Carb Cycling?

[stephbob]

I just read an interesting article about something called carb cycling on Atkins. It involved having different levels of carbs every day to shock your body into weight loss.

Does anyone know anymore about this? I'm wondering if it's the same as what I was (subconciously) doing when I first did Atkins. I used to give myself a treat day on Sundays, and eat one thing I couldnt eat on Atkins (usually a big bowl of coco pops cereal!) And then I'd jump straight back into induction the following day. At the time I found that I always lost more weight in the days that followed doing that.

Not that I'm thinking of doing that. To be honest, the thought of so much sugar is making me feel sick haha. I just wanted to know if it was the same concept and if anyone had ever dabbled in it before.

[Kate113]

I don't know anything about this, but I'm interested in any responses, too.

[matawguro]

What you're referring to is a cyclic ketogenic diet. It's utilized by body-builders to increase their muscle to fat ratio.

I'm going on second hand info here but I hear it's been around longer than Atkins. However, it's only effective if you're a serious body-builder. Otherwise the insulin swings will throw your body out of whack and you'll fall into the same trap as yo-yo dieters.

Edit:

Oops, I reread your post. I guess you're not exactly referring to a cyclic ketogenic diet which is done in six-month phases. Cycling everyday might just have the effect of averaging out your carb intake since the body isn't given enough time to compensate or get into ketosis.

[ttdriver]

I'd be concerned about what's happening to your blood sugar / insulin spikes by eating sugar ... but perhaps some additional COMPLEX carbs on a cycling basis might work and be healthier. Just my 2 cents.


Betty

[womanpraised]

A friend on WW has found a "secret" plan, one not talked about openly, but widely circulated... The amount of points per week stays the same, but varys from day to day, some low days, some high.. The theory being that the metabolism reacts to steady intake as a stay steady state, but variances encourage weight loss, though that isnt a scientific explanation, jsut my paraphrase.

She is doing well with it, and has lost more weight varying than she did otherwise. She gets through the low point days, and knows that another day, she will be able to have more.

I wouldnt try it with cocoa pops.. maybe with veggies...

Just my thoughts.

Kimberly

[stephbob]

No no, I'm not planning on retrying it at all, lol, let alone with coco pops.

They were just something I couldnt cut out altogether before when I did Atkins, and as I said, every Sunday I'd have a few bowls, and every Tuesday morning I would have dropped 2 or 3 lbs. I just wondered if there was a connection between what I was doing and what some people actually choose to do to lose more weight.

[Kiasmama]

I"ve heard a little about this from other boards...and they do cycle with complex carbs...not junk. I believe it's just for a few days. I don't know anyone that does it....or if it works. Good luck

[killerbombshell]

I know what you're talking about. When I went off briefly for a day, the next week afterwards I lost over five pounds as opposed to my usual 2-3. Controlled/planned cheats are nothing new, but I'm not sure it's proven they encourage weight loss or at what frequency they're safe. I was actually considering doing that to shock my body out of the plateau I was on, but before I got way too frustrated it came off on its own.

[2big4mysize]

Dr Atkins discusses carb averaging in premaintnenance and maintenance phases for folk wanting to party on some days.


since we are suposed to be feeding only our hunger I don't see how any one could ever have the exact same amount of carbs or cals two days in a row any way. if you are on a regimented food intake preplanned at x cals and Y carbs then yes changing it up would help since some days you need less and other days you need more.


Folk beleive that if the body gets uses to a set amount of stuff it will adapt and slow down to only need that set amount if the set amount is less then the needed amount. When you get it more it decided the famine is over and turns back on the non life essincial body things it turned off and more cals in are used up because more things are going on. then if the higher then before amount is removed the body still has those things turned on cause body functions all but one run in a negative feed back loop and it takes time to turn them back off. this is where the shocking the system concept comes from cause folk don't understand we work in a negative feed back loop and it takes a while for all the newly turned on stuff to be used up and turned back off for nonlife essencial stuff. with your exercise programs and your only feeding your hunger your body should be geting plenty of food intake chages on a daily bases