Carb cycling is one of the most effective ways to lose weight while retaining muscle mass. One fear that many people have – especially women – when losing weight is that they may lose the flab, but they might possibly lose their more desirable assets too.
Often, women will avoid dieting in a healthy and beneficial way because they do not want to lose their curves; this then leads to hurried purchases of waist-squeezing tights or butt-enhancing shorts while never really combating the problem itself. But a large belly is not just undesirable aesthetically; it is also dangerous, due to the fatty deposits that plant themselves around the liver, which can lead to serious health problems further down the line.
Losing weight does not have to mean losing curves. Curves can be maintained through building muscle. Again, some woman may recoil from muscle-building in the fear that they will end up with a manly frame. But this is simply ungrounded; to reach such a stage, one has to lift some serious weights and eat lots and lots of food.
Good, disciplined strength-training results in lean mass and muscle-building to produce a lean, sexy figure, one which does not need to be aided by waist-trainers or bum-enhancers.
For people most interested in this sort of diet plan, carb cycling may be the way to go. This type of diet originated in the bodybuilding community and is gaining popularity with the general public. It does not consist of cutting out carbs – as some diets do – but instead suggests alternating between eating high carbs one day and low carbs the next. This method is designed to trick the body into snatching stored fat during low-carb days and using the carbs to burn energy on high-carb days (such as when having an intense workout). Such a method alternates day by day.
Day one is high carb, day two is low card, day three is high carb, day four is low carb, and so forth. On high carb days, it is advised to eat five meals per day, including a five or six portions of starchy carbs at every meal – this could include oats, blueberries, legumes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa and brown or wild rice. This does not include bad carbs, such as white bread, white pasta, white rice and pastries. Bad carbs ought to be avoided altogether.
Then on a low carb day, only a couple servings of carbs are recommended and instead you are advised to focus on low carb vegetables such as aubergines, and high protein foods such as fish, eggs and lean meat, as well as healthy fats like avocado, nuts and extra virgin olive oil.
Combined with strength training three of four times a week and a couple of HIIT sessions per week, you should see a significant different within only a few weeks time. As always, consistency is key, as is patience, motivation and perseverence.
