There are many nutrition trends that change quickly. Everyone was initially afraid of too much fat. The conversation began to shift and people started to demonize carbohydrates.
A fear of carbs makes sense in some ways.
Carbohydrates account for a large percentage of your daily calories. If you are trying to lose weight, or just improve your health, eating too many carbohydrate-rich foods (such as white bread, sugary drinks, and cookies) could be a problem. These carbs are mostly empty carbs and lack the fiber and protein you need to feel full.
Click here to get unlimited access and information about Men’s Health. (You deserve it. Men’s HealthSo diet programs recommend that you cut out all carbs to avoid empty carbs. This is a bit like saying you shouldn’t listen to Bruce Springsteen due to “Queen of the Supermarket.”
This type of restriction is not necessary.
Good carbs exist, such as brown rice and oats, that provide your body with the fuel it needs to get through your workouts, but also for your day.
Some people choose to “carb cycle” as a way to lose weight. This means they alternate high and low carb days.
Alan Aragon M.S., nutrition expert says that carb cycling can help dieters feel like they aren’t dieting or even indulge in food.
He says that while carb cycling does not guarantee you will lose fat by eating low carbs, it can help you to stick with your diet over the long term.
Is this a good way to lose weight over the long-term? What’s more, does it work better than cutting calories in general? This is your guide to carb cycling, and how you can determine if it’s right for you.
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What is Carb Cycling?
This basically means you eat more carbs one day and less the next. You can continue to switch between the two over the course of your week depending on how active you are.
It’s a solid idea. You get the benefits of eating high-carb on days when you exercise, but you also get the perks from eating low-carb on days when you aren’t as active.
Your body uses your carb stores to get energy when you exercise. Therefore, high carb days should be aligned with training days so your body can use that fuel best. This can be a good thing. It allows you to work harder and burn more calories.
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Let’s assume you are 175 lbs and aim for 2 grams (g) of carbs per pound of your body weight on high-carb days. You might reduce your carb intake by 1 to 1.5 grams per pound if you train on Mondays.
However, there is no limit to how many carbs you can consume on higher and lower carb days. It all depends on what type of workouts you do and how often. There are many carb cycling “prescriptions” on the internet. However, your carb intake should be customized to your specific needs.
How do you start carb cycling?
Carb cycling is more complicated than most people would like. You need to count, weigh and measure grams. An app like My Fitness Pal makes it easier. However, if you are flexible in your diet, carb biking might not be for you.
Carb cycling is worth looking into if you enjoy having rules or guidelines to follow.
Before you give it a try, here are some things to remember.
1. Calculate how many calories are needed
Set a daily calorie goal that you will aim to achieve every day. One general rule of thumb: To lose weight, multiply your bodyweight by 10. This is how many calories you should aim for each day. How do you maintain your weight? Multiply 12. Multiply by 12.
2. Balance the macros
Divide these calories between your main macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat. Carbs and proteins both have 4 calories per Gram, while fat has 9 calories per Gram.
You should aim to consume about 1 g protein per pound. The rest can be made up with healthy fats. Here’s how to count your macros in order to lose weight.
You’ll increase your carbs and calories on high carb days while keeping protein and fat the exact same. The flip side is that lower carb days will reduce calories while maintaining your protein and fat. It’s not about losing weight, but eating fewer calories.
3. Do not sever the fiber
You should eat less carbohydrates but still eat enough fiber. You don’t have to give up your broccoli and apples on low carb days. You should be focusing on eliminating added sugar and refined carbs like bagels and muffins from your diet. Get plenty of fiber and nutrients-rich vegetables, fruits, beans, quinoa and other quality grains.
4. Even on low-carb days, eat enough
Your brain is dependent on carbohydrates, specifically sugar glucose. If there isn’t enough, your body will make it from other sources like protein. This can be a problem if you want to build and maintain lean muscles. It’s important to consume more than 130g of carbohydrates on “low carb” days. So that you don’t feel like you are in a fog all day, eat brain food.
What does carb cycling look like, Food Wise
It all depends on the day.
A high-carb diet for a 175-pound man would include a cup of oatmeal with milk, some raisins, and a little bit of brown sugar in the morning. For dinner, you might have 2 to 2.5 cups of pasta with vegetables and 2 to 2.5 cups of oatmeal for lunch.
This only considers carb intake. It doesn’t take into account all protein-rich foods that you might be eating with them. This is a general recommendation and may not be exact. However, it should give you an idea of the carbs you would consume on a high-carb diet.
Half the carbohydrate – 175 g or less – is required on a low-carb diet. This would mean reducing some portions of the above mentioned in half. For example, 1/2 cup oatmeal; 1 to 1.5 cups pasta cooked; more vegetables, and lower-carb fruits like berries.
What is the difference between low-carb days and Keto?
You must follow certain rules when eating keto. These include what you can and cannot eat. (Check out the Beginner’s Guide to Everything Keto). This approach to eating is based on the principle that carbs should be low and fats high enough to provide ketones for your body. Too many carbs will cause your body to switch back to glucose when you urinate on the keto stick.
However, low carb doesn’t have a defined definition. If you ask 10 people what it means, they might give you 10 different answers. Generally, guidelines recommend carbs should be kept under 150g per day (compared to 50 grams for keto). A typical fruit piece is about 15 grams. A slice of bread with basic ingredients can be roughly the same. 1 cup of most cereals will have around 30-ish grams. This can vary depending on the brand, type, and size of food, but these are just general guidelines.
Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, is co-owner of Mohr Results, Inc. (MohrResults.com), a well-being consulting firm.
