Here is the Carb Cycling calculator for weight loss and fat loss. All you have to do is check your gender and enter your body weight in pounds… and the calculator will automatically determine your macros:
Carb Cycling Calculator
Your Macronutrient Targets:
Low Carb Day
Carbs: grams
Protein: grams
Fats: grams
Medium Carb Day
Carbs: grams
Protein: grams
Fats: grams
High Carb Day
Carbs: grams
Protein: grams
Fats: grams
This carb cycling calculator for weight loss uses the following numbers to determine your macronutrient requirements:
| MEN | Carbohydrates | Protein | Fat |
| Low Carb | 0.25 grams per lb. of body weight | 1.5 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.35 grams per lb. of body weight |
| Medium Carb Day | 0.5-1.0 grams per lb. of bodyweight | 1.25 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.15 grams per lb. of body weight |
| High Carb Day | 1.5 grams per lb. of body weight | 1.0 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.08 grams per lb. of body weight |
| WOMEN | Carbohydrates | Protein | Fat |
| Low Carb | 0.2 grams per lb. of body weight | 1.0 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.1 grams per lb. of body weight |
| Medium Carb Day | 0.5 grams per lb. of bodyweight | 0.8 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.15 grams per lb. of body weight |
| High Carb Day | 0.75 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.6 grams per lb. of body weight | 0.15 grams per lb. of body weight |
Keep in mind, these are more ballpark macro estimates. You may have to tweak your macro numbers since individuals vary.
This also doesn’t account for incidental calories like those from cooking oils/sprays, sauces, condiments, beverage add-ins, etc.
Check out my guides below for more on how to use a carb cycling diet plan to burn fat fast while keeping and building lean muscle:
Why Carb Cycling Works So Well
Carb cycling is a dieting method where you strategically alternate your carbohydrate intake throughout the week. You’ll have low-carb days, high-carb days, and medium-carb days.
Instead of consuming the same amount of carbs, protein, and fats every day, you’ll strategically cycle your intake of macronutrients based on your activity level, workout schedule, and specific goals (such as if you’re trying to lose weight).
Cycling your carbohydrate intake will provide your body with enough fuel for performance and recovery on higher-demanding days, but then promoting fat burning on your lower intensity or rest days.
Higher intensity days will naturally need more fuel, so you’ll have a high-carb day. But on your lower intensity and rest days, you won’t need as much fuel, so it’ll be a low-carb day (promotes fat burning).
Carb cycling is different from the keto diet or traditional low-carb diets because you’re not staying consistently low all the time or eliminating carbs altogether.
The keto diets keep your carbs very, very low, under 50 grams at all times, forcing your body into ketosis. Traditional low-carb diets also restrict your carbs all the time, and you get no days off. Carb cycling gives you flexibility so you can have more carbs on days you need the energy (like intense training days).
You’ll also get a break from eating low carb all the time, and it’ll allow you to have some higher-carb meals. Then, once your glycogen stores are full, you can dial back on the carbs again to focus on burning fat.
The flexibility that carb cycling provides makes it an effective and sustainable long-term dieting method that will also get fast results.
You can be a bodybuilder, a beginner just looking to burn fat and lose weight, or an athlete looking to strategically fuel workouts and speed recovery while at the same time burning fat and staying lean.
Carb cycling is a great option for those who don’t want to commit to the all-or-nothing nature of eating keto or strict low-carb all the time. But with carb cycling, you can still have those higher-carb days and meals and reap many of the fat-burning benefits.
Unlock Carb Cycling: Ignite Fat Loss
Key Takeaways:
Most beginners make the mistake of randomly mixing high and low-carb days. But to get the best results, you’re going to want to strategically align high-carb days with higher-intensity workouts and low-carb days with rest days or lower recovery.
Low-carb days are your fat-burning days. This is when insulin levels are low enough to allow for maximum fat burning while keeping your lean muscle.
You’ll want to have more low-carb days during the week if your main goal is fat loss or weight loss. Low-carb days are designed to ramp up fat burning by keeping your carbs to a minimum. Your body prioritizes using glucose for energy, but on low-carb days, you won’t have much, so your body has to turn to your fat stores instead.
This promotes fat loss because your body is forced to burn through your fat stores for fuel. You’ll also have a high amount of protein on these days to prevent muscle breakdown. Severe calorie restriction and cutting carbs too hard for too long can result in muscle breakdown.
