Familiar with carb cycling diets?

Dela

Cathlete
I am in my fifth week of a carb cycling diet, just really into the core part of it these last 2 weeks, but just tonight and for the first time I just wanted to eat, so I did, it started with 1 cookie and went to 4, then despite all my efforts I ate over half of another very large cookie, but I'm done now. Long story why it's even in the house, it so rarely is.

So today I was on a low "gi" day, so added in fruits and a light yogurt to protein and fat today (eat 5 times per day, smaller meals), tomorrow is supposed to be the same style day, but the extra carbs and sugar I just ate makes me think I should modify this a bit, I'm thinking it would be better now to go back to at least 1 day of true low carb again, if not even 2 days before proceeding as usual.

My progress (using that term VERY lightly here) has been very slow, but that's nothing new, but I keep on trucking, so the smallest set back will always leave that doubt in my mind that if I just didn't screw up that one night, then I would show more progress this week.

I like the diet, the food is varied by switching styles every 2 days, then 1 cheat day a week.

Any advice from other carb cyclers is greatly appreciated. Not sure if I should continue on tomorrow as normal, or make the day more restrictive by eating another low carb day again. Thanks!
 
I am not on a carb cycling diet. That said, the cookies you ate really are just a blip on the radar in terms of overall calories. In the grand scheme of calories for the whole week that 'snack' you had is really very minor in comparison so try not to worry about it. Adjust things today if that makes you feel better and then if possible, be kind to yourself and know that you ate the cookies 'cos you wanted them. It sounds like you are eating consciously so I'm guessing the snack of cookies you had yesterday won't be your snacks for today. For myself, 'cos i Know I like to eat a bit of junk here and there so I allow myself between 200-300 calories of cookies, chocolate or whatever everyday and try to eat well/clean however the rest of the day. Trying out new regimes is always interesting and this sounds like it's just part of your understanding of how your body is responding to this one. Good Luck.
 
Thanks Ceci, you are right, I am just over reacting, I am going to just continue with the "low gi" day as planned and continue on. Luckily the cookies that were here we a sample size so no more of those left, and the larger cookie, well if I have the urge to eat it again, I'll toss it. Saturday is my "cheat" day, so the original plan was to save these for then.
 
Dela, I'm with Ceci, just get back on the horn, and keep trucking. We all have those fall off moments. Case in point: yesterday was supposed to be a low carb day for me. It was also and EXTREME PMS (aka I NEED chocolate!) day. So my husband walks in the door from work, and eats his healthy little snack, and I just decide I need to eat too. Only, I need to eat those Trader Joes mini chocolate cupcakes...NOW. I mean, after all, they're "mini", right? Umm, wrong. I inhaled the first one, w/o even tasting it, so you can probably guess what began to happen next :rolleyes: . As a momentary second of sanity appeared, and I began to see what I was doing, I knew I had to act fast. I jumped up w/the package of the remaining cupcakes in my hand and went over to the window where my son was outside playing w/the neighborhood kids. I quickly yelled, "Anyone want a cupcake? They're chocolate!" And they came a runnin! :p

Whew! that was a close one :eek: . So... I fell off the wagon a bit, but I'm more clear-headed today, and ready to kick it back into gear. On the bright side, not only did I get rid of my temptation, but I'm also "such a cool mom" (as I overheard the kids say ;) )
 
Don't worry about the zig in your zag. Just switch your Saturday's cheat for today. I do a shorter cycle. It gives me the mental edge of knowing that its just twenty four hours until I can eat what ever I want (except stuff that makes me fat, thats my choice, so no donuts) that mentality gives me the opportunity to say, no thanks I'm being good today, I will eat tomorrow. But, the interesting part is that knowing that means that on my high calorie/carb days, I don't feel the urge to eat everything in sight, just what do I actually want to eat.

I hope that makes sense.
 
Kik, cute story, thank you for sharing. RapidBreath, my Saturday is a full cheat day, and I am planned to be away and fully cheating this Saturday ;), so for this week, I'll just have to live with the extra cheat snack I guess.

But RapidBreath, I am curious, would you mind sharing your eating "cycle" so to speak. So you are putting in a cheat every other day? I am doing 2 low carb, 2 low gi (fruit and beans mainly, ezekial once in a while), then 2 higher carb low fat, and 1 full cheat day. I am following Joel Marion's Cheat to Lose. Honestly I have not lost any weight, a few inches overall in the first week, but then nothing else but I feel like I have and I feel good eating this way for now, but overall frustrated.
 

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