A Complete Guide to Carb Cycling Diet for Weight Loss and Bulking

Weight Loss Made Easy with a Meal Plan that Even Can Help You to Gain Muscles.

The carb cycling diet is a whole new fitness trend. The diet plan is effective for different health purposes.

In this article, you would get to know everything about the new diet plan.

Carb cycling is a diet plan, but a little different than the regular eating pattern.

The diet plan requires cycling your carbs. In other words, it involves having fewer or more carbs over alternate days.

The best diet plan tends to make a huge difference between your macros. This is how it benefits your health and fitness level.

• It aids weight loss, improves athletic performance, and controls signs of chronic diseases.

However, there is much more to carb cycling bodybuilding. Knowing every nitty-gritty of the diet plan helps in the beginning.

This article shares a complete guide on a carb cycling diet. What it is? How to do it? And more…

Let’s begin…

What is Carb Cycling?

Carbs are part of your diet.

The macronutrient is an essential source of calories and energy. It keeps you active, energetic, and even full.

In general, it is of two types of carbs.

• Simple carbs
• Complex carbs

The two types of carbohydrates are different from other micronutrients and each other.

The former one comprises one or two sugar molecules. In contrast, complex carbs have three or even more.

For instance, they are starches, like legumes, cereals, and potatoes.

The best diet plan for weight loss involves the two types of carbs. Basically, they alternate their carb consumption at different periods. They can alternate daily, weekly, or even monthly.

The diet plan suggests an innovative eating pattern.

It includes having high carb and a low-fat diet on a few days. On other days, it requires having a low carb and high-fat diet on other days.

The best diet plan is suitable for different health purposes. One can modify the eating pattern for their fitness goal.

Nonetheless, comparatively, it requires more plans than other diet plans.

Carb Cycling Benefits: What to Expect?

No diet plan gets popular in vogue. Of course, they have to offer you something.

This is the basis of how many people use it and how it expands in the fitness community.

Certainly, after observing a carb cycling diet, it benefits your health in a myriad of ways. This results in different health benefits.

Let’s explore the possible carb cycling benefits.

The energy and carbohydrate restriction for subjects went for 2 days per week.

The study begins on the two groups of participants.

One consumed protein and fat as much they wanted. However, their carbs and energy were restricted. In contrast, the other group could have protein and fat as much they wanted.

The researchers found 5% more or greater weight loss in these folks.

Moreover, the findings indicate a further reduction in their insulin resistance.

There was a drop in body fat and a reduction in hormone leptin over the 4 months.

The carb cycling diet benefits different health purposes.

It aids weight loss, reduces body fat, fights off insulin resistance, and energizes you. However, more studies and findings can further strengthen the claims.

The diet plan is beneficial in delivering you different health benefits. This will be only possible if you know its working mechanism.

How Does Carb Cycling Work?

The diet plan grabbed huge attention. Its innovative feature of alternating between low and high carb days works.

It seems to benefit weight loss and different fitness goals.

In general, a low-carb diet is beneficial for health and physique. Here’s an explanation.

People on a low-carb diet have more proteins and fats.

They stay longer for hours than normal. This helps restrict hypoglycemia.

Eventually, it limits your hunger and reduces your calorie consumption. Indeed, it benefits weight loss in myriads of ways.

High carb diet has its benefits. They are full of veggies, fruits, etc.

Having a diet full of veggies and fruits full of fiber lessens the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Plus, the diet improves insulin sensitivity for people struggling with type 2 diabetes.

Moreover, a high-carb and fiber diet reduces cholesterol. This helps decimate the risk of cardiac ailments and other problems.

Carb cycling involves a high carb diet as well as a low carb diet.

So, the diet plan helps with both diet plans.

When you alternate between these diets daily, weekly, or monthly, you receive the two sets of benefits equally.

People consider a high-carb diet plan for weight loss.

However, the question is does the diet plan help? Let’s investigate…

Can Carb Cycling Help You Lose Weight?

