The Best 7-Day Bodybuilding Carb Cycling Meal Plan

As a society, we are obsessed with fat loss. In fact, few things in fitness are as exciting as manipulating your diet to lose body fat, and the prospect of getting shredded has sent more people to the gym and the health food section of the grocery store than anything else.
The formula to lose fat is simple. Eat healthily, avoid processed junk, and maintain a calorie deficit. But there is a reason why the weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars. Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things.
Enter carb cycling.
On the surface, carb cycling is similar to many other successful diets. Because at the end of the day, calorie intake dictates body composition changes. However, there's no denying that eating the same thing every day for weeks at a time can be downright dull.
Manipulating carbohydrate intake is a great way to keep your diet interesting. And the best part is carb cycling is not exclusive to fat loss. You can also use carb cycling in place of a traditional muscle-building diet.
So, if this sounds appealing, read on as we dig into everything you need to know about creating a bodybuilding carb cycling meal plan.
Table of Contents:

What Is Carb Cycling?
How Does Carb Cycling Work?
How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day Following a Carb Cycling Diet?
Different Carb Cycling Schedules You Can Follow
Foods To Eat On High-Carb Days
Foods To Eat On Low-Carb Days
Are There Foods You Should Completely Avoid On A Carb Cycling Diet?
Benefits of Carb Cycling
Carb Cycling Diet Drawbacks
Is Carb Cycling Beneficial For Bodybuilders?
Your Daily Macros & Calories Following The Carb Cycling Meal Plan
Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Planning Grocery List
Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Muscle Building
Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Cutting
What To Do After Following These 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plans
How Long Should You Follow a Carb Cycling Diet?
FAQs



What Is A Carb Cycling Diet?
Carb cycling is a diet that involves strategic increases and decreases in carbohydrate intake throughout the week. It started in the bodybuilding community but has expanded into the general public.
Although carb cycling is typically used for weight loss, it can also build muscle and improve athletic performance.
There are various ways to set it up. Some carb cycling protocols keep calories constant, while others cycle calories and carbohydrates. Some rotate between it being a high carb diet and low carb diet, with high and low-carb days, while other methods also sprinkle in moderate carbs.
Since carb cycling involves hitting specific macronutrient targets throughout the week, it pairs well with flexible dieting such as what we see with plans like the metabolic confusion diet.
How Does Carb Cycling Work?
Generally, a carb-cycling diet is set up to complement your workout split. For example, you eat more carbs during intense training and fewer carbs on easier workouts or rest days.
The idea is to get the best of both worlds. We know carbohydrates help fuel exercise performance, so we lean into that by having high carbs around demanding workouts.
However, having high carbs all of the time can be a recipe for disaster. A workaround for this is to make your carbohydrate intake lower on days when your activity decreases.

How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day Following a Carb Cycling Diet?
The number of carbohydrates you eat following a carb-cycling diet will be personalized based on your body composition goals, body size, and activity level. It also depends on what type of carb-cycling diet you are following.
That said, the fundamental rule with carb cycling is to make sure there is enough change between high and low-carb days to make a notable difference. It's difficult to put a number on it, but based on personal experience, there should be at least a 75-gram difference in carbohydrate intake between low and high days.
Aiming for over 100 grams difference is even better. If the difference in carbohydrate intake is too small, you may not see the results you're looking for.
4 Different Carb Cycling Schedules You Can Follow
You can follow a nearly endless amount of carb cycling schedules. However, here are the four most common.
Option #1: The Standard Carb Cycling Diet
This traditional carb cycling diet alternates between low, medium, and high-carb days throughout the week. With this setup, the medium-carb days are the base diet. From there, high-carb days are implemented around 1-2 of your most challenging workouts of the week, and rest days are low-carb.
Option #2: Cyclical Keto Diet
The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) is a keto bodybuilding diet that utilizes carb cycling. For a CKD, you follow a traditional keto diet maintaining a carb intake under 50 grams daily for five or six days. From there, you implement one or two high-carb days.
Option #3: Low-Carb Rest Days
One of the most straightforward carb-cycling diets involves lowering carbohydrates on rest days. With this style of carb cycle, you can reduce calories on rest days, too, or replace carbs with healthy fats, keeping your calorie intake the same.
During muscle-building phases, keeping your calorie intake the same works well. This is the setup outlined in the 7-day muscle-building diet below.
Option #4: The Refeed Method
Refeeds are a form of carb cycling with higher calorie and carbohydrate days implemented during a fat-loss diet. Refeeds typically last one to three days. The key to refeeds is increasing calories along with carbohydrates.
During a fat loss diet, the calories on the refeed days must be at least at the individual's estimated maintenance intake. This means that if your maintenance calories are 2,200, you will design your carb cycle so you're eating at least 2,200 calories on refeed days and less than this on the remaining days.
The 7-day fat loss diet outlined below utilizes the refeed model for carb cycling. We'll talk about it in more detail shortly.

Best Foods to Eat On High-Carb Days
On high carb intake days, you have the flexibility to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates. You can even have some low-fat treats.
Here are some examples:

Most fruit: Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, etc.
Fruit juice: Apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, etc.
Sweet potatoes
Russet potatoes
Rice
Rice cakes
Oatmeal
Pasta
Bread
Pancakes
Frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream
Angel food cake



Best Foods to Eat on Low-Carb Days
On low-carb days, you want to focus on foods that are lower in total carbohydrates and higher in fiber.
Here are some examples:

Low-carb fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
Beans
Lentils
Low-carb bread and wraps
Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, mixed greens, etc.
Nuts and nut butter



