Carb Cycling: A New Way To Eat

I'm ending my first week following Chris Powell's carb cycling plan. It has taken a little adjustment. The plan is basically days of alternating carb content that is used to trick the body into burning fat and increasing metabolism. Here's the plan that I am following (turbo):

Mon: low carb (lc)

Tues: lc

Wed: high carb (hc)

Thurs: lc

Fri: lc

Sat: hc and weigh in 

Sun: reward day( enjoy a treat meal)

So basically there are several components to this plan. (This is just a few)

1.  Do your 9 minute core mission strength training first thing when you get up. 

2.  Eat your first meal within the first 30 minutes of waking. This first meal always contains a carb even on low carb days.  

3. Exercise at least an hour 6 days a week. 

4. Drink half you body weight in water oz per day. 

5. You limit your fat on high carb days

6. Every meal must have a protein from the list.  

7.  There is no calorie counting or carb counting required but I am logging on my fitness pal. Portions are palm of hand, full fist, thumb.... Easy to see and measurable. 

What I like about it? 

You can eat some carbs so it's not so restrictive. I have converted to whole grains such as whole wheat bread or tortillas, Ezekiel bread, whole wheat pasta, Brown rice, sweet potatoes, fruits. 

You get a reward meal and it's supposedly not going to ruin your loss for the week. It should be an increase in 800 calories over the normal 1200(lc)/1500(hc). 

What's hard?

Finding a protein I like for each meal. I have been eating nonfat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lean meats, protein shakes, etc. 

Eating every three hours with a busy schedule. 

Week 1 results 

4 pounds lost

2 inches lost (we measure waist, hips, and thighs)

Motivators 

I have also decided to join their diet bet. There's over $20k in the pot and you have to lose 11% of your body weight in four weeks. Starts July 22. It should be fun to start and hopefully win some of the pot. 

 I have started a carb cycling accountability group for some people I met on Facebook doing the diet. 

I want to use my fitness pal to log my foods to see how I am eating. 

We met someone on the fb group that has been on Chris's extreme weightloss show which hasn't aired yet and she has given us tons of hints on how to kick it up more to be more similar to the show. It involves a lot more exercise though.