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

this was my last low carb day, the fat content was WAY too high!

Here is my high carb day today:

Nice job hon!!!

this was my last low carb day, the fat content was WAY too high!

Yea, and you can see half of that is full saturated fat. good thing you caught that!

this was my last low carb day, the fat content was WAY too high!

Cool pie chart! And awesome breakdown of fat percentages! Does this come with the lose it app?

Hanna, try and stay between 25-30 fat grams per day, try and not go over 30, being the max. You want to stay within that range closest to 25 grams, but deff no more than 30.

Ah, thanks!

looks like today I had 45g of fat today and 8grams came from that clif bar. What a mistake to eat it!!

Yes, Lose It has a tab called Reports and that is what's on it

Yes, Lose It has a tab called Reports and that is what's on it

I love my loseit app, I really do, LOLOLOL

Ok I'm planning my food for the day and I cannot get my fat below 40g for the low carb day.

I'm considering asking Chris on Facebook about this.

Ok so I am reading more, and I'm wrong on the fat thing. It should be high on low carb days. Here's a great calculator I even found:

http://www.freedieti..._calculator.htm

Here is what I should be eating on a low carb diet for a max of 1300 calories:

CARBOHYDRATE 30g

PROTEIN 135g

FAT 60g

Two days in and I'm down ~5lbs! Interesting. Could be the removal of Halloween candy & limiting of wine that's helping also :-)

Ok so I am reading more, and I'm wrong on the fat thing. It should be high on low carb days. Here's a great calculator I even found:

http://www.freedieti..._calculator.htm

Here is what I should be eating on a low carb diet for a max of 1300 calories:

CARBOHYDRATE 30g

PROTEIN 135g

FAT 60g

I was checking out the calculators on line last night before I went to bed . Honestly, the fat grams that high scares me. I don't know why. I guess its a mental thing because I have gone to weight watchers almost all of my life and was fixated on the fat grams and like a trained dog i can't break the habbit. LOL. Work in progress girlfriend. Oh, and I know I would never be able to do that much protein I have a hard time getting it in now, I struggle with that too. However, I know I am eating more protein now in my life than I ever had before. Even in the 40's for me is great progress because I am not a meat lover and always struggled to eat it.

At the same time, you know we all are going to get different results and it will be interesting to see how we all do. Its deff. going to be trial and error when we all find our 'nitch'. This is the hardest part figuring out the ratio and balancing it out so that our body agrees with it and works...

ttyl my sweet friend (hugs)

Two days in and I'm down ~5lbs! Interesting. Could be the removal of Halloween candy & limiting of wine that's helping also :-)

wow!! that is remarkable! I am holding out till saturday morning. I want to give this a full 7 day before I jump on the scale. Although, I have to admit I have been sooooo tempted today to pull the scale out from underneath the bathroom sink.LOLOLOL

My Atkins thinking...fat is good on low carb days. In fact they encourage it.

I am going to kick this off on Sunday. Quite happy Thanksgiving falls on a high carb day

My Atkins thinking...fat is good on low carb days. In fact they encourage it.

Jim, I was happy to see my high carb day in on Thanksgiving too! whooohoooooo!