Are There Foods You Should Completely Avoid on a Carb Cycling Diet?
The best aspect of using a carb-cycling diet is diet flexibility. You don't need to avoid anything on a carb-cycling diet besides highly processed foods that are easy to overeat.
That said, if your low-carb days get really low, you might have to avoid most, if not all high, carbohydrate foods, like whole wheat bread for example.
On the other hand, if your fat intake is low on high-carb days, you might have to choose leaner protein sources, like these high protein low fat foods, to ensure you do not exceed your allotted fat goal.
4 Benefits of Carb Cycling
It's important to first point out that carb cycling is not magic. Following a good carb cycling diet is not the "one cool trick" that will be the secret to exponential fat loss. That said, there are certainly a few neat benefits we can take advantage of.
1. Maintain More Muscle During Fat Loss:
Although carb cycling has been popular in the fitness community for years, until recently, there has been limited research on it with experienced lifters.
One of the most relevant studies for bodybuilders came in 2020 when researchers took 27 trained individuals and split them into two groups. One group ate a standard calorie-restricted fat-loss diet every day for seven weeks1.
The other group did five low-calorie/low-carb days in a row, followed by two higher-calorie/higher-carb days for seven weeks. It's this second group we are most interested in, as they were the ones who followed the carb cycling plan. An important point is that both groups averaged the same weekly caloric restriction.
At the end of the seven weeks, the carb-cycling group maintained more muscle than the continuous diet group, even though both groups lost the same body weight.
2. Improve Training Performance:
One of the most significant downsides of dieting is reduced training performance. After weeks in a calorie deficit, hitting PRs, achieving muscle hypertrophy, and having productive workouts can be challenging.
Luckily, improving training performance is a huge benefit of carb cycling.
The training improvements while dieting has to do with glycogen. During fat loss, stored carbohydrate in the muscle is limited. A deep dive into energy systems is beyond the scope of this article, but it's important to know that muscle glycogen fuels weight training.
Evidence shows that even slight glycogen depletion can impact performance, even more than was once thought2. For those following a low-carb diet, this is important as implementing high-carb days as part of a carb cycling plan can temporarily elevate glycogen levels.
Theoretically, boosting glycogen will result in less fatigue, allowing you to train harder. It will be short-term, but having one or two better weekly workouts can be impactful.
From a timing perspective, put your high-carb day the day before or the day of your most demanding workout of the week. I have seen a lot of benefits in doing this with myself and my clients.
3. Improve Diet Adherence:
Although there is little research in this area, improved diet adherence while on a carb-cycling diet is something I have found repeatedly works with clients.
Adherence is the number one factor of success on a diet. Whether it is a fat-loss or muscle-building diet doesn't matter. The key is being able to stick it out.
Many people prefer higher carb and higher calorie days in their diet. Having a few higher-carbohydrate days per week is a nice break from the monotony of eating the same amount daily. Plus, you have more flexibility when carbohydrates increase during a high-carb day.
The increased flexibility allows you to fit more foods into your daily macros. It can also make sticking to your diet more manageable throughout the week because you know you have a high-carb day to look forward to.
4. Regulate blood sugar & burn fat for fuel:
Days in which you eat fewer carbs are great for regulating blood sugar levels, which is particularly beneficial for those with insulin sensitivity, who are prediabetic, or who have type 2 diabetes.
In addition, carb cycling, in particular low carb days, enables the body to burn through its carb stores and then begin to burn fat as its fuel source.

Carb Cycling Diet Drawbacks
When set up correctly, a carb-cycling diet has minimal drawbacks. The major con with this plan is that if the carb cycling sequence becomes too complicated, it can make the diet harder to stick to, not easier.
For example, a traditional carb cycling diet may have three different carbohydrate targets throughout the week. Practically, having three targets throughout the week makes grocery shopping and meal prep hard.
Additionally, getting into a groove with three meal plans can be challenging. The solution for this, however, is simple. To begin, start with only having low and high carb days. You can always add a moderate target once you've mastered the basics.
Is Carb Cycling Beneficial For Bodybuilders?
Absolutely. Carb cycling is a dieting strategy some of the best bodybuilders have had success with for decades.
Is carb cycling good for building muscle?
Although carb cycling is typically used more as a fat-loss tool, it can also work well for building muscle. The benefit of using carb cycling when building muscle is you can have more carbs on days you lift and fewer on rest days.
Is carb cycling good for losing weight?
Carb cycling is best used during weight loss phases. By implementing weekly refeeds, you can circumvent some of the issues fat loss diets present. Plus, carb cycling can increase diet adherence, the most crucial factor for dieting success.

Your Daily Macros & Calories Following The Carb Cycling Meal Plan
Like any diet, the first step in creating a carb-cycling meal plan is calculating your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain its weight.
From there, we can add calories to build muscle or take them away to lose fat. Even on a carb cycling diet, everything comes down to calories in vs. out.
Everyone has individual calorie needs based on weight, body fat, and activity. There are many advanced formulas for calculating TDEE, but an easy calculation I like is multiplying your body weight by 14 to 16. It is simple and effective.
Using this formula, a moderately active 160-pound person would calculate their TDEE by multiplying 160 by 15 to get a TDEE of 2400 calories.
Theoretically, if they consistently ate 2400 calories, they would maintain their body weight. We will use this example for the meal plans in this article, but use your actual body weight to determine your TDEE.
Calories & Macros For Building Muscle:
Once we know the TDEE or maintenance calories, we can increase calories to improve strength and build muscle.
The trick is knowing how many additional calories to add. The calorie surplus is likely smaller than you may think. A 15-20% calorie bump above TDEE is an excellent starting point. An extra 15% to 2400 would give 360 extra calories in our example.

160lbs x 15 = 2400 calories
2400 x 15% (360) = 2760 calories


Here is where carb cycling gets unique. For the muscle-building carb cycling plan, we will keep calories and protein constant while fluctuating carbohydrates and fats. We will follow a high-carb plan on training days and a lower-carb plan on rest days. In our example, there will be five high-carb days and two low-carb.
As mentioned, protein intake will remain the same every day. Based on the most up-to-date research, consume .7-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight3. To keep it simple, we will consume 160 grams of protein daily, one gram per pound of body weight.
After calculating protein intake, all that is left is fat and carbohydrates.
On high-carb days, keep fat intake at 20%. All of the excess calories will come from carbs.

Calories: 2760
Protein: 160g (1g per pound of body weight)
Fat: 60g (20% of total calories)
Carbohydrates: 395g (excess calories)


On low-carb days, bump fat up to 35%. Again, all of the excess calories will come from carbs.

Calories: 2760
Protein: 160g (1g per pound of body weight)
Fat: 105g (35% of total calories)
Carbohydrates: 290g (excess calories)



Calories & Macros For Fat Loss:
Fat loss requires the opposite setup when compared to a muscle-building diet. Instead of eating more calories to create a calorie surplus, we reduce calories to create a deficit.
Aiming to lose one pound per week is a great starting point for most people. Although not a perfect science, reducing 3500 calories per week is equivalent to one pound of stored body fat. This means you need a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories below maintenance (500 x 7 = 3500 calories).
Remember, our TDEE was 2400 calories. Subtracting 500 calories from 2400 leaves us with 1900 calories (2400 - 500 = 1900).
Here is where things get a little tricky. Stay with me.
In our example, on average, a 1900-calorie diet would be required to lose one pound per week. Eating 1900 calories seven days a week would be 13,300 calories in total. However, our carb-cycling diet consists of five low-calorie/low-carbohydrate days and two high-calorie/high-carbohydrate days. But we still can only have 13,300 weekly calories.
We will distribute 13,300 calories between five low and two high days to make this work.
Let’s start with the high-carb days. To keep it as simple as possible, the high-carb days will be at maintenance calories, which in our example, is 2400.
Two days of high-carbs: 2400 x 2 = 4,800 calories
To determine the calorie intake for the other days, we must subtract 4,800 calories from our weekly 13,300. This equation looks like this: 13,300 – 4,800 = 8,500.
Our calculations show we have 8,500 calories to split up across our five lower-carb days, and 8,500 spread over five days comes out to 1,700 calories. If we keep protein at one gram per pound of body weight and fat intake at 20% of total calories, here is how it would break down.
5 Low Calorie/Low Carb Days:

1700 calories
160g protein
175g carbs
40g fat


2 High Calorie/High Carb Days

2400 calories
160g protein
325g carbs
50g fat


Most people respond best to having two high-carb days on consecutive days. Have the high-carb days around your most challenging workouts of the week.

Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Planning Grocery List
Here is everything you need for your 7-day bulking and 7-day cutting meal plans.
1. Protein Sources:
Lean meats, fish, and steak will make up your meat selections, while things such as Greek yogurt, eggs, and protein supplements make great protein sources to add to breakfasts and snacks.



MEAT:


Chicken Breast


Chicken Thighs


93% Lean Ground Beef


Turkey Breast


Sirloin


NY Strip


Pork Loin


Salmon


Can of Tuna


Cod


Haddock


Tilapia


DAIRY:


Low-Fat Greek Yogurt


Eggs


Provolone Cheese


PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS:


Protein Powder (your choice)


Protein Bars (your choice)



2. Carbohydrates Sources:
You'll appreciate the diverse array of carbs you get to eat when carb cycling! This meal plan includes everything from whole-grain and garlic bread to rice and pasta and tons of great produce.



BREAD:


Whole-Grain Bagels


Whole-Grain Wraps


Ezekiel Bread



Garlic Bread


BREAKFAST:


Multigrain Cheerios


Cream Of Wheat


Oatmeal


PANTRY:


White Rice


Brown Rice


Flavored Rice Cakes


Quinoa


Penne Pasta


Black Beans


Marinara Sauce


PRODUCE:


Sweet Potatoes & Russet Potatoes


Fruits (Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, Strawberries & Strawberry Jam )


Veggies (Broccoli, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Mixed Greens, Shredded Lettuce, Green Beans, Corn)



3. Fat Sources:
Peanut butter, cream cheese, olive oil, and nuts make great additions to snacks and meals, helping you to feel more satisfied and stay full for longer. For the balsamic dressing, you can pick full fat or low fat, depending on your goals.



DAIRY:


Butter


Cream Cheese


PANTRY ITEMS:


Olive Oil


Italian Dressing


Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing


Almonds


Peanut Butter


Olive Oil



4. Drinks & Dessert:
One of the best parts about a carb cycling meal plan is that you get to enjoy a variety of drinks and partake in dessert! This type of flexibility is one of several reasons why adherence to carb cycling is so high.



BEVERAGES:


Coffee


Almond Milk


Greens Juice



?Orange Juice


DESSERT:


Frozen Yogurt


Ice Cream


Chocolate Chips



Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Muscle Building

For the carb-cycling muscle-building diet, we will keep calories consistent every day of the week. But, we will have high carbs on training days, and lower carbs on rest days.
The low-carb days will have higher fat intake to compensate for the calorie difference. Adjust the schedule so it aligns with how many days per week you work out.

Monday:
Daily nutrition breakdown: 2749 calories, 165g protein, 385g carbs, 61g fat




Breakfast:

2 whole eggs4 egg whites80g oats1 medium banana8oz orange juice

Nutrition: 745 calories40g protein 108g carbs17g fat




Lunch:


4oz chicken breast
290g white rice1 cup broccoli

Nutrition: 534 calories44g protein85g carbs2g fat




Dinner:


6oz sirloin
12oz sweet potato1 cup frozen yogurt

Nutrition: 770 calories 44g protein 108g carbs 18g fat




Snack:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium apple32g of peanut butter4 flavored rice cakes

Nutrition: 700 calories37g protein84g carbs24g fat




Tuesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2754 calories, 162g protein, 396 carbs, 60g fat




Breakfast:

3 whole eggs1 medium banana3 cups multigrain cheerios8oz almond milk

Nutrition: 691 calories27g protein101g carbs21g fat




Lunch:


Can of tuna
290g white rice1 cup green beans25g almonds

Nutrition: 676 calories42g protein95g carbs14g fat




Dinner:

5oz salmon4oz penne pasta1.5 cups marinara sauce1 cup of sweet corn

Nutrition: 856 calories57g protein125g carbs13g fat




Snack:


1 scoop whey protein
8oz almond milk1 medium apple80g oats

Nutrition: 530 calories35g protein75g carbs11g fat




Wednesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2707 calories, 163g protein, 386g carbs, 59g fat




Breakfast:

4 egg whites150g low-fat Greek yogurt80g oats1 cup blueberries

Nutrition: 559 calories40g protein77g carbs10g fat




Lunch:

4oz chicken breast12oz russet potato1 medium apple10g butter

Nutrition: 639 calories42g protein98g carbs10g fat




Dinner:


5oz wild-caught haddock
290g white rice1 cup broccoli1.5 cups ice cream

Nutrition: 802 calories39g protein119g carbs19g fat




Snack:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium banana2 slices Ezekiel bread32g peanut butter2 tbsp strawberry jam

Nutrition: 707 calories41g protein95g carbs20g fat




Thursday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2651 calories, 152g protein, 388g carbs, 56g fat




Breakfast:

6 egg whitesLarge whole-grain bagel2tbs cream cheese1 cup blueberries1 cup orange juice

Nutrition: 649 calories39g protein96g carbs12g fat




Lunch:

4oz chicken breast290g white rice1 cup of broccoli10g butter

Nutrition: 650 calories46g protein94g carbs9g fat




Dinner:

250g quinoa150g black beansLarge green salad2tbs low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Nutrition: 601 calories26g protein104g carbs10g fat




Snack:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk32g peanut butter80g oats1 medium banana

Nutrition: 751 calories44g protein92g carbs25g fat




Friday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2727 calories, 156g protein, 393g carbs, 62g




Breakfast:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk1 cup blueberries1 cup strawberries20g chocolate chips40g oats

Nutrition: 520 calories33g protein71g carbs14g fat




Lunch:

4oz turkey breast2 whole grain wraps1 slice provolone cheese50g shredded lettuce1 medium apple

Nutrition: 691 calories36g protein101g carbs16g fat




Dinner:

8oz sirloin12oz russet potato1 cup Brussels sprouts1 slice garlic bread

Nutrition: 899 calories62g protein106g carbs25g fat




Snack:

1 protein bar1 medium banana15oz Green Juice Smoothie

Nutrition: 617 calories25g protein115g carbs6g fat




Saturday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2664 calories, 158g protein, 385g carbs, 99g fat




Breakfast:

6 whole eggs80g oats1 medium apple

Nutrition: 828 calories49g protein81g carbs36g fat




Lunch:

3oz chicken breast12oz sweet potato1 cup broccoli10g butter

Nutrition: 503 calories33g protein72g carbs9g fat




Dinner:

8oz NY strip12oz russet potatoLarge green salad2tbs Italian salad dressing

Nutrition: 983 calories56g protein80g carbs48g fat




Snack:

1 protein bar1 medium banana

Nutrition: 351 calories21g protein52g carbs6g fat




Sunday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2666 calories, 164g protein, 286g carbs, 98g fat




Breakfast:

4 whole eggs3 cups multigrain cheerios8oz almond milk1 cup orange juice

Nutrition: 754 calories34g protein100g carbs26g fat




Lunch:

5oz salmon290g rice1 cup broccoli10g butter

Nutrition: 720 calories49g protein94g carbs15g fat




Dinner:

