A lot of people are raving about carb cycling and its amazing benefits.
Whether it’s a passing fad remains to be seen but in the meantime, here are the most common frequently asked questions by people who are curious about carb cycling.
What does carb cycling mean?
Carb cycling means restricting the amount of carbs you eat on given days, called low carb days, and upping your carb intake on other days, called high carb days.
These days are then rotated or “cycled”.
A typical; carb cycling plan involves three low carb days followed by two high arb days, or three moderate carb days.
There are several variations of this plan, such as two high carb days followed by two low carb days. The carb cycler experiments to find the variation that works best for him or her.
How does carb cycling work?
Alternating high carb and low carb days fuels your body's metabolism to create a calorie deficit and increase fast burning.
Weight loss occurs because the cycle doesn't give your body a chance to store the carbs..
Who is it for?
Carb cycling is for everybody as it is an overall healthy way of earing. It simply makes sense for people who want to lose weight but find it hard to stay on a restrictive diet.
Experts recommend it specifically for resistance athletes and active people
How is it different from other diets?
Carb cycling has two unique features:
- It is not restrictive. In fact, you get to eat a substantial amount of healthy carbs, proteins and fats.
- It promotes fat-burning and builds muscle at the same time. No other diet can claim this.
What are the benefits?
- You have more energy and are far less likely to experience the fatigue and weakness associated with other diets.
- You are less likely to have cravings or binge
- Carb cycling is good for digestion and alleviates constipation
- Carb cycling regulates hormonal imbalances and blood glucose levels.
- Can it help me lose weight?
- Carb cycling promotes weight loss. This has been proven without a doubt. You get to eat some of your favorite foods, have “cheat days” for special treats – and lose weight in the process! IT sounds too good to be true but in this case, it is true.
- Are there any risks involved?
- There are no serious risks to carb cycling. Some side effects may include water retention on high carb days and frequent urinating (to release the retained water) on low carb days. Some people report having headaches during the first few days as the body adapts to carb cycling, Other than that, carb cycling is perfectly safe to practice.
- How long can I continue carb cycling?
- Unfortunately, the long-term effects of carb cycling are still unknown. This is why experts recommend carb cycling for short periods of time then stopping and continuing after a “rest” In fact, professional athletes use carb cycling only during training for several weeks or months at most.
- Should I try carb cycling?
- If you like the flexibility and of the plan, if you love carbs but also want to shed a few extra pounds, carb cycling could be the ideal choice for you.
How do I start?
Your first step should be a how-to guide for beginners. You can find quite a few free ones online.
It will walk you through the first steps and advise the specified calorie count and food portions and will give you several plans to choose from.
Sample meal plans should also be provided as well as suggestions for types of foods to eat.
Hopefully, you now have some basic knowledge about carb cycling, how it works and why it's becoming so popular.
The known benefits so far suggest that it's not a passing fad. I fact, it's an extremely healthy way of eating!
