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2. Introduction For anyone trying to lose weight, the word "carbs" is akintoblasphemy.Carbistheage-oldenemy.Carbsaretheevil nemesis of WeightWatchers everywhere. Carbs meancaloriesandweightlossrequirescuttingcalories. It has been the traditional belief that foods packed withcarbs will cause you to pack on the pounds. Even healthycarbs like starchy vegetables and whole grains are high incarbs,somanyclassicdietsrestrictthemaswell.Theresult is that we have become to believe that carbs are badfor us. Not only do they hinder weight loss, but they aredownrightunhealthy. Well, science has recently turned that belief upside downbytellingusthatcarbsmaybeyourbestallyinthebattleto lose weight. Leveraging carbs to help us lose weight iscalled carb cycling. it is a method whereby eating carbs canleadtoweightloss ratherthan weightgain! Carb cycling is done through a weekly eating plan with a fewbasicrulesto stickto.Otherthanthat,youhaveafullrun Page|1

3. Okinawa Flat Belly Tonic Page|2

4. of what you eat. Your meal plans can consist of all yourfavoritehealthyfoods,includingcarbs.Youevenhaveche at days to indulge in your less healthy favorite foods tosatisfyyour cravings! WhyIsThe7-DayPlanDifferent? Many of us struggle with our weight and strive to be fit andhealthy. We've all experimented with different diets andeating regimens. We’ve tried diets that promised amazingweight loss, in X number of days. We've tried diets thatpromised we'd never feel hungry or sluggish. We’ve trieddiets that you could eat everything and lose weight – onlytofindthat"everything"meantinhalfspoonfuls. We have been let down repeatedly. We either fall off thewagonandbingelikecrazyorgettoodiscouragedtocontinu e. Most, if not all traditional diets simply do notworkforus. What makes the carb cycling plan different? First, it makesalotofsensebecauseitaddressesourmetabolismrather Page|3

5. thanourstomach.Afterall,it’sourmetabolismthatburns caloriesandmeltsoffthosepounds. Secondly,althoughithasbeenrecentlyhailedasabreakthroug h in the field of healthy eating and weight loss,it has been popular among athletes for decades, especiallythose doing high resistance training. Many of them rely oncarb cycling to build lean muscle and boost their energylevels. Thirdly, a carb recycling plan is not as restrictive as otherdiets.It's thereforeeasy tofollow. Fourthly,theplanisusedonlytoachieveshorter-termweight- lossgoals,afterwhichyoumuststop.However,youcanuseelem entsofittodeveloplifelonghealthyeatinghabitstostayfitandh ealthyfortherestofyourlife. This is a very simple guide for the layman who wants to trythe 7-day carb cycling plan. We will not go into the deepertechnicalities of how carb recycling works, the differenthormonesittriggersnordiscusscomplexmeasureme nts.It will explain how and why carb cycling works, and whatyouneedtodotoputtogetheryour7-daycarb cyclingplan.Theresultswillspeakfor themselves. Page|4

6. So, if you are considering giving the carb cycling plan a try,thisbookwillhelpyou getstarted. Here, I must insert the traditional disclaimer. If you sufferfromanychronicillnessoraretakinganysortofmedicati on, do consult your doctor before embarking onthisplan. Okinawa Flat Belly Tonic Page|5

7. Chapter1- HowCarbCycling Works Rememberhowthoseoldrailwaytrainsusedtorun?Workersh adtostandinfrontofahugecoalfurnace,shoveling inhuge quantities ofcoal. If the furnacewasregularlyfueled,thetrainwouldkeeprunningatful lspeed. If the coal input slowed down, the train would losespeed. If the furnace was not regularly fed with coal, thetrainwouldcometoastandstill. Ourbody'smetabolismisverysimilartothisprocess.Carbs are the main food group that "fuels" our metabolismso that it burns calories and gives us energy. Carbs are alsovery filling. Therefore, diets that cut out or strictly limitcarbintakemakeusfeeltiredandsluggish.Theyalsomake us irritable,hungryandmorelikelytobinge. With the 7-day carb cycling plan, a person consumes carbsto boost metabolism. The plan causes the body to use crab-rich foods to function at the optimal peak, burning fat Page|6

