Choose More, Lose More for Life (2013) is a carb-cycling diet written by Chris Powell from Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition. It’s the sequel to Choose to Lose (2012), with alternative cycles.
- Carb cycling – 4 different patterns.
- High-carb days – Eat 5 times a day, protein + carbs + veggies for all meals/snacks (eat similar amounts for each meal or snack)
- Low-carb days – Eat 5 times a day, protein + carbs + veggies for breakfast, protein + fat + veggies for other meals/snacks (eat similar amounts for each meal or snack)
- Reward meals or reward days – unrestricted, eat in moderation
- Slingshot week every 4 weeks – high-carb every day
Below is a description of the food recommendations in the diet. Cycle options | General guidelines | Low carb days | High carb days | Reward meals | Reward days. There’s a lot more in the book.
Get a copy of Choose More, Lose More for Life for guidelines for transformation, setting goals and promises, exercise guidelines and specific exercises, serving sizes of food for 100 calories, guidelines on bulk-prepping, and recipes
The reasoning behind Choose More, Lose More for Life
The book argues that high-carb days boost your metabolism, which then stays high on low-carb days, burning more fat than it would on a static or stable nutrition program that has you eating the same way every day. The author says that the most important step is to make a commitment to yourself, not just to lose weight but to change your life: Exploring your identity, finding your authentic self, and getting to know your emotional side – what makes you tick and what makes you stumble – are essential to transformation.
Choose More, Lose More for Life diet plan – What to eat and foods to avoid
Select which cycle you want to follow, then follow the guidelines for what to eat and avoid in general and on low carb days, high carb days, reward meals, and reward days.
Cycles – 4 choices
There are 4 variations of carb cycling for you to choose from, based on your lifestyle and needs. From easiest to most difficult:
- Easy cycle
- This is a laid-back version for people who are just starting the journey and who feel that they might lack the willpower to stick with carb cycling – you can reward yourself regularly
- For 3 weeks, carb cycle
- Day 1 – low carb day
- Day 2 – high carb with one reward meal
- Day 3 – low carb day
- Day 4 – high carb with one reward meal
- Day 5 – low carb day
- Day 6 – high carb with one reward meal and weekly weigh-in day (morning)
- Day 7 – high carb with one reward meal
- Then for 1 week, follow the Slingshot Technique – every day is a high-carb day
- Classic cycle
- This was the cycle suggested in Choose to Lose
- For 3 weeks, carb cycle
- Day 1 – low carb day
- Day 2 – high carb day
- Day 3 – low carb day
- Day 4 – high carb day
- Day 5 – low carb day
- Day 6 – high carb day and weekly weigh-in day (morning)
- Day 7 – Reward day
- Then for 1 week, follow the Slingshot Technique – every day is a high-carb day
- Turbo cycle
- This accelerates and intensifies your carb-cycling results so you can reach your weight-loss goals as quickly as possible
- For 3 weeks, carb cycle
- Day 1 – low carb day
- Day 2 – low carb day
- Day 3 – high carb day
- Day 4 – low carb day
- Day 5 – low carb day
- Day 6 – high carb day and weekly weigh-in day (morning)
- Day 7 – Reward day
- Then for 1 week, follow the Slingshot Technique – every day is a high-carb day
- You’ll feel a dip in your energy level with two low-carb days in a row, especially on the second day
- Fit cycle
- This is for you if you’re already super-active but you want to drop some weight; it allows you more carbs while exceling in your sport or training for long stretches of time each day. It claims to increase your performance – on your low-carb days, when you deplete your glycogen stores, your muscles develop insulin sensitivity, so when you eat high-carb your insulin-sensitive muscles super-compensate and soak up more carbs than they normally would. If you’re focused on your performance and don’t want to lose weight, pre- and post-workout supplementation, perhaps meal-replacement shakes with some extra macronutrients, can help fuel your performance while minimizing weight loss
- For 3 weeks, carb cycle
- Day 1 – high carb day
- Day 2 – high carb day
- Day 3 – low carb day
- Day 4 – high carb day
- Day 5 – high carb day
- Day 6 – low carb day
- Day 7 – Reward day and weekly weigh-in day (morning)
- Then for 1 week, follow the Slingshot Technique – every day is a high-carb day
- Maintenance – diet for life
- Continue to eat 5 times a day and drink plenty of water
- Select a cycle that works for you – either the Easy Cycle or the Fit Cycle
- Make sure you continue to reward yourself, and that the reward will satisfy you – it could be once a week, or twice a week, or every other day, or once a day
- Give yourself an acceptable weight range to stay within. If you’re gaining weight, reduce the rewards and carb cycle the weight back down. If you’re gaining weight, add in 100 calories of smart carbs each day
On low-carb days, women should consume about 1,200 calories a day; men should consume about 1,500 calories a day – not less than those amounts – stick to the hand-sized portions to come to approximately the right number of calories.
On high-carb days, women should consume about 1,500 calories a day; men should consume about 2,000 calories a day – not less than those amounts – stick to the hand-sized portions to come to approximately the right number of calories.
