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Intermittent Fasting Carb Cycle Diet

Intermittent Fasting Carb Cycle Diet

Eat the foods you love while staying lean for the long term with this brutally effective combination of Intermittent Fasting and carbohydrate cycling.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated September 28, 2023

If you follow me on social media, you know that I keep my body photo shoot ready at all times. I stand just over 6 feet tall and weigh around 215 pounds with 4%-5% body fat. I maintain that year round despite being on the road almost as many days as I’m home. Most people are shocked that I’m able to maintain all my muscle mass and stay so lean while living in hotels, eating at restaurants and making my way around the globe via planes, trains and automobiles.

But I have a secret. It's my diet. Yet it’s not really a diet. It’s a lifestyle.

I call it Intermittent Fasting Carb Cycle. (IF Carb Cycle or IFCC, for short.) It allows me to live on the road and stay shredded to the bone without much effort and with very few dietary restrictions.

Thing is, I'm a big time “foodie.” I love donuts, among other delicious and not-so healthy foods. My IF Carb Cycle diet allows me to eat most foods, within reason, and of course, within a certain time. Some weeks, I may have donuts three days or more!

Obviously, there’s no true way to eat whatever you want, whenever you want it, and still achieve impressive physique and fitness results. But you can get pretty close with just a little bit of discipline. And my IF Carb Cycle is just the discipline you need.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

In case you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s a quick primer: Intermittent Fasting (IF) involves periods of fasting alternated with eating “windows.” One of the most popular and effective IF schemes (not to mention the method I prefer) is a 16/8 plan where you fast for 16 consecutive hours and then consume all of your calories for the day in the following 8 hours. When you fast is up to you – you can fast from 10pm to 2pm the next day, 8pm to noon, midnight to 4pm, whatever you want. This method allows for maximal fat loss while still giving you the ability to build muscle. A 16/8 IF plan is intended to be done every day, indefinitely.

Another popular version of IF has you fasting a full 24 hours on any two days of the week. You’re allowed to eat at any time on the other five days, and fairly loosely, depending on your goals. This is called the 5/2 method. Personally, I don’t prefer this method because of the extended length of the fast – a full 24 hours. I also don’t like the concept of doing IF part time. As I said, IF is a lifestyle.

On my 16/8 IFCC plan, I personally fast from midnight to 4pm EVERY day. Then I eat from 4pm until 12:00am, and repeat the cycle. The nice thing is, you can be fairly loose with what you eat during the feeding period – as long as you hit your macros for the day. But you MUST stick close within your macros.

This may seem like an obvious point, but I’ll mention it anyway just to be perfectly clear: Fasting means consuming zero calories. No food or calorie-containing beverages. In fact, I generally recommend avoiding artificially-sweetened drinks as well, since the sweetness in them could raise blood insulin levels (the science is still inconclusive on this). While fasting, you can drink water, black coffee and plain green tea. That’s pretty much it.

This is worth mentioning because I often hear people say things like, “When I’m fasting I’ll sip on some BCAAs or drink coffee with grass-fed butter in it.” If you’re doing this, you’re not staying in a truly fasted state. For more information on acceptable beverages to drink during a fast, check out my Intermittent Fasting FAQs article and accompanying video.

The Science of Intermittent Fasting

Research confirms that not only does IF work well to enhance fat loss, but it also offers numerous health benefits, including better insulin sensitivity, improved cholesterol levels, enhanced immune function, and even an improved ability to combat jet lag. There’s also some evidence that IF can improve red blood cell and hemoglobin levels, which could improve performance.

The main way IF works is by increasing the number of calories your body burns. My old lab at Yale University School of Medicine (New Haven, Connecticut), along with colleagues at the University of Copenhagen, did a lot of research on fasting and fat loss in the early 2000s.

Our group published several papers showing that fasting actually increases the number of calories you burn at rest. This is due to the fact that fasting turns on genes that produce specialized proteins called uncoupling proteins (UCPs). These UCPs poke holes in the mitochondria of cells (ie, muscle cells). The mitochondria are where most of our body’s energy, in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is derived from, especially at rest. As a result of poking these holes, the mitochondria produce less energy and have to burn far more calories to produce the same amount of energy (ATP).

