Chris Powell's Choose More, Lose More for Life (16 page)
Read Chris Powell's Choose More, Lose More for Life Online
Authors: Chris Powell
Tags: #Health & Fitness / Diet & Nutrition / Weight Loss, #Self-Help / Motivational & Inspirational, #Health & Fitness / Exercise
The Easy Cycle week is a simple alternating pattern of low- and high-carb days, with an extra high-carb day thrown in. The low-carb days are just like the low-carb days in the other three carb cycles, but the high-carb days… they’re a lot more fun!
On those four wonderful high-carb days each week, you get to pick one meal—except dinner—as your reward meal. We avoid rewards at dinner because late nights tend to be a slippery slope for most. Once we start rewarding, we can’t stop!
Start your lunch with a salad and blue cheese dressing, follow with a sausage-and-peppers sub, and finish your meal off with a chocolate chip cookie. I don’t care! But challenge yourself to order the small or half
servings instead of the medium or large, and try one cookie instead of two. You’re already going to be eating additional calories on these days, so see if you can limit them. The more you do, the faster you reach your goal.
This is what your week looks like:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-Carb | High-Carb with Reward Meal | Low-Carb | High-Carb with Reward Meal | Low-Carb | High-Carb | High-Carb with Reward Meal |
Even if you’re severely craving-challenged, you
can
lose weight on the Easy Cycle. But even more importantly, you’re going to
prove
to yourself that you can do it. When that starts to happen, the magic ingredient of transformation—believing in yourself—reemerges and you realize, “I can do this!” That’s the power of the Easy Cycle: It makes it possible for
everyone
to lose weight, to succeed with a diet, and to relearn how to believe in him- or herself.
I can’t think of a bigger benefit to get from a weight-loss program, especially if you need to learn how to
believe in yourself again
. That faith and self-confidence will empower you to do anything you set out to do—not
just lose weight! You can take that confidence and transition to a faster carb cycle, or just stick with the Easy Cycle through your whole journey to your goal. And you
will
reach your goal. It might take a little time, but hey, this is the rest of your life!
Oh, no! I cheated on my low-carb day!” Don’t freak out—it happens to everyone. And everyone wonders if they should make up for their slip by changing their next day to a low-carb day. The answer is no!
Never
play catch-up when it comes to your carb cycle. It’ll just derail your weight-loss plan again—faster than before. You’ll end up chasing your diet all over the place. Leave your mistakes in the past, where they belong. Now Confess, Reassess, and Recommit (see
Chapter 2
, “The True Secret of Transformation”). Face forward and keep going with your cycle… because you’re worth it.
This is where it all began, back in my first book,
Choose to Lose
. So it makes sense that the Classic Cycle is the
simplest
carb cycle of all, even though the Easy Cycle is
easier
. I designed the Classic Cycle to give you a fast and easy introduction to carb cycling. A lot of carb cyclers start their weight-loss journey with the Classic Cycle, and they stick with it because they’re losing weight quickly and steadily. I’ve seen this cycle work for so many people, and for them, as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The Classic Cycle is a great program if you want fast results on the scale using clear and simple guidelines. All you’ve got to do on the Classic Cycle is alternate low- and high-carb days six days a week, and give yourself a reward day on the seventh. Nothing complicated about it.
You’re going to lose some serious weight on the Classic Cycle, and pretty quickly. But one of the great things about this cycle is that it allows you to really feel the difference in what happens to your body when you take in carbs on your high-carb days versus fats on your low-carb days. Those feelings are your body telling you what’s happening as it’s going through the process of weight loss. Listen to your body while you carb cycle, and you’ll develop terrific body awareness. You’ll actually feel the effects your food has on your body, from your energy level to your mental clarity. The Classic Cycle will give you a whole new appreciation for the fuel you put into your body!
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-Carb | High-Carb | Low-Carb | High-Carb | Low-Carb | High-Carb | Reward |
Because you’ve been eating junk food, particularly high-sugar high-fat foods, for years your body is very likely to have a physical dependency on some of them. It’s common to feel a bit uneasy when you first start to carb cycle and reduce your intake of these foods. Your body may go through a period of
detoxification
, when you might experience nausea, headaches, low energy, and other yucky symptoms as you remove junk foods from your diet. Don’t worry, this too shall pass! However, if your detox symptoms are too uncomfortable, you may want to begin with the Easy Cycle and transition later to the Classic Cycle when your detox is done and you’re ready for faster results.
Are you ready to shed your extra padding
fast
—as fast as you possibly can? Yes? Then this cycle is for you. The Turbo Cycle gets results the quickest—and takes off the most pounds per week—of the four carb cycles.
This cycle works like lightning because it’s lean and mean. Instead of the basic one day on/one day off carb cycle, the Turbo Cycle puts two low-carb days up against every high-carb day. You’ve got two fat-burning days for every metabolism-stoking day, so you slim down really, really fast.
While the Turbo Cycle gives you the fastest results of any carb cycle, it’s
not
a severely restricted-calorie diet that’ll crash your metabolism. Women: Don’t consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day! Men: Don’t consume fewer than 1,500 calories! You’ll still get results very quickly. The Turbo Cycle is totally safe and incredibly effective!
