low carbs vs carb cycling

[RickO'Shea]

interesting. how low should you keep fats?
is eating red meat washed out in water o.k.?

15% of your total daily calorie intake. of course clean fats too.

 

[crulexis]

Hmm what Kinda sugar should be avoided on Reefeeds? I was under the impression that skittles and sugary sweets were good... like waffles & Maple syrup

All bad?

 

[ledhead]

Woundn' tit be better to just take in moderate complex carbs through-out the day, opposed to to depleting
your body on a low carb diet? and gradually lose fat over 3-4 month period of time. Instead of trying to get ripped fast.
I believe taking in moderate carbs through-out the day will help you retain more muscle opposed to low carb diets
I feel you lose to much muscle on them no-matter how much juice your on.As long as your disciplined
with your cardio you can add more quality carbs to your diet and keep more muscle. I tryed those low-carb diets in the past
you do get in-shape quick but you lose some quality muscle in the process wich could have been avoided by just
upping your carb intake some. When cutting I would eliminate simple carbs after your work-out because raising your
insulin levels makes you suceptible to storing fat. As for the refeed days Yeah! they do give your metabolism a jump start
but if your eating enough protein and carbs during the week you really don't need them. I would start out with moderate
intake of carbs to avoid catabolism then see how I looked then I would tweek my diet either lower or raise my carb intake
everyone is different. The name of the game is to get in-shape an retain as much muscle as possible.

That's just my input, Please! correct me if I'm wrong

 

[mrbrad47]

this is probably the greatest piece of information I have ever read on the internet. THANK YOU so much!!

 

[caucasianovcharka]

I was on a relatively low to moderate carb routine for the last 5 weeks of cutting. Last week I just about lost my mind. I wasn't losing fat very quickly and felt like crap, so I upped my cardio way beyond reason, and burned myself out. Since then I've decided to carb cycle. On Sunday I ate a ton of good carbs. It was very satisfying even though I felt like I was being counterproductive taking in maintenance level calories. The next day I hadn't gained any weight and now two days later (1 day low carb, and today no carb) I am losing at a faster rate but don't feel burned out mentally. I am going to have a carb refuel day on Thurs. and Sunday b/c that's when I lift upper body. The rest of the week I will vary between low and no carb (vegetable and a little dairy and nuts allowed). I think that my new plan will not only help to renew my metabolism every few days, but it will help me to have better lifts and keep more muscle. More importantly, looking forward to my high carb days will help me to resist cravings and stay sane. A great plan is often just a decent plan that you can stick with!

 

[Guitarhead]

i like cycling too. i have heard that the pros use high gi carbs on their high days. its harder to eat 800grams of oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes then it is for white bread bagels white rice, etc. and heres a good article on refeeds and leptin


Refeeds and Leptin

Refeeds are typically done while cutting; that is, creating a caloric deficit so your body is forced to rely on fat as an energy source. Most people on any low carb diet---i.e. less than 1 gram per pound of bodyweight per day----or implementing any extreme caloric deficit should incorporate a refeed.

Refeeds are used to raise Leptin, refill muscle and liver glycogen, as well as providing sanity release from dieting as your body is temporarily thrown into a state of metabolic balance. Please read Par Deus's first article on Leptin and its benefits:
http://magazine.mindandmuscle.net/ma...D=51&issueID=3

A Quick, Layman’s Explanation of Leptin:

Leptin is considered an anti-starvation/metabolic balance hormone. As your Leptin levels decrease, the signal is sent to inform that your body is going into starvation mode. As your body goes into starvation mode we all know what happens---your fat loss slows down immensely or in some cases to a screeching halt. So in order to kick fat loss into gear again, you need to raise Leptin.

Common sense dictates that the body seeks balance, and if you endeavor to upset that balance---you have to outwit your body. We were built for survival, and unfortunately for the fitness/bodybuilding-oriented folk, “survival” didn’t mean 170 pounds of ripped mass at 6% bodyfat.

I can’t count have many people have asked this the question of why they lost fat after cheating. They have been so good and clean on their diets for weeks and results slowed down, they got frustrated, they cheated and 2 days later woke up lighter and leaner than before the cheat. Main reason right there, they raised Leptin. Raising Leptin levels will give your body the kick-start it needs for the next few days to keep you out of starvation mode as you diet. As long as your body is out of starvation mode, the faster the fat loss, and the less likely you are to lose LBM, while suffering on all counts in the process. Like I said above, this a brief explanation and there is so much info on Leptin so please read Par’s articles for a more detailed and scientific explanation.

