Following a carbohydrate restrictive diet like the low-carb, high-fat keto diet isn't the only way to burn fat and lose weight. If you aren't about the low-carb life, and are unsure on how to lose fat, I'd like to introduce you to an eating method called carb cycling. As the name implies, carb cycling is a pattern of eating where you cycle the amount of carbs you eat in a given day, and by doing so, you can lose weight and have a leaner body composition.
Disclaimer: Being a Precision Nutrition coach isn't the same as being a registered dietitian. I cannot diagnose medical conditions, prescribe diets or supplements to treat medical and clinical conditions, or symptoms of any of these conditions. I am able to encourage you to eat healthy, provide strategies to improve eating habits, and share resource from recognised nutrition organisations like Precision Nutrition.
If you are looking to make any drastic changes to your diet, please consult your physician and a registered dietitian.
Carb cycling may sound complicated, but it's actually a pretty simple concept. Carb cycling refers to eating more carbs on certain days and fewer carbs on other days. You can also do a mini-cycle in a day by eating more carbs when you're active and a smaller amount of carbs when you aren't active.
The focus is on carbs instead of fat and protein because carbohydrate intake is the most variable of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat). In the Precision Nutrition certification manual, John Berardi, PhD, CSCS, wrote, "Fluctuating them can have a large impact on many important hormones (namely insulin, glucagon, thyroid, and leptin)."
Before changing the amount of carbs you're eating, it's important to know whether or not carb cycling is the best option for you. Here are groups of people who can benefit from carb cycling:
People who want to lose fat: If you're trying to lose fat and overcome a weight-loss plateau, alternating between high and low-carb days can help.
People who don't tolerate carbs well: Even if your body doesn't tolerate carbs well, they are effective during workouts. According to the Precision Nutrition manual, you should try to get the bulk of your carbs in around workouts. By doing so, you may become more metabolically healthy, which means you may see improvements in your carb tolerance.
People with metabolic issues: If you have poor glucose control or elevated inflammation you may benefit from short periods of fasting. Here's what you need to know about the various styles of intermittent fasting.
People who want their abs to show: If you've been trying to get your abs to show, you're going to have to lower your body fat percentage. One way to achieve this, in conjunction with working out and eating clean, is by having a lower-energy intake, or calorie deficit, for a period of time. You can achieve this by having high-carb days on the days where you are very active, and low-carb days on the days where you are not active.
Now that you know who can benefit from carb cycling, it's time to learn how to carb cycle.
High- and low-carb days: Typically, higher carb days occur around times when you're the most active. On days where you're physically active, you should add starchy carbs like beans, potatoes, and rice (about 8-12 cupped handfuls) to your regular diet. On days with minimal physical activity, your diet should consists of mostly protein, vegetables, healthy fats, and minimal carbs (approximately about two to four cupped handfuls).
Post-workout and anytime: Another method is to consume a majority of your carbs after physical activity (post-workout) and limiting your carb intake at other meals (anytime). The anytime meal should consist of protein, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables. This guide will help you figure out portion sizes.
When carb cycling, there's no need to weigh your food or track your caloric intake; you should know how many calories you need in a day to function at your best. Essentially, all you need to do is increase your carb intake on days where you're expending more energy and decrease your carb intake on days where your energy expenditure is low.