8oz chicken thighs8oz sweet potatoLarge green salad2tbs Italian salad dressing

Nutrition: 736 calories47g protein54g carbs38g fat




Snack:

1 scoop of whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium banana32g peanut butter

Nutrition: 455 calories34g protein38g carbs20g fat




Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Cutting
If you're following a cutting workout and looking for a great diet to pair it with, this is for you!
The carb-cycling meal plan for cutting has us follow a low carb calorie restricted diet for five days. On the sixth and seventh days, we refeed with two days in a row of higher carbohydrates and higher calories. The refeed days are at the calculated maintenance calorie intake.
Aim to have the high-carb days around your most challenging workout of the week. Having your high-carb days back to back is the most critical factor.
Monday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1647 calories, 158g protein, 172g carbs, 37g fat




Breakfast:

1 whole egg6 egg whites60g oats

Nutrition: 403 calories36g protein 42g carbs9g fat




Lunch:


5oz chicken breast145g white rice1 cup broccoli


Nutrition: 414 calories50g protein49g carbs2g fat




Dinner:


6oz pork loin 6oz sweet potato1 cup green beans


Nutrition: 375 calories 39g protein 44g carbs 6g fat




Snack:

1 scoop of whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium banana32g peanut butter

Nutrition: 455 calories34g protein38g carbs20g fat




Tuesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1716 calories, 161g protein, 175g carbs, 41g fat




Breakfast:

2 whole eggs4 egg whites60g oats

Nutrition: 440 calories35g protein 42g carbs14g fat




Lunch:


1 can tuna145g white rice1 cup broccoli 1 medium apple


Nutrition: 435 calories33g protein74g carbs2g fat




Dinner:


6oz 93% lean ground beef6oz russet potato


Nutrition: 417 calories 39g protein 37g carbs 12g fat




Snack:

2 scoops whey protein8oz almond milk32g peanut butter1 flavored rice cake

Nutrition: 424 calories54g protein23g carbs14g fat




Wednesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1709 calories, 164g protein, 175g carbs, 38g fat




Breakfast:

225g low-fat Greek yogurt80g oats

Nutrition: 468 calories33g protein 62g carbs10g fat




Lunch:


6oz cod145g white rice1 cup broccoli 10g olive oil


Nutrition: 464 calories37g protein49g carbs11g fat




Dinner:


4oz chicken breast125g quinoa


Nutrition: 295 calories 40g protein 26g carbs 4g fat




Snack:

2 scoops of whey protein8oz almond milk16g of peanut butter1 medium banana

Nutrition: 481 calories54g protein38g carbs13g fat




Thursday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1755 calories, 159g protein, 175g carbs, 42g fat




Breakfast:

6 egg whites2 packets cream of wheat25g almonds

Nutrition: 535 calories33g protein 64g carbs14g fat




Lunch:


6oz chicken145g white rice1 cup broccoli


Nutrition: 450 calories58g protein49g carbs2g fat




Dinner:


8oz sirloinLarge green salad2tbs light balsamic salad dressing


Nutrition: 419 calories 47g protein 10g carbs 20g fat




Snack:

1 protein bar1 medium banana

Nutrition: 351 calories21g protein52g carbs6g fat




Friday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1766 calories, 160g protein, 177g carbs, 46g fat




Breakfast:

4 whole eggs80g oats1 cup blueberries

Nutrition: 667 calories36g protein 72g carbs26g fat




Lunch:


6oz chicken6oz sweet potato10g butter


Nutrition: 439 calories54g protein34g carbs10g fat




Dinner:


6oz tilapiaLarge green salad2tbs light balsamic salad dressing125g black beans


Nutrition: 395 calories 44g protein 40g carbs 6g fat




Snack:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium banana

Nutrition: 267 calories26g protein31g carbs4g fat




Saturday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2392 calories, 160g protein, 326g carbs, 50g fat




Breakfast:

4 whole eggs80g oats1 cup blueberries1 cup orange juice

Nutrition: 775 calories36g protein 97g carbs26g fat




Lunch:


5oz chicken12oz sweet potato15g butter


Nutrition: 583 calories48g protein66g carbs14g fat




Dinner:


5oz tilapiaLarge green salad2tbs light balsamic salad dressing290g white rice125g black beans


Nutrition: 767 calories 49g protein 130g carbs 5g fat




Snack:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium banana

Nutrition: 267 calories26g protein31g carbs4g fat




Sunday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2342 calories, 160g protein, 325g carbs 46g fat




Breakfast:

6 egg whites3 cups multigrain cheerios8oz almond milk1 cup blueberries

Nutrition: 540 calories29g protein 91g carbs7g fat




Lunch:


1 can of tuna290g white rice15g butter


Nutrition: 620 calories36g protein90g carbs13g fat




Dinner:


6oz chicken breast10oz sweet potato1 cup green beans1 cup frozen yogurt


Nutrition: 735 calories 62g protein 105g carbs 7g fat




Snack:

1 scoop whey protein8oz almond milk1 medium banana

Nutrition: 447 calories26g protein39g carbs19g fat





What To Do After Following These 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plans
After following our 7-day carb cycling meal plan, you should have a really good feel for how the diet is set up. If you keep the calorie and macronutrient goals the same, you can start to mix and match different foods and recipes.
How Long Should You Follow a Carb Cycling Diet?
The good thing about carb cycling is you can follow it for as long as you'd like. If you enjoy having different carb goals throughout the week, you can adhere to a carb-cycling diet when cutting, following a bulking workout, or maintaining.

FAQs
If you have any final questions regarding a carb cycling meal plan, we'll answer them here.
What should I eat on a high-carb day when carb cycling?
While on a high-carb day, focus on foods loaded with carbohydrates and low to moderate fiber. Examples include rice, rice cakes, pasta, bread, cream of wheat, bananas, apples, and fruit juice. High carb days would be good days to include high protein oatmeal or make a protein pancake recipe!
Is carb cycling good for fat loss?
Carb cycling can be an excellent option for fat loss as long as you remain in a weekly deficit.
How do you carb cycle for beginners?
If you are a beginner, start with a simple carb cycling plan with only high- and low-carb days.
What is the best carb cycle for fat loss?
The best carb cycle for fat loss is using the refeed method. To do this, have five low-carb days, followed by a two-day high-carb refeed.
How do I create a carb-cycling diet?
The best way to create a carb-cycling diet is to calculate your weekly calorie needs based on your goals. Once you do that, you can divide your weekly calories into low-carb and high-carb days.
What is the best schedule for carb cycling?
It is hard to say the best carb cycling schedule since different goals require different setups. That said, the best carb cycling schedule for you is the one that allows you to stick to your diet the best.
Carb Cycling Meal Plan: Flexible Dieting To Help You Hit Your Goals
As promised, you now have everything you need to follow a carb cycling meal plan, whether you want to lose weight or build muscle.
Remember, the fundamental principles of nutrition still apply. There is no getting around calorie balance, even when following a carb cycle meal plan. The numbers still need to make sense, and if you're in it for weight loss, you must eat fewer calories so your total intake is below your maintanence.
But, following a carb cycling meal plan is an excellent way to keep things exciting and fun.
Interested in exploring other diets to determine which is best for you? Check out our 7-Day Keto Bodybuilding Meal Plan and our 7-Day Carnivore Diet Meal Plan for more great options!

