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

Okay Carb Cyclers! I'm on day two, my low carb day. I felt like a kid in a candy store yesterday being able to eat so much. I will admit I got into a very bad habit of not eating until about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, then splitting a salad between lunch and dinner. I lost a few pounds and was feeling pretty good, but started feeling like I was starving myself. I thought the carb cycling would be the best way to "re-introduce" food again.

So my question is, how many carbs are you allowing on a high and low day? I'm following the meal plans laid out in Chris Powells book but today, on a low carb day, I'm already at 69 grams of carbs between Breakfast and snack! That was - 1 cup of Kashi vanilla Cereal with almond milk, then for snack a small banana and tablespoon of Peanut Butter. Yesterday, on a high carb day, I had 160 grams.

Are we counting grams of carbs, or full carbs? Since there is 15 grams of carbs in a full carb, what should a decent goal be? I'm so confused!!

a lot of chicken and veggies and egg whites. LOL

I'm on day #2 and so far I have been trying to follow it as best as possible!

So far I have had 38g of carbs and don't want to eat any more for the rest of the day.

Any ideas of some ultra low/no carb dinners?

Hanna, you are still within your low carb range. 0-50 is low carb. You can still do dinner tonight with a meat and veggie. scroll up, I listed tons of low carb foods on this thread. You got lettuce?? wrap up a few tuna rolls with it, you can be creative and add cream cheese with crabmeat, roasted red peppers, chives. You can even do this with deli sliced thin ham, turkey, or chicken breast. You can deff. do this there are tons of options. I am on day 2 as well on Low carb.

Example: for dinner tonight I am having 4 oz. of a turkey pattie- 1/4 cup green Beans - 1/4 cup mushrooms - 2 tsp. smart balance lite butter. My calories are 200, my carb is 4.1 . Thats it! YOU can soooo do this! PS: (i am sauteing the mushrooms in the lite butter).

Okay Carb Cyclers! I'm on day two, my low carb day. I felt like a kid in a candy store yesterday being able to eat so much. I will admit I got into a very bad habit of not eating until about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, then splitting a salad between lunch and dinner. I lost a few pounds and was feeling pretty good, but started feeling like I was starving myself. I thought the carb cycling would be the best way to "re-introduce" food again.

So my question is, how many carbs are you allowing on a high and low day? I'm following the meal plans laid out in Chris Powells book but today, on a low carb day, I'm already at 69 grams of carbs between breakfast and snack! That was - 1 cup of Kashi Vanilla cereal with almond milk, then for snack a small banana and tablespoon of Peanut Butter. Yesterday, on a high carb day, I had 160 grams.

Are we counting grams of carbs, or full carbs? Since there is 15 grams of carbs in a full carb, what should a decent goal be? I'm so confused!!

As am I. I have to read and re-read. I would think 69 grams of carb in a single day especially low carb day at that would be excessive. Again, though I have that Atkins mentality that I have to let go

Low carb = 0 to 50 carbs (on a low carb day)

High carb = up to 240 carbs (on a high carb day)

I am only on day 2 of low carb, so I have no idea what my day is going to be like tomorrow for High carb day, I am tracking everything on my loseit app. Remember condiments count, such as ketchup so becareful!

I try to keep my carbs around 30g on low carb days, 40g being the absolute maximum. Today is my low carb day too btw.

I am keeping it low because because I eat less calories, as most bandsters do. So, I feel like percentage wise I need to keep the carbs lower than the "normal" person.

Today I had crab meat wrapped in a piece of cheese for lunch, 1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter for snack, and I'll have a salad with ham and cheese for dinner. Between my Protein shake this morning and the dressing I'll put on my salad tonight (and in the peanut butter) I'll have 34g of carbs today.

I'm not saying this is "right", btw. It's just the numbers I've settled on for myself.

I try to keep my carbs around 30g on low carb days, 40g being the absolute maximum. Today is my low carb day too btw.

I am keeping it low because because I eat less calories, as most bandsters do. So, I feel like percentage wise I need to keep the carbs lower than the "normal" person.

Today I had crab meat wrapped in a piece of cheese for lunch, 1 tablespoon of Peanut Butter for snack, and I'll have a salad with ham and cheese for dinner. Between my Protein shake this morning and the dressing I'll put on my salad tonight (and in the peanut butter) I'll have 34g of carbs today.

I'm not saying this is "right", btw. It's just the numbers I've settled on for myself.

Where did I get 0-50 on low carb days then??? LOLOLOL

O boy, I Need to go back and read this... thank goodness I did only 15 carbs yesterday and today so far I only have 9.1 without dinner yet.

Where did I get 0-50 on low carb days then??? LOLOLOL

O boy, I Need to go back and read this... thank goodness I did only 15 carbs yesterday and today so far I only have 9.1 without dinner yet.

LOL I think you found it on some website!!

Look at it as a percentage. There is a big difference between someone eating 1700 calories a day and 50g of carbs and someone eating 1000 calories a day and 50g of carbs. Do you know what I mean?

Again, I'm just playing with the numbers too. I just set on 30-40g because I eat so little to begin with and percentage wise it makes sense.

MIssy, what is the maximum carb amount on "high' carb days then. I don't want to mess this up, LOL

MIssy, what is the maximum carb amount on "high' carb days then. I don't want to mess this up, LOL

I honestly don't count or care how high they get on high carb days. I've been as high as 220g on the high carb days, but I usually end up around 150-180g.

Okay, this is great! Now we have a set amount of grams for low carb and high carb days, because you know everyone is going to ask anyway.....LOLOLOL

Jeez, I may reintroduce bread back in the form of toast in the morning so I can actually get enough carbs. I will either go with wheat or do some low carb bread. They have some good low carb ones out there now that don't taste like cardboard like it did back when I did Atkins.

I am going to have to sit down and plan this out. Almost wish I bought a hard copy of the book so I could highlight it rather then thumb through on my Kindle.

I think we are going to need a 'carb cycling" part II thread.... Just sayin'

Jeez, I may reintroduce bread back in the form of toast in the morning so I can actually get enough carbs. I will either go with wheat or do some low carb bread. They have some good low carb ones out there now that don't taste like cardboard like it did back when I did Atkins.

I am going to have to sit down and plan this out. Almost wish I bought a hard copy of the book so I could highlight it rather then thumb through on my Kindle.

Jim, I ordered the hard copy off of ebay (i am such an ebay *****),excuse my language. since the book is not here yet I didn't want to wait and start this asap!

I honestly use the book as a guideline, not a bible. I know my needs are going to be different the people who normally buy it- namely I'm a bariatric patient and they're not.

I know I need to alternate high and low carb days, I know I can't eat carbs after dinner ever, I know I have to eat within 30 minutes of waking up, and I know Breakfast needs to have some carbs.

Otherwise...I'm winging it LOL! It's a learning process to figure out what works, you know?