The gene regulation of UCPs due to exercise and diet was one of my main focuses during my time at Yale. They can have a significant impact on the body’s metabolism, as seen with IF. For more details on the science and application of IF, read my Intermittent Fasting: Fat-Burning Blitz article.

IF Convenience

If science-backed benefits on your health, physique and performance aren't compelling enough, consider this practical selling point of IF: convenience.

Take my schedule, for example. I fast from midnight until 4pm every day. That means I don't have to worry about food or eating until the late afternoon. I have no time wasted on food prep or even sitting down to eat. There’s no need to pack food in Tupperware containers for when I’m out and about, and I don’t have to worry about how to order a “safe” meal from a restaurant.

Not worrying about food until the evening allows me more time to focus on important things like work and carpooling my kids to school and other activities. IF allows me to get more done in a typical day than most people. And that’s imperative given the many hats I wear as the owner, creator, formulator, scientist, athlete and education director of JYM Supplement Science and JimStoppani.com.

There’s also the convenience of not having to play referee every time food is present. With IF, if it’s not your feeding window, you don’t eat the food in question. IF actually gives your brain a break. Once your body knows the pattern, it knows to not even bother you with cravings. This works very well for people who easily give into temptation.

Hunger and Perspective

If you think you're going to be hungry during your fasting window, you’re 100% correct. But stay solid with IF for a week or more and that hunger won’t bother you much. You may even come to prefer it versus the feeling of a fed state.

Another point I’ll make about IF is that it keeps you hungry – not just literally, but figuratively, too. Going without food despite being surrounded by ample amounts of it at all times reminds you of the millions of people around the world who don’t have the luxury of eating when they’re hungry. Being hungry and not being able to curb that hunger with food creates empathy for those who are starving for real every single day.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that almost 800 million people go hungry in the world. It’s estimated that over 50 million people go hungry in the Unites States. My hope is that IF not only makes a big change in your health and your body, but that it also inspires you to help those who can’t eat when they want. Whether that help comes in the form of donating time at a local soup kitchen or food bank, or it comes in the form of a donation to organizations like FeedAmerica.org, which I also support, is up to you.

It may sound silly, but altruism can have a very positive impact on your health – research actually supports this. Aside from the benefits you can gain, think of the benefits that you can provide others. After all, those of us that got into the fitness industry did so because we want to help others.

IF Meets Carb Cycling

My style of Intermittent Fasting doesn't mean that you fast until a certain time and then just eat whatever you want – though it’s not far off from that much of the time. Here are the main parameters of my IF Carb Cycle plan:

Each week you’ll choose three low-carb days, three moderate-carb days and one high-carb day. It doesn't matter what days of the week these fall on, and you can change days as you go. For example, you may get a sudden dinner invitation and decide to make that your high-carb day. Or, on days when you have to work late or are traveling and know you won't have much time for food, or when you won't be exposed to much temptation, you can make those your low-carb days.
On your three low-carb days, you’ll consume either 0.5 gram or 0.25 gram of carbs per pound of body weight, depending on your current diet. If you currently eat 1 gram of carbs per pound or less, your low-carb day will be 0.25 grams per pound; if you eat more than 1 gram of carbs per pound, your low-carb days will consist of 0.5 gram of carbs or less.
On your three moderate-carb days, you’ll eat either 0.5 gram per pound or 1 gram per pound. If you currently eat 1 gram of carbs per pound of body weight or less, your moderate-carb days will allow you to eat 0.5 gram of carbs per pound; if you currently eat more than 1 gram of carbs per pound, you’ll eat 1 gram of carbs per pound on moderate-carb days.
On your weekly high-carb day, you can eat pretty much as many carbs as you want. Be sure to eat at least 2 grams per pound of bodyweight on this day, and up to 4 grams per pound. Enjoy!