References:

Campbell BI, Aguilar D, Colenso-Semple LM, Hartke K, Fleming AR, Fox CD, Longstrom JM, Rogers GE, Mathas DB, Wong V, Ford S, Gorman J. Intermittent Energy Restriction Attenuates the Loss of Fat Free Mass in Resistance Trained Individuals. A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. doi: 10.3390/jfmk5010019. PMID: 33467235; PMCID: PMC7739314.
Hokken R, Laugesen S, Aagaard P, Suetta C, Frandsen U, Ørtenblad N, Nielsen J. Subcellular localization- and fibre type-dependent utilization of muscle glycogen during heavy resistance exercise in elite power and Olympic weightlifters. Acta Physiol (Oxf). doi: 10.1111/apha.13561. Epub 2020 Oct 4. PMID: 32961628.
Morton, R. W., Murphy, K. T., McKellar, S. R., Schoenfeld, B. J., Henselmans, M., Helms, E., … Phillips, S. M. (2017). A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608

As a society, we are obsessed with fat loss. In fact, few things in fitness are as exciting as manipulating your diet to lose body fat, and the prospect of getting shredded has sent more people to the gym and the health food section of the grocery store than anything else.


The formula to lose fat is simple. Eat healthily, avoid processed junk, and maintain a calorie deficit. But there is a reason why the weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars. Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things.


Enter carb cycling.


On the surface, carb cycling is similar to many other successful diets. Because at the end of the day, calorie intake dictates body composition changes. However, there's no denying that eating the same thing every day for weeks at a time can be downright dull.


Manipulating carbohydrate intake is a great way to keep your diet interesting. And the best part is carb cycling is not exclusive to fat loss. You can also use carb cycling in place of a traditional muscle-building diet.


So, if this sounds appealing, read on as we dig into everything you need to know about creating a bodybuilding carb cycling meal plan.


Table of Contents:

• What Is Carb Cycling?
• How Does Carb Cycling Work?
• How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day Following a Carb Cycling Diet?
• Different Carb Cycling Schedules You Can Follow
• Foods To Eat On High-Carb Days
• Foods To Eat On Low-Carb Days
• Are There Foods You Should Completely Avoid On A Carb Cycling Diet?
• Benefits of Carb Cycling
• Carb Cycling Diet Drawbacks
• Is Carb Cycling Beneficial For Bodybuilders?
• Your Daily Macros & Calories Following The Carb Cycling Meal Plan
• Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Planning Grocery List
• Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Muscle Building
• Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Cutting
• What To Do After Following These 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plans
• How Long Should You Follow a Carb Cycling Diet?
• FAQs

What Is A Carb Cycling Diet?
Carb cycling is a diet that involves strategic increases and decreases in carbohydrate intake throughout the week. It started in the bodybuilding community but has expanded into the general public.


Although carb cycling is typically used for weight loss, it can also build muscle and improve athletic performance.


There are various ways to set it up. Some carb cycling protocols keep calories constant, while others cycle calories and carbohydrates. Some rotate between it being a high carb diet and low carb diet, with high and low-carb days, while other methods also sprinkle in moderate carbs.


Since carb cycling involves hitting specific macronutrient targets throughout the week, it pairs well with flexible dieting such as what we see with plans like the metabolic confusion diet.


How Does Carb Cycling Work?
Generally, a carb-cycling diet is set up to complement your workout split. For example, you eat more carbs during intense training and fewer carbs on easier workouts or rest days.


The idea is to get the best of both worlds. We know carbohydrates help fuel exercise performance, so we lean into that by having high carbs around demanding workouts.


However, having high carbs all of the time can be a recipe for disaster. A workaround for this is to make your carbohydrate intake lower on days when your activity decreases.





How Many Carbs Should You Eat Per Day Following a Carb Cycling Diet?
The number of carbohydrates you eat following a carb-cycling diet will be personalized based on your body composition goals, body size, and activity level. It also depends on what type of carb-cycling diet you are following.


That said, the fundamental rule with carb cycling is to make sure there is enough change between high and low-carb days to make a notable difference. It's difficult to put a number on it, but based on personal experience, there should be at least a 75-gram difference in carbohydrate intake between low and high days.


Aiming for over 100 grams difference is even better. If the difference in carbohydrate intake is too small, you may not see the results you're looking for.


4 Different Carb Cycling Schedules You Can Follow
You can follow a nearly endless amount of carb cycling schedules. However, here are the four most common.


Option #1: The Standard Carb Cycling Diet
This traditional carb cycling diet alternates between low, medium, and high-carb days throughout the week. With this setup, the medium-carb days are the base diet. From there, high-carb days are implemented around 1-2 of your most challenging workouts of the week, and rest days are low-carb.


Option #2: Cyclical Keto Diet
The cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD) is a keto bodybuilding diet that utilizes carb cycling. For a CKD, you follow a traditional keto diet maintaining a carb intake under 50 grams daily for five or six days. From there, you implement one or two high-carb days.


Option #3: Low-Carb Rest Days
One of the most straightforward carb-cycling diets involves lowering carbohydrates on rest days. With this style of carb cycle, you can reduce calories on rest days, too, or replace carbs with healthy fats, keeping your calorie intake the same.


During muscle-building phases, keeping your calorie intake the same works well. This is the setup outlined in the 7-day muscle-building diet below.


Option #4: The Refeed Method
Refeeds are a form of carb cycling with higher calorie and carbohydrate days implemented during a fat-loss diet. Refeeds typically last one to three days. The key to refeeds is increasing calories along with carbohydrates.


During a fat loss diet, the calories on the refeed days must be at least at the individual's estimated maintenance intake. This means that if your maintenance calories are 2,200, you will design your carb cycle so you're eating at least 2,200 calories on refeed days and less than this on the remaining days.


The 7-day fat loss diet outlined below utilizes the refeed model for carb cycling. We'll talk about it in more detail shortly.





Best Foods to Eat On High-Carb Days
On high carb intake days, you have the flexibility to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates. You can even have some low-fat treats.


Here are some examples:

• Most fruit: Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, etc.
• Fruit juice: Apple juice, orange juice, grape juice, etc.
• Sweet potatoes
• Russet potatoes
• Rice
• Rice cakes
• Oatmeal
• Pasta
• Bread
• Pancakes
• Frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream
• Angel food cake

Best Foods to Eat on Low-Carb Days
On low-carb days, you want to focus on foods that are lower in total carbohydrates and higher in fiber.


Here are some examples:

• Low-carb fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
• Beans
• Lentils
• Low-carb bread and wraps
• Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, mixed greens, etc.
• Nuts and nut butter

Are There Foods You Should Completely Avoid on a Carb Cycling Diet?
The best aspect of using a carb-cycling diet is diet flexibility. You don't need to avoid anything on a carb-cycling diet besides highly processed foods that are easy to overeat.