8. andbuildingmuscle.Theresultisweightlosswithlessflab.It's Page|7

9. that simple! This is what makes carb cycling unique andrevolutionary. But there's a catch.This doesn't mean going overboardwith the carbs and eat tons of them day in, day out. Thecatch is that you follow a 7-day plan where you eat morecarbs on certain days and less or no carbs on other days.This allows your body to optimally "cycle" your carb intakesothatyouloseweight andbuildmuscle mass. The theory behind this is that on the days when your carbintake is low and fat intake is higher, your body is forced toburn fat for energy. This is what causes weight loss. Thepurpose of the High carb days is to keep your metabolismfueledandfunctioningpeaklevel,providingyouw ithenergy. WhatIsThe7-dayPlan? The weekly plan alternates high carb days with low carbdaystokeepyourmetabolisminaregularcycleoffatburnin g. Page|8

10. On high carb days, you can increase your carb intake whiledecreasingyourfatintake.Onlowcarbdays,youcanchoo se to eat small quantities of carbs or eliminate themaltogether,whileincreasingfatandproteinintake. Athletes and people who exercise regularly often choose tosynchronize their high carb days with practice or workoutswhen their energy levels are high. You may want to considerthisforcertaindayswhenyouareparticularly active. Atypical7-dayplanlookslikethis: Monday: High carb intakeTuesday: Low carb intakeWednesday:Highcarbin take.Thursday:Lowcarbintake . Friday:Highcarbintake. Saturday: High carb day – or the option of rewardingyourself. You can indulge (moderately) in your favoritefoods.Thisisalsocalled"cheatday".Sunday:Lowcarb day. Page|9

11. Versionsofthe7-dayplan There are several versions of the plan where two or morehigh carb days will be followed by low carb days or somevariation ofthis.Some examplesare: Alternativeplan1: Day 1: High carbsDay 2: Low carbsDay 3: Zero carbsDay 4: Low carbsDay 5: High carbsDay 6: Low carbsDay7:Zeroc arbs Alternativeplan2: Day 1: High carbsDay 2: Low carbsDay 3: Zero carbsDay 4: Low carbsDay 5: High Page|10

12. carbsDay6:Low carbs Okinawa Flat Belly Tonic Page|11

13. Day7:Zerocarbs There are a variety of other versions as well, such as 4 highcarb days followed by three low carb days. However, as abeginner, you will want to start with the simple alternatedayplan. You can switch to a different cycle when you get the hangof it and feel you are ready. Or, you can stick to the basicplan throughout your journey until you have achieved yourweight loss goal. If you find that carb cycling works for you, you may want todelve deeper into these other plans. In this case, you willwant to consult an expert. They will help you customize aplanthatsuitsyourweightgoals,gender,andlifestyle. The alternate-day plan we will use here is just the simplestforabeginnerandwillworkforanyone. Page|12

14. WhatYouEat Carbs: They are the main source of fuel for the body andessential for boosting metabolism. They are also essentialforpottingthe fat-burningcycleintoaction. Protein: This is the foundation of your carb cycling plan.Youmusteatbetween1/5thto1/7thoftheminimumrequir eddailyintakewith eachmeal. Fats:Fatintakewillremainconsistentthroughouttheplan. You may raise your fat intake a little bit on low carbdays for moreenergy. Calculatingyourdailyintake For the best results, you need to calculate your daily intakeof carbs, proteins, and fats. This a very easy process ofmultiplication Page|13

15. Lowcarbdays Carbs:Womensimplymustmultiplytheirbodyweightby 0.6. Men should multiply bodyweight by 0.9. The resultingnumber will represent the carbohydrate intake in gramsperday. Proteins:Womencancalculatetheirdailyintakebymultiplyi ng their body weight by 1.2. Men can calculatetheir daily intake by multiplying their body weight by 1.5.The resulting number will be the required daily intake ofproteinper day. Fats: To calculate daily fat intake, women should multiplytheir body weight by 0.5, while men should multiply by 0.8.Theresultingnumberisyourdailyintakeoffatsingrams. To calculate the total number of calories, add the totalsfromthethreefoodgroups. Page|14

