Calorie Cycling for Boot Campers: How to Lose Weight and Get Cut!

I've talked to a number of boot campers lately who want to lose weight, and tone up. If that is you, then you definitely want to pay attention to this blog post…it truly is a game changer! I've posted about calorie cycling before HERE, but I’m going to gear this post more towards our boot camp group and how you can effectively implement calorie cycling to hit your goals.  Let’s first of all recap a few things:

What is calorie cycling?

Calorie cycling is a method of partitioning your calories so that on the days you do strength training (i.e. Boot Camp) you have the necessary calories and nutrients to build muscle. Essentially, you use the calories that you are eating more efficiently if you eat them in your post workout window because more of them are used for muscle repair/growth. On your rest days (days you don’t do strength training), you reduce your calories, and preferably go low carb, to burn more fat for energy. These are the days you really focus on burning fat. You heard me right…you’re going to burn fat on your rest days! Here are a few benefits to calorie cycling:

• It allows you to more comfortably create a calorie deficit for the week.
• It provides a larger fat burning window than otherwise.
• It allows you to eat more liberally on your workout days.
• It provides a change of pace from one day to the next.
• It helps you more efficiently recover from a strenuous workout.

How does it work?

Calories, and primarily carbohydrates, are the energy source for your body. When you have an excess of energy (calories) your body stores energy…primarily as adipose tissue (body fat). When you have a shortage of energy (calories), your body digs into storage (body fat) to convert it into fuel. Therefore, the rules for weight loss/gain never change. Expend more calories than you consume and you’ll lose weight. Consume more calories than you expend and you’ll gain weight. Therefore, your total caloric intake for the week should be consistent with your weight loss or weight gain goals. If you don’t know that 3,500 calories = 1lb of body weight, then you need to read my previous post on weight loss HERE.

Here are a few important rules you’ll want to follow:

• On workout days, you want to consume the majority of your calories POST workout. Ideally, immediately after your workout, but if you workout early in the morning you can consider breakfast and lunch part of your post-workout window. Your post workout meal(s) should be high in carbohydrates and protein. If possible, you want the majority of your carbs to come from starchy sources: breads, rice, potatoes, etc.
• On workout days you want to shoot for .7g to .8g of protein per pound of body weight. Therefore, if you weigh 150lbs, try to consume 100g to 120g protein. Ideally, the majority in your post-workout window.
• On rest days (non-strength training days) you want to significantly reduce your calories. You should only eat about 1/2 of your daily allowance of calories on a low calorie/carb day. Therefore, if your daily allowance is normally 2,000, then you will only eat 1,000. You should be very purposeful about the types of foods you eat and avoid any little “snacks” you don’t need. I would also suggest skipping breakfast (GASP!) and eating your first meal at lunchtime. This will help you stay low on your calories and carbs.
• On rest days you want to go LOW carb. This takes planning and even more discipline. Low carb days are miserable (for me at least…I’m hungry and tired)…and by dinner time you are craving carbs like nobody’s business…but don’t give in! A goal should be to try to keep total carb intake for the day below 40g. If you can do less than that…awesome! 
• On rest days you still want to get good sources of protein when you eat, so a grilled chicken salad, an egg omelet, or something like that is an excellent choice. Don't be concerned about how much fat is in what you are eating. Fat is ok, just avoid the carbs and stay low calorie.

Scenario #1: Boot Camper with a weight Loss Goal

Let’s say Boot Camper #1 is a female, who weighs 180lbs, works out in the Black Camp (T/Th morning) and wants to lose weight. Outside of Boot Camp she likes to run/jog 2 days a week (one more intense running day, and one light jogging day) and does the weekend challenges, mostly on Saturdays. After calculating her BMR with activity level, it is determined that if she wants to lose 1lb per week she’ll need to average eating 1,800 calories per day. With her strategy of calorie cycling, she has 3 strength training days per week (2 days Boot Camp + the challenge day), 2 cardio days per week, and 2 days with no exercise.