If your body adapts to the three weeks on, one week off pattern, do a Slingshot then and there to get off your plateau. If that doesn’t work – check your portion sizes and fine-tune them if you need to, or try switching to a faster carb cycle – Easy to Classic, Classic to Turbo
If you have a weigh-in that baffles you as being higher than expected, think back a day or two and notice how much sodium you may have eaten in canned foods, cured meats, or other processed foods
Don’t try to speed up weight loss by eating fewer calories – if you do that, your body will get the signal to protect its fuel reserves. Make sure you get your calories
General guidelines
Foods to eat in general with Choose More, Lose More for Life
- When to eat
- Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up
- Eat another meal or snack every 3 hours for a total of 5 meals/snacks in the day
- Example carb-cycling meal schedule, with a 6.45 am wake-up time: 7 am breakfast, 10 am morning snack, 1 pm lunch, 4 pm afternoon snack, 7 pm dinner; eat similar amounts for each meal or snack
- Protein – lean and low-sodium
- Beef – cube steak, flank steak (lean), roast beef (low-sodium), round steak, sirloin steak (extra lean), ground beef (extra lean)
- Game meats – venison, elk
- Pork – tenderloin, low-sodium ham
- Poultry – chicken breast (skinless), chicken thighs (skinless), ground chicken breast, duck breast, turkey breast (low-sodium deli), turkey breast (skinless, not deli), ground turkey (99% fat-free)
- Fish – branzino, catfish, cod, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, pollock, salmon, sardines, sea bass, snapper, sole, swordfish, tilapia, tilefish, trout, tuna
- Shellfish – clams, lobster, shrimp
- Dairy – cottage cheese, egg substitutes, egg whites, Greek yogurt (nonfat, plain)
- Powdered protein – whey protein, egg protein, soy protein, rice protein, hemp protein
- Vegetable protein – tempeh, textured vegetable protein, tofu. For vegetarians, tofu can be substituted into any meal
- Vegetables
- Unstarchy vegetables – artichokes, asparagus, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli rabe, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, collard greens, cucumber, endive, eggplant, fennel, garlic, green beans/wax beans, kale, leeks, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, peppers, parsley, radicchio, radishes, rhubarb, salad greens (arugula, romaine, other lettuces), scallions/green onions, shallots, snow peas, spinach, sprouts, squash, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini
- Root vegetables and starchy vegetables, listed under carbs below
- Flavorings
- Herbs – including basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme
- Spices – including cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, cumin, fennel seeds, garlic powder, ginger, Italian seasoning, paprika, steak seasoning
- Butter spray, chili paste, chili sauce, extracts (e.g. almond extract, peppermint extract, vanilla extract), hummus, horseradish sauce, hot sauce (e.g. Tabasco), ketchup (low-sodium), lemon juice, lime juice, low-sodium broth, low-sodium soy sauce, marinara sauce, mustard, salsa, tomato paste, tomato sauce, vinegar (e.g. cider, red-wine, white-wine), Worcestershire sauce (watch out for high sodium)
- Salad dressings – consider the fat content – balsamic vinaigrette, French dressing, Italian dressing
- Sweeteners – stevia (e.g. SweetLeaf, Truvia), xylitol (e.g. Xlear, Xylosweet), sorbitol, erythritol, honey in very small amounts
- Beverages
- Almond milk (unsweetened), soy milk (unsweetened)
- Coconut water (pure)
- Coffee, tea (regular, green, or herbal)
- Tomato juice
- Water (flat or sparkling)
Foods to limit with Choose More, Lose More for Life
These carb-containing foods may be eaten for breakfast on low-carb days, and in all meals on high-carb days:
- Fruits
- Apples, apricots, bananas, berries (blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries), grapes, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, oranges, mangos, melons, nectarines, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, tangerines
- Carbs
- Breads – brown rice tortillas, corn tortillas, Ezekiel 4.9 breads, Ezekiel 4.9 English muffin, Ezekiel 4.9 tortillas, whole-grain bread
- Cereal – All-Bran, Fiber One, Kashi Go Lean, Kashi Good Friends Cereal, Kashi Heart to Heart, low-fat granola, old-fashioned oatmeal, steel-cut oatmeal
- Grains – amaranth, barley, bran, buckwheat, brown rice, millet, oats, popcorn, quinoa, wild rice
- Legumes – beans (boiled or low-sodium canned), lentils, soybeans/edamame, soy nuts (slightly salted)
- Pasta – brown rice pasta, couscous, whole grain pasta
- Root vegetables – beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes/yams
- Starchy vegetables – corn, peas
- Meal replacement shakes
- Contain protein, carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals (avoid carb-containing shakes for no-carb meals)
These fat-containing foods may be eaten on low-carb days:
- Fats
- Dairy – cheeses – blue cheese, brie, cream cheese, egg yolk, feta cheese, goat cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, romano, sliced cheeses (e.g. cheddar, colby, gouda, havarti, monterey jack, muenster, swiss)
- Dairy – other – cream, sour cream
- Dressings – creamy dressing, mayonnaise
- Fruit – avocado, olives
- Nuts and seeds – almonds, almond butter, peanut butter, pecans, sesame seeds, sesame butter, sunflower seeds, walnuts
- Oils – flaxseed oil, olive oil
Foods to avoid with Choose More, Lose More for Life
These may be eaten in your reward meals or reward days, if you have to, but keep them out of your house to avoid temptation
- Processed and refined carbohydrates
- Table sugar and other sugars, including brown sugar, corn syrup, raw sugar
- Candy, chocolate, ice cream, soda with sugar
- Fruit juice
- Refined flour / white flour and foods containing it
- Baked goods such as bagels, white bread, cake, cookies, crackers, pretzels, donuts, pastries
- White rice
- Chips
- Processed foods
- If you have to get processed foods, try to find low-sodium options
- Fatty foods
- Fried foods
- Hydrogenated oils
- Foods high in sodium
- Alcoholic beverages
- Beer, wine, hard liquor
- Artificial sweeteners
- Saccharin (Sweet’N Low), sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
- These can be useful while you’re cutting back on sugary processed foods and getting used to eating whole, healthy food
- It may be a good idea to eventually switch from artificial sweeteners to natural sweeteners
Low carb days food list
On low-carb days, women should consume about 1,200 calories a day; men should consume about 1,500 calories a day – not less than those amounts – stick to the hand-sized portions to come to approximately the right number of calories.