Carb Cycle Cliff Notes:

Low-Carb Days (three per week): 0.25g or 0.5g per pound of bodyweight
Moderate-Carb Days (three per week): 0.5g or 1g per pound of bodyweight
High-Carb Day (one per week): 2g-4g per pound of bodyweight

Macro Muscle

With your carbs set for each day of the week, the other two macronutrients to fit into your diet equation are protein and fat. Anyone who knows anything about building muscle knows that it takes protein to do it. So it almost goes without saying that you need to be getting in adequate protein in your feeding window.

Every day, regardless of whether you’re going low, moderate or high on carbs, you want to eat a bare minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Ideally, you should be hitting around 1.5 grams, especially on the low-carb days. On the high-carb day and even moderate carb days, protein can be closer to 1 gram, but still shoot for 1.5. Just don't kill yourself if you don't get there – unless you’re under 1 gram. Then you have my permission to be harsh on yourself!

Protein is particularly important for IF in regard to the first meal following your fast. Research from my previous lab at Yale School of Medicine discovered that one of the main ways IF works is by boosting metabolism – it essentially makes cells less efficient at deriving energy so that more fat and protein need to be burned for the same amount of energy. Moreover, my lab found that if you follow the fasting period with a high-protein, low-carb meal, it further boosts metabolic rate. On the flip side, if you break the fast with a high-carb meal, the boost in metabolic rate stimulated by the fasting is reduced. So even on high-carb days, you should wait at least an hour to have carbs after your first high-protein meal.

Fat is also important for building muscle, maintaining health and even aiding fat loss. You should shoot for 0.5 gram of dietary fat per pound of body weight daily. Essentially, you’ll eat half your body weight in grams of fat.

Timing Is Everything

I'm a firm believer in timing, and that couldn't ring any truer than with IF. As I already mentioned, the timing of high protein and low carbs as your first meal is important for optimal results.

Another timing rule with IF is to train within or right before your feeding window. If you cherish your hard-earned muscle mass, you MUST train around your feeding window. It's critical to have certain nutrients available around workouts for optimal gains in muscle strength, endurance, muscle growth and even fat loss. It's even more critical to have certain nutrients available for recovery immediately after the workout is over.

If you can't train within your feeding window, do your best to have your first meal within two hours of your workout. That way, you at least get the critical amino acids and carbs to your muscles for adequate recovery.

Intuitive IF

The nice thing about the IF Carb Cycle diet is that it's easy to prevent yourself from going overboard and shooting way over your macros. It just takes a little thought and some quick planning.

For example, say that Friday night you have dinner plans at your favorite restaurant. You know you're going to be tempted to eat your favorite fatty appetizer and a carb-heavy entree. And then there’s dessert! Yeah, I know the place well!

All you have to do in an instance like this is cut your feeding window back so that your only food of the day is that big dinner and perhaps a scoop or two of Pro JYM. That way, even if you go over on one or two macros, you’ll likely be under on the other one or two. Plus, the extra time spent fasting will further prevent any damage from some extra fat and carbs for the night.

You can also change your feeding and fasting windows based on when you need to train or eat on a given day. For example, let's say you typically start your feeding window at 4pm because you train after that time, but one day you need to train two hours earlier than normal. Simply start eating at 2pm, which is two hours earlier than your standard day. Don't worry that you haven't fasted for a full 16 hours. Give yourself some leeway.

That’s an important point to make – give yourself some flexibility when following IF. Yes, I like to stay fairly strict with the 16/8 scheme, but it doesn’t have to always be so rigid. For me, some days I fast for more than 16 hours if I know I have a big feast coming up), while somedays I may only fast for 14 or 15 hours if I have a specific scheduling issue. If you have to shorten your fast on a given day, no problem – just get right back on schedule the next day. Sure, you can end your feeding window a couple hours earlier than normal if you want, but you don’t have to. Life’s too short to fret over a fasting period cut an hour or two short.

