Carb Cycling Macros

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My stats: female, 25, 5'6" CW: 147lbs. I've been following IIFYM for 2-months now and I like it. My current macros are 1400 cals, 105g carbs, 140g protein and 47g fat. I want to start cycling my carbs now with probably 2 -3 low carbs days then a re-feed or higher carb day.

What are some macros for this? If you've carb cycled before please tell me about your experience + results. Thanks!

Still learning about macros / carb cycling for fat loss so any tips would be appreciated.

Replies

  • pattyjoshockley
    pattyjoshockley Posts: 53 Member
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    I'd like to know this too.
  • tmdpotts
    tmdpotts Posts: 27 Member
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    if what your doing is still working keep with it. no point in changing it all around until you notice you stalled. in saying that keep calories the same along with protein. then just start off your week with your max carbs then slowly taper down maybe by 40-50g set your lowest days for 2 then work your way back up to day one. rpt or just stick to what your doing now if its still working
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    edited October 2014
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    tmdpotts wrote: »
    if what your doing is still working keep with it. no point in changing it all around until you notice you stalled. in saying that keep calories the same along with protein. then just start off your week with your max carbs then slowly taper down maybe by 40-50g set your lowest days for 2 then work your way back up to day one. rpt or just stick to what your doing now if its still working

    Thanks for sharing the tip.

  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    1400 Calories at a deficit?

    It depends on how you're looking to structure it... Only 1 high carb day, multiple high carb days, etc..

    If you're looking to do a refeed day, you'll typically raise calories to maintenance level or slightly above. Make up the increased calorie difference with carbs, maybe slightly lower fats.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    There's a few different ways to do it. You'd first need to decide whether or not you need to or whether there's a benefit to it but assuming you would like to either take a cyclical approach or add in refeeds I'd probably start by adding in 1 reefed weekly and seeing how you respond to it.

    You may need to bring daily calories down slightly to account for the additional reefed calories but that depends on what you're current deficit is at.

    I'd probably (I'm repeating Lolbroscience here) stick calories at roughly maintenance and leave protein/fat as is (your fat is already reasonably low so it's probably fine to leave it there on the reefed day).

    Taking a guess at your maintenance you're probably going to set reefed calories in the neighborhood of 1800-1900 calories so you'd have 1 day looking like this, roughly:

    140p
    50f
    200-220 carbs

    And ideally you'd want to position the reefed such that you take full advantage of the extra calories in terms of effects on gym performance. Since I train in the AM I tend to position refeeds the day before my heavy session and that tends to work well. For people who train late AM or afternoon/evening I'd refeed on a training day.

    Note that I'm guessing at your maintenance with the above, and I don't know your current rate of weight loss so it's hard to exactly nail down the adjustments to make with your daily intake, if any. In theory you'd likely need to make a reduction in intake across the remaining 6 days.
  • TrainerLB
    TrainerLB Posts: 42 Member
    edited November 2014
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    @lolbroscience my RMR is 1440 (just got tested) and at the time of the test I was burning 50% carbs to 50% fat, so I definitely need to lower my carbs.

    @sidesteel thanks for the response. My weight loss has stalled, but I think it was because carbs were too high and overall cals too low and fat too low. I'm bumping cals to 1800 since I train 2xs per day typically and my RMR is 1440. Lowering carbs to around 60g for now with no re-feed.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    edited November 2014
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    TrainerLB wrote: »
    @lolbroscience my RMR is 1440 (just got tested) and at the time of the test I was burning 50% carbs to 50% fat, so I definitely need to lower my carbs.

    @sidesteel thanks for the response. My weight loss has stalled, but I think it was because carbs were too high and overall cals too low and fat too low. I'm bumping cals to 1800 since I train 2xs per day typically and my RMR is 1440. Lowering carbs to around 60g for now with no re-feed.

    How long has your weight loss "stalled"?
    Any reason in particular you're training 2x a day?
    Lowering dropping carbs even lower may decrease performance especially at that activity level.


  • MMulder68
    MMulder68 Posts: 139 Member
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    Ok, taking this in mind, I just did my first carb cycle this week. I have been on a SERIOUS plateau even with lifting heavy (never miss my gym time) and eating right. But! I lost this week. I DID NOT eat at a deficit. My 100% is my maintenance calories. My Protein and Fat never changed but carbs do. Carbs are 4 calories each so you adjust only your calories and your carbs. I did 100/75/50/25/50/75 and then start all over again. My 25 day is my off day at the gym.