So, you’re a bit husky, and you wanna slim down. Perhaps carb cycling is the way to go?
Despite what the name might have you believe, carb cycling isn’t actually eating spaghetti while cycling on end. No, no, no, carb cycling is actually a bit more complicated than that, but it’s also really easy to understand.
In case that makes no sense, welcome to the internet! Nothing makes sense, but the science of carb cycling sure does.
It does work.
It can help you lose fat. Yes, even you, endomorph.
Here’s how.
Firstly, What Exactly Is Carb Cycling?
Let’s quickly do four years of college physics within a couple of paragraphs.
Energy cannot be destroyed or created. Energy can, however, be converted from one form into another. For instance, you cannot ‘make’ light, but you can convert electricity (potential energy) into the light your lamp shows (light energy).
There are various types of energy in the universe, including potential, light, heat, chemical, and physical energy.
Without knowing it, you use each and every one of these on a daily basis:
- Physical energy while you’re moving about
- Potential energy when you use the charge on your phone to call mom
- Chemical energy when you eat a chicken sandwich
The last one is key to the equation we’ll be talking about:
Energy Stored = Energy In – Energy Out
Energy (chemical) can be stored in the body as potential energy in the form of body fat. You store this energy, and it has the potential to be used in the future.
And since fat weighs something, we can extrapolate the above equation and find:
Body Mass Change = Energy In (Ei) – Energy Out (Eo)
(If Ei > Eo, you gain body mass. If Ei
The food that you eat (and the energy it contains) is measured in calories. Almost all foods and drinks on the planet contain calories, with only a few exceptions, like sugar-free beverages.
And since the only way we as humans can get energy in is through food, the equation above can be changed to:
Body Mass Change = Calories In (Ci) – Calories Out (Co)
Again, the only way to get calories in is through food, but there are plenty of ways to get energy out, such as:
- Exercise (weight training and cardio)
- Living (your organs and muscles need energy to function)
- NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which includes the movements you do that aren’t strictly exercise)
- TEF (thermic effect of food, as some food takes energy to digest)
Okay, But What About Carb Cycling?!
I’m getting there!
Since we need a certain amount of calories to sustain our weight (when Ci = Co), we can adjust that to adjust our body weight. In the case of endomorphs, we typically want to lose weight. Thus, calories out (Co) need to be more than calories in (Ci).
The calories your body uses come in five forms, three of which you can consume through your diet:
- Protein (4 calories per gram)
- Carbs (4 calories per gram)
- Fats (9 calories per gram)
Two of which you can manage (slightly) but cannot control completely: Stored body fat and stored muscle mass.
Carb cycling is a simple equation of eating more carbs on certain days while eating less on other days.
This is simple math, really, so let me show you:
- Person A: Consumes 2,000 calories each day of the week for a total of 14,000 calories
- Person B: Consumes 2K, 1.5K, 2.5K, 1.8K, 2.2K, 2K, and 2K, for a total of 14,000 calories
The idea is that you eat more carbohydrates on the days you train with more intensity and volume while consuming fewer carbs on less active days.
Carb Cycling for Endomorphs
Right, now that you have a rudimentary understanding of what carb cycling is, we can start creating a carb cycling plan for an endomorph.
(Quick note: An endomorph isn’t a real thing. It was an idea proposed in the early 90s by a psychologist, and there is zero proof that these individuals are ‘real.’ Sure, you get folks who have crappy genetics for fat loss, but endomorphs do not exist.)
Step 1: Identify Which Days of the Week You Need More Energy
By looking at your training schedule and realizing which days you need more energy, you can look to design your plan. On days you train larger muscles like the back or legs, you might need more energy.
For example, a leg day requires a ton of energy, while a rest day requires almost zero extra energy.
Step 2: Split Your Weekly Calories Up Into the 7 Days*
* according to how much you need
This is where you’ll require a bit of math. Add the number of calories you need to eat each day of the week together (you can calculate your daily calories here). Once that’s done, split it according to which days require more calories.
If your deficit takes you 500 below maintenance calories, you might make your harder days your maintenance calories, and then ‘steal’ the necessary calories from your rest days.
Here’s an example of a person whose maintenance is 3,000 calories while their deficit is 2,500:
- Monday (Chest Day): 2,500 calories
- Tuesday (Leg Day): 3,000 calories
- Wednesday (Rest Day): 2,250 calories
- Thursday (Shoulders and Arms): 2,250 calories
- Friday (Back day): 3,000 calories
- Saturday (Chest and Abs): 2,250 calories
- Sunday (Rest day): 2,250 calories
(2,500 + 3,000 + 2,250 + 2,250 + 3,000 + 2,250 + 2,250 = 17,500 or 2,500 on average)
It’s also worth noting that only your carbohydrate intake is supposed to change between the days. Your protein and fats should not change, hence the name ‘carb cycling.’