16. Highcarbdays The same calculation is used, except that in this case, yourintake of carbs and proteins will be higher. Your intake offatswilldecrease. Carbs: Women should multiply their body weight by 1.4whilemenwillmultiplyby 1.7. Proteins: Women multiply their body weight by 1.4 andmenby1.7(yes,it's thesameratioasfor carbs) Fats: Women should multiple bodyweight by o.3 whereasmenshould multiplyby o.6. Thetotalofthethreenumberswillgiveyouthetotalnumberofc aloriesyou canconsumefor Highcarb days. It is up to you how you divide your daily intake throughoutmeals, whether you are having three meals or six meals perday. Page|15

17. Calories As for daily calorie consumption, the recommended rangeis 1500 – 2300 for women and 1500 – 3000 for men. Thisis the general recommended range that you should staywithin. However, don’t beat yourself up if you exceed it alittle on some days. I highly recommend that you invest inacaloriecountingapp.Asforhowmanycaloriesarecontaine d in the foods you consume, you can easily lookthis up online and prepare a reference list to store on yourcomputer. Portions Carb portions range from 200 grams to 300 grams on highcarb days and 50 grams to 150 grams on lower carb days.Wewilldiscussportionsandfoodtypesinalaterchapter. This was a very simple explanation of how the carb cyclingplan works. Next, let’s find outwhy it works and how itcanbenefityou. Page|16

18. Chapter 2 - Why the Carb CyclingDietWorks Thecarbcyclingdiethasbecomemainstreamrecently.Researc hisstillongoingwithregardstotheadditionalbenefits.Howev er,manypeoplehavereportedgreatsuccess with the 7-day plan for several reasons. Here aresomeofthearguments forwhyitworks: •One of the main reasons is flexibility. It really doesn’tfeel like a diet because there is a wide variety of foods tochoose from. You can eat your favorite foods on certaindays.Peoplewhofollowtheplanreportnotfeelingde prived. And,thecheat dayreallyhelpsaswell! •Itgivesyoutheabilitytocustomizeyourplanifyoustick tothebasic rules. •Itcaneasilybeadoptedintoyourlifestyleandbecomeper manentoralong-termeatinghabit. Page|17

19. •It is a simple protocol. Any layman who wants to loseweightwillhavenotroublefollowingtheeasyguidelines. •Perhapsthestrongestpointisthatitisprovensimultaneousl y build muscle while burning fat. This is adreamcometrueforanyonewhowantstoshedstubbornpo unds. •Ahighcarbdiethasbeenshowntoincreaseinsulinproductio ninthepancreas.Thisimportanthormonehelps boost metabolism alsohelpsmaintain betterbodycomposition. and energy levels. Insulin •The high carb intake increases the production of leptin,ahormonethatdecreaseshunger. •Thehighcarbdayswillreplenishandfuelglycogen,acom poundthatbuildsmuscle •You do not need to use elaborate measurements or trackmacronutrients. You will be able to see results by justmonitoringdailycalorieintakestickingtothebasicguid elines. Page|18

20. Traditionally, it was believed that you could not build muscleandlosefatatthesametime.Thisisbecauselosingfatrequi res less calorie intake while building muscles requiresmore.Amazingly,carbcyclingisthemagicformulathath elpsthebody doboth.Thisistherealgame-changer. Carbcyclingworksbecauseit'sahealthywaytoloseweight andgetintobettershape. Page|19

