those meals should contain carbs and proteins (breakfast, immediate post-workout drink, and meal 60-90 minutes after your workout). The remaining 3-4 meals should be made up of protein, good fats, and green veggies.

The ideal time to train is around 10:00am. This gives us the following eating schedule:

Meal 1 (upon waking up): Carbs + protein meal

Meal 2 (post-workout, around 11:00): Carbs + protein recovery drink (Surge)

Meal 3 (12:30): Carbs + protein meal

Meal 4 (15:30): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Meal 5 (18:00): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Meal 6 (21:00): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Obviously, not everybody can train at this time. For those who have to train in the evening (around 5:00 or 6:00pm), the following schedule is appropriate:

Meal 1 (upon waking up): Carbs + protein meal

Meal 2 (10:00) Carbs, protein, and green veggies

Meal 3 (12:30): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Meal 4 (15:30): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Meal 5 (Post-workout, around 18:00): Protein and carb drink

Meal 6 (21:00): Carbs + protein meal

Finally, those who have to train in the morning (around 8:00am) should use the following schedule:

Meal 1 (upon waking up): Carbs + protein meal drink

Meal 2 (post-workout, around 9:00): Carbs + protein recovery drink (Surge)

Meal 3 (12:30): Carbs + protein meal

Meal 4 (15:30): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Meal 5 (18:00): Protein, fat, and green veggies

Meal 6 (21:00): Protein, fat, and green veggies

* Note that in this last situation we use a carb and protein drink in the morning. This is because we need to get the nutrients absorbed as fast as possible so that digestion won't interfere with workout intensity.

Nutrients Per Meal

Since protein is ingested at all meals, it should be evenly divided. For example, if you consume 330g of protein per day, you should aim for 6 meals of 55g each.

Fat is ingested in 3 of the 6 meals and it should be equally divided among them. So if you have to consume 100g of fat, this comes up to 33g of fat in each of the 3 meals.

Carbohydrates are also ingested in 3 meals. About 50% of your carb intake should be consumed immediately post-workout, 25% in the morning and 25% around 60-90 minutes post-workout. So if you have to ingest 250g of carbohydrates per day, it comes up to 125g post-workout, 75g in the morning, and 75g about 60-90 minutes post-workout.

Food Choices

We've been talking about quantities for a while, but it's time now to talk about quality! A calorie is not a calorie; not all foods are created equal. To maximize your results, you thus need to put the right stuff into your body. Here's a quick list of the appropriate foods for each type of meal.

Breakfast (carbs + protein)

Protein sources: egg whites, Low-Carb Grow!, tuna, chicken

Carb sources: fruit (1-2 pieces to fill liver glycogen), oatmeal, grits, sweet potatoes, All-Bran cereal, buckwheat pancakes (no syrup)

Post-workout (carbs + protein)

Surge plus rice to fill the remaining carb requirement

60-90 minutes post-workout (carbs + protein)

Protein sources: chicken, fish, shrimp, lean cuts of meat, Low-Carb Grow!

Carb sources: sweet potatoes, brown rice, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, grits

Protein + fat meals

Protein sources: all cuts of meat, fish, chicken, turkey, tuna, Low-Carb Grow!, eggs, ham, cottage cheese

Fat sources: protein foods above, fish oil, flax seeds

Green veggies: 100-200g

Conclusion

If this article was somewhat more complex than my regular work, I apologize. However, to make the most out of your diet you can't simply "wing it." Paying attention to details is important and is sure to pay off in the near future.

This type of dieting has been proven effective in most individuals. In the long run, it'll lead to a much more muscular and leaner physique. It takes work, but your efforts will be rewarded!


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## hammer0908 (Mar 21, 2009)

This is geat reading, thank you for writing it, this is the sort of stuff I need and why I joined this site. Not sure I took it all in but certiainly helps me.

Thank you:rockon:


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## chopperead (Nov 7, 2008)

No problem buddy dont forget to rep me.

I didnt write it swipped it from T-Nation.


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## kyrocera (Oct 13, 2004)

Exactly what i been looking for.

Reps!


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