Carb Cycling

Note: Picture is NOT property of Fashionably Living’s

Sorry I have been MIA since Sunday!  My life last week was non-stop and I was trying to catch up at work and at home.  My hubby’s birthday was Tuesday too, so that added more to my plate, of course!  But I am feeling good this morning, feeling blessed and excited that I got a good hour and half workout in before 8 AM!  Working out in the morning starts my day off so well and makes me feel accomplished!  Now I have to continue to eat right the remainder of the day and we’ll call it a success!

Tomorrow was Workout Wednesday, but we will have to supplement and be okay with Thursday!  I have been reading a lot about carb cycling and there are several trainers I really like that push this type of program.  Jamie Eason includes carb cycling in the week 10 of her 12 week LivFit trainer. Chris Powell was on Dr. Oz talking about it the other night, and several trainers on Bodybuilding.com also include this type of system in their weight loss programs.  I would agree that this type of system is the key to eliminating unwanted pounds.  It is critical that we include carbohydrates in our diets, but the key is knowing when we should and when we shouldn’t.  So I will try my best to explain it to you!  On high intensity workout days, for example legs, you should add more carbohydrates to your diet, but on lower intensity workout days, for example arms, you should minimize your carbohydrate intake.  No matter what day it is, you should always start your morning off with a breakfast that includes carbohydrates.   Carbohydrates fuel your muscles and your body giving you energy for the day, thus making it very important no matter what day it is to include carbohydrates.  A more technical definition would be…carb cycling takes the macronutrients (the proteins, fats and carbs) of your meals and manipulates them to reduce body fat to very low levels, with as little muscle cannibalization as possible.  I hope this was helpful information to you.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

XO,

Rachel Ashley