Say 'No' to Plateau

One of the nice things about carb cycling is that it helps to prevent the dreaded "plateau," where fat loss comes to a screeching halt. The problem with dieting is that your body doesn't want to be in a nutrient deficit. So when calories drop for prolonged periods, your metabolism drops as well so that you can exist on fewer calories. When this happens, fat loss slows or stops altogether.

When you've hit such a plateau, the only way to continue losing fat is to drop calories. Yet by cycling carbs and calories, the body doesn't adapt as quickly to the new calorie amounts – and that's a good thing for your fat loss efforts. You'll find that you can keep to the diet plan as outlined for a long time before hitting any sort of plateau.

I mentioned before that you can follow any order of days on the diet. In fact, I suggest that you don't schedule to be the same days every week. Varying what days are low carb, moderate carb and high carb from week to week can further help prolong a fat loss plateau. But if you do hit a plateau, there are several strategies you can employ to keep your fat burning on track.

Progress Report

If you hit a plateau, the easiest strategy is simply to reduce the number of days you eat moderate amounts of carbs. For example, you may notice that fat loss stalls after several months of following IFCC. To continue losing body fat after this happens, turn one moderate-carb day each week into a low-carb day. This means your new diet plan would involve four low-carb days, two moderate-carb days and one high-carb day.

I've designed the "Carb Cutter Progression Plan" to show you how to progress with this strategy over time. Each time you hit a plateau, jump to the next "phase" by converting another moderate-carb day to a low-carb day. Here's what that would look like...

Carb Cutter Progression Plan

Phase 1

3 low-carb days
3 moderate-carb days
1 high-carb day

Phase 2

4 low-carb days
2 moderate-carb days
1 high-carb day

Phase 3

5 low-carb days
1 moderate-carb days
1 high-carb day

Phase 4

6 low-carb days
0 moderate-carb days
1 high-carb day

Time Change

Another good strategy for continued fat loss is to change your fasting/feeding windows. When you hit a plateau, simply reduce the number of hours in your feeding window while lengthening your daily fast. For example, if you normally eat from 4pm to 12am, change that to 5pm to 12am or 4pm to 11pm – in other words, go from a 16/8 IF scheme to a 17/7 scheme (17-hour fast and 7-hour feeding window every day).

You can continue in this manner each time you hit a plateau. Here's an outline of how that progression might look...

Time Tightening Progression Plan

Phase 1: 16/8 plan

Fasting Window: 12am - 4pm
Feeding Window: 4pm - 12am

Phase 2: 17/7 plan

Fasting Window: 12am - 5pm
Feeding Window: 5pm - 12am

Phase 3: 18/6 plan

Fasting Window: 12am - 6pm
Feeding Window: 6pm - 12am

This progression plan works best for those who don't want to be as strict with their diets. By reducing the time of your feeding window, you're likely to eat less total food; that way, you don't have to cut carbs specifically, which allows for a looser diet. The choice is yours as to how you prefer to progress when you hit a fat loss plateau.

That said, some people won't actually hit a plateau, depending on their starting points and end goals. For example, if your goal is to reach 5% body fat and stay there, and you reach 5% by using my standard 16/8 plan as is, you can essentially live there and not have to utilize any of the aforementioned progression plans. If that's the case, you can play with your macros and calories to build muscle while maintaining that 5% level. That's precisely where I'm at now: maintaining my body fat while adding lean muscle. This allows for some fun meals! #donutsandabs

IF Carb Cycle Meal Plans

Below, I give you sample daily meal plans to following on the IFCC diet. The plans include sample low-carb, moderate-carb and high-carb days following three different training schedule scenarios: (1) for those training at the beginning of their feeding window, (2) for those training in the middle of their feeding window, and (3) for those training at the very end of their feeding window. I designed the three sample days with the different training scenarios for those currently eating more than 1 gram of carbs per pound per day as well as for those currently eating less than 1 gram – that's a total of 18 sample daily meal plans.

As with all my meal plans, this is just a sample to illustrate macronutrient breakdowns and how it might look throughout the day with actual foods. I intentionally made the meals similar day to day to show you how to make the needed changes on different days. Feel free to substitute in your favorite (comparable) foods if you don’t like the ones I offer. You can find appropriate substitutes in my Food Alternatives List and Food/Nutrient Database articles.

