Whether you’re just starting out on your health journey or have tried every diet in the book, let us introduce you to the 7 day carb cycle nutrition plan.
It works. We know because it’s been tried and tested, time and time again with amazing results. No matter your goal, we recommend you start on the standard 7 day carb cycle, progressing or regressing it where necessary and going on to follow either the strict or easy version.
Not only is it easy to follow, it’s not overly strict and will get you the initial results you want. Try the standard 7 day carb cycle for 2 weeks, eating as low carbs as possible. This will massively help your goal long term, as it improves the way your body handles carbs, allowing you to get leaner at a quicker rate.
What goal does it suit?
Most people with any goal.
What’s the diet style?
Essentially, it’s a 7 day carb cycle, meaning the amount of carbs you eat will vary from day to day over the course of the week. You’ll eat high carbs every Wednesday and Saturday, and low to medium carbs every other day of the week. Let’s take a more detailed look at the template…
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Monday: Low carb day
Typically, you’re most motivated on a Monday, so this day is perfect for eating low carbs as it’s much easier to stick to.
Tuesday: Low carb day
The second low carb day of the week, which should be easy to follow knowing there’s a high carb day planned on Wednesday.
Wednesday: High carb day
Designed to help you adhere to the plan, a mid-week high carb day will give you an energy boost and keep you motivated to stick to the programme for the rest of the week.
Thursday: Low carb day
You should be feeling well energised after Wednesday’s high carb day, so return back to a low carb day on Thursday.
Friday: Low carb day
With Saturday’s high carb day coming up, Friday should be easy to follow as a low carb day.
Saturday: High carb day
Generally, most people have a cheat meal on a Saturday, so we factor this in with a high carb day.
Sunday: Low to medium carb day
This depends completely on you and your lifestyle, so plan on either a medium or low carb day for optimal results.
We’re all human
It’s extremely hard to stick to a diet with very low or no carbs at all, which is why the 7 day carb cycle allows high carbs 2 days a week, making it more realistic. The plan gives a good starting base for you to tailor your intake of carbs as necessary after the first 2 weeks.
What does a low carb and high carb day look like?
As a basic guide, for the first 2 weeks of the programme, eat 30g-60g carbs per day on low carb days, and 100g-150g per day on high carb days. However, the actual figure on both low and high carb days all depends on your goal, body type and how well you handle them.
If you’re lean with a lower percentage body fat, you’ll be able to eat a higher number of carbs than someone with a higher percentage body fat. The key is knowing what you’ll be able to stick to and adjusting your carbs to make it realistic.
For example, if your body fat percentage is 20%, eating 50g on a low carb day and 150g on a high carb day may look great on paper, but be completely unsustainable in real life, so upping the carbs could be the best option.
If you’re somebody that can handle carbs well, you may choose to eat low carb days of 200g and high carb days of 400g. Low carb days don’t necessarily mean very low in terms of numbers, just low in comparison to high carb days.
Struggling with the standard 7 day carb cycle?
Don’t worry! The plan is easily adapted to suit you. Try the 7 day carb cycle easy version, or simply make changes on your template to make it more sustainable. If you’re still finding it hard, you may want to try carb backloading or swapping to a different style to cater to you.
Always look to make improvements
Following the standard 7 day carb cycle fairly easily? It’s time to make some adjustments and advance your programme. Before moving onto the strict version, try improving the quality of your foods in the standard version, e.g. swap pre cooked chicken from a packet for chicken breast you’ve cooked at home. Next, aim to decrease carbs at key points in the day such as breakfast, switching to higher protein and fats. You could also reduce the amount of high carbs you’re consuming on Wednesday or Saturday, or eliminate your cheat meal if you’re able to. Once you’ve made these changes and can follow the plan exactly, advance to the 7 day carb cycle strict and tailor it to suit your body type and goals.
If you’re in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds or London and would like some help to take your fitness to the next level, you can book a free consultation with us through this website and a member of the team will be in touch.