Foods to eat on low carb days in Choose More, Lose More for Life
- What to eat when
- Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up:
- Protein (palm-sized portion – 5 ounces for men and 3 ounces for women) +
- Carb (clenched-fist-sized portion – 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women) +
- Unstarchy veggies (at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions – 3 cups for men and 2 cups for women)
- This is the only day of the meal with carbs
- Eat another meal/snack every 3 hours until you reach 5 meals/snacks (similar quantities for each meal or snack; in some places in the book he asks you to eat 5 meals, in other places 3 meals and 2 snacks – it’s the same thing):
- Protein (palm-sized portion – 5 ounces for men and 3 ounces for women) +
- Fat (thumb-sized portion, from the base up – 2 tablespoons for men and 1 tablespoon for women) +
- Unstarchy veggies (at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions– 3 cups for men and 2 cups for women)
- Sauces, dressings, and condiments portions should be no larger than the size of your index and middle finger, from the base up
- Drink a gallon of water every day
- Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up:
- See “what to eat” above for the types of foods to eat
- To kill your cravings: Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast; fill up with water throughout the day; put something minty in your mouth; if an incredibly strong craving pops up on a low-carb day, eat just a little portion of healthy fat and drink some water – within 15-20 minutes your craving should be under control
Foods to avoid or limit on low carb days with Choose More, Lose More for Life
- No carbs except for breakfast
- See “foods to avoid” above
Note that you may go through detoxification if you’ve been eating junk food, particularly high-sugar high-fat foods, for years. You might experience nausea, headaches, low energy, and other symptoms. These should pass. If your detox symptoms are too uncomfortable, you may want to begin with the Easy Cycle and transition later to the Classic Cycle when your detox is done and you’re ready for faster results
If you cheat on a low-carb day, don’t freak out. Don’t play catch up – have a high-carb day the next day if that’s on your cycle.
High carb days food list
On high-carb days, women should consume about 1,500 calories a day; men should consume about 2,000 calories a day – not less than those amounts – stick to the hand-sized portions to come to approximately the right number of calories.
Foods to eat on high carb days in Choose More, Lose More for Life
- What to eat when
- Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up:
- Protein (palm-sized portion – 5 ounces for men and 3 ounces for women) +
- Carb (clenched-fist-sized portion – 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women) +
- Unstarchy veggies (at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions – 3 cups for men and 2 cups for women)
- Eat another meal/snack every 3 hours until you reach 5 meals/snacks (similar quantities for each meal or snack; in some places in the book he asks you to eat 5 meals, in other places 3 meals and 2 snacks – it’s the same thing):
- Protein (palm-sized portion– 5 ounces for men and 3 ounces for women) +
- Carb (clenched-fist-sized portion – 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women) +
- Unstarchy veggies (at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions – 3 cups for men and 2 cups for women)
- Sauces, dressings, and condiments portions should be no larger than the size of your index and middle finger, from the base up
- Drink a gallon of water every day
- Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up:
- See “what to eat” above for the types of foods to eat
Foods to avoid or limit on high carb days with Choose More, Lose More for Life
- No fat
- See “foods to avoid” above
Reward meal food list
Foods to eat in reward meals in Choose More, Lose More for Life
- You can have this at any meal except dinner (rewards are avoided at dinner because late nights tend to be a slippery slope for most – once you start rewarding, you can’t stop)
- Enjoy your favorite foods during your reward meal
- Try not to go overboard, but ensure that you’ve satisfied your cravings
- Consider enjoying your favorite foods outside of your home to keep the temptations out of your kitchen
Foods to avoid or limit in reward meals with Choose More, Lose More for Life
- You should probably avoid your trigger foods – anything you crave that might be a slippery-slope food for you that you can’t stop eating once you get the first taste
- If you can’t shake a hankering for your trigger foods, explore other options that might satisfy your needs – for example, if you can’t resist potato chips, try a different crunchy salty snack like pretzels or popcorn instead
Reward day food list
Foods to eat on reward days in Choose More, Lose More for Life
- What to eat when
- Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of getting up
- Eat another meal every 3 hours until you reach 5 meals
- Eat what you like in moderation; watch out for calories and sodium
- Enjoy your favorite foods during your reward day
Foods to avoid or limit on reward days with Choose More, Lose More for Life
- Watch out for your trigger foods
Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.
Get a copy of Choose More, Lose More for Life for guidelines for transformation, setting goals and promises, exercise guidelines and specific exercises, serving sizes of food for 100 calories, guidelines on bulk-prepping, and recipes
Also visit the author’s social media sites: http://chrispowell.com, https://www.facebook.com/realchrispowell, and https://twitter.com/RealChrisPowell. He recommends these resources: Weight Watchers, Overeaters Anonymous, and FindSportsNow.
How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment or question below.
{ 125 comments… add one }
need more info on diet plan
This is a summary of the foods to eat on the diet – for a full description of the diet, please see the book.
thank you, this was information I was looking for. I am currently on the fast metabolism diet and this seems very similar to me.
Jane, I’m was in the Fast Metabolism diet for two cycles. I lost so little in the second one that I decided to try this carb cycling. How are you doing with the Carb Cycling? Did you get better results?
At the start of your article it says:
High-carb days – 5 meals a day, protein + carbs + veggies for breakfast, protein + fat + veggies for other meals
Low-carb days – 5 meals a day, protein + carbs + veggies for all meals
Shouldn’t the first line be for LOW carb days and the second for HIGH carb days?
Oops, thanks for spotting that! I’ve updated it.
Hello thanks for this. Can you help me with this? I dont like banana, what else can I have?
There are a number of other fruits that you can eat, listed above under General Foods to Eat.
Hi! Thanks for the this! One question.. i did’nt get the part of “weekly weight-in day (morning) can you explain that to me please?
Thanks again!
The author suggests you weigh yourself only once a week, on day 6 (usually a Saturday).
