If you are looking for an effective weight loss program that would not cause serious harm to the body, then protein-carbohydrate alternation will be a real discovery for you. For many years, this system has been fundamental for thousands of people who want to maintain their body in good shape.
The Creator of the system is the American nutritionist James Hunter. It was he who first proposed a rotating diet that would involve alternating protein and carbohydrate days in various variations of regimes based directly on the individual’s personal data and health status.

In practice, this diet allows you to burn a large amount of fat and gives the necessary nutrients for muscle building. Based on this, it is not surprising that the Carb Cycling system is a huge success among bodybuilders and other athletes.
 Please note! If you follow the Carb Cycling diet for a long time, you may experience a caloric deficit. It can be compensated by using a minimum amount of omega 6 fats. 

Carb Cycling – Advantages and Disadvantages

Unlike the Dukan diet, the program discussed in the post not only normalizes weight, but also takes care of the body in a comprehensive way. By studying the essence of the system in detail, you will get acquainted with a number of advantages that no other diet can provide.
And even the most advanced system, such as the Custom Keto diet, has its drawbacks. This nuance is not spared and protein-carbohydrate alternation. Fortunately, there are relatively a few disadvantages of the Carb Cycling program.

Carb Cycling Contraindications

After reviewing the advantages and main disadvantages of the system, do not forget about the contraindications. Carb Cycling has a number of contraindications, ignoring which can lead not only to the opposite effect, but also to serious problems with the state of the body.

The method is contraindicated:

• People who are obese. Carb Cycling in combination with sports can lead to serious problems with the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and respiratory systems in such individuals. And going to the gym with protein-carbohydrate alternation is necessary, because the body simply can not cope with the abundance of nutrients on its own.
• People with chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Protein and fiber can make the body cry, which will lead to intoxication. This means that your condition will worsen. You will experience nausea and headaches.
• People who suffer from problems with the veins. The presence of varicose veins and other similar problems indicates that you are contraindicated in the Carb Cycling program. Excess protein can affect the blood composition, which will cause additional blood clots.
• For kidney diseases. With pyelonephritis, as well as many other diseases, it is better not to use this diet. There is a high probability of seriously impairing your well-being. Be sure to consult with specialists before experimenting on the body.
• Pregnant and nursing mothers. The child needs a comprehensive diet that provides the maximum possible set of vitamins and useful trace elements. Don’t put his young body under stress.
• Diabetics. In this case, all questions about Carb Cycling and other weight loss programs are discussed individually with your doctor.

How to start? Carb Cycling Rules to Lose Weight

Any diet, whether it is a Japanese program (Okinawa Flat Belly Tonic) or the protein system we are considering, has its own generally accepted postulates. Only by following these rules responsibly will the individual be able to achieve the desired result. If your goal is to lose weight quickly and you have chosen Carb Cycling for implementation, be prepared to consider the following nuances:

• Maintain a constant amount of calories, without neglecting the manipulation of products. The optimal number of calories for men is considered to be  1400 kcal , and for women —  1200 kcal .
• Eat fractional meals. Food should be consumed 5-6 times a day.
• Beginners need to use only the classic scheme of protein-carbohydrate alternation. Options in which there are 2 or more days devoted to carbohydrates or proteins, it is better to spend experienced individuals.

Begginers Standard Week

Here’s what a standard week of beginner’s carb cycling diet looks like:

• MONDAY: High Carb Day
• TUESDAY: Low Carb Day
• WEDNESDAY: High Carb Day
• THURSDAY: Low Carb Day
• FRIDAY: High Carb Day
• SATURDAY: Low Carb Day
• SUNDAY: High Carb Day or Reward Day

Low-Carb and High-Carb Days Menu Examples

Best Practice

• Drink more water. You should drink at least 1.5 liters of clean water or tea every day.
• Focus on low-fat natural proteins and complex carbohydrates. Sports nutrition supplements are ideal.
• If your program includes mixed days, then during these periods it is advisable to consume carbohydrates before lunch, and after — protein.
• Create a versatile menu. The more varied your diet, the better your weight will decrease.
• Consume as much fiber as possible. It will prevent the formation of unpleasant complications in the gastrointestinal tract.

Acceptable Products

In order for the diet to bring the desired result, focus on foods filled with a large amount of nutrients. On carbohydrate days, the diet is best to include cereals, starchy vegetables, durum wheat pasta, bread and any whole-grain bread, not very sweet fruits. As for protein days, they will require you to consume lean meat, chicken eggs, seafood, fish, dairy products and nuts.

Calorie Calculation Example

So that you can ideally calculate your daily diet for yourself, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a simple calculator. The individual in question is a 95 kg male with a fat percentage of 18-20% who is active in sports at least 2-3 times a week.

