If you have read some of my other posts on the subject of carb cycling, you know that a carb cycling meal plan can produce fantastic results! Although you can “jump right in” to a plan, it is best to go through an adjustment period for optimal results.

This adjustment period is commonly referred to as a fat adaptation phase. I learned about these methods from Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale’s excellent book: The Metabolic Diet. I learned about “Dr. Di” at a Charles Poliquin training seminar and I later saw him lecture at the SWIS weight training symposium in Toronto, Canada many many years ago.

The Metabolic Diet starts you off on a very low carb “assessment phase” which is what I am describing here.

Why do you need this?

Well, when excessive amounts of poor quality carbohydrates have been over consumed (i.e. diabetes epidemic), insulin levels are chronically elevated which leads to insulin resistance.

Here’s an analogy: You walk into a bar (no, this isn’t a one liner joke…) and there is a live band playing. You can’t hear a thing! Then, eventually, you become kind of numb to the music and it doesn’t seem as loud anymore.

Well, that’s what happens to the insulin receptors of your cells when you consume an abundance of over processed carbs. Your body becomes numb to the insulin your pancreas is cranking out in a furious attempt to get your blood sugar levels down.

Even if this doesn’t describe you, this phase is still a great way to get the fat burning enzymes in your body fired up AND assess how well you will do on a low carb diet.

If you have been searching for how to keep your lean muscle while losing fat, a carb cycling meal plan that starts off with a fat adaptation phase is really the most flexible and efficient way to do so.

Any nutrition plan (aka “diet”) that ties your hands to a particular strategy is flawed and doesn’t take into account every person’s unique needs. The carb cycling meal plan that I outline allows you to adjust carb levels to the optimal point once you have engaged the fat burning machinery in your body.

Is this plan just for men? Absolutely not! Carb cycling for women will produce excellent results and the same strategies are employed regardless of sex.

On a side note, I learned from Dr. Serrano in a fat loss seminar that it’s best for women to align their PMS phase of the menstrual cycle with a very low carb phase. If you are a woman, then go for it! If you are a boyfriend or husband reading this then be warned, this results in elevated fat loss AND…. ummmm….. bad moods.

Starting on a Monday, keep your fat intake at 50% to 60% of your total caloric intake while your protein intake should make up most of the difference ( Note: this means that most of your calories should come from fat for this period!).

Keep your carbohydrate intake at a maximum of 30 grams. If, after 6 days, you feel like THE WALKING DEAD, Have some complex carbs before bed in the form of sweet potatoes, oatmeal and fruit (banana is best here). Then switch back to 30 grams max for the remaining 6 days.

After this 12 day period, have a 48 hour “carb load” then start the lean muscle gain and fat loss rotation plan.