Here’s what he says about the weekly weigh-ins and tracking weight loss (p.64):
“What to Expect: Things to Look Out For
So you’re carb cycling away, eating the right foods at the right times. How do you know you’re getting anywhere? You do a weekly weigh-in each Saturday (no more often than that, as your weight fluctuates from day to day!), but sometimes from week to week you might not see a change in that number on the scale. Don’t worry about it— it doesn’t mean you’re not making progress! In fact, you’re most likely burning fat as your body develops new muscle— which burns fat faster. There are other, more reliable, signs to show that your body is responding exactly the way it should:
– The fit of your clothes (they should be getting looser; this is the very best indicator of where you’re at)
– Your physical and mental energy level (you’ll notice extra energy on high-carb days)
– Your appetite and craving levels (just a heads-up: cravings might be higher on low-carb days)
– Water retention (you should be peeing more on low-carb days than on high-carb days)
– Sleep quality (you might fall asleep faster after a high-carb day, but you should feel better rested after a low-carb day due to the increased output of growth hormone)”
I have the book and have read it cover to cover and I still can’t figure something out. It’s 5 meals, 3oz protein, veggies, carbs or no depending on the day, fat or no depending on the day. Now I see a graph that says 3 meals and 2 snacks. Which one am I suppose to follow. 5 meals or 3 meals and 2 snacks? Ty for the info!
The portion sizes he gives for snacks is the same as for meals; I think that he words it this way because people are more used to the concept of 3 meals and 2 snacks. Eat the portion sizes given for all meals and snacks, whatever you prefer to call them.
Hey Penny,
Do you know how many grams of carbs are to be consumed on the low and high carb days?
How many do you eat?
Or whoever else is doing this, how many do you eat?
Thanks heaps 🙂
Bree
Chris doesn’t give portion sizes in terms of grams of carbs – because people are different sizes, he asks you to use your hand size to work out your portion size.
No counting grams of carbs.
You should only eat the permitted carbs – they’re listed in the general guidelines above.
On low carb days, he says you should have carbs for breakfast only – a clenched-fist-sized portion, which is about 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women.
On high carb days, he says you should eat carbs with each one of your 5 meals/snacks in the day – a clenched-fist-sized portion, which is about 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women.
I read that it says to eat first meal 30 mins after waking up. I like to exercise before I eat my breakfast. Will this affect my results if I wait?
The book says again and again that you should eat within 30 minutes of waking up.
Chris talks about a short exercise program that he does before breakfast – “9 Minute Missions” (p.64). But it looks like if you want to do a long exercise program you should do it after your first meal.
I have the book – love it – but I want to print out the sample weeks in the appendix so that I can follow the daily 9 minute workouts, etc. – however I have a digital copy and I cannot print from the Kindle Reading App. Is there a way to get these sheets in a pdf version??
I don’t know about any pdf’s – you could download Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac, open the book and use ‘print screen’ on your computer to capture a copy
Hey
I am french and I Read Chris powell’book
When he says one cup for women , I don’t how much is it in grams
Someone could help me?
Thank you
1 cup is a volume measurement, rather than weight. It’s 236 millilitres – say just under 250 ml.
Thank you penny for your help
Clenched fist size portion for the whole meal or one thing in meal should be of this size . I mean the whole meal should be if clenched fist size or protein also carbs etc each of them should be this size ?
Eat all the foods listed for that meal, and for each type of food use the portion size listed for that meal.
Looking at the example of breakfast on low-carb days:
Eat all of these:
(1) Protein – have a palm-sized portion – 5 ounces for men and 3 ounces for women
(2) Carbs – have a clenched-fist-sized portion – 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women
(3) Unstarchy veggies – have at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions – 3 cups for men and 2 cups for women
The total amount of food on the plate would be about 3 1/2 – 4 clenched fists
I know it says to stay with the same portion size each meal and snack. But will it mess up the whole plan if I eat somewhat less on my snacks and a little more on my meals? During the work week while at work it’s really hard to have say a meal during my snacks, because my break times don’t allow me but just a few minutes. Thanks
It’s possible the plan might not be so effective if you do that, but reality exists so do what you can!
Hello,
On the classic plan, can you switch the reward day to Saturday instead of Sunday?
Thanks in advance!!
Chris says “I’ve made Sunday the reward day in the programs that follow, but if there is another day of the week that would be a better reward day for your life, you can declare it your reward day. But be sure you set this reward day in stone so you don’t find yourself “chasing the reward”— or justifying more than one reward day a week.” (pp. 75-76)
Popcorn was on the shopping list in the book. When can we have popcorn. Can it be a high carb day snack every once in a while. Missing salty snacks and crunch.
Popcorn is a permitted carb – when you’re allowed to have carbs in a meal or snack, you can have popcorn in the permitted portion size.
Hi Penny,
What is the permitted portion sized for popcorn please? I couldn’t find it in the book. Thanks!
Count popcorn as a carb, and look for the meals where you’re allowed carbs and the portion sizes for them. It’s generally a clenched-fist-sized portion – 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women.
Hi, i just started the classic carb cycling plan and i am a little confused about how to properly use condiments. Ex: hummus, light mayo, ketchup. Is it ok to use these things daily? I have the book but can not find any additional info on this topic. Thanks!
Chris says that sauces, dressings, and condiments portions should be no larger than the size of your index and middle finger, from the base up.
Note that ketchup and hummus contain carbs – and on low carb days you should only have carbs for breakfast.
I’m confused too about when to use “Flavorings” or condiments. ketchup and hummus are listed under flavorings which contain carbs and Penny Hammond suggested on low carb days to only eat these items at breakfast or with any meal on High carb days. But almond butter, mayo and dressings which are listed under fats also contain carbs within the diet it says items in the fat category are allowed at each meal (except at breakfast) on low carb days. I’m confused!
This is a low-carb diet, not a no-carb diet. The serving sizes for these foods are very small and the book says you can eat them at that portion size.
I’m so confused, can someone list an example of what you would eat on a high carb day VS A low carb day?
Thanks for any help
On a low carb day, you might have protein foods and unstarchy vegetables and some fat. You can also have a small amount of carbs for breakfast.
