If you have ever tried to lose body fat, you’ve probably heard how bad carbs are for you. But we need to clarify something – there are two types of carbs – fibrous and starchy.
Fibrous carbs are fruits and veggies and should be consumed in abundance.
Starchy carbs are your bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. Starchy carbs should NOT be avoided altogether; they have their time and place. WHEN you eat starchy carbs can make a big difference.
My general rule is to eat them no more than once a day and preferably after a workout when your metabolism is at its highest.
There’s also this concept you may have heard of called CARB CYCLING. It has worked well for many people but requires planning in advance and strict adherence. So what is it?
As you know, your body is incredibly smart. If you completely cut carbs from your diet you will lose a little at first, but your body will adapt. Suddenly, you’re eating no carbs and not losing body fat. What the heck!? That’s where the concept of CARB CYCLING comes in handy. It’s basically a planned re-feeding of starchy carbs that tricks your body by making it think you aren’t entirely restricting carbs so it can continue with the fat loss process.
There are a few ways to carb cycle:
1. Infrequent, big re-feeds(only good for people who can be 100% compliant) Plan, let’s say a 2 week cycle. On days 7 & 14, you consume large amounts of starchy carbs. ZERO deviation on the plan can happen the other days, otherwise this type of cycle will not be effective.
· Consume about 3x your daily intake from your normal days.
· You must exercise on re-feed days
· Assess after a cycle to make sure this type of plan is working for you.
2. Frequent, moderate re-feeds
· You eat very few starchy carbs, then up your intake for one day every 4 or so days.
· Carbs must be HIGH QUALITY – think sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, fruits
· Consume about 1.5x your daily intake from your normal days
· You must exercise on these re-feed days
Remember, CONSISTENCY always comes BEFORE INTENSITY! If you’re not consistent with the basics, carb cycling is not the place to start! But if you are very consistent with your eating and have mastered the basics, you can experiment with carb cycling and we are here to help.
Yours in Health,
~ Juan