Carb cycling aids weight loss.

Nonetheless, to approve the claim more studies and scientific proof are necessary.

Currently, fewer studies something about the effect of the carb cycling diet for weight loss.

Weight loss depends on simple calculations. If you have fewer calories and burn more, you are likely to lose weight.

For instance, people with moderate body weight or little high BMI go calorie deficient, carb cycling can aid weight loss.

• It even helps maintain a moderate body weight composition.

Studies indicate no remarkable difference in weight in terms of diet restricting one macronutrient or other.

The findings are viable in respect to macros like protein or carbs, etc.

Eventually, they had a better experience following the diet plan. At last, they experience impressive weight loss.

Certainly, carb cycling before and after results were impressive in this respect.

The diet plan doesn’t limit foods like other eating patterns.

Indeed, people are comfortable with this approach. They find it suitable for their requirement. This applies both to fitness and weight loss.

You need to know carb cycling macros female and male, to begin with. First, let’s check out further scientific evidence for the best diet plan for weight loss.

Carb Cycling Scientific Evidence

When it comes to a weight loss diet plan or fitness eating pattern, no one can be sure.

Sometimes they struggle during the dieting period. Other times, they find no positive difference. This makes quite a contrary opinion about the innovative eating style.

Nonetheless, studies and research papers can clear your doubts.

• It provides initial assurance. Indeed, you can go a long way with the diet plan expecting results.

Let’s consider different aspects for the best bodybuilding diet plan.

For Weight Loss

Some studies support the claims of carb cycling for weight loss.

Indeed, the evidence clearly indicates how a low-carb diet aid weight loss by firing up metabolism.

High carb diet benefits in other ways. It lessens the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiac ailments, and even intestinal cancer.

The alteration between low and high-carb diets benefits weight loss in their ways.

Nonetheless, more studies need to approve the carb cycling thing for weight loss.

For Muscle and Sports

Low carb diets can aid muscle mass as well athletic performance.

The evidence slightly approve carb cycling for muscle gain and energy.

A study in 2017 investigated the impact of carb refeeds in bodybuilders. They consume more carbs at times. This increases fat loss and helps them get muscular in ways.

Subjects found greater glycogen stores on carbs refeed days.

These days also improved their athletic performance. Meanwhile, on these days, they recovered quicker from workouts.

This applies to both mental and physical exhaustion.

With time, you will come across more findings that approve the effectiveness and safety of the best bodybuilding diet plan.

Certainly, the eating pattern has impressed the fitness community by now.

Other Health Benefits

In terms of health benefits, no scientific evidence is available. Of course, more studies and research need in this field.

The diet plan isn’t about cycling carbs and macros. You need to maintain your calories as well.

In short, you need to have fewer calories daily to stay calorie deficient.

At the same time, ensure sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients make way to your plate.

Without enough nutrients, you may get undernourishment. It can even trigger different nutrient deficiencies.

A carb cycling diet is an innovative approach to eating. It has different health benefits for both weight loss and bulking.

• It even keeps you energetic improving your workouts. Moreover, the best diet plan may aid your health. However, more studies can approve these claims.

For now, we only know the benefits of low carb and high carb diets.

Researchers need to investigate the impact of a carb cycling diet plan. It can only reveal true facts about the leading diet plan in the fitness community.

Indeed, it is time to know how to approach the diet plan.

How to Do Carb Cycling?

The most challenging task is to approach the diet plan.

It isn’t just like any other diet plan. You need to alternate between your macros and micros. However, the period of cycling is entirely your choice.

You can cycle carbs on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

The number of daily carbs consumed depends on your meal. Whether you are having high, moderate, or low carb meals.

Here’s an example:

• Very low carbs: have under 10% of daily calories from carbs.
• Low carbs: have under 26% of daily calories from carbs.
• Moderate carbs: have between 26–44% of daily calories from carbs.
• High carbs: have 45% or more daily calories from carbs.