On a high carb day, you can also have whole-grain or unprocessed carbs at certain meals – whole grain bread, whole grain cereals, legumes, whole grain pasta, root vegetables, starchy vegetables.
Look at the guidelines for what to eat at each meal on high-carb days and low-carb days.
Hi I’ve just started the plan and I’m confused as to where fruits fit into it. I can’t really find it in the book. I can see what fruits are ok under smart foods but can you have fruits on both high carb and low carb days? Thanks for any help you can give
In the “food promises” on page 29, no. 39 says “Eat a piece of fruit every day”. So you should have fruit on low-carb as well as high-carb days.
However, Chris definitely lists fruits as carbs. So on low-carb days you should have them in the only meal that allows carbs, which is breakfast.
I bought both books. Read them. I still don’t really get it! I guess my mind in too used to WW. I have problems with what he considers Proteins and Carbs… I’ve always thought Yogurt was Dairy. But he has classified it as a Protein. So is Fruit a simple Carb? Then what is a corn tortilla? A carb also? Can we eat Fruit on Low Carbs days? or just protein and fat? Fruit and Breads are for High Carb days only? Or can we use fruit and oatmeal for Breakfast only on Low Carb days.. then for meals to follow, Protein and a fat… So confused. And No FAT on HCdays…Just LOST!! But need to lose 140 lbs. ,well at least 100 to be healthy. TY!
There are 3 main “macro-nutrients” that provide calories in foods: Protein (building blocks for your body) and Carbohydrates/Carbs and Fats (both energy sources). Foods are made up of these “building blocks” plus water, vitamins, minerals, and other things in small amounts. Look on nutrition facts labels to see how much of each of these is in a particular food – in the USA they all list fats, carbs, and proteins. You can also look up the nutrients in foods on a nutrition database such as http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods.
Yogurt and other milk products are dairy foods because they’re produced from milk, that’s where they come from on the farm (and eggs tend to get grouped with dairy). But the foods themselves contain a mixture of protein, carbs, and fats – cheese and cream have more fat and yogurt has more protein.
Fruits, corn tortillas, breads, and oatmeal are mainly carbs, and that’s what you’re cycling on this diet. You can have them on high-carb days, and for breakfast only on low-carb days.
And you’re right, no fat on high carb days – on those days you’re getting your energy from carbs.
Hope that helps!
Hi, I have just ordered Choose More, Lose More. I know you are suppose to eat 30 min after waking up. However, 3 days a week I get up at 3:20am to head to the gym. The other 2 days, I’m up at 4:30 to head to the gym. How should I go about this 30 min rule? That is really early to attempt a meal.
Thank You!
Have something to eat, even if it’s that early!
See http://heidipowell.net/2960/ask-heidi-anything-what-if-i-cant-or-dont-eat-every-three-hours/
Hi i have a few questions, ive started this plan to lose body fat, bu i have a few questions.
1. On high carb days, should I eat carbs in all meals including dinner?
2. On high carb days can I eat for example brown rice in every meal(1.5 cups) even though it has more calories than certain other carbs
3. How many cals on high carb and low carb days
Thank you
Chris says that on high carb days, you should have carbs with every meal on high carb days.
The main point is to cycle the amount of carbs you eat. So as long as you’re eating whole food carbs as recommended in the book, you’re using the hand-sized portions, and you’re not overdoing it (you can use the calorie counts as a check on this), it doesn’t matter if one type of whole food carb or another.
There’s nothing in the book saying that you have to have variety in the carbs you eat, but the author does encourage you to eat a variety of foods generally.
Is the cheat meal obligatory?? If i still eat healthy on that day will beneffit or affect my progress? Im trying to cut fat in the healthiest and fastest way
It looks like Chris advises reward meals / reward days so you can satisfy your cravings without cheating – they’re designed to satisfy your psychological and emotional cravings for the sugary or fatty foods you love the most (p.74). If you don’t have cravings, have a regular high-carb day instead. If you do have cravings (be honest with yourself), follow the guidelines and have reward meals so you don’t feel deprived or restricted.
Keep in mind that there’s no single definition of “healthy” food – what’s health-giving for one person may not be for someone else, and if you have pre-conceived ideas of what is healthy you may actually be depriving yourself of foods that might benefit you.
Chris Powell 7 day carb cycling you can chose from a smoothie with almond milk, protein and 1 cup of fruit everyday, can I do the same with his new book/program Chose More Lose More it seems different for breakfast?
The Choose More, Lose More for Life diet has 4 different patterns of carb cycling, and there can be some variation of high carb days and low carb days depending on which pattern you choose to follow. However, for high carb days the meal plan is always the same, and for low carb days the meal plan is always the same, and for breakfasts for both high carb and low carb days you’re told the same thing – to eat protein (palm-sized portion – 5 ounces for men and 3 ounces for women) + carb (clenched-fist-sized portion – 1.5 cups for men and 1 cup for women) + unstarchy veggies (at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions – 3 cups for men and 2 cups for women). So you should add some unstarchy veggies to your breakfast.
When choosing a protein bar what is a the nutinal guidelines I should look for ie. Fat, carbs and protein?
Chris doesn’t mention protein bars in his guidelines.
See if you can find something that doesn’t contain any of the “don’t eat” ingredients.
Then look for something that fits with the guidelines for the particular meal you’re looking to substitute. You should make sure you’re still getting unstarchy veggies, which I don’t think are ever included in protein bars.
I like to make meals like zuchinni lasagna or chicken enchiladas. If I’m not able to have any fat on hc days, then these meals wouldn’t work because they have cheese, right?
You’re right – but you can have them on your reward day!
I have been doing the turbo cycle, and today was a bad day had a bad lunch on my LC day, what do I do to recover?
