Carb cycling is a weight loss method that involves alternating between low-carb days and high-carb days. This method is based on the principle that carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. When glycogen stores are low, the body is forced to burn fat to produce energy. In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about carb cycling.

How does carb cycling work?

The carb cycling principle is relatively simple. It is made up of two phases that are alternated:
– Low-carbohydrate days: on these days, you limit your carbohydrate intake to 50 grams per day. This corresponds to half the recommended daily carbohydrate intake for an adult. On these days, the focus is on fats (fish, eggs, meat, avocados, nuts).
– High-carb days: during these days, you increase your carbohydrate intake to around 200 grams a day.

The benefits of carb cycling?

Carb cycling is proving very popular because it presents several benefits for weight loss :

• It helps to burn more fat: by lowering glycogen stores, it forces the body to burn fat to produce energy.
• It helps to maintain muscle mass
• It allows you to eat without too much deprivation

In short, carb cycling is well suited to athletes as it helps them fine-tune their performance; this is in contrast to traditional low-calorie diets it prevents the yo-yo effect which involves putting the weight back on quickly after losing it.

What are the disadvantages of carb cycling?

The main drawback of carb cycling is that it requires you to be very mindful of the amount of carbohydrates consumed each day. Apart from that, you may also be prone to cravings on low-carb days.

YouTuber Félix Laigle explains why he isn’t not in favour of carb cycling :

How do you get started with carb cycling?

• Start with 2 to 3 low-carbohydrate days a week. You can then gradually increase the number of low-carbohydrate days as you get used to this diet.
• Choose foods that are high in protein and fibre on low-carbohydrate days. These foods will help you feel full, avoid cravings and maintain your muscle mass.
• Focus on eating complex carbohydrates on high-carbohydrate days. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, vegetables and fruit, have greater nutritional value than simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and processed foods.

Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of foods to eat depending on the day of your carb-cycling diet:

High-carbohydrate days

• Wholemeal cereals, brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread
• Lentils, chickpeas, beans, sweet potatoes, sweetcorn
• Fruit

Low-carbohydrate days

• Green vegetables: spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, courgettes
• Sources of protein: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs
• Sources of fat: avocados, nuts, olive oil

 

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Carb cycling for Android users

The app Carb Cycling Counter available on Google Play will enable you to plan your daily menus by selecting foods and then calculating the calories, as well as the carbohydrate and protein content of your daily portions.

To gain a deeper understanding of this recognised method and to put it into practice without risk to your health, you may wish to consult the following book: Carb cycling: The world’s easiest sugar-free diet: 120 «low-carb/high-carb» recipes and a 4-week step-by-step programme.

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