21. Chapter 3 - Starting off on theRightFoot A little bit of preparation before starting your plan will saveyou a lot of time, hassle, and mistakes. Here are the basicsyouneedto haveinplacetostart offontheright foot. ChooseYourPlan First, decide on which days will be your high carb days andwhich will be low carb days. For the purpose of simplicity,we will use the alternating high carb/low carb day plan. Ifyou would like to use another of the versions describedabove,justswitchthemealplansaroundtofityourda ys. Ideally,yourhighcarbdaysshould correspondtodayswhen you are the most active, However, this is not a rule.Next,pickyour"cheatday". Page|20

22. This is the plan you will stick to for the next month. It isnotrecommendedtoswitchplansmidwayasitwilldisruptth e existingcycle. DecideOnTheNumberOf Meals How many meals you eat per day is totally up to you. Somepeoplepreferfourtosixsmallermealsinsteadofthetradit ional three. This type of plan may suit you if you areused to snacking more during the day. The 3-meal plansincludehealthysnacksaswell.Ifyouarethetypeofperson who frequently feels hungry, then more meals adaywillworkbetter. Moreadvancedcarbcyclersmayincorporatefastingoreatingj usttwomealsaday.However,thisisnotrecommendedfor beginners. Page|21

23. SetYourWeek'sMealPlan This is the fun part! It's better to plan your meals weekly,biweekly or even monthly if you're really organized. Thiswillsaveyouthehassleofscramblingtoputamealtogether atthelastminute. The meal plan should list the day, whether it is a high orlowcarb day andthenumberofmeals. Each meal should be followed by the time you will have it.The times are just a general framework. You can have yournextmealalittleearlierondayswhenyoufeelhungry. There are also be those crazy days when you just can't stickto your schedule. You can have meals a little later but don’tskipthemaltogethersoasnottodisruptyourmetabolism. Includetheportionsoffoodyouwillhaveforeachmeal Page|22

24. StockUpOnThe FoodYouNeed Your cupboards and fridge should have all the ingredientsyouneed foryourmealplans.It'sagoodideatoshopweekly for all the food that you need. You can freeze somefoods; store others and vegetables will not have time to gobad. You will have some sample meal plans to guide you inalaterchapter. Remember that you must follow your chosen plan for atleast four weeks before changing high carb and low carbdays. StockUpOnLong-LifeHealthyCarbs A lot of healthy carbs like potatoes, nuts, and legumes havealongshelflife.Buytheminbulksothatyouneverrunoutof carbs. Page|23

25. RecommendedFoodPortions In addition to calorie and gram intake, the recommendedquantities for carbs, some meal plans include portions inhalf-cups or cups (if you are using meal plans you foundonline for example). This is perfectly fine. There is no needforcomplicated conversions. Notice that on low carb days, your fat and protein intakewill be higher. Make sure you are eating healthy fats andproteins. Investinasmallfoodscaleeasilymeasuregramandoz.portions. To follow is the recommended daily intake of carbs,proteins,andfats. Page|24

26. HIGHCARBDAYS GRAMS POUND BODYWEIGHT PER OF FOODTYPE Carbs 2–2.5gm. Proteins 1gm. Fats 0-0.15gm.- LOWCARBDAYS GRAMS PER BODY WEIGHT FOODTYPE Carbs 0.5gm. Proteins 1.5gm Fats 0.35 Onceyouhavethesebasicssetup,youarenowreadyforthenext step–whattoeatand whatto avoid. Page|25

27. Chapter4- WhattoEatandWhatto Avoid Healthyvs.UnhealthyCarbs Firstandforemost,youneedtoeathealthycarbsandavoid unhealthy carbs like the plague. Healthy carbs areknown as complex or unprocessed carbs. Processed carbsare those that are loaded with useless calories and reallyhave zero nutritionalvalue. This is one restriction that you really need to follow for yourcarb plan to work. So, if you are addicted to white bread,summon up the willpower to avoid it except for maybe oneslice on cheat days. Luckily, the list of healthy carbs is sovariedthat thereissomethingonitfor everyone. Page|26