Eat Your Way Out of Metabolic Hell

So, now you are probably thinking, "How do I increase Leptin?” Ready for this...........Eat lots of Carbs. I'm not necessarily talking slow burning carbs here either folks. I know, most of you reading this right now are thinking is she talking about? Simple explanation: The way to raise Leptin is to actually spill over into your fat cells.

Yes, I said it, SPILL OVER!! In order to fill your muscle glycogen you need carbs, once your glycogen stores are full, you are now spilling over into your fat cells. 1 Step Backwards for 2 Steps Forward. Remember folks you can't get fat in 1 day. This is not a new method of fat loss either. Bodybuilders are doing this everywhere and with fantastic results. A Refeed Day is NOT and I repeat NOT a cheat day. There are rules to this that should be followed to avoid gaining fat during the refeed

Typically a refeed is done every 4-5 days, although the frequency of the refeeds can be adjusted to suit the person. The lower the caloric deficit you've managed to create, and the lower your BF%, the more often you should refeed. Why? Because your leptin levels plummet as your calories drop and your bodyfat decreases; remember, we want to stay out of starvation mode.

How do you know when you should refeed more often, or less often? Unfortunately, it’s a personal process of trial and error; no two people are alike, and the general refeed plan is just that---general. If you find yourself constantly obsessed with food, and if you’re losing a significant amount of muscle and strength, you may have to refeed more often (perhaps every 2 to 3 days).

A refeed may also be shorter or longer in duration. For instance, some prefer to refeed for 24 hours, in which case they may consume anywhere from 25 to 50% above their maintenance caloric intake. For shorter refeeds, such as those that last for 6 to 10 hours, people often do not count their calories; rather, they pack down as much as they can within the designated time-frame to ensure that their fat cells have a hefty bag of new fuel to stoke the metabolic furnace with.

Appropriate Foods For a Refeed

During your refeed, you should aim for around 1G of protein per Pound of body weight, keeping your sources of fat to a minimum, so you are only taking the fats that are in your proteins and carbs. Now, here is the fun part: CARBS! Yes, lots and lots and lots of carbs. Not necessarily brown rice, sweet potatoes and oats here either:

Bagels
Pasta
Rice
Bread
Cereal
FF/SF Ice Cream
Pancakes
Waffles
Crackers

Yes, all the things we crave If its low fat or fat free, have at it! Remember, no additional fats.

You should keep fructose to a minimum though. Sticking to 50-100G [for fructose, probably lower, like 25%] for the day is plenty. Remember sucrose is 50% glucose and 50% fructose so seeing that we need to watch our fructose, staying away from sucrose (table sugar) is probably best. Yes, in order to elevate our levels of leptin, we want to spill over muscle, not liver glycogen.

Wrapping It Up---For Now

Now, don't bother stepping on the scale the next day---you will be heavier. Remember, carbs make you hold water but in a day or two it will be all gone and your body will burning fat like mad again.

Some of you being scared of other carb sources may opt to refeed with slow burning carbs and that's fine. Just keep in mind its going to take a hell of alot more oatmeal to raise Leptin than 1 bowl full, and if you’re doing a relatively short refeed, you may want to reconsider your food choices; a short refeed absolutely requires a drastic increase in your calories, as well as the consumption of refined carb sources.

The fiber in the slow burning carbs can be counter-productive when trying to raise leptin, that's why we use refined carbs. Refined carbs raise Leptin much quicker and you won't feel like a stuffed pig all day for having to eat 3C of oats to equal what 1 bagel could have done. And for those of you who are scared, it’s up to you to look at the entire picture, especially in light of how the body seeks balance. Then, if you truly understand the issue, you will no longer fear the calculated nature of a refeed, even if it requires you to consume those foods that are typically----at least in your mind----forbidden.

Anyone carb cycling does not need to follow this refeed. Reason being is because the carb cycling diet uses the High Carb days (every 2 days) to raise Leptin.

I plan on adding more to this as I go. This is just the beginning.

wow this is great read but i am confused....soooo ....do you eat HIGH protein..LOW carb ..MOD fat....for 4 days ...then eat HIGH protein , HIGH CARBS, LOW fat ? is this carb cycling ...i need diet help lol

 

[bodybuildbro]

I look forward to my cheat day. Minimal cheating but wouldn't give it up.

 

[Crosby]

low crabs good for us i think for every one for those who want to lose their weight and gain your weight.

 

[snorkles]

carb cycling.

Monday eat like Thursday
Tuesday eat like Friday
Wednesday eat like Saturday

Sunday carbup

 

[gymjunkie09]

150g,100g,50g,50g repeat works great but shouldn't be ran any longer than 30 days even that long is brutal......If you hit a wall with your diet it's a good way to shake things up even if it's only for a couple weeks