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About to start Carb Cycling and need advice

HOLYSHITLOOK@ME

New member
5'10 205 13%bf 31yrs old[looking to get down to 7%bf in 2 months]

Eat 300g of protein each day.

Low(60), med(230), and high carb days(400)
Days will cycle like this: low-low-med-med-low-med-High

On medium and low days I will eat 30g of healthy fats.

Pre-Breakfast cardio
Training 5x/week

Questions are:
-Is this making it too complicated?

-Saying diet and workouts are equal, would someone benfit more from this or say, 150g carbs daily, then load up to 400 every 4-5 days?

-What changes would you make? (pls don't say "All of it")

What's worked for you?
 
5'10 205 13%bf 31yrs old[looking to get down to 7%bf in 2 months]

Eat 300g of protein each day.

Low(60), med(230), and high carb days(400)
Days will cycle like this: low-low-med-med-low-med-High

On medium and low days I will eat 30g of healthy fats.

Pre-Breakfast cardio
Training 5x/week

Questions are:
-Is this making it too complicated?

-Saying diet and workouts are equal, would someone benfit more from this or say, 150g carbs daily, then load up to 400 every 4-5 days?

-What changes would you make? (pls don't say "All of it")

What's worked for you?

I am about to start carb-cycling too.

I am going 3 low 1 high to start. Low for me is under 200g of CHO and high will be 400-500g of CHO.

3:1 low to high seems like a good place to start for me. I will end up tweaking this, but I do not want to start out too complicated at first.
 
I am about to start carb-cycling too.

I am going 3 low 1 high to start. Low for me is under 200g of CHO and high will be 400-500g of CHO.

3:1 low to high seems like a good place to start for me. I will end up tweaking this, but I do not want to start out too complicated at first.

i agree with SL. you want to start with higher carbs so when you get stuck, you can always take away carbs. if you go to low on carbs, you wont have any to take away.
 
here's the article i read, it explains the whole point of refeeds and why white carbs should be used.


Refeeds and Leptin
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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.

I'd like to thank Dante for his edit's to this write up.
 
On your high days. do you eat starchy carbs? White potatoes, white bread...?

This is really going to be a personal choice. I am going to stick with low(er) GI starches. Basically the same things I am eating on my low days, but more of them.

You could always load up on kids cereal, waffles and syrup, oreo cookies, and pop tarts. I tried this a few times in the past and was in a "carb coma" the whole time. Not a very enjoyable feeling.
 
A 3 day, then re-feed is too frequent for 13% BF. You wouldn't need that frequent until you got lower in BF like 8%.

I'm doing 5 days, then a refeed and I'm sitting at 12% right now. 150gram, on low days 350 on high days. I am doing just fine and leaning out great without losing any muscle size. Once I hit 10% I will go to 4 plus a refeed, then at 8% I will do 3 then a refeed. Won't go past that. That is plenty plenty lean for me.

Oh, and the liposhred stack is kicking my ass and taking names. Run this while on a carb cycle and you will make tons more progress.
 
A 3 day, then re-feed is too frequent for 13% BF. You wouldn't need that frequent until you got lower in BF like 8%.

I'm doing 5 days, then a refeed and I'm sitting at 12% right now. 150gram, on low days 350 on high days. I am doing just fine and leaning out great without losing any muscle size. Once I hit 10% I will go to 4 plus a refeed, then at 8% I will do 3 then a refeed. Won't go past that. That is plenty plenty lean for me.

Oh, and the liposhred stack is kicking my ass and taking names. Run this while on a carb cycle and you will make tons more progress.

thanks for the idea. ive been eating 200 grams of complex carbs in my first 4 meals and on the 4th day, im not really hungry or craving. so i think ill do what you're doing and try the 5 days of 165 and on the 6th day about 350 grams.
 
thanks for the idea. ive been eating 200 grams of complex carbs in my first 4 meals and on the 4th day, im not really hungry or craving. so i think ill do what you're doing and try the 5 days of 165 and on the 6th day about 350 grams.

If you ever get headaches from too low of carbs in the day, just take in 20 grams more. I am dialing in exactly how much and when do I need to take in the carbs for my body to feel good and still get the thermogenesis going. I can actually feel my body getting warm, a slight sweat and burning the fuel.

One think that is key is to get TONS of green veggies in on low cal days. Lots of broccoli, asparagus and/or spinach.
 
A 3 day, then re-feed is too frequent for 13% BF. You wouldn't need that frequent until you got lower in BF like 8%.

I'm doing 5 days, then a refeed and I'm sitting at 12% right now. 150gram, on low days 350 on high days. I am doing just fine and leaning out great without losing any muscle size. Once I hit 10% I will go to 4 plus a refeed, then at 8% I will do 3 then a refeed. Won't go past that. That is plenty plenty lean for me.

Oh, and the liposhred stack is kicking my ass and taking names. Run this while on a carb cycle and you will make tons more progress.


This is from BFFM whcih can be purcahsed here. Great book.

Why you shouldn’t stay on low carbohydrates for more than three days in a row

After three days in a row on low carbohydrates, your glycogen levels will be almost completely depleted. If you were to continue on low carbohydrates for a fourth day, fifth day, or beyond, you would notice your energy and training intensity begin to diminish. You would also notice that your muscles would “flatten out” and become softer. Your metabolic rate would begin to slow down and your thyroid gland would decrease its output of thyroid hormone. Basically, your diet would become less and less effective the longer you stayed on low carbohydrates beyond the three day period. Your body is so “smart,” it simply makes changes in physiology and metabolism to compensate for the prolonged lack of carbohydrates (which it interprets as starvation). That’s why you have to “shake things up” and keep your body off guard by throwing in a high carbohydrate day every fourth day.
 
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