Composing the Carb Cycling Diet Plan
Core concept of this diet is switching between low, medium and high carbohydrate intake each day so in the end you get less muscle loss and high energy on some days and increase fat burning on other. Typical carb cycling diet consists of 3 low carb, 2 medium and 2 high carb days.
Fitness and muscle models usually choose to do 2 top priority muscle groups workouts on the days with higher carb intake to prevent muscle loss while utilizing the 3 low carb days for increased fat burn.
General rule of all diets is that we have to expand more energy from food than we intake, it’s not much different with carb cycling except that calorie intake may vary each day which can prevent weight loss plateaus and will help retain muscle mass.
First step – BMR
Figure out your BMR, you can do that with excel document which contains the calculator integrated with the Sample carb cycling diet plan linked in the bottom of this article or http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/.
For now as an example let’s say our BMR is 2040 kcal.
Second step – Add activity level and goal
Add activity to BMR. Most of you guys who are doing 1-2h of training each day need to multiply BMR x 1.6 to get your daily expenditure. If you are inactive with a desk job use 1.2 multiplier, if you have a physical job multiply by 1.8-2.0.
BMR x 1.6 = 3264 kcal. So if you consume 3264 kcal your weight will remain the same.
For weight loss we need to consume 20% less calories. 3264 kcal – 652 = 2612 kcal.
Third step - Defining Macro nutrients on medium carb days
Protein
First we define protein intake. I generally recommend you eat 1.5g of protein per lbs of bodyweight. This amount remains the same on all days.
Example: 200 pound individual would ingest 300g of protein each day. (1200 kcal)
Carbs
For fat loss on medium carb days I recommend 1.25g of carbs per lbs of bodyweight.
Example: 200 pounds individual would ingest 250g of carbs on moderate days. (1000 kcal)
1200 kcal (protein) + 1000 kcal (carbs) = 2200kcal
Since our fat loss calorie intake goal is 2612kcal we have 412 kcal left, those will be from fat.
Fat
412 kcal from fat is 45g of fat. This will be our fat intake for every day. So on medium carb day we consume:
300g – Protein
250g – Carbohydrates
45g -Fat
Fourth Step – Define carb intake for other days
So our base carb intake is 250g in our example. On high carb days you will consume 125% of that value and on low days it will be 75% of that value. That gives us 312g carbs on high days and 187g of carbs on low carb days. Let us recap.
High carb day:
300g – Protein
312g – Carbohydrates
45g – Fat
Low carb day:
300g – Protein
187g – Carbohydrates
45g – Fat
That’s all there is. Now you have defined your daily goals and it’s just a matter of spreading it out in meals and adjusting as the diet goes along. The diet works best if you eat calories from clean foods.
Sample Carb Cycling Meal Plan and Calculator for Weight Loss
I’ve composed a Microsoft Excel file with a calculator inside to help you determine your daily calorie intake goals and make it much easier for you to plan meals. You can download it on the link below.
Carb Cycling Sample Diet And Weight Loss Calculator
Crucial factor for minimizing muscle loss is training with high intensity and heavy work load which is much easier to accomplish with this diet. When I was on low carb and ketogenic diets I had problems maintaining High intensity during workout, the lack of energy was noticeable and my body was suffering.
I can't attach the excel file so if you want it, PM me your email and I'll send it to you.
Core concept of this diet is switching between low, medium and high carbohydrate intake each day so in the end you get less muscle loss and high energy on some days and increase fat burning on other. Typical carb cycling diet consists of 3 low carb, 2 medium and 2 high carb days.
Fitness and muscle models usually choose to do 2 top priority muscle groups workouts on the days with higher carb intake to prevent muscle loss while utilizing the 3 low carb days for increased fat burn.
General rule of all diets is that we have to expand more energy from food than we intake, it’s not much different with carb cycling except that calorie intake may vary each day which can prevent weight loss plateaus and will help retain muscle mass.
First step – BMR
Figure out your BMR, you can do that with excel document which contains the calculator integrated with the Sample carb cycling diet plan linked in the bottom of this article or http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/.
For now as an example let’s say our BMR is 2040 kcal.
Second step – Add activity level and goal
Add activity to BMR. Most of you guys who are doing 1-2h of training each day need to multiply BMR x 1.6 to get your daily expenditure. If you are inactive with a desk job use 1.2 multiplier, if you have a physical job multiply by 1.8-2.0.
BMR x 1.6 = 3264 kcal. So if you consume 3264 kcal your weight will remain the same.
For weight loss we need to consume 20% less calories. 3264 kcal – 652 = 2612 kcal.
Third step - Defining Macro nutrients on medium carb days
Protein
First we define protein intake. I generally recommend you eat 1.5g of protein per lbs of bodyweight. This amount remains the same on all days.
Example: 200 pound individual would ingest 300g of protein each day. (1200 kcal)
Carbs
For fat loss on medium carb days I recommend 1.25g of carbs per lbs of bodyweight.
Example: 200 pounds individual would ingest 250g of carbs on moderate days. (1000 kcal)
1200 kcal (protein) + 1000 kcal (carbs) = 2200kcal
Since our fat loss calorie intake goal is 2612kcal we have 412 kcal left, those will be from fat.
Fat
412 kcal from fat is 45g of fat. This will be our fat intake for every day. So on medium carb day we consume:
300g – Protein
250g – Carbohydrates
45g -Fat
Fourth Step – Define carb intake for other days
So our base carb intake is 250g in our example. On high carb days you will consume 125% of that value and on low days it will be 75% of that value. That gives us 312g carbs on high days and 187g of carbs on low carb days. Let us recap.
High carb day:
300g – Protein
312g – Carbohydrates
45g – Fat
Low carb day:
300g – Protein
187g – Carbohydrates
45g – Fat
That’s all there is. Now you have defined your daily goals and it’s just a matter of spreading it out in meals and adjusting as the diet goes along. The diet works best if you eat calories from clean foods.
Sample Carb Cycling Meal Plan and Calculator for Weight Loss
I’ve composed a Microsoft Excel file with a calculator inside to help you determine your daily calorie intake goals and make it much easier for you to plan meals. You can download it on the link below.
Carb Cycling Sample Diet And Weight Loss Calculator
Crucial factor for minimizing muscle loss is training with high intensity and heavy work load which is much easier to accomplish with this diet. When I was on low carb and ketogenic diets I had problems maintaining High intensity during workout, the lack of energy was noticeable and my body was suffering.
I can't attach the excel file so if you want it, PM me your email and I'll send it to you.