Chris says that if you cheat on a low-carb day, don’t freak out. Don’t play catch up – have a high-carb day the next day if that’s on your cycle (p.85)
meals should be made as described ?? then carbo + protein + vegetables for breakfast and then it depends on what provides the schematic ??? if I wanted to have breakfast and snacks with protein and carbohydrates only then I could add 6 handfuls of vegetables in the other meals ??? Then for cups or punching means for food already cooked or raw and private waste ?? ‘Thank you very much
Yes, the meals should be made as described – that means that you have to eat vegetables with your breakfast, even if that sounds strange to you.
I can’t see clear guidelines about whether the vegetable portion sizes, where you cook the vegetables, are for raw or for cooked. So I looked at the recipes for spinach, which can be very bulky when raw and shrinks down a lot when cooked. The recipes don’t talk about cooking spinach, but one recipe (Chicken Ratatouille) calls for about 1 cup of baby spinach per portion, which is about one fist size, and it’s wilted by putting the hot sauce on top of it. So I assume that the quantities are for the raw vegetables.
2 questions –
1. I am also a little confused about fruit. I see that you should eat fruit daily, treat it as a carb, and eat it in the meal that allows carbs. So for example breakfast each day allows a carb. For women its one cup. I assume the cup can be made up of whatever you like for a carb, like a half slice of sprouted grain bread and 1/2 cup of fruit?
2. I have been following the FMD for about 40 days. I am looking to switch to carb cycling, but I am having trouble making a meal map similar to what the FMD offers for planning. Are you aware of any meal planning tools/ maps for this carb cycling plan?
Thank you!
Is this. Diet. Good. For diabetes
The book doesn’t claim that this diet is good for diabetes.
You listed Alcohol beverages to avoid.
But in the book those are the beverages Chris suggest
In moderation.
I thought you might want to change that.
Thanks, Mark
BTW, I love this blog of the break-down
Thanks for the heads up. Could you please tell me what page you saw that on?
On page 28 this book says “Cut out the beer and alcohol”
On page 242 he tells you to throw out “alcoholic beverages: beer, wine, and hard liquor”.
Searching for beer, wine, alcohol, and liquor, I can only find Chris telling you to avoid them, nothing about having in moderation.
I just want to confirm. I’m doing Turbo Cycle and the book says to do the shapers (strength training) exercises on days following a High Carb day. Is that correct? Other sites recommend doing strength training on High Carb days. Thanks for clarifying.
I’m sorry, I focus on the food side of diets not the exercise side. It’s possible that the book and the other sites have different recommendations based on what the authors believe works best.
almost nine months ago I started a low carb diet I lost a little over 50 pounds in about four and a half months now I’ve been staying the same the last couple months so I just started this carb cycling diet yesterday so I’m really hoping it works and I am enjoying everybody’s comments thank you
Well done with your weight loss so far, and good luck!
Hi. I work jobs where sometimes I can’t eat “meals”. Is it okay to substitute quest bars, protein shakes(1 gm carb), Greek yogurt, or anything else for a “meal” on low carb days? I am also allergic to milk so I can’t have that either. Also…..do you have any “sample” meal plans for a female. Love your site. Thank you so much for all of the info.
That’s tough, as all meals are supposed to have protein and veggies (and either carbs or fat) – would you be able to get some veggies to include in the non-meals, for example cut raw vegetables?
Make sure that whatever you want to eat doesn’t include ingredients on the “what to avoid” list.
It doesn’t look like the meal plans would be different from male vs female – just make sure you’re using the hand-sized portion sizes.
Glad to help, thanks for the thanks!
You have said that this is not a calorie counting diet. However, I have noticed that Chris says for a woman on a LC day not to exceed 1,200 calories and on HC days not to exceed 1,500 calories. How are we to know without weighing and measuring everything for precise calorie counts to be sure we don’t go over the 1,200 and 1,500 calories?
You’re correct, he does mention the number of calories. Thanks for pointing that out – I’ve tweaked my response above.
He actually says: “on low-carb days you should be eating a total of around 1,200 calories if you’re a woman and 1,500 calories if you’re a man; the numbers go up to 1,500 and 2,000, respectively, on high-carb days.” (p. 73). He also says “While the Turbo Cycle gives you the fastest results of any carb cycle, it’s not a severely restricted-calorie diet that’ll crash your metabolism. Women: Don’t consume fewer than 1,200 calories a day! Men: Don’t consume fewer than 1,500 calories!” (p. 86).
I don’t see anywhere that he says not to exceed 1200 or 1500 calories.
However, he’s not asking you to measure portion size using calories; he’s asking you to measure foods using the hand sizes. Focus mainly on those portion sizes, but you can double-check calories to see that you’re not exaggerating the size of your hand and having larger portions than you should.
Just brought the book choose more lose more for life.read the book and my questions is that do I choose any cycle sample.to start.or what.is there of certain one I have to start.
Choose the cycle pattern that looks like it would work best for you.
– If you feel you might lack the willpower to stick with carb cycling – try the Easy Cycle
– If you want faster weight loss and can stick to a diet even if it’s tough – try the Turbo Cycle
– If you’re super-active/performance training – try the Fit Cycle
– If you want something in the middle that gives you reasonably fast weight loss – try the Classic Cycle
I’m searching for the weekly forms for keeping track of exercise, food, water etc. Anyone know where I can find them?
Can you tell me the best place to find meal ideas outside of his book? I have his books and just looking for more meal plans.
I just got the book from the library. Chris mentions several times, including recipes, to use low-fat granola & particularly a low-fat, low-sugar granola. I’m wondering where this exists, because I haven’t been able to find one that provides both. What does he recommend? What has everyone else been using? TIA
Are you looking at the ingredient lists for sugar, or are you looking at the nutrition panel? Oats and other grains contain some natural sugars, and it appears that Chris is talking about avoiding added sugars.
You could consider making your own granola from scratch without adding fats or sugars…
Are both Diet Coke and Propel allowed?
Thank you.