For most individuals, having one or two high-carb days per week is a good starting point for fat loss.
On high-carb days, you’re drastically increasing your carb intake, and you should plan your higher-intensity workouts (HIIT) on these days. Heavy lifting days, such as leg day or doing compound lifts (deadlifts or squats), are a great way to plan around a high-carb day. The extra carbs on your high-carb day will be like a source of premium fuel for your body to power through harder workouts and recover faster.
If weight loss and fat loss are your primary goals, then I’d recommend having four low-carb days during the week and one high-carb day. The last two days will be medium or moderate-carb days. Plan your high-carb day, preferably on a Saturday or Sunday, when most people want to cheat and eat more carbs on the weekend.
Personalizing Your Carb Cycling Schedule
Personalizing your carb cycling schedule and macros depends on your goals, body type, and activity level.
With the carb cycling calculator here, you’ll get a rough estimate of whether you’re working out consistently during the week and whether your main goal is weight loss or fat loss. But everybody’s body is unique, so you may need to play with your macros or schedule to find the sweet spot for results.
If you notice you’ve plateaued, then cutting back on your total calories and macronutrients will help to continue weight loss. Also, keep in mind that carb cycling is meant to preserve muscle mass. So even though the scale may not be going down, that doesn’t mean that your body isn’t burning fat, but keeping muscle.
Instead of just tracking your weight, also track your body fat percentage with a smart scale and your inches by using a measuring tape.
If your fat loss plateaus, you can change your high-carb day to more of a medium day and change one of the previous medium days to a low-carb day. You can also increase cardio to burn even more fat, so you keep getting results.
Ideally, you’ll spread your meals out to five to seven per day, eating every two and a half to three hours or so.
This is to keep optimal blood sugar levels, metabolism, and amino acid turnover. But I know eating this frequently can be hard for a lot of people. If that’s so, then focus on just getting your macronutrient intake right.
Divide your daily protein intake evenly over your meals for the day. Your body can only absorb so much protein at a time, usually under 30 grams. So, evenly spacing your protein between meals can improve protein absorption.
The Biggest Mistake With Carb Cycling:
The biggest rule with carb cycling is never to have two high-carb days back to back because it’ll cause you to store fat. I prefer to space high-carb days, 2-3 days apart, and it’s best to have a low-carb day following a high-carb day when your glycogen stores are full.
And on higher-carb days, divide your daily carb intake evenly, just like you did with protein. But on low-carb days, try to limit your carbs to your first meals of the day and your post-workout meal.
On low and medium carb days, you’ll have extra fats that you’ll want to spread out evenly throughout your non-carbohydrate meals. There’s a range for carbs on medium-carb days depending on how you’re feeling and your goals. If you want more rapid fat loss, then go on the lower carb end… but if you’re feeling depleted and tired then go with the higher end (and lower protein and fats to compensate).
Ideally, you won’t mix heavy carbs and heavy fats in the same meal if your goal is weight loss.
When you eat a high-carb meal, your body releases insulin, which is a fat-storing hormone. So if you eat a lot of fat in the same meal, that dietary fat has nowhere to go when your insulin is high, so it will be more likely stored as fat.
Best Food Sources When Carb Cycling
While not totally necessary to get results, it’s best to eat the best food sources when you’re carb cycling if you want to also maximize fat loss.
The majority of your carbs on low-carb days will ideally be low sugar and low glycemic. You’ll further maximize glycogen depletion by keeping your insulin as low as possible. This will further enhance fat burning by keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels low.
My favorites are low glycemic fruits and vegetables because they contain fiber that helps to slow sugar absorption and are also very filling while providing lots of nutrients. On high-carb days, try to have your starchier carbohydrates after working out. Post-workout carbs go more towards replenishing depleted muscle glycogen instead of being stored as fat.
Try using a natural GLP-1 booster with carb cycling to reduce hunger, curb cravings, and improve your body’s insulin sensitivity to sugars and carbs to promote fat loss.
Drug‑free, natural plant-based GLP‑1 support for lasting appetite control & metabolic balance.
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- Inhibits fat & carb enzymes to reduce calorie absorption
- Supports healthy blood sugar for steady energy and metabolic wellness
Trainer Josh is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition with over 20 years of hands-on coaching experience. Since 2005, he’s helped thousands of clients get leaner, stronger, and healthier through customized training and nutrition plans.