28. HEALTHYUNPROCE SSED CARBS Brownrice UNHEALTHYCO MPLEXCARBS Whiteorwholewheat flour Tablesugar Naturalsweetenerslike honeyormolasses Wholegrainbread Wholegrainpasta Processedcereals Store-boughtcookies andcakes Softdrinks Sprouted eat, quinoa Whitepotatoes Sweetpotatoes Lentils Alltypesofbeansand legumes Butternutsquash Oatmeal grains likebuckwh oats, and Pizza Frenchfries whitepasta Muffins Tortillasandwraps Processedchipsand similarsnacks Icecream Jamsandjellies Processedfruitjuices Bagelsandpretzels Corn Peas Couscous Fruits rich in carbs likebananas, plums,pineapple,and blueberries Beets Somevegetable withlow amountsofcarbsinclude tomatoes,mu shrooms, cabbage,Brus sel sprouts, and peaches, Chocolateandcandy Pancakes Page|27

29. peppers. Dates Beer Page|28

30. Healthy vs. Unhealthy Fats And ProteinsVegetables,proteins,andfatsarethebasisofyourlo wcarbdays.Butifyou'reeatingunhealthyfatsandproteinsonlo wcarbdays,thatjustdefeatsthepurpose.Healthyfatsandprotei nsnotonlyboosttheprocessofcarbcyclingbutalsogiveyoumore energy.Makesureyouincludeagoodvarietyofthesein your plan. UNHEALTHYFATS ANDPROTEINS HEALTHYDAYSAN DPROTEINSFORL OWCARBDAYS Grass-fedleanmeat Processedmeats bacon,pastrami luncheonmeats Hotdogsandsausage like and Organiceggs Poultry Fish, especially that high in healthyOmega -3 fats liketuna, salmon, mackerel Raw dairy likegoatcheese,feta,a ndricotta Low-fat products Nutsandseeds Oliveoil,palmoil,and coconutoil Heavycreamandmilk and products Peanutbutter dairy Page|29

31. Leafygreensandallno n-starchy vegetables Avocadoes Applesandapricots Almondbutter Hopefully,yougettheidea.Now,youcanbegintoincorporate healthy foods into your meals and start carbcycling! Page|30

32. Chapter5-SampleMealPlans Putting all this information into a concrete meal plan canbe daunting for beginners. These sample meal plans for atypical carb cycling week should help. Use them as a basicblueprint for designing your meals but remember, it's notcarved in stone. You can add or discard meals according toyourchosen7-day plan. PLAN1 Monday(lowcarbday) Breakfast •3wholeeggs,scrambled,poachedboiledorfried. •1/2cupofhigh-carbfruitlikeblueberries,pineappleor peaches •1/cupoatmealsweetenedwithhoney Page|31

33. Snack •Iappleor 1/2cupunsaltednuts Lunch •Turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole- wheatbread. •Herbaltea Snack •1/2cupricotta cheeseor2mediumapricots Dinner •SpinachFrittata •Grilledbeefstripswithgreenbellpeppers •Greensalad Tuesday(Highcarbday) Breakfast •TwosliceswholewheatbreadwithSwisscheese •1cuplow-fatyogurtwithfreshblueberries Page|32

34. Snack •1banana Lunch •Grilledsalmonwithbrownrice •Gratedcarrotandcucumbersalad Snack •1slicewholewheatbreadwithalmondbutter Dinner •Wholewheatpastawithfreshtomatoes •Blackbeanswithgarlicoil •Freshgreensalad Wednesday(lowcarbday) Breakfast •3scrambledeggswithavocado Snack •2apricots or 2plums Page|33

35. Lunch •Caesarsaladwithgrilledchickenstrips •Herbaltea Snack •Low-fatyogurtor1/2cupofnuts Dinner •Flanksteakwithgreenbeansandonions •Greensaladwithfetacheese Thursday(Highcarbday) Breakfast •2poachedeggs •2sliceswhole-wheattoast •1/2cupfruit Snack •1/2cupfruitornutsor1banana Lunch •1cupbrownricewithchickpeas •Sweetpotatoes Page|34

