CARB-CYCLING BASICS

So I have mentioned a couple of times about the eating plan that I have decided to give a whirl.  Last year a friend of mine, Christian, asked me in a conversation if I had tried Carb-Cycling.  I had not and at that time I had never heard of it before nor did I look into it after that conversation as I was not committed to my Journey.  Fast forward several months and as I was watching Extreme Make Over Weight Loss Edition, Chris Powell mentioned that the process he uses in his make overs was Carb-Cycling which reminded me of the above conversation.  Basically it is providing your body with just enough carb's to fuel it but not over do it to where it turns the left overs into fat.  I wanted to know more so I purchased Chris Powell's book Lose More Choose More for Life.  This book expanded on his initial Classic Carb Cycling plan and gave a couple other variations that offer different levels of cycling.

I chose to use the Turbo Cycle.  As with each cycle, they are based around eating 5 meals a day, 3 hours apart, with the first meal being eaten within 30 minutes of waking up.  You are rotating between low carb & high carb days or meals.  Your first meal each day is a high carb meal that gives you the fuel that you need to jump start you metabolism.  So here is what my cycle looks like.

Week 1 - 3
Sunday - Low Carb
Monday - Low Carb
Tuesday - High Carb
Wednesday - Low Carb
Thursday - Low Carb
Friday - High Carb
Saturday - Reward Day

Week 4
Sunday - High Carb
Monday - High Carb
Tuesday - High Carb
Wednesday - High Carb
Thursday - High Carb
Friday - High Carb
Saturday - Reward Day

REPEAT

In Chris' book you are given several recipes.  Honestly, I have not used many of them.  It does give you a very good look at how you can take lots of meals and make them either a low or high carb meal.  Basically on low carb days you eat a protein about the size of your palm coupled with two servings of veggies about the size of two closed fists with a thumb size amount of fat.  On high carb days, you eat the same protein and veggies but you supplement the fat for a fist sized carb.  Below are some examples:

Protein: Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish
Veggie: Squash, Zucchini, Red Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Salad
Fat: Avocado, Olive Oil
Carb: English Muffin, Whole Wheat Toast, Corn Tortilla, Sweet Potato, Quinoa, Couscous, Brown Rice

As with all of these items, you have to prepare them correctly.  No sauteing your veggies in globs of butter or "chicken frying" your steak and chicken.  Below was a good low carb day for me yesterday.

Breakfast 4:30 AM - Approx. 285 Calories
Protein Pancake - 80 calories
Peanut Butter - 1 tbs - 90 calories
1/2 Banana - 55 calories
1 oz Light Pork Breakfast Sausage - 60 calories

Morning Snack 8:00 AM - Approx. 230 Calories
2 Scrambled Eggs -140 calories
Sauteed Zucchini, Squash, Onion & Red Bell Pepper - 1 Cup - 35 calories
2 oz Sauteed Chicken Breast - 55 calories

Lunch 12:00 PM - Approx. 265 Calories
3 oz Sauteed Chicken Breast - 105 calories
Salad Greens - 40 calories (estimated very high)
Salad Olives - 20 calories
Mild Cheddar Cheese - 25 calories
Croutons - 30 calories
Salad Dressing - 45 calories

Afternoon Snack 3:00 PM - Approx. 120 Calories
Honey Roasted Turkey Lunch Meat - 60 calories
Sliced Roma Tomato - 30 calories
Sliced Zucchini - 30 calories

Dinner 6:30 PM - Approx. 300 Calories
2 Large Scrambled Eggs - 140 calories
2 Slices Bacon - 80 calories
1 Slice Pepper Jack Cheese - 80 calories

Entire Day Total - 935 Calories & I ate all day long

Because of the success of such low calories, I treated myself with a 150 Calorie Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cone with my wife while watching How I Met Your Mother.

Upcoming Blog: Preparation is Key
I will be covering sleep, recipes and food prep.