Diet Coke used to be sweetened with aspartame, and now it’s sweetened with sucralose. Unfortunately both of those sweeteners are listed as ingredients to be avoided (except in reward meals and reward days).
Propel flavored waters are also sweetened with sucralose, not allowed.
Thanks for the informative and detailed article. My husband and I are in the beginning phases of Carb cycling and it can be quite confusing. What amount in grams is considered a low carb serving? And is this based on net carbs (total carbs-fiber) or total carbs as listed on a food’s nutritional label? Thank you so much!
This book doesn’t measure carbs in grams, or net carbs. It tells you what types of carbs are allowed, and in which meals on what days, and tells you to have portions that are in line with your body size by using “hand sizes” – fist size, palm size, etc.
so i know it says two handfuls of veggies with every meal. does that mean 5 times a day or 3 ?
The author doesn’t really differentiate between meals and snacks – it looks like veggies should be 5 times a day.
I’m confused. If I add up calories from 1 portion of protein, one portion of fat and two portions of veg, it come to about 300 calories. This means that I will be consuming 1500 calories every day. What do I cut down on when I need to eat 1200 a day? Please help.
Could you give an example of the type and portion size of protein, fat, and veg you’re using for your calculations? Thanks!
An example 3oz chicken roughly 100 calories 1tbsp olive oil 120 cals and 2 servings broccoli roughly 70 calories. Roughly 290 calories
Ok, I see what you mean… broccoli is one of the higher-calorie vegetables listed; if you mix up your veggies to include green leafy vegetables, that should bring your total calories down.
If I make Saturday my reward day is Sunday the first day of my week?
Would turbo cycle look like this:
Sunday LC
Monday LC
Tuesday HC
Wednesday LC
Thursday LC
Friday HC
Saturday Reward
Yes, that looks right!
I was hoping there was an explanation of the carbs…It says for example 1.5 cups, but that’s really hard to try to figure out how many grams of carbs as each 1.5 cup of different carbs will be different amount of grams. Is there anywhere he has listed approx grams of each one (fat and carbs) I didn’t see one. And protein easy as it has the oz, fairly easily transferred over.
Although this diet revolves around carbs, Chris doesn’t actually ask you to count grams of carbs (like you see in low-carb diets like Atkins) or grams of fat – he asks you to use your hands as guidelines for the portions of different types of foods to eat (carbs, proteins, etc), and make sure you stay within calorie limits.
Suggest you start off with the “hands” measurements, and if you’re not reaching your goals then double-check you’re within the calorie limits.
I’m a little confused. For example, almond nuts or almond butter or olive oil is counted as fat, and HC day is a no fat day, does that mean I can’t cook a meal with any oil at all? and I can’t eat almonds/almond butter ?
You can cook high-carb meals with a tiny amount of fat – most of the recipes for pan-cooking call for a spritz of olive oil in a spritzer bottle (or a few drops of oil).
And you’re right, nuts and seeds are counted as fat, so you shouldn’t have them on high-carb days on this diet.
The low-carb day versions of recipes add extra fat in the form of nuts, cheese, or a portion of olive oil or salad dressing. There’s also a recipe for low-carb days that contains fats and doesn’t have a high-carb version: creamy horseradish salmon.
I’ve updated the page to show fats as a limited food, hopefully that’s a little clearer now.
Hope that helps!
I have found huge list of zero & low carb foods in andriod play store. It has 2k plus food items with zero carb.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitapps.carb.foods.health.life&hl=en
you will really found it useful.
Hi love the blog!
Just to be clear yogurt can only be eaten on a low carb day? But can it be eaten as a snack or does it have to be with breakfast? Same goes for peanut butter?
Thanks!
Yogurt is listed as a lean protein, and lean proteins should be eaten at every one of your five daily meals. Chris says you should have nonfat plain Greek yogurt. 3/4 cup will give you approximately 100 calories.
He mentions it for breakfast and also as a snack.
Peanut butter is listed as a healthy fat – portion size 1 thumb, only for low carb days. You can choose whatever fat works for you in meals that allow fat; for all foods I don’t see any restriction of “you can only eat this food at these meals” in this diet outside the high carb / low carb guidelines.
hi
i really like this article. jus have 2 questions
i usually eat egg yolk with butter and Pastrami, Sunrise eggs in the pan.
Is pastrami allowed? its a kind of meat protein though
How can i substitute butter ?
Thanks!
You’re allowed lean, low-sodium proteins.
Pastrami is usually made from beef, which in itself is okay. It’s boiled for a while, which probably means it’s fairly low in fat.
However, it’s brined, so it’s usually pretty high in salt/sodium. For that reason, it doesn’t sound like it meets the criteria for this diet.
The book recommends using vegetable oils instead of butter – obviously this is only for low-carb meals.
There are some high-carb day recipes in the book that contain a small amount of butter (e.g. 1 teaspoon for 2 servings) – they say “While butter is a fat, it’s in such a small amount in this recipe that it’s considered incidental and characterized as a prep food.”
Regarding peanut butter in low carb days, I ate less than 2 tea spoons of peanut butter as a snack but i saw that peanut butter contain carbs too and i was very confused. PLease advise
Chris lists peanut butter as a fat that can be eaten on low-carb days – in this case (and also for other nuts), ignore the carbs.
Can you have fruit all day on HC days? In Choose to Lose you can only have it for breakfast but I did not see that mentioned in Choose More Lose More
Never mind just saw that I can eat fruit on HC days Great Thanks
CHRIS, I’VE WATCHED EVERYTHING I CAN FIND ON YOU AND YOUR WIFE. I AM A 41 YEAR OLD WOMAN. I HAVE HEART FAILURE, AND VERY POOR BALANCE AS I WAS IN A COMA FOR SIX WEEKS WHEN I WAS CARRY ME 27YEAR SON. MY SON WAS BORN WONDERFULLY BUT I HAVE BALANCE PROBLEMS, HEARING PROBLEMS AND HEART PROBLEMS. I WEIGH ABOUT 280 AND AM ONLY FIVE ONE. I LOVE MY FAMILY AND WANT TO BE AROUND FOR YEARS BUT WEIGHT IS A REAL PROBLEM DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SEE ANY PLAN FOR ME. THANK YOU, CINDY MILLARD
Hi Cindy,
Sorry to hear about all your troubles.