36. •Greensalad Snack •Low-fatyogurtwithhoneyor1banana Dinner •Bakedpotato •Grilledchickenbreast •Avocadoandtomatosalad Friday(lowcarbday) Breakfast •1/2cupoatmeal •1/2cupfruit •1/2cupricotta, fetaorgoatcheese Snack •1/2cupfruitornutsor1low-fatyogurt Lunch •Avocadoandchickensalad •Slicedtomatoesonlettuce •Herbaltea Snack •1orangeor1appleor2plums Page|35

37. Dinner •Grilledsalmonwithvegetables •Nakedbeans •Greensalad Saturday(highcarbday) Breakfast •2scrambledeggsonwhole-wheattoast •1low-fatyogurtsweetenedwithhoney Lunch •Sweetpotatoes •Lentilsoup Snack •1/2cupnutsorfruit Dinner •TunaCasseroleWholewheatnoodles •Spinachsalad Page|36

38. Sunday(lowcarb+cheatday) Breakfast •Leansausageswithfriedeggs •1/2cupfruit Snack •Almondbutteror1/2cupnuts Lunch •Tunasalad •1pieceoffreshfruit Snack •2plums,twoapricotsor 1apple Dinner: Whatever you want! In moderation, please. For example,havetwoslicesofpizzainsteadoftwoorthree.Indulge ina moderate portion of ice cream or cake. If you've beencraving French fries all week, eat a small plate of them, notawholeplatter.You getthe idea. Page|37

39. PLAN2 Ifyouprefermorethanthreemealsaday,hereisasampleplantog uideyou. TYPICALLOWCARBDAY Meal1 •3egg •3stripsofleanbacon •Sautéedpeppers Meal2 •4oz.grilledturkeyorchickenbreast •1cup carrots •Lettuceandtomatosalad Meal3 •40zgrillessalmon,tunaorshrimp •1cupbroccoli •1banana Meal4 •4oz.chicken •1cupspinach •1low-fatyogurtwithhoney Page|38

40. Meal5 •4oz.tuna •1cupchickpeas •1slicedtomatoorcucumber Meal6 •4oz.leansteak •1cupgreenbeans •1/2cupfruit TYPICALHIGHCARBDAY Meal1 •2eggs •3stripsofbacon or3smallsausages •2sliceswhole-wheattoast Meal2 •4oz.chicken •Greensalad •1/2cupoatmealsweetenedwithhoney Meal3 Page|39

41. •4oz.salmon •1/2cupbrownrice •1/2cupcarrotsandpeas Meal4 •4oz.chicken •2cupsspinach •1cuparb-richfruitlikepeaches,plumsorapricots Meal5 •1cupofcorn •1slicedcucumber •1/2cupofwildriceorquinoa Meal6 •4oz.grilledbeefsteak •1yam •1cupgreenbeans •Greensalad Page|40

42. PLAN3 Here is a third meal plan sample that just includes severalsuggestions for each day, letting you calculate the portionsasyou learnedinapreviouschapter. Lowcarbday Breakfast •Eggmuffins •Sourcreamwithchives •1banana OR… •Wholewheatpancakeswithcreamcheese •3sausages •Blueberriesordicedpineapple OR… •3scrambledeggswithgreenpeppersandtomatoes •Vanillayogurtwithslicedbanana Page|41

43. Lunch •Tacoswithleangroundbeef •Greensalad •1piecewholefruit OR… •Bellpeppersstuffedwithleangroundbeef •Slicedcucumberandspinachtoppedwithgratedpa rmesancheese •1apple OR… •Chickensaladonlettuce •Bakedbutternutsquashwithherbs •Fruitsalad Dinner •Wholewheatpastawithgrilledchickenstripsandpar mesancheese •Greenbeanswithcarrots •Oatmealsweetenedwithhoney Page|42

