Carb Cycling Intermittent Fasting (CCIF) is a short-term intermittent fasting (IF) modification. Synergized with the SpineFITyoga F5 Program, which I both do, recommend, and continue to optimize. The combination is what got my strength, stamina, and body fat percentage the best they have been in decades, in some ways better than ever, and in the above photo I'm 47 years old!

Part of the trick is that on the low-carb nights, while calories are minimal, you are still taking in what both research and my logbook suggest is sufficient, if not optimal protein for muscle gains without putting back fat. And while it's not the most enjoyable dinner, it…

1. Makes you hate an overnight fast less.
2. Works fast enough that you stay motivated.
3. Shows you substantial results (pounds) on the scale every day you do it.
4. Maintains, even allows you to gain, strength and muscle when otherwise fasting aggressively, preventing the loss of muscle, which disproportionately lowers your metabolism, and resultant yo-yoing as with conventional dieting. Rather, with CCIF, you're doing small-scale yo-yoing deliberately.
5. Seamlessly transitions into regular IF (which is more of a lifestyle), with all your hormones and habits used to a consistent evening eating window, thus preventing the bad kind of yo-yoing (gaining back all of your fat).

And then, what I'll talk about later, when you carb up on a "regular" night, your muscles just suck those carbs up and pop. What sports scientists refer to as supercompensation.

CCIF, in its most effective form, from a weight and fat loss perspective in my (and people I've observed) experience seems to be an every-other-day affair. I've tried two days of low-carb, one day high, and yeah, that "worked," but I was definitely playing with fire, with the risk being a huge food binge. A risk often not averted. So far I've maintained this level for two years [2026 edit: 11 years now] as I continue to optimize F5. It's rare that I need CCIF anymore, but it definitely burned off the fat when I needed it to. And I've had friends lose lots of weight with it.

CCIF is definitely a short-term strategy to hit a weight/body-fat-percentage goal quickly, within the greater framework of IF, should IF not be cutting it, or not cutting fat fast enough. Once you're at your goal weight and body composition, if regular IF can't keep you there, you're doing something wrong with it. CCIF is also a good cleanup to do the day after Thanksgiving, or better yet, the day before.

Most of what I research and test on myself, I do with a view on its applicability for others, so besides getting ripped I think CCIF is ideal for those looking to get their dieting over with and reach their optimal weight ASAP, so they can:

• stay motivated
• stop worrying about it
• be at a healthy weight sooner rather than never

All while minimizing the chance of freaking out in such a way as to undo so much hard work, and allowing a way to fix things after a bad meal that doesn't take an additional two weeks of "sensible portions" just to get back where you were. I think this lessens diet anxiety because it's such a powerful tool, knowing you can quickly mitigate damage if you do freak out. As it's a rare loss of control that a single CCIF or at worst (so far), a double can't fix.

When I refer to IF

I'm generally referring to the time-restricted eating variety with an eating window of 5 hours or less. This is how I started fasting in 2015. At this point it's normal, in fact preferable, for me is to eat just one meal a day, usually within an hour and a half or so, almost always after 5 pm, but the later the better. I think the popular 8/16 IF schedule (8 hours eating and 16 hours of fasting) is good if you are working out longer, or your foods are long on roughage, and short on calories, or you have a small stomach. But with S5 being only 5 minutes of exercise per day, combined with a standard American appetite, an 8 hour eating window is likely too slack. Besides, with an 8 hour window, you have to eat lunch, and I don't want to, because it only makes me tired. And if this talk about IF, eating windows is confusing, here's my article: Intermittent Fasting Types and Terminology.

Some context

There are a lot of IFers who exercise hard with weights and look awesome. I like weights; lifting them is effective, resistance levels can be modified to work for virtually everyone, so on the whole, they're great. In fact the bulk of the wisdoms, principles, and methods I incorporate into SpineFITyoga I learned in the weight room. Weights have been extremely good to me. However, not everyone has time for, nor access to a gym, and with S5 I've discovered that time or not, the gym isn't necessary unless you are trying to gain bodybuilder-type mass, and most people aren't.

My original challenge with SpineFITyoga was to see if I could create an home program for neck and back pain that doubled for total body fitness. One that rivaled my gym-based physical therapy routine utilizing free weights and weight machines. It took a couple of years of research and testing, but SpineFITyoga worked out exceptionally well. Most remarkable was the more I shortened it, the more I liked it, the more I wanted to do it, and the better it worked. This worked, all the way down to 5 minutes of exercise per day, and that's all I do and teach now.

The SpineFITyoga routines are described elsewhere and are not the subject of this page, but I wanted to set the context in which CCIF was developed. I wanted a diet that was effective, simple, inexpensive, and worked, even if you are only exercising for 5 minutes. Above all I wanted a diet that doesn't end when you reach your weight goal but rather evolves smoothly into a lifestyle where you live your goal, rather than bouncing off it. It's also what I have to do if I don't want to shame myself in my instructional videos.