That said, if your low-carb days get really low, you might have to avoid most, if not all high, carbohydrate foods, like whole wheat bread for example.


On the other hand, if your fat intake is low on high-carb days, you might have to choose leaner protein sources, like these high protein low fat foods, to ensure you do not exceed your allotted fat goal.


4 Benefits of Carb Cycling
It's important to first point out that carb cycling is not magic. Following a good carb cycling diet is not the "one cool trick" that will be the secret to exponential fat loss. That said, there are certainly a few neat benefits we can take advantage of.


1. Maintain More Muscle During Fat Loss:
Although carb cycling has been popular in the fitness community for years, until recently, there has been limited research on it with experienced lifters.


One of the most relevant studies for bodybuilders came in 2020 when researchers took 27 trained individuals and split them into two groups. One group ate a standard calorie-restricted fat-loss diet every day for seven weeks1.


The other group did five low-calorie/low-carb days in a row, followed by two higher-calorie/higher-carb days for seven weeks. It's this second group we are most interested in, as they were the ones who followed the carb cycling plan. An important point is that both groups averaged the same weekly caloric restriction.


At the end of the seven weeks, the carb-cycling group maintained more muscle than the continuous diet group, even though both groups lost the same body weight.


2. Improve Training Performance:
One of the most significant downsides of dieting is reduced training performance. After weeks in a calorie deficit, hitting PRs, achieving muscle hypertrophy, and having productive workouts can be challenging.


Luckily, improving training performance is a huge benefit of carb cycling.


The training improvements while dieting has to do with glycogen. During fat loss, stored carbohydrate in the muscle is limited. A deep dive into energy systems is beyond the scope of this article, but it's important to know that muscle glycogen fuels weight training.


Evidence shows that even slight glycogen depletion can impact performance, even more than was once thought2. For those following a low-carb diet, this is important as implementing high-carb days as part of a carb cycling plan can temporarily elevate glycogen levels.


Theoretically, boosting glycogen will result in less fatigue, allowing you to train harder. It will be short-term, but having one or two better weekly workouts can be impactful.


From a timing perspective, put your high-carb day the day before or the day of your most demanding workout of the week. I have seen a lot of benefits in doing this with myself and my clients.


3. Improve Diet Adherence:
Although there is little research in this area, improved diet adherence while on a carb-cycling diet is something I have found repeatedly works with clients.


Adherence is the number one factor of success on a diet. Whether it is a fat-loss or muscle-building diet doesn't matter. The key is being able to stick it out.


Many people prefer higher carb and higher calorie days in their diet. Having a few higher-carbohydrate days per week is a nice break from the monotony of eating the same amount daily. Plus, you have more flexibility when carbohydrates increase during a high-carb day.


The increased flexibility allows you to fit more foods into your daily macros. It can also make sticking to your diet more manageable throughout the week because you know you have a high-carb day to look forward to.


4. Regulate blood sugar & burn fat for fuel:
Days in which you eat fewer carbs are great for regulating blood sugar levels, which is particularly beneficial for those with insulin sensitivity, who are prediabetic, or who have type 2 diabetes.


In addition, carb cycling, in particular low carb days, enables the body to burn through its carb stores and then begin to burn fat as its fuel source.





Carb Cycling Diet Drawbacks
When set up correctly, a carb-cycling diet has minimal drawbacks. The major con with this plan is that if the carb cycling sequence becomes too complicated, it can make the diet harder to stick to, not easier.


For example, a traditional carb cycling diet may have three different carbohydrate targets throughout the week. Practically, having three targets throughout the week makes grocery shopping and meal prep hard.


Additionally, getting into a groove with three meal plans can be challenging. The solution for this, however, is simple. To begin, start with only having low and high carb days. You can always add a moderate target once you've mastered the basics.


Is Carb Cycling Beneficial For Bodybuilders?
Absolutely. Carb cycling is a dieting strategy some of the best bodybuilders have had success with for decades.


Is carb cycling good for building muscle?
Although carb cycling is typically used more as a fat-loss tool, it can also work well for building muscle. The benefit of using carb cycling when building muscle is you can have more carbs on days you lift and fewer on rest days.


Is carb cycling good for losing weight?
Carb cycling is best used during weight loss phases. By implementing weekly refeeds, you can circumvent some of the issues fat loss diets present. Plus, carb cycling can increase diet adherence, the most crucial factor for dieting success.





Your Daily Macros & Calories Following The Carb Cycling Meal Plan
Like any diet, the first step in creating a carb-cycling meal plan is calculating your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This is the number of calories your body needs to maintain its weight.


From there, we can add calories to build muscle or take them away to lose fat. Even on a carb cycling diet, everything comes down to calories in vs. out.


Everyone has individual calorie needs based on weight, body fat, and activity. There are many advanced formulas for calculating TDEE, but an easy calculation I like is multiplying your body weight by 14 to 16. It is simple and effective.


Using this formula, a moderately active 160-pound person would calculate their TDEE by multiplying 160 by 15 to get a TDEE of 2400 calories.


Theoretically, if they consistently ate 2400 calories, they would maintain their body weight. We will use this example for the meal plans in this article, but use your actual body weight to determine your TDEE.


Calories & Macros For Building Muscle:
Once we know the TDEE or maintenance calories, we can increase calories to improve strength and build muscle.


The trick is knowing how many additional calories to add. The calorie surplus is likely smaller than you may think. A 15-20% calorie bump above TDEE is an excellent starting point. An extra 15% to 2400 would give 360 extra calories in our example.

• 160lbs x 15 = 2400 calories
• 2400 x 15% (360) = 2760 calories

Here is where carb cycling gets unique. For the muscle-building carb cycling plan, we will keep calories and protein constant while fluctuating carbohydrates and fats. We will follow a high-carb plan on training days and a lower-carb plan on rest days. In our example, there will be five high-carb days and two low-carb.


As mentioned, protein intake will remain the same every day. Based on the most up-to-date research, consume .7-1 grams of protein per pound of body weight3. To keep it simple, we will consume 160 grams of protein daily, one gram per pound of body weight.


After calculating protein intake, all that is left is fat and carbohydrates.


On high-carb days, keep fat intake at 20%. All of the excess calories will come from carbs.

• Calories: 2760
• Protein: 160g (1g per pound of body weight)
• Fat: 60g (20% of total calories)
• Carbohydrates: 395g (excess calories)

On low-carb days, bump fat up to 35%. Again, all of the excess calories will come from carbs.

• Calories: 2760
• Protein: 160g (1g per pound of body weight)
• Fat: 105g (35% of total calories)
• Carbohydrates: 290g (excess calories)

Calories & Macros For Fat Loss:
Fat loss requires the opposite setup when compared to a muscle-building diet. Instead of eating more calories to create a calorie surplus, we reduce calories to create a deficit.


Aiming to lose one pound per week is a great starting point for most people. Although not a perfect science, reducing 3500 calories per week is equivalent to one pound of stored body fat. This means you need a daily calorie deficit of 500 calories below maintenance (500 x 7 = 3500 calories).