1. We want to start off with calculating her total caloric intake for the week: 1,800 calories x 7 days = 12,600 calories for the week.
2. Next, we’ll determine the amount of calories partitioned for low calorie days. We’ll allow only ½ of the daily allowance for low calorie days. Therefore only 900 calories per day. We’ll consider the 2 rest days (no exercise) low calorie days, and the light jogging day a low calorie day as well. Therefore 3 days x 900 calories = 2,700 calories.
3. Finally, we’ll find out how many calories we have left over to use on our workout days by subtracting the rest day calories from the weekly allowance: 12,700 – 2,700 = 9,900 calories. Then divide the remaining calories by the 4 workout days: 9,900 calories / 4 days = 2,475 calories per workout day.

So here is how this camper’s week will look:

Sunday – Intense Run Day – 2,475 calories

Monday - Rest day - 900 calories

Tuesday – Boot Camp workout day - 2,475 calories

Wednesday – Rest day - 900 calories

Thursday – Boot Camp workout day - 2,475 calories

Friday – Light Run Day - 900 calories

Saturday – weekend challenge workout day - 2,475 calories

This strategy will allow for more effective fat burning and muscle repair, while at the same time allowing for a 1lb drop in weight each week. The workout days also allow this camper to eat more calories; a comfortable 2,475 calories, versus just 1,800. The trade-off is enduring the 3 low calorie/carb days. If you ask me, the benefits definitely outweigh the uncomfortable low calorie/carb days.

Scenario #2: Boot Camper who doesn't do anything outside of Boot Camp

First of all…shame on you for not doing anything outside of Boot Camp! If you have a weight loss goal, and you are only exercising 2 days a week, then you are selling yourself short. However, you can still lose weight, you’ll just have to be really diligent with your calories. Let’s use the same camper BMR above, but due to this campers reduced activity level, they would only be able to consume 1,650 calories per day if they want to lose 1lb per week. Assuming this person also wants to eat more liberally Friday and Saturday, we’re going to give them more calories then. So here is the breakdown following the same formulas above to reach daily calorie goals:

Here is how this camper’s week will look:

Sunday – Rest day – 850 calories

Monday - Rest day - 850 calories

Tuesday – Boot Camp workout day - 2,500 calories

Wednesday – Rest day - 850 calories

Thursday – Boot Camp workout day - 2,500 calories

Friday – Rest day – 2,000 calories

Saturday – Rest day - 2,000 calories

This person will still be able to lose 1lb per week, and should still see progress on their body composition goals. However, they are unlikely to see as much fitness improvements as someone who is exercising more regularly. They also have 2 low calorie/carb days back to back...that is really hard to do. I can do one day as long as it is preceded by and followed by a high calorie day. I don't believe that I could adhere to 2 days in a row of low calories/carbs.

Questions?

I hope this short blog post makes sense and explains why calorie cycling can be so effective. I am convinced that my body composition wouldn't be where it is today without calorie cycling. If you have any questions I’d be happy to answer them. E-mail me directly or post a question in the comment box below.

Happy Cycling!

Scripture for the Day:

In a Bible study with a friend today, we had a good discussion about John 11:47-52: ⁴⁷ Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. ⁴⁸ If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” ⁴⁹ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, ⁵⁰ nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” ⁵¹ Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, ⁵² and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Caiaphas, the high priest, prophesied one of the greatest truths in all scripture, the essence of the Gospel itself, that one man (Jesus Christ) would die so that the people (all those who accept Christ as Savior) would not perish. Unfortunately for Caiaphas, he didn't believe that Jesus was who He said he was. Caiaphas was plotting with the other Pharisees to kill Jesus because He was a threat to their way of life...a threat to their power over the people. The Pharisees were a mix between a political government and a religious government. They were the leaders of the people, and if all of the Jewish people believed in Jesus and began to follow Him, the Pharisees would be obsolete, and they feared that the Romans would take over...destroying the nation of Israel. That is what Caiaphas meant when he said in verse 50 that it is expedient for one man to die for the people that the whole nation not perish...they wanted to kill Jesus so that they could keep their power. Isn't it incredible how God can use even the blindness and malicious intent of the Pharisees to reveal the truth...the perfect will of God? Wow!