Chapter 3 - Starting off on the Right Foot
A little bit of preparation before starting your plan will save you a lot of time, hassle, and mistakes. Here are the basics you need to have in place to start off on the right foot.
Choose Your Plan
First, decide on which days will be your high carb days and which will be low carb days. For the purpose of simplicity, we will use the alternating high carb/low carb day plan. If you would like to use another of the versions described above, just switch the meal plans around to fit your days.
Ideally, your high carb days should correspond to days when you are the most active, However, this is not a rule. Next, pick your "cheat day".
This is the plan you will stick to for the next month. It is not recommended to switch plans midway as it will disrupt the existing cycle.
Decide On The Number Of Meals
How many meals you eat per day is totally up to you. Some people prefer four to six smaller meals instead of the traditional three. This type of plan may suit you if you are used to snacking more during the day. The 3-meal plans include healthy snacks as well. If you are the type of person who frequently feels hungry, then more meals a day will work better.
More advanced carb cyclers may incorporate fasting or eating just two meals a day. However, this is not recommended for beginners.
Set Your Week's Meal Plan
This is the fun part! It's better to plan your meals weekly, biweekly or even monthly if you're really organized. This will save you the hassle of scrambling to put a meal together at the last minute.
The meal plan should list the day, whether it is a high or low carb day and the number of meals.
Each meal should be followed by the time you will have it. The times are just a general framework. You can have your next meal a little earlier on days when you feel hungry.
There are also be those crazy days when you just can't stick to your schedule. You can have meals a little later but don’t skip them altogether so as not to disrupt your metabolism.
Include the portions of food you will have for each meal
Stock Up On The Food You Need
Your cupboards and fridge should have all the ingredients you need for your meal plans. It's a good idea to shop weekly for all the food that you need. You can freeze some foods; store others and vegetables will not have time to go bad. You will have some sample meal plans to guide you in a later chapter.
Remember that you must follow your chosen plan for at least four weeks before changing high carb and low carb days.
Stock Up On Long-Life Healthy Carbs
A lot of healthy carbs like potatoes, nuts, and legumes have a long shelf life. Buy them in bulk so that you never run out of carbs.
Recommended Food Portions
In addition to calorie and gram intake, the recommended quantities for carbs, some meal plans include portions in half-cups or cups (if you are using meal plans you found online for example). This is perfectly fine. There is no need for complicated conversions.
Notice that on low carb days, your fat and protein intake will be higher. Make sure you are eating healthy fats and proteins.
Invest in a small food scale easily measure gram and oz. portions.
To follow is the recommended daily intake of carbs, proteins, and fats.
HIGH CARB DAYS
LOW CARB DAYS
Once you have these basics set up, you are now ready for the next step – what to eat and what to avoid.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Carbs
First and foremost, you need to eat healthy carbs and avoid unhealthy carbs like the plague. Healthy carbs are known as complex or unprocessed carbs. Processed carbs are those that are loaded with useless calories and really have zero nutritional value.
This is one restriction that you really need to follow for your carb plan to work. So, if you are addicted to white bread, summon up the willpower to avoid it except for maybe one slice on cheat days. Luckily, the list of healthy carbs is so varied that there is something on it for everyone.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Fats And Proteins Vegetables, proteins, and fats are the basis of your low carb days. But if you're eating unhealthy fats and proteins on low carb days, that just defeats the purpose. Healthy fats and proteins not only boost the process of carb cycling but also give you more energy. Make sure you include a good variety of these in your plan.
Hopefully, you get the idea. Now, you can begin to incorporate healthy foods into your meals and start carb cycling!