Remember, our TDEE was 2400 calories. Subtracting 500 calories from 2400 leaves us with 1900 calories (2400 - 500 = 1900).


Here is where things get a little tricky. Stay with me.


In our example, on average, a 1900-calorie diet would be required to lose one pound per week. Eating 1900 calories seven days a week would be 13,300 calories in total. However, our carb-cycling diet consists of five low-calorie/low-carbohydrate days and two high-calorie/high-carbohydrate days. But we still can only have 13,300 weekly calories.


We will distribute 13,300 calories between five low and two high days to make this work.


Let’s start with the high-carb days. To keep it as simple as possible, the high-carb days will be at maintenance calories, which in our example, is 2400.


Two days of high-carbs: 2400 x 2 = 4,800 calories


To determine the calorie intake for the other days, we must subtract 4,800 calories from our weekly 13,300. This equation looks like this: 13,300 – 4,800 = 8,500.


Our calculations show we have 8,500 calories to split up across our five lower-carb days, and 8,500 spread over five days comes out to 1,700 calories. If we keep protein at one gram per pound of body weight and fat intake at 20% of total calories, here is how it would break down.


5 Low Calorie/Low Carb Days:

• 1700 calories
• 160g protein
• 175g carbs
• 40g fat

2 High Calorie/High Carb Days

• 2400 calories
• 160g protein
• 325g carbs
• 50g fat

Most people respond best to having two high-carb days on consecutive days. Have the high-carb days around your most challenging workouts of the week.





Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Planning Grocery List
Here is everything you need for your 7-day bulking and 7-day cutting meal plans.


1. Protein Sources:
Lean meats, fish, and steak will make up your meat selections, while things such as Greek yogurt, eggs, and protein supplements make great protein sources to add to breakfasts and snacks.





MEAT:


Chicken Breast


Chicken Thighs


93% Lean Ground Beef


Turkey Breast


Sirloin


NY Strip


Pork Loin


Salmon


Can of Tuna


Cod


Haddock


Tilapia


DAIRY:


Low-Fat Greek Yogurt


Eggs


Provolone Cheese


PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS:


Protein Powder (your choice)


Protein Bars (your choice)



2. Carbohydrates Sources:
You'll appreciate the diverse array of carbs you get to eat when carb cycling! This meal plan includes everything from whole-grain and garlic bread to rice and pasta and tons of great produce.





BREAD:


Whole-Grain Bagels


Whole-Grain Wraps


Ezekiel Bread



Garlic Bread


BREAKFAST:


Multigrain Cheerios


Cream Of Wheat


Oatmeal


PANTRY:


White Rice


Brown Rice


Flavored Rice Cakes


Quinoa


Penne Pasta


Black Beans


Marinara Sauce


PRODUCE:


Sweet Potatoes & Russet Potatoes


Fruits (Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, Strawberries & Strawberry Jam )


Veggies (Broccoli, Asparagus, Brussel Sprouts, Mixed Greens, Shredded Lettuce, Green Beans, Corn)



3. Fat Sources:
Peanut butter, cream cheese, olive oil, and nuts make great additions to snacks and meals, helping you to feel more satisfied and stay full for longer. For the balsamic dressing, you can pick full fat or low fat, depending on your goals.





DAIRY:


Butter


Cream Cheese


PANTRY ITEMS:


Olive Oil


Italian Dressing


Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing


Almonds


Peanut Butter


Olive Oil



4. Drinks & Dessert:
One of the best parts about a carb cycling meal plan is that you get to enjoy a variety of drinks and partake in dessert! This type of flexibility is one of several reasons why adherence to carb cycling is so high.





BEVERAGES:


Coffee


Almond Milk


Greens Juice



?Orange Juice


DESSERT:


Frozen Yogurt


Ice Cream


Chocolate Chips



Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Muscle Building

For the carb-cycling muscle-building diet, we will keep calories consistent every day of the week. But, we will have high carbs on training days, and lower carbs on rest days.


The low-carb days will have higher fat intake to compensate for the calorie difference. Adjust the schedule so it aligns with how many days per week you work out.



Monday:
Daily nutrition breakdown: 2749 calories, 165g protein, 385g carbs, 61g fat






Breakfast:



2 whole eggs

4 egg whites

80g oats

1 medium banana

8oz orange juice

Nutrition:

745 calories

40g protein

108g carbs

17g fat






Lunch:




4oz chicken breast


290g white rice

1 cup broccoli

Nutrition:

534 calories

44g protein

85g carbs

2g fat






Dinner:




6oz sirloin


12oz sweet potato

1 cup frozen yogurt

Nutrition:

770 calories

44g protein

108g carbs

18g fat






Snack:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium apple

32g of peanut butter

4 flavored rice cakes

Nutrition:

700 calories

37g protein

84g carbs

24g fat






Tuesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2754 calories, 162g protein, 396 carbs, 60g fat






Breakfast:



3 whole eggs

1 medium banana

3 cups multigrain cheerios

8oz almond milk

Nutrition:

691 calories

27g protein

101g carbs

21g fat






Lunch:




Can of tuna


290g white rice

1 cup green beans

25g almonds

Nutrition:

676 calories

42g protein

95g carbs

14g fat






Dinner:



5oz salmon

4oz penne pasta

1.5 cups marinara sauce

1 cup of sweet corn

Nutrition:

856 calories

57g protein

125g carbs

13g fat






Snack:




1 scoop whey protein


8oz almond milk

1 medium apple

80g oats

Nutrition:

530 calories

35g protein

75g carbs

11g fat






Wednesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2707 calories, 163g protein, 386g carbs, 59g fat






Breakfast:



4 egg whites

150g low-fat Greek yogurt

80g oats

1 cup blueberries

Nutrition:

559 calories

40g protein

77g carbs

10g fat






Lunch:



4oz chicken breast

12oz russet potato

1 medium apple

10g butter

Nutrition:

639 calories

42g protein

98g carbs

10g fat






Dinner:




5oz wild-caught haddock


290g white rice

1 cup broccoli

1.5 cups ice cream

Nutrition:

802 calories

39g protein

119g carbs

19g fat






Snack:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium banana

2 slices Ezekiel bread

32g peanut butter

2 tbsp strawberry jam

Nutrition:

707 calories

41g protein

95g carbs

20g fat






Thursday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2651 calories, 152g protein, 388g carbs, 56g fat






Breakfast:



6 egg whites

Large whole-grain bagel

2tbs cream cheese

1 cup blueberries

1 cup orange juice

Nutrition:

649 calories

39g protein

96g carbs

12g fat






Lunch:



4oz chicken breast

290g white rice

1 cup of broccoli

10g butter

Nutrition:

650 calories

46g protein

94g carbs

9g fat






Dinner:



250g quinoa

150g black beans

Large green salad

2tbs low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Nutrition:

601 calories

26g protein

104g carbs

10g fat






Snack:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

32g peanut butter

80g oats

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

751 calories

44g protein

92g carbs

25g fat






Friday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2727 calories, 156g protein, 393g carbs, 62g






Breakfast:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 cup blueberries

1 cup strawberries

20g chocolate chips

40g oats

Nutrition:

