As many of you know, I was stuck for more than a month. I was monitoring my calories, getting in all my Protein and exercising, yet the scale didn't budge. I know, plateaus are normal, but they still suck. Around the time the plateau hit I also started taking birth control pills. I even gained 2 pounds, which for me was the deal breaker. I had to find a way to break the plateau and start losing again.

So I started researching. Low carb, high carb, no carb, etc. I see so many variations on here! What's right? What's wrong? I already knew it was a matter of choice without a clear right or wrong answer, but I also knew individual body needs also played a very big part in it. During my research I kept coming across something called carb cycling, so I decided to look more into it.

Carb cycling is essentially trying to optimize your metabolism by alternating high and low carb days. Body builders often do this to build muscle and burn fat before a contest but it's also very helpful for weight loss. Then one day I turned on Doctor Oz...and wouldn't you know it... it was an episode on carb cycling. Chris Powell, of The Biggest Loser, was on his show talking about he has all the contestants on the show carb cycle and how he does it. For me, this was the point I decided to give carb cycling a try.

Chris Powell's method is specifically for weight loss so I decided to go with his (there's many out there). He has an excellent book called “Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution”.

His theory: No carb diets don't work. It's not sustainable long term and eventually it significantly slows the metabolism. Worse, people who cut out carbs usually end up gaining all their weight back and then some when they do suddenly reintroduce carbs. Carbs are the energy block of the body and a long term lack of carbs will cause the thyroid to slow down significantly.

7 day diet/carb cycling: High carb day followed by low carb day, alternating daily. Start on a high carb day and always eat within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning. Always limit or omit carbs after 6pm.

All this is within your own personal daily calorie allowance.

High carb day/energy day:

• Preferably complex carbs. Protein, low fat. unlimited veggies.
  

Low carb day/burn day:

• A little carb in the morning to boost metabolism
  
• Cut carbs the rest of the day.
  
• Protien, healthy fats, unlimited veggies
  

3 of each/low carb and high carb. 7th day is cheat day

Cheat day:

• Boost calories to boost metabolism
  
• Boost to no more than 1000 extra calories a day
  
• Cheat at Breakfast and lunch, not dinner. 6-12pm “behave”
  
• Cheat at a table. Not in a car, or at a sofa, etc. No “hypno binging”
  
• No leftovers allowed.
  

Mind you, this is the short version of all this. If this interests you, I'd strongly suggest buying his book for a better understanding. It's very enlightening.

...So this is what I've done for the last week. I am very happy to say, carb cycling broke my plateau, despite still being on the birth control pill too. I lost 5.4 pounds this week!

I have decided I am going to continue to carb cycle. I am not a fan of the low carb days, but I am getting more used to them. Plus, I find my "carb cravings" have all but disappeared since starting this- something I didn't think possible.

For me, it's working. I just thought I'd share the results of my little self experiment

i can see all views on this....i say do what works for you

as long as its healthy. i guess like all things, results will vary.

I understand you want the weight gone fast but it is not healthy no matter how healthy you are eating. When you lose weight fast your body is forced to dump tons of cholesterol (even if your not eating it) into your digestive system causing gallstones, kidney stones and other calcifications to adhere to the body. Think about it that's all Im saying. Its unhealthy no matter what that book says.

I understand you want the weight gone fast but it is not healthy no matter how healthy you are eating. When you lose weight fast your body is forced to dump tons of cholesterol (even if your not eating it) into your digestive system causing gallstones, kidney stones and other calcifications to adhere to the body. Think about it that's all Im saying. Its unhealthy no matter what that book says.

Actually I'm very healthy, and that's not by some book, that's by my neurologist, my surgeon, and my family doctor. All three are THRILLED with how much weight I've lost so quickly. My surgeon is honestly my biggest cheerleader. My neurologist does a blood work up on me every 6 months too and everything looks great.

It doesn't matter what speed you loose weight at, your gallbladder is at risk anytime you lose a significant amount of weight. It's just a fact.

It's not unhealthy to lose weight quickly if you do it in a healthy manner.

Why do doctors recommend a slow rate of weight loss? What's wrong with fast weight loss?

Answer

from Donald Hensrud, M.D.

The concern with fast weight loss is that it usually takes extraordinary efforts in diet and exercise — efforts that could be unhealthy and that you probably can't maintain as permanent lifestyle changes.

A weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is the typical recommendation. Although that may seem like a slow pace for weight loss, it's more likely to help you maintain your weight loss for the long term. Remember that 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat contains 3,500 calories. So to lose 1 pound a week, you need to burn 500 more calories than you eat each day (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).

Also, if you lose a lot of weight very quickly, it may not be fat that you're losing. It might be water weight or even lean tissue, since it's hard to burn that many fat calories in a short period.

In some situations, however, faster weight loss can be safe if it's done the right way. For example, doctors might prescribe very low calorie diets for rapid weight loss if obesity is causing serious health problems. But an extreme diet like this requires medical supervision.

