I have mentioned a couple times that I am back on a diet. And yes, this means that i gained a bunch back! Well, I am switching things up and this time instead of doing Lindora (like i have done for the better part of the last 7 years), my hubby and i heard about the Carb Cycling Solution! I thought i would give you a quick run down of what the diet entails, plus at some point i can share my meal planning forms that i have created!
Here's the low down:
-You alternate between a high carb day and a low carb day!
-Eat within the first 30 minutes of being awake! And then eat 4 more meals every three hours after your breakfast.
-Breakfast is always high carb, no matter what day!
There's so many more details, but you can read the book for that!
(BTW - there is a TON of info in the comments section on this book on Amazon!)
My take on this whole diet thus far?
Here are some notes to give you my opintion:
Facts:
-I have lost 11.6 lbs.
-My husband has lost about 10 lbs.
-I have felt hungry in the late evenings.
-My clothes are fitting better!
-Cheat days are relaxing!
-I feel as though i can now have carbs, good ones of course!
-One month on this diet and still chugging along!
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Pros:
-Weight loss!
-Great tasting food!
-Gets easier to plan after a couple weeks.
-Lots of options
-Can vary between different types of foods such as Mexican style and Italian.
-Prior to this diet i hadn't had pasta in months.
-Veggies! I love bell peppers and mushrooms! On this diet there is no limit to the amount of veggies!
-A new way to think about food groups!
-Costco can really help with items that we seem to just go through every week! Almond milk, salsa, veggies and fruit are some of those items on our Costco list every week!
-The 100 calorie portion list in the book is helpful!
Cons:
-Feeling tired at times
-In order to work with my school day, I have to be up at 5 am so i can keep the "eat every three hours" schedule.
-Food prep can take a while.
-Menu planning can take some time as well.
-I often want more fruit, but understand that it is listed as a carb!
-I wish there were more details about specific foods. For example, i wish there were more clearly outlined guidelines about calorie limitations for certain foods.
-It can be a bit expensive at first.
-If hubs wakes up after me, we do not get to eat together to follow our schedule. This has not been a huge problem for us, but still could be for a family who likes to sit and eat a meal together.
-The book gives a great 100 calorie list, but it can be difficult to determine the correct portions.
-The list of approved foods and the 100 calorie list could be combined better. (look out for a Freebie of this sometime soon!)
-More recipes needed! (I will probably be posting a few of my recipes too!)
-Spices- these seem a bit limited! I personally have not followed the rules on the spices front! I just feel that spices should not be limited to what is on the list.
I think that's a pretty good run down! When we are done with the carb cycling and weight loss portion of the diet, we will increase our food a bit and then see if maintenance is better than the whole low carb thing that i had done before!
Have any of you tried to do this carb cycling thing before?