520 calories

33g protein

71g carbs

14g fat






Lunch:



4oz turkey breast

2 whole grain wraps

1 slice provolone cheese

50g shredded lettuce

1 medium apple

Nutrition:

691 calories

36g protein

101g carbs

16g fat






Dinner:



8oz sirloin

12oz russet potato

1 cup Brussels sprouts

1 slice garlic bread

Nutrition:

899 calories

62g protein

106g carbs

25g fat






Snack:



1 protein bar

1 medium banana

15oz Green Juice Smoothie

Nutrition:

617 calories

25g protein

115g carbs

6g fat






Saturday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2664 calories, 158g protein, 385g carbs, 99g fat






Breakfast:



6 whole eggs

80g oats

1 medium apple

Nutrition:

828 calories

49g protein

81g carbs

36g fat






Lunch:



3oz chicken breast

12oz sweet potato

1 cup broccoli

10g butter

Nutrition:

503 calories

33g protein

72g carbs

9g fat






Dinner:



8oz NY strip

12oz russet potato

Large green salad

2tbs Italian salad dressing

Nutrition:

983 calories

56g protein

80g carbs

48g fat






Snack:



1 protein bar

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

351 calories

21g protein

52g carbs

6g fat






Sunday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2666 calories, 164g protein, 286g carbs, 98g fat






Breakfast:



4 whole eggs

3 cups multigrain cheerios

8oz almond milk

1 cup orange juice

Nutrition:

754 calories

34g protein

100g carbs

26g fat






Lunch:



5oz salmon

290g rice

1 cup broccoli

10g butter

Nutrition:

720 calories

49g protein

94g carbs

15g fat






Dinner:



8oz chicken thighs

8oz sweet potato

Large green salad

2tbs Italian salad dressing

Nutrition:

736 calories

47g protein

54g carbs

38g fat






Snack:



1 scoop of whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium banana

32g peanut butter

Nutrition:

455 calories

34g protein

38g carbs

20g fat






Your 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan For Cutting
If you're following a cutting workout and looking for a great diet to pair it with, this is for you!


The carb-cycling meal plan for cutting has us follow a low carb calorie restricted diet for five days. On the sixth and seventh days, we refeed with two days in a row of higher carbohydrates and higher calories. The refeed days are at the calculated maintenance calorie intake.


Aim to have the high-carb days around your most challenging workout of the week. Having your high-carb days back to back is the most critical factor.


Monday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1647 calories, 158g protein, 172g carbs, 37g fat






Breakfast:



1 whole egg

6 egg whites

60g oats

Nutrition:

403 calories

36g protein

42g carbs

9g fat






Lunch:




5oz chicken breast

145g white rice

1 cup broccoli




Nutrition:

414 calories

50g protein

49g carbs

2g fat






Dinner:




6oz pork loin

6oz sweet potato

1 cup green beans




Nutrition:

375 calories

39g protein

44g carbs

6g fat






Snack:



1 scoop of whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium banana

32g peanut butter

Nutrition:

455 calories

34g protein

38g carbs

20g fat






Tuesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1716 calories, 161g protein, 175g carbs, 41g fat






Breakfast:



2 whole eggs

4 egg whites

60g oats

Nutrition:

440 calories

35g protein

42g carbs

14g fat






Lunch:




1 can tuna

145g white rice

1 cup broccoli

1 medium apple




Nutrition:

435 calories

33g protein

74g carbs

2g fat






Dinner:




6oz 93% lean ground beef

6oz russet potato




Nutrition:

417 calories

39g protein

37g carbs

12g fat






Snack:



2 scoops whey protein

8oz almond milk

32g peanut butter

1 flavored rice cake

Nutrition:

424 calories

54g protein

23g carbs

14g fat






Wednesday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1709 calories, 164g protein, 175g carbs, 38g fat






Breakfast:



225g low-fat Greek yogurt

80g oats

Nutrition:

468 calories

33g protein

62g carbs

10g fat






Lunch:




6oz cod

145g white rice

1 cup broccoli

10g olive oil




Nutrition:

464 calories

37g protein

49g carbs

11g fat






Dinner:




4oz chicken breast

125g quinoa




Nutrition:

295 calories

40g protein

26g carbs

4g fat






Snack:



2 scoops of whey protein

8oz almond milk

16g of peanut butter

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

481 calories

54g protein

38g carbs

13g fat






Thursday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1755 calories, 159g protein, 175g carbs, 42g fat






Breakfast:



6 egg whites

2 packets cream of wheat

25g almonds

Nutrition:

535 calories

33g protein

64g carbs

14g fat






Lunch:




6oz chicken

145g white rice

1 cup broccoli




Nutrition:

450 calories

58g protein

49g carbs

2g fat






Dinner:




8oz sirloin

Large green salad

2tbs light balsamic salad dressing




Nutrition:

419 calories

47g protein

10g carbs

20g fat






Snack:



1 protein bar

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

351 calories

21g protein

52g carbs

6g fat






Friday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 1766 calories, 160g protein, 177g carbs, 46g fat






Breakfast:



4 whole eggs

80g oats

1 cup blueberries

Nutrition:

667 calories

36g protein

72g carbs

26g fat






Lunch:




6oz chicken

6oz sweet potato

10g butter




Nutrition:

439 calories

54g protein

34g carbs

10g fat






Dinner:




6oz tilapia

Large green salad

2tbs light balsamic salad dressing

125g black beans




Nutrition:

395 calories

44g protein

40g carbs

6g fat






Snack:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

267 calories

26g protein

31g carbs

4g fat






Saturday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2392 calories, 160g protein, 326g carbs, 50g fat






Breakfast:



4 whole eggs

80g oats

1 cup blueberries

1 cup orange juice

Nutrition:

775 calories

36g protein

97g carbs

26g fat






Lunch:




5oz chicken

12oz sweet potato

15g butter




Nutrition:

583 calories

48g protein

66g carbs

14g fat






Dinner:




5oz tilapia

Large green salad

2tbs light balsamic salad dressing

290g white rice

125g black beans




Nutrition:

767 calories

49g protein

130g carbs

5g fat






Snack:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

267 calories

26g protein

31g carbs

4g fat






Sunday:
Total daily nutrition breakdown: 2342 calories, 160g protein, 325g carbs 46g fat






Breakfast:



6 egg whites

3 cups multigrain cheerios

8oz almond milk

1 cup blueberries

Nutrition:

540 calories

29g protein

91g carbs

7g fat






Lunch:




1 can of tuna

290g white rice

15g butter




Nutrition:

620 calories

36g protein

90g carbs

13g fat






Dinner:




6oz chicken breast

10oz sweet potato

1 cup green beans

1 cup frozen yogurt




Nutrition:

735 calories

62g protein

105g carbs

7g fat






Snack:



1 scoop whey protein

8oz almond milk

1 medium banana

Nutrition:

447 calories

26g protein

39g carbs

19g fat







What To Do After Following These 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plans
After following our 7-day carb cycling meal plan, you should have a really good feel for how the diet is set up. If you keep the calorie...

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