In addition, some diets include an initiation phase to help you jump-start your weight loss. For example, the Mayo Clinic Diet has a quick-start phase in which you might lose 6 to 10 pounds in the first two weeks. You can lose weight quickly with an approach like this because it combines many healthy and safe strategies at once — no gimmicks or extreme dieting. After the initial two-week period, you transition into the recommended weight loss of 1 or 2 pounds a week, which is not only safe but also realistic and sustainable for the long term.

While carb cycling will probably leave us with a little less flab, the results are much less likely to stick. Depriving our bodies of carbs, even if it’s just every other day, will increase our cravings for other foods, especially sweets, says Daniels, and therefore make regaining weight much more likely.

Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22175/91175-healthy-hype-carb-cycling-worth#ixzz2CdrIPXI8

If I wanted the weight gone fast I would not Carb Cycle. I would do straight low carb. I did Atkins low carb induction for a year and half. It does work and it worked fast and I was healthy then and I am healthy now. Part of the problem with what I did is I limited myself to 20g of carb. Long term it was not sustainable however cycling day in and day out is a way of getting best of both worlds in my eye.

With this way of eating you are not depriving yourself of anything. All your doing is feeding the furnace and boosting the metabolism.

That being said Day 1 high carb done. Protein is not as high as I would like it but I will tweak and with low carb day tomorrow it will be all about protein and veggies and little fat.

Cheryl I'm sorry but you're not right. There are people doing low carb only for many months, in fact the majority on these forums are on low carb. We're just doing low carb every other day. In fact, the whole idea behind carb cycling IS the fact the body needs carbs.

You need to remember we're not reducing calories. I am still eating the same amount of calories I was eating while on my 5 week long plateau. The only difference is, I'm eating to make my metabolism it's most effective.

And carb cycling actually significantly decreases carb cravings, too.

I don't think you understand what carb cycling actually is.

Actually got my calorie level up a little higher than usual this being a high carb day for me.

Actually got my calorie level up a little higher than usual this being a high carb day for me.

I'm always higher on the high carb days, too. It's the low carb days I do struggle to get in enough calories because I'm just not hungry. It's so filling!

I do understand what it is and how can you tell me Im not right when in fact you are not a certified nutritionist. I eat a variety of foods daily I average between 1 to 5 lbs a week depending on what I eat. I know for a fact that fast weight loss no matter how you do it, is not healthy. Why because someone wrote a book on it. How many diets books are there out there. A million. I love how you insinuate that I am wrong how do you know in fact that your not wrong. I just dont think this kind of thing should be promoted on a lap band website giving promise to others that it will work and then when it doesnt who answers for that. If you stop and gain weight back who is at fault. I think its everyones business if they want to do it but in the long run when you are setting others up to fail because this is working for you that it is not right. Just my opinion carry on with what you are doing. Fast weight loss is not healthy and I dont care who said so. Some idiot who wrote a book that you all are following. If diets worked for us we wouldnt have had wls

Actually looking forward to tomorrow being low carb day. I just seem to have an easier time with a menu. By the way do you use myfitnesspal? I am finding some differences in the food journal with Lose It and myfitnesspal.

I'm getting my 3rd fill tomorrow so liquids for 2 days. Any thought in the low carb (tomorrow) vs high carb (Tues) options? I feel like I'm a bit limited.

But technically.... aren't WLS rapid weight loss?

Cheryl I believe if you go back and read this thread from the beginning Missy stated several times that she was sharing her own experience and what worked for her. No where does she say because it works for her it will work for everyone. She hit a stall so she experimented and was successful and thought it might help someone else. I was already well into the book before she posted her story.

In the end if you don't believe in what we are doing that is your prerogative. No one here is preaching as to what others should or shouldn't do.

I do understand what it is and how can you tell me Im not right when in fact you are not a certified nutritionist. I eat a variety of foods daily I average between 1 to 5 lbs a week depending on what I eat. I know for a fact that fast weight loss no matter how you do it' date=' is not healthy. Why because someone wrote a book on it. How many diets books are there out there. A million. I love how you insinuate that I am wrong how do you know in fact that your not wrong. I just dont think this kind of thing should be promoted on a lap band website giving promise to others that it will work and then when it doesnt who answers for that. If you stop and gain weight back who is at fault. I think its everyones business if they want to do it but in the long run when you are setting others up to fail because this is working for you that it is not right. Just my opinion carry on with what you are doing. Fast weight loss is not healthy and I dont care who said so. Some idiot who wrote a book that you all are following. If diets worked for us we wouldnt have had wls[/quote']

Cheryl - if any of us choose to try something new, it's our own choice. No one is promoting it, it was brought up as an fyi and if others are intrigued, whats the harm. We r all reading a book written by a man who has done some wonderful work in the weight loss / nutrition field. If nothing else, just like with the WLS, it's another view into how what we eat impacts our health / weight loss. It's forcing us to continue looking critically at what we are eating / drinking... Which is a good thing.

You're doing great and if you're not interested in this, no worries.