Sample diet for someone currently eating MORE than 1 gram of carbs per pound per day...

Low-Carb Days (0.5 gram of carbs per pound)

Low-carb days during the week should look similar to the daily meal plans below, which provide the 180-pound person 13 calories, 1.5 g protein, 0.5 g carbs, and 0.5 g fat per pound of body weight.

Training at Start of Feeding Window

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 2 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Post JYM Active Matrix, Post JYM Dextrose and Pro JYM in 20-32 ounces of water. Or, mix Post JYM Active Matrix and Post JYM Dextrose in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 8-16 ounces of water.

Meal 3 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 4

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 5 (Snack)

1 can sardines

Meal 6

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,300 calories, 265 g protein, 95 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training Midway Through Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 3 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 4 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 5

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 6 (Snack)

1 can sardines

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,300 calories, 260 g protein, 95 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training at the End of Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 scoop Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 2

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 3 (Snack)

1 can sardines
1 scoop Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 4

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 5 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 6 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,300 calories, 260 g protein, 95 g carbs, 95 g fat

Moderate-Carb Days (1 gram of carbs per pound)

Moderate-carb days during the week should look similar to the daily meal plans below, which provide the 180-pound person 15 calories, 1.5 g protein, 1 g carbs, and 0.5 g fat per pound of body weight.

Training at Start of Feeding Window

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 2 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM

Meal 3 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 cup cooked oatmeal
2 tsp. brown sugar

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter; sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar.

Meal 4

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 5 (Snack)

1 can sardines
5 whole-grain crackers

Meal 6

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
1 large baked sweet potato
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. of water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,700 calories, 275 g protein, 185 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training Midway Through Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2 (30-60 minutes after Meal 1)

1 cup cooked oatmeal
2 tsp. brown sugar

Sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar.

Meal 3

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 4 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 5 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 6

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 7 (Snack)

1 can sardines
5 whole-grain crackers

Meal 8

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,700 calories, 275 g protein, 185 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training at the End of Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2 (30-60 minutes after Meal 1)

1 cup cooked oatmeal
2 tsp. brown sugar

Sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar.

Meal 3

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 4 (Snack)

1 can sardines
5 whole-grain crackers
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pro JYM in 4-8 oz. of water.

Meal 5

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
1 large baked sweet potato
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 6 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 7 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,700 calories, 275 g protein, 185 g carbs, 95 g fat

High-Carb Days (2+ grams of carbs per pound)

Your high-carb days during the week should look similar to the daily meal plans below, which provide the 180-pound person 21 calories, 1.5 g protein, 2.5 g carbs, and 0.5 g fat per pound of body weight.

Training at Start of Feeding Window

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 2 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
1 brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tart
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 3

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium banana
1 cup cooked oatmeal
3 tsp. brown sugar

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter; sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar, and slice banana and add oats or eat alone.

Meal 4

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 cup rice
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add rice and continue to cook. Add shrimp and desired seasonings. Cook to desired tenderness.

Meal 5

6" Subway turkey sandwich (double meat)
1 bag Popcorn Chips

Meal 6

4 slices cheese pizza
24 ounces of beer
1 cup ice cream

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Fluff
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 3,850 calories, 275 g protein, 450 g carbs, 100 g fat

Training Midway Through Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2 (30-60 minutes after Meal 1)

1 medium banana
1 cup cooked oatmeal
3 tsp. brown sugar

Sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar, and slice banana and add oats or eat alone.

Meal 3

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 cup rice
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add rice and continue to cook. Add shrimp and desired seasonings. Cook to desired tenderness.

Meal 4 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 5 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 6

6" Subway turkey sandwich (double meat)
1 bag Popcorn Chips

Meal 7

4 slices cheese pizza
24 ounces of beer
1 cup ice cream

Meal 8

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Fluff
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 3,800 calories, 275 g protein, 450 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training at the End of Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2 (30-60 minutes after Meal 1)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 medium banana
1 cup cooked oatmeal
3 tsp. brown sugar
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar, and slice banana and add oats or eat alone.

