Society Magazine 57 | Page 45

• Replenish glycogen stores and thus boost training intensity .

• Favourably influence various hormones related to muscle protein metabolism and metabolism .

• Temporarily spike insulin levels to help preserve muscle tissue .

• By using lower-calorie low- and nocarb days to maximize fat burning .

This should allow us to build muscle and lose fat at the same time .

Is carb cycling good for weight loss ?

Any dietary protocol that has you in a calorie deficit over an extended period of time will result in weight loss , regardless of the foods you eat or how you structure your meals or anything else . It ’ s not much different with carb cycling except that calorie intake may vary each day which can prevent weight loss plateaus and will help retain muscle mass .

When you diet to lose weight , a portion of the weight lose comes from fat , but a portion also comes from water , glycogen and , in some cases , muscle .

Water and glycogen levels will fluctuate up and down depending on your diet and other factors . The idea is to lose fat and not muscle .

Typical carb cycling diet consists of 4 low carb , 1 no carb and 2 high carb days .

Bodybuilders usually choose to do 2 top priority muscle groups workouts ( big muscles like legs ) on the days with higher carb intake to prevent muscle loss while utilizing the 4 low carb days for increased fat burn and 1 reward day .

Advanced Cycle

With the Beginners Cycle , you won ’ t lose weight as fast as with the Advanced Cycle , but you will be able to maintain your athletic performance .

• Fat loss

Low-carb intake on training days to promote fat loss and medium-carb days to promote regeneration between sessions .

• Weight maintenance

Low-carb intake on non-training days to avoid fat gain .

• Mass gain

Higher carb intake on large muscle groups training day to promote weight gain . We need carbs if we want to build muscle .

How to calculate and schedule your meals ?

A typical low-carb day :

Carbs 0.5 grams per pound of body weight

Protein 1.25-1.5 grams per pound of body weight

Fat 0.15 grams per pound of body weight

7am : 2 scrambled eggs with spinach 10am : protein shake with berries 1pm : grilled chicken salad 4pm : oatmeal with almonds 7pm : steak with steamed broccoli or asparagus

A typical high-carb day :

Carbs 2-3 grams per pound of body weight

Protein 1-1.25 grams per pound of body weight

Fat as little as possible

7am : oatmeal with walnuts and berries and egg white 10am : carrots with hummus 1pm : turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread 4pm : chicken salad with quinoa 7pm : grilled salmon with baked potato

Keep in mind that you can still enjoy your favourite foods , just in moderation . The goal is to slowly change your eating habits to include a variety of healthy foods . That ’ s the kind of formula you can stick to for continued success .

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