If your protein or fats drop, you can run into some issues. Therefore, your protein should be set to at least 1 gram per pound of body weight and up to 1.2 grams. Meanwhile, fats should be at least 0.3 grams per pound of body weight.
If you don’t eat enough protein, you’ll lose muscle mass. If you don’t eat enough fats, you might run into hormonal issues since the base of all sex hormones is cholesterol, which you get from fats.
Simple, right?!
Now, of course, you don’t need to follow the exact same numbers. You can split it up as you wish, but the ‘average deficit’ for the week still needs to exist. This deficit will allow you to actually use stored body fat as energy.
The nice thing is that you don’t need to pair carb cycling with another diet like the keto diet.
The one thing to remember is that the main benefit of the carb cycling plan is that it simply allows for more energy on certain days.
Benefits of Carb Cycling for Endomorphs
(Note: The benefits of carb cycling will be the same for everyone, not just endomorphs.)
More Energy on Harder Days
Dieting is hard. Workouts tend to get incredibly hard, especially the harder ones like legs, back, or a full-body workout routine. Having the ability to portion more of your food towards those days makes them a lot easier. As a result, you have to eat less carbs on rest (or other) days.
Allows For an Easy Calorie Deficit
Using a high-carb day combined with low-carb days allows for an easy calorie deficit. This is key for fat loss and will work, even for those who have a slower metabolism. You still need to be eating healthy and following a good training program.
(Potentially) Better Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin sensitivity is a term used to describe how well your body can utilize or use your carbohydrate intake. If your insulin resistance is too high (like most of those with an endomorph body), you’re far more likely to gain weight (fat) from carbohydrates.
(Potentially) Better Blood Sugar
Blood sugar is a term used to describe the amount of glycogen currently in your blood. Obese individuals tend to have high blood sugar, which can lead to more body fat accumulation over time. The very best way to improve blood sugar is by losing weight and managing your carbohydrate intake.
The carb cycling method can improve your blood sugar levels, especially when combined with a diet high in fiber, protein, and complex carbohydrates. You can improve it even more with resistance training combined with cardio.
Drawbacks of Carb Cycling
Are there any drawbacks to this weight loss plan? Well, yes, there are always drawbacks and limitations to everything.
Can Be Hard
While the high-carb days are a breeze, the low-carb days are hard, especially for those who have a big appetite. You can combat this with the use of plenty of vegetables (more in “Tips for Carb Cycling”).
It’s Not a Magic Bullet
While the plan can certainly work and will allow for some fat loss, it’s not a magic bullet. The main principle by which it works is you need to eat fewer calories than you need to sustain your maintenance weight. You still gotta diet.
The Mental Problem
While the plan works wonders for most, there’s one group of individuals it may not work for — those who suffer from a mental complication with food. Food disorders are rampant in the fitness world, and carb cycling might not be the best idea for such people.
Tips for Carb Cycling
Use Vegetables
While the high-carb days will allow you to use plenty of rice and potatoes, the low-carb days will have to be filled with vegetables and less dense carb options (like whole grains).
Use Sugar-Free Niceties
While many frown upon sugar-free drinks, they’re actually amazing for keeping you on track while dieting. Use them when you’re craving something sweet.
Do Not Change Protein Intake and Fat Intake
The only factor that changes from day to day is the actual amount of carbs you eat. Your protein and fat intake should not change at all. You might choose different options to keep things interesting, but that’s it.
Train For Muscle Growth
The one thing that shouldn’t ever slow down is your training. Your food might be low some days, but your training should still be nice and intense. You should train with plenty of loads and get close to failure.
Utilize Cardio
Cardio is an effective tool to create a bigger deficit. Cardio can be seen as ‘negative calories.’ Doing cardio will create a bigger deficit, but if you do cardio right before your next meal, you could push your hunger a little bit further (it’s a really great tool).
Get Ready For a Weight Loss Plateau
At some point, you’ll reach a plateau. When this happens, you need to change your calories (lower them) or increase your cardio to allow for further fat loss.
Use Other Diets
While you don’t have to do this, you can use other options like intermittent fasting to potentially speed up progress. However, a calorie deficit is still needed.
Carb Cycling For Endomorphs Conclusion
Carb Cycling = Good!
If there’s one thing you need to take away from this article, it’s that this type of dieting does work, and even professional bodybuilders use it. It allows for plenty of energy on your harder days, and if you want to, you can partition more food to days when mental focus will also be needed.
You still need to diet, of course. You still need to maintain a calorie deficit over the course of the week, and the low-carb days will be key for that to take place.
Does this plan make losing fat easier? To some, yes.
Try it out! After all, you really do have nothing to lose. (Except for some fat mass, of course.)
The process is simple:
- Identify which days of the week you need more energy
- Split your weekly calories up into the 7 days