Now, you may imagine how a carb cycling diet plan appears. You need to have 2,000 calories a day.

It is time we have a look at the 7-day carb cycling plan

Each gram (g) of Carbs comprises 4 calories.

A Carb cycling schedule is important. It determines the cycling of macros that occurs according to the plan.

Certainly, it is necessary to reap out benefits from the diet plan.

Carb Cycling Meal Plans

You understand how you should cycle carbs.

Of course, on some days, you have a low carb diet, on others moderate, and on a few days, you can have high carb food.

However, the question is what a single-day diet plan appears.

You need to plan your meal according to 2,000 calories per day. Nonetheless, you can switch your daily calorie limit as per your fitness goals.

For bulking, a carb cycling diet will require more.

Here’s an idea of what your single-day diet is like…

Low Carb Meal Plan

• Breakfast: 1 scrambled egg and 2 slices of bacon (1.2 g)
• Snack: 1 large hard-boiled egg with 1 tablespoonful of mayonnaise (0.7 g)
• Lunch: 1 cup of sliced or chopped chicken, 1 cup red peppers, 50 g of arugula, 1 cup onions, 1 cup of tomatoes, with olive oil dressing (20.9 g)
• Dinner: 1 serving of shrimp, 1 serving of couscous, 1 cup of arugula salad, and salad dressing (25.4 g)

Moderate Carb Meal Plan

• Breakfast:  2 slices of brown bread, 3 large eggs, 2 slices of bacon, 2 thick slices of tomatoes, with butter (30.1 g)
• Snack: 1 large apple (31 g)
• Lunch: Half a cup of potato,3 ounces of salmon, and 3 florets of broccoli (14.8 g)
• Snack: 1 medium banana (27 g)
• Dinner: 1 portion of pasta with pesto sauce (26.2 g)

High Carb Meal Plan

• Breakfast: 1 cup of halved strawberries and 1 cup of cooked oatmeal served with milk (51 g)
• Snack: 1 serving of roasted chickpeas (22 g)
• Lunch: 6-inch wholemeal wrap, grated cheddar cheese, 1 cup of raw peppers, half a cup of beans, and a medium apple (61 g)
• Snack: Half a cup of skim milk and a medium banana (33.5 g)
• Dinner: 1 serving of chicken, 1 cup of brown long grain rice, 100 g of mixed veggies, served with soy sauce (58 g)

This is a sample carb cycling meal plan. You can take help from the above example.

Indeed, you can follow the shared meal plan. Still, it is better to look for other carb recipes.

This brings change to your plate and helps receive more benefits from the best diet plan for muscle gain and weight loss.

At last, we have shared some top carb sources. You can prepare meals out of these to get maximum benefits. It even adds flavors and taste to your plate.

Top Recommendation for Carb Sources

While many foods contain carbs, there are some that people should eat more than others.

Sources of complex carbs include:

• Veggies
• potatoes
• fresh fruit
• wholemeal bread
• whole-wheat cereals
• pulses: beans, lentils, and chickpeas
• whole-grain cereals and grains, like brown rice

You can prepare your carb recipe out of these carb sources. Certainly, it helps get you max carb cycling benefits.

Without different recipes, your meals can go boring. You won’t want to stick to the plan.

Eventually, it will create whole turmoil for your fitness program. Try the recipe out of these food sources.

At last, check out our final review on the diet plan.

The Final Word: Carb Cycling

Carb cycling is a new technique for elevating fitness. Like bodybuilding, it involves cycling between high carb and low carb foods.

However, the cycling period varies on a daily, weekly, or even monthly basis.

You can pick out your cycling duration as per your preference and comfort. There is no general recommendation in this respect.

Unlike other diet plans, it doesn’t restrict meals. You can reduce your calorie intake while keeping your carbs intake altered.

The diet plan offers myriads of benefits. It aids weight loss, muscle gain, and even athletic performance.

Moreover, it even benefits different health conditions. However, more studies and research papers can approve these claims.

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