Meal 3

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 cup rice
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add rice and continue to cook. Add shrimp and desired seasonings. Cook to desired tenderness.

Meal 4

6" Subway turkey sandwich (double meat)
1 bag Popcorn Chips

Meal 5

4 slices cheese pizza
24 ounces of beer
1 cup ice cream

Meal 6 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 7 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose

Meal 8

2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Fluff
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 3,800 calories, 275 g protein, 440 g carbs, 100 g fat

Sample diet for someone currently eating LESS than 1 gram of carbs per pound per day...

Low-Carb Days (0.25 gram of carbs per pound)

Low-carb days during the week should look similar to the daily meal plans below, which provide the 180-pound person 11 calories, 1.5 g protein, 0.25 g carbs, and 0.5 g fat per pound of body weight.

Training at Start of Feeding Window

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 2 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Post JYM Active Matrix and Pro JYM in 20-32 ounces of water. Or, mix Post JYM Active Matrix in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 8-16 ounces of water.

Meal 3 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 4

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 5 (Snack)

1 can sardines

Meal 6

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,000 calories, 265 g protein, 45 g carbs, 90 g fat

Training Midway Through Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 3 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 4 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Post JYM Active Matrix and Pro JYM in 20-32 ounces of water. Or, mix Post JYM Active Matrix in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 8-16 ounces of water.

Meal 5 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 6 (Snack)

1 can sardines

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,000 calories, 265 g protein, 45 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training at the End of Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 scoop Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter. Mix Pro JYM in 4-8 oz. water.

Meal 2

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 3 (Snack)

1 can sardines
1 scoop Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 4-8 oz. water.

Meal 4

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 5 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 6 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix

Mix Post JYM Active Matrix and Pro JYM in 20-32 ounces of water. Or, mix Post JYM Active Matrix in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 8-16 ounces of water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,000 calories, 265 g protein, 45 g carbs, 95 g fat

Moderate-Carb Days (0.5 gram of carbs per pound)

Moderate-carb days during the week should look similar to the daily meal plans below, which provide the 180-pound person 13 calories, 1.5 g protein, 0.5 g carbs, and 0.5 g fat per pound of body weight.

Training at Start of Feeding Window

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 2 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 3 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 4

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 5 (Snack)

1 can sardines

Meal 6

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. of water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,300 calories, 265 g protein, 95 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training Midway Through Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 3 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 4 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 5 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 6 (Snack)

1 can sardines

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,300 calories, 265 g protein, 95 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training at the End of Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 scoop Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter. Mix Pro JYM in 4-8 oz. water.

Meal 2

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add shrimp and desired seasonings.

Meal 3 (Snack)

1 can sardines
1 scoop Pro JYM
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 4-8 oz. of water.

Meal 4

8 oz. 90% lean ground beef
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp olive oil and vinegar

Make ground beef into a patty and grill, broil or fry; add olive oil and vinegar to salad and toss.

Meal 5 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 6 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 2,300 calories, 260 g protein, 95 g carbs, 95 g fat

High-Carb Days (2+ grams of carbs per pound)

Training at Start of Feeding Window

Meal 1 (Pre-Workout)

1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 2 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
1 brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tart
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 3 (30-60 minutes after post-workout meal)

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium banana
1 cup cooked oatmeal
3 tsp. brown sugar

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter; sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar, and slice banana and add oats or eat alone.

Meal 4

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 cup rice
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add rice and continue to cook. Add shrimp and desired seasonings. Cook to desired tenderness.

Meal 5

6" Subway turkey sandwich (double meat)
1 bag Popcorn Chips

Meal 6

4 slices cheese pizza
24 ounces of beer
1 cup ice cream

Meal 7

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Fluff
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 7)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 3,850 calories, 275 g protein, 450 g carbs, 100 g fat

Training Midway Through Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 serving Vita JYM

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2 (30-60 minutes after Meal 1)

1 medium banana
1 cup cooked oatmeal
3 tsp. brown sugar

Sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar, and slice banana and add oats or eat alone.