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-Carb | Low-Carb | High-Carb | Low-Carb | Low-Carb | High-Carb | Reward |
On the Turbo Cycle, you’re going to get results in no time, but there’s a trade-off you should know about. With two low-carb days in a row, you’re definitely going to feel a dip in your energy level—especially on that second day—but it’s a clear sign that you’re losing inches. And just watch how rapidly the numbers on your scale go down. Those low-carb days are powerful weight-loss accelerators.
If you have an active lifestyle and you want to lean up
without compromising
your athletic performance, the Fit Cycle is a great option. Like a lot of other diets, the Fit Cycle strips off your fat, but unlike most of them it also supplies the fuel you need to excel in your sport of choice or to train for long stretches of time each day.
Of all the four cycles I lay out in this chapter, the Fit Cycle includes the fewest low-carb days: only two per week. I’ve got you
eating more carbs
so you can drive more of them into your muscles, filling them up with fuel. As an athlete, you probably know that those carbs get converted to glucose, then are stored in your muscle as glycogen. That’s the stuff your muscles tap when they need energy, so if you want maximum physical performance you will need those glycogen stores. Score one for the Fit Cycle!
What you might not know is that a really cool thing happens when athletes carb cycle. On your low-carb days, when you deplete your glycogen stores, your muscles develop
insulin sensitivity
. So what, you say? Well, when you switch back over to a high-carb day, or when you enjoy your weekly reward day, your insulin-sensitive muscles do something
brilliant. It’s called
super-compensation
, and it means that your muscles actually soak up
more
carbs than they normally would. Your body burns the extra fuel to keep your performance high, instead of storing it as fat. Your metabolism is pumped, so taking in the extra carbs actually helps you lose weight!
Because you’re in a high-carb mode, you won’t be losing weight as fast as you would on the Turbo Cycle. It’s the sacrifice you make to maintain your performance! In fact, structurally the Fit Cycle is the opposite of the Turbo Cycle.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-Carb | High-Carb | Low-Carb | High-Carb | High-Carb | Low-Carb | Reward |
Even though it’s a high-carb program, the Fit Cycle will put you at a calorie deficit for some weight loss, so you might take
a slight hit to your performance
. If you’re focused on your performance and don’t want to lose weight, pre- and post-workout supplementation, perhaps meal-replacement shakes with some extra macronutrients, can help fuel your performance while minimizing weight loss.
None of us eat every meal at home. And when we’re not home, we can’t always take our food with us. I spend
tons
of time on the road and eat in restaurants all the time, so I’ve figured out a few ways to keep on carb cycling wherever I am.
My Top Four Traveling Tactics
1. Pack nonperishable items to bring with you. Whey protein powder, fruit, and nuts are good choices.
2. When you get to your destination, take a bus, taxi, or car to a grocery store on the way to your hotel and stock up on smart proteins, carbs, fats, and veggies. Most bus and taxi drivers know where to buy food along their route.
3. At your hotel, request a microwave and/or refrigerator for your room, so you can store perishable items and heat up some healthy meals.
4. Always carry a shaker bottle so you can make protein shakes.
My Top Five Restaurant Tactics
1. Drink a tall glass of water as soon as it’s brought to the table. If your server doesn’t pour water automatically, request some. Keep drinking water throughout your meal.
2. Order your entrée grilled, broiled, baked, boiled, or steamed—never sautéed or fried.
3. Many restaurants allow you to order a side of grilled chicken, fish, or beef. Do so if you can, and select carbs and veggies from the rest of the sides menu.
4. If your dish includes sauce or dressing, ask for it on the side.
5. Split your dish with your dining partner or request half of it to go when you order. I’ve never had any restaurant refuse this request!
Carb cycling is one of the most effective ways to keep your body guessing about what you’re going to throw at it next. And as we’ve talked about,
faking out your body
is a powerful tool for weight loss. But no matter which carb cycle you’re on, your smart body will eventually
figure out the pattern
and adapt.
Depending on your body, some reach a weight-loss plateau or slow down anytime between the fourth and twelfth weeks of carb cycling.
Most people respond to a plateau by thinking, “I just need to eat less and exercise more.” Don’t do it! You’ll just get more firmly stuck on your plateau. And don’t give up on carb cycling! Now’s the time to turn the tables again, and trick your body back into losing more weight. Now’s the time to use my
Slingshot Technique
.
A Slingshot is seven high-carb days in a row. Yup, I’m asking you to
eat more
. And yes, the seventh day is still a reward day! Every carb cycler should Slingshot: In fact, I consider it an essential part of carb cycling. And it’s so easy! All you need to do is to
follow your carb cycle for three weeks, then take one Slingshot week
.
By adding Slingshots to your carb cycle, you’re constantly changing the way you eat—a technique that we fitness professionals call
periodization
. It’s incredibly effective because taking a week off from your normal carb-cycling routine fools your body all over again. Eliminate low-carb days and fuel up for a week, and you’ll con your metabolism into reigniting and burning down your weight-loss wall!
High-carb days during Slingshot weeks are exactly the same as high-carb days during the cycles. Breakfast, which you eat within half an hour of getting up, is a portion of protein, a portion of carbs, and, if you want, any amount of vegetables. After that you eat four more meals, one every three hours, consisting of a portion of protein, a portion of carbs, and a portion of veggies. Eat this way for seven straight days, and enjoy yourself.
During the Slingshot, you do the same amount of exercise as you do while carb cycling. With all those high-carb days filling your muscles with fuel, you should notice that your performance increases significantly.