On training days, its average calorie consumption is 3-3.5 thousand kcal, and on non — training days-from 3.5 to 5 thousand kcal. The net weight should be 75 kg. For such a person on a carb-free day without loads, the caloric content will be calculated as follows:

• 225 g of protein, suggesting the presence of 924 kcal.
• 30-50 g of green carbohydrates — 123 kcal.
• 5-10 g of omega 6 fat — 92 kcal.

According to the presented data, the total caloric content of food will be 1140 kcal with a deficit of approximately 2 thousand kcal. During training days, the diet should consist of:

• 75 g of protein — 308 kcal.
• 10 g of omega 6 fats — 92 kcal.
• The rest is reserved for carbohydrates, which is about 700 g.

The total calorie deficit for a week with this calculation is 4-5 thousand kcal. Consequently, you lose approximately 444 g of fat. Going deeper into the calculation, you can understand that this indicator is 2.5% of the total body fat. Therefore, for a month of proper nutrition, you lose more than 10% of the total weight of excess weight.
Please note! In protein-carbohydrate alternation, to ensure the most sparing regime, you can select products with a similar amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for every 100 grams of weight.

Carb-Free Day Menu

In order for a protein day to bring the desired benefits, try not to neglect the generally accepted principles of forming a diet for such a day. You need to consume:

• Breakfast. 5 egg whites, herbs, milk and iodized salt. All this is slightly fried in a frying pan without oil.
• Tiffin. Treat yourself to a curd dessert of 400 g of low-fat cottage cheese, 100 g of milk, 1 teaspoon of fiber and 1 teaspoon of honey. You should not eat more than half of the dessert at a time.
• Lunch. Prepare the chicken with vegetables. Just 250 g of fillet and vegetables are enough to taste. It is desirable to cook in the oven in the hole, or for a couple.
• The second lunch. Eat the second part of the curd dessert.
• Supper. Cook the chicken and vegetables again.
• A second dinner. Diversify your diet with fish or seafood.

The Correct carbohydrate day looks like this:

• Breakfast. Prepare 5 tablespoons of oatmeal and add dried fruits. You can use a few drops of linseed oil.
• Tiffin. Give preference to rice with chicken and salad. It is better to cook twice at once. You will need 1/3 of a Cup of rice, 250 g of chicken fillet, a teaspoon of honey, lemon juice and mustard, and lettuce leaves.
• Lunch. Prepare the durum wheat pasta and season it with a low-fat sauce.
• The second lunch. Eat a portion of salad with chicken.
• Supper. The ideal solution is a well-baked fish steak in the oven. 300 grams of fish is enough.
• A second dinner. Finish your daily diet with a glass of kefir.

Gentle Variation

Often, protein-carbohydrate alternation involves the presence of so-called combined days, which allow for a kind of discharge for the entire body. The use of such days indicates that the individual follows a sparing program, minimizing any risks to his body. The diet on a combined day looks like this:

• Breakfast. Green tea, 5 boiled proteins and 150 g of oatmeal or buckwheat porridge.
• Tiffin. 350 g of whey or protein shake.
• Lunch. Low-fat meat from the oven and any green vegetable weighing up to 30 g.
• The second lunch. 1 liter of kefir or yogurt, minimum amount of fast carbohydrates. You can eat 50 g of dark chocolate.
• Supper. Tomato and leafy vegetable salad, steamed meat and buckwheat porridge.

Entering and Exiting the Diet

Having set a goal to try out all the advantages of protein-carbohydrate alternation, keep in mind the fact that you will not be able to see the result on the first attempt. To make the body burn fat deposits, you must first:

• Calculate daily consumption and calorie consumption.
• 10 days before the start of the diet, reduce your calorie intake by at least 10%, thus realizing a kind of deficit.
• Make the body a small discharge just before the day of the start of the regime.
• Only after you complete all the above requirements, your body will really begin to respond to a change in diet. Also, the correct input has another purpose. It prevents the possible occurrence of stress for the body.
• As for getting out of the diet, it should be done in reverse order. You must gradually increase your calories. It is also desirable that the output begins after the carbohydrate day. This will make it easier for the body to cope with the extra calories.

Attention! PCA is a program that is designed for a long period of time. Therefore, it is important that at the initial stage you choose the appropriate mode for yourself. Each person will need to experience several cycles of the system. This is the only way to choose the most rational one.

What to Combine With

Having set a goal of maximum reduction of body fat through Carb Cycling, keep in mind that the method itself, combined with constant physical activity, is one of the most effective for people who value sports. But this does not mean that the process of burning excess mass can not be accelerated.
There are a number of supplements that can significantly enhance the effect, but you need to be extremely careful with them, because the wrong dosage is fraught with serious negative consequences for the body.
Start the path to the perfect figure today, trusting programs that have already proven themselves in front of a multi-million audience of people from the best side. Protein-carbohydrate alternation is a chance for each person to achieve a phenomenal result in a short time in the absence of any negative effects on the internal state.
Take care of yourself today. Choose a convenient diet rhythm and in any case do not forget about training, which can significantly speed up the process of destroying fat deposits.