Meal 3

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 cup rice
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add rice and continue to cook. Add shrimp and desired seasonings. Cook to desired tenderness.

Meal 4 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 5 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Meal 6

6" Subway turkey sandwich (double meat)
1 bag Popcorn Chips

Meal 7

4 slices cheese pizza
24 ounces of beer
1 cup ice cream

Meal 8

2 scoops Pro JYM
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Fluff
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Mix Pro JYM in 8-16 oz. water.

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 3,800 calories, 275 g protein, 450 g carbs, 95 g fat

Training at the End of Feeding Window

Meal 1

3 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites
1 pat butter (grass fed)

Scramble eggs and cook in pan with butter.

Meal 2 (30-60 minutes after Meal 1)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 medium banana
1 cup cooked oatmeal
3 tsp. brown sugar
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Sweeten oatmeal with brown sugar, and slice banana and add oats or eat alone.

Meal 3

8 oz. shrimp
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 cup rice
1 pat butter (grass fed)
1 medium apple
1 serving Vita JYM

Stir fry vegetables in pan with butter. Add rice and continue to cook. Add shrimp and desired seasonings. Cook to desired tenderness.

Meal 4

6" Subway turkey sandwich (double meat)
1 bag Popcorn Chips

Meal 5

4 slices cheese pizza
24 ounces of beer
1 cup ice cream

Meal 6 (Pre-Workout)

1 medium apple
1 scoop Pre JYM
1 scoop Pro JYM

Mix Pre JYM and Pro JYM in 16-24 ounces of water. Or, mix Pre JYM in 16-24 ounces of water and mix Pro JYM separately in 4-8 ounces of water.

Meal 7 (Post-Workout)

2 scoops Pro JYM
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix
1 scoop Post JYM Dextrose

Meal 8

2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. Fluff
2 capsules Omega JYM
2,000 IU Vit. D

Nighttime Supplements (30-60 minutes before bedtime; at least 1 hour after/before Meal 8)

3 capsules ZMA JYM (females take 2 capsules)

Daily Totals: 3,800 calories, 275 g protein, 440 g carbs, 100 g fat

Food/Supplement Database

Below is a chart of every food in the above meal plans, broken out with calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat for each food in its listed serving size.

Food	Cal.	Prot.	Carbs	Fat
1 scoop Pre JYM	*
1 scoop Pro JYM	140	24	4	3
2 scoops Pro JYM	280	48	8	6
1 scoop Post JYM Active Matrix	*
1 scoops Post JYM Dextrose	128	0	30	0
2 capsules Omega JYM	*
1 serving Vita JYM	*
2,000 IU Vit. D	*
3 large whole eggs	222	18	2	15
3 large egg whites	51	12	0	0
1 pat butter (grass fed)	36	0	0	4
1 medium apple	95	0	25	0
8 oz. shrimp	240	46	2	4
1 cup mixed vegetables	40	1	8	0
1 can sardines	150	14	0	11
8 oz. 90% lean ground beef	400	48	0	24
2 cups mixed green salad	44	3	8	0
2 Tbsp. olive oil and vinegar	144	0	0	16
1 cup cooked oatmeal	147	6	25	2
2 tsp. brown sugar	24	0	6	0
5 whole-grain crackers	116	5	19	2
1 large baked sweet potato	160	4	37	0
1 Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tart	210	2	35	7
1 medium banana	105	1	27	0
1 cup rice	218	5	46	2
6" Subway Turkey sandwich (double meat)	330	28	48	5
1 bag Popcorn Chips	150	3	22	6
4 slices cheese pizza	400	8	21	8
24 oz. beer	292	2	20	0
1 cup ice cream	267	5	32	14
2 slices whole-wheat bread	160	10	34	2
1 Tbsp. peanut butter	94	4	3	8
2 Tbsp. Fluff	40	0	10	0

*Calories not significant enough to include.

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