44. OR… •Beefstroganoffwithmushrooms •Brownrice •Shreddedlettuceandtomatosalad •Jellycup OR… •Chickenfajitawraps •Zucchiniboatsstuffedwithmozzarella •Greensalad •1piecewholefruit Snacks •Ricecakewithalmondbutter •Proteinshake •Hummusdipandcelerysticks •Strawberryandbananasmoothie •Cottagecheesewithhoney •Creamcheesewithherbsandcarrotsticks Page|43

45. HIGHCARBDAYS Breakfast •Scrambledeggs withbaconandchives •Oatmealwithblueberriesandhoney •1piecewholefruit OR… •Boiledeggs •2sliceswhole-wheatbreadwithcreamcheese •1banana OR… •Friedeggswithsausage •2sliceswholewhattoast •1yam Lunch •Grilledturkeysandwich •Chickpeasalad •Yogurtwithhoney Page|44

46. OR… •Grilledsalmon •Sweetpotatoandspinachsalad •1piecewholefruit OR… •Shrimpwithwholewheatnoodles •Potatosalad •1piecewholefruit Dinner: •Bakedchicken •Mexicanbrownrice •Peaswithcarrots •1piecewholefruit OR… •Pansteakwithpotatoes •Broccoliwithsweetcorm •Jellycup OR… Page|45

47. •Pastawithchickenandmushroom •Cherrytomatoandspinachsalad •Quinoasweetenedwithhoney As you can see, there is huge room to get creative and onceupwithmouthwatering,meals.Onceyougetthehangofit, you will be able to come up with delicious treats for thewholefamilytoenjoyalongwithyou(althoughfamilymemb ersnotontheplanorkidsshouldnotrestrictthemselvestoporti ons orcalories. Youcanalsotweakyourfavoriterecipestomakethemcarbcycli ng- friendlybyreplacingprocessedcarbswithhealthyones,andsat uratedfatswithgoodfats. Page|46

48. Chapter6- NormalSideEffectst oExpect Don’tworry.Thesideeffectsarenothingremotelydangerous. Consider them as minor symptoms that maycausesome discomfort. Any disruptive changes in diet or exercise routines mayhave some temporary side effects. It's like when you workout after a period of inactivity. Your muscles will ache for acouple of days afterward. But you know it's a result of yourworkout. Some people starting the carb cycling plan have reportedexperiencingsomesideeffects.Theseshouldpassord ecreasesignificantlywithinaweekor so. 1.Waterweightgain.Expecttoseesomewaterweightgain especially on high carb days. This is because yourbody stores four times more water for every gram ofcarbsyouconsume. Thisshouldnormalizeovertime. Youwillnoticelesswaterweightgainonlowcarbdays.So,rest assuredthatyouarenotgainingrealweight. Page|47

49. Exercising on high carb days may also help with thisissue.Note:Despitethiswaterweightgain,youstillneed todrinklotsofwaterthroughouttheday. 2.You may feel more tired and lethargic than usual duringthe first week or so. This is normal. You will regain yourusual energy – in fact, you will notice increased energy -oncethe carb cyclingkicks in. 3.Youmayexperienceconstipationorbloating.Thisisdue to your high carb intake, especially more starchyfoodslikepotatoesandrice. Herbal teas, especially chamomile, is a wonderful cureforthis.Youcanalsoreplaceyourfruitintakewithstewe dfruituntilyourdigestionimproves. 4.You may feel irritable and experience mood swings. Thisis a normal complaint.IT could be that for you, the carbcycling plan is restrictive What does that mean? If youareusedtoeatingmorecarbsthanthequantitiesprescrib ed in this plan, then you are restricting yourself.Thisdeprivationmaycausesomeirritabilityandm oodiness for thefirstfewdays. Page|48

50. 5.Youmayexperiencecravingsdue tothe switchfromunhealthy carbs and fats to healthy ones. Willpower andthecheat daywillhelpyou overcomethis. 6.Yourbodymaycravemorecarbsonlowcarbdays. Other than the above, the harmless side effects, there is norealdangerinfollowingacarbcyclingdiet.However,alwaysl istentowhatyourbodytellsyou.If these sideeffects last for more than two weeks, then the carbdietmayjustnot for you. Page|49