I write summaries of different diet books – if you want to reach out to Chris, on his contact page they suggest that you follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube – “We try to answer program questions as quickly as possible but know that we do travel extensively for the show and sometimes it takes a while. Other community members are great for jumping in and answering questions, as well.”
Can you have carbs after a workout on low carb day? If so what kind of carbs would be best since it is a low carb day?
Chris says “Your 9-Minute Mission workout drains glycogen from your muscles, leaving them hungry for more carbs. You’ve got a glycogen deficit, an energy hole you’ve got to fill. That’s one reason to do your resistance training first thing in the morning: The carbs you eat at breakfast will be soaked up into your muscles as glycogen. That’s right: You should eat carbs at breakfast.” (p.103). “But before you eat the carbs you have to do your 9-Minute Missions. Working your muscles fast and furious before taking in carbs will force your muscles to soak the carbs right up.” (p.103)
Have your workouts before breakfast on low carb days.
Hi
I read an article in Women’s World where Chris suggests eating 1tbs of almond butter or 14 whole almonds 30 minutes prior to 2 meals each day while on the high carb/low carb plan….is this a good idea???
In this book Chris says “On your low-carb days, when you’re more likely to crave carbs, have a little fat! Eat one tablespoon of your favorite healthy fat (e.g. almond butter), set your timer for fifteen minutes, and bam! Your sweet and salty cravings will disappear.” (p. 247)
What can i put on a slice of whole grain toast on a low carb day? There is no fat option to add something such as peanut butter.
Some ideas – eggs (use an egg white omelet or scramble), low-fat cottage cheese or nonfat plain greek yogurt (perhaps with some veggies), leftovers from a previous low-carb meal such as chicken
in the section “These carb-containing foods may be eaten for breakfast on low-carb days, and in all meals on high-carb days:” it lists starchy veggies at the bottom…. I thought we arent supposed to eat starchy veggies.
For breakfast on low-carb days you’re supposed to be having a clenched-fist-sized portion of carbs, as well as at least 2 clenched-fist-sized portions of non-starchy veggies (as well as protein).
For the carbs portion, you can have these starchy veggies. Just make sure you’re having non-starchy veggies as well.
What about having coffee in the morning? Can’t have the creamer I’m used to but can only have heavy whipping cream on fat days and those are not at breakfast…..
Coffee is listed as okay to drink.
can someone please send me a sample menu of what you eat for a week i need ideas and not sure how to do a week planing of meals and snacks
Have you tried the recipes in chapter 6 (pages 205-237)?
I can’t find a sample menu – does anyone have any suggestions?
Hello, I currently have Truvia & am wanting to make a Plain Greek Yogurt bark, but wanted to add a natural sweetener for a carb cycling snack— after researching i read that Truvia is not natural– which natural sweetener would you recommend — STevia in the Raw? Liquid Stevia Drops (sweetLeaf) not really sure which to choose since there are so many– please help
The book recommends using these sweeteners: stevia (e.g. SweetLeaf, Truvia), xylitol (e.g. Xlear, Xylosweet), sorbitol, erythritol, and honey in very small amounts
There are differing opinions about what is “natural”; the products you mention have also had quiet a bit of processing done to them. A completely unprocessed version would be stevia leaves, but that’s difficult to add to other foods and can be bitter.
As Chris says stevia is okay (including Truvia), you could use whichever stevia product you feel comfortable with.
Hope that helps.
Hello(:
Can I do the turbo cycle while lifting weights for an hour 4-6 times a week and doing cardio 5-6 times a week ?
Thank you!
I focus on the food side of diets not the exercise side, so I don’t necessarily have the best answer to your question.
Chris says “On the Turbo Cycle, you’re going to get results in no time, but there’s a trade-off you should know about. With two low-carb days in a row, you’re definitely going to feel a dip in your energy level— especially on that second day— but it’s a clear sign that you’re losing inches. And just watch how rapidly the numbers on your scale go down. Those low-carb days are powerful weight-loss accelerators.” (p. 87)
“If you have an active lifestyle and you want to lean up without compromising your athletic performance, the Fit Cycle is a great option. Like a lot of other diets, the Fit Cycle strips off your fat, but unlike most of them it also supplies the fuel you need to excel in your sport of choice or to train for long stretches of time each day.” (p. 87). That might fit better for you?
Could I have Scottish oats on a low carb day for breakfast?
As long as the oats are steel cut / old-fashioned (not quick-cook), you can have them for breakfast on a low-carb day as approved carbs area allowed for that meal.
I am confused. When can you eat the foods listed under “Flavourings” such as hummus,
how much can you have and when? Hummus has carbs, can you have this on a low carb
day, even if you are eating it in the afternoon and not the morning? There are no portion
sizes for flavorings or for things like unsweetened almond milk. Can you help>
There are guidelines on these portion sizes in the “What Can I Eat” section starting on page 192. For “Flavorings” portion size is shown as 30-50 calories, and the portion size shown is 2 tablespoons. There aren’t any guidelines on whether this should be considered a food with carbs. This section of the book also states that 2 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond milk is 100 calories; however the protein shake recipe on p2015 shows 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
Hi. When would I be allowed almond milk on which day and how much? I would like to put it in my cereal on a carb morning but don’t know how much?
Hi. The book isn’t particularly clear on this, unfortunately. Nuts and seeds are listed as fats, so almond milk might be considered a very lightweight fat that could be eaten on low-carb days – however a recipe with almond milk is included for high-carb meals as well. Maybe limit to 1 cup, like the protein shake recipe.