Weight Loss Programs With Slow Carbs, Fast Carbs & Protein

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are all essential nutrients for your diet, according to "The Abs Diet" by David Zinczenko. Proper timing of dietary proteins, slow carbs and fast carbs help ensure weight loss success. However, there are several ways to include them in your diet and exercise plan. These weight loss programs all emphasize the use of slow carbs, fast carbs and protein. Always consult with your doctor before beginning any weight loss program.

The Holy Grail Body Transformation

Tom Venuto's "The Holy Grail Body Transformation Program" recommends a cyclic approach to nutrition that includes slow and fast carbohydrates, as well as high protein. He recommends a daily protein intake of 1 to 1.5 g per pound of your body weight, divided among five or six small meals throughout the day. For the carbohydrates, you take a targeted approach, timing slow and fast carbs when they best promote muscle building and fat burning. Slow carbohydrates such as oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole-grain pastas and breads or vegetables make up most of your carb intake. Fast-digesting carbohydrates provide sugars for muscle recovery after resistance training workouts. Examples of these fast or high-glycemic carbs include watermelon, mangos, white bread or rice, dextrose or maltodextrin. Carbohydrate intake should either bracket your workouts or taper as the day goes on.

Metabolic Surge

"Metabolic Surge" by Nick Nilsson recommends a novel macro-nutrient cycling approach, emphasizing low-carb, low-fat and low-protein days. The first week, for example, you follow a five-day low-carb diet by taking in no more than 30 to 50 g of carbohydrates per day. Fast carbs best serve your weight loss goals when taken in before or after your workouts. Nilsson recommends circuit training, a form of weight lifting that has you do several exercises for one to four sets each, back-to-back with little rest between sets. After the initial five-day low-carb primer, you eat only protein for one whole day to completely drain your muscle glycogen, or stored carbohydrate. The following day, you eat only fruit and avoid dietary protein. This drains the amino acid pool to prime the body for super-compensation. The next week you take in high carbohydrates, high proteins and low fat. According to Nilsson, the effect resembles that of a sponge, as your body soaks up the needed nutrients to fuel fat-burning and muscle-building. Repeat the cycle by returning to a low-carb diet the next week.

Xtreme Lean

In a world of dieting extremes, "Xtreme Lean" by Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman takes a more moderate approach to carbohydrate intake. They recommend enough carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores, without spilling over into fat storage or inhibiting fat burning. For a 200 lb. male, this number might be 150 g of carbohydrates per day. Carbohydrate intake can prove tricky because your individual metabolism effects your optimal amount. Protein intake stays high at one to 1.5 g per pound of body weight, or about 20 to 30 g or more per six meals a day. Unlike many other programs, Lawson and Holman stress the importance of healthy fats such as olive oil, almonds and omega-3 fish oil -- taking in fewer than 25 to 30 percent of your calories from essential fatty acids can inhibit fat burning hormone production in the body. Fast-digesting carbohydrates intake should be timed after workouts or in the morning on non-workout days.