The complete Cybergenic Diet

Cybergenics is a diet designed to help you lose weight fast and replace that weight with muscle. The diet is based on the idea that you lower the amount of foods you eat that cause you to gain weight specifically carbohydrates, while boosting the amount of foods you consume that help create muscle such as proteins. Cybergenics also provides you with supplements that will help maximize the beneficial effects of following the diet.

Estimating Weight
The first step of the Cybergenics diet is vitally important to the overall success of the plan. Estimating your ideal body will help you to plan your food intake during the course of the diet. An estimation of ideal weight is based on a measurement of your height and frame size. Tere are many online tools that you can use to perform the estimate (see Fitness tools category for these). Food intake during the diet is equated to a calorie intake that's divided up into four small meals each day.

CALORIES:
It is very important to feed your body. If you body does not get an adequate supply of calories or the correct balance of foods it will enter the dreaded self-preservation stage. When the body goes into this panicked state it defends against starvation by storing food for later use and slowing its metabolism. (Metabolism is the rate at which the body uses energy.) The only way the body can store food is to convert it into body fat. However, if you are taking in the correct amount of calories and the correct food balance - your body never feels threatened, so it relaxes. When the body is in this relaxed state -it can utilize stored body fat for energy and the body releases weight.
FATS:
Contrary to popular belief, your body requires a certain amount of fat daily to function properly. You should not eliminate fats completely from your diet. You must simply limit the total amount, avoid the bad fats (animal fats, poultry skin, butters, whole milk and dairy products) and have small amount of good fats (natural oils from grains, seeds and nuts such as olive and canola, and from fish).

CARBOHYDRATES:
These are the sugars (fruits, juices, raw sugar in baked goods) and starches (pasta, bread, potatoes) and are the main source of energy for all the muscles and bodily functions. Carbohydrates are converted by the body into glucose, a simple sugar which is either used or stored. For quick release of weight, it is best to keep the stores low by limiting carbohydrate intake and balancing meals properly. We have limited sugars because the body does not need to work much to digest them and tends to easily store extra energy from them, making you gain weight. These foods also increase blood sugar and insulin response making you hungrier and unsatisfied. Fresh fruits, juices and white flour products (white bread, sugared cereals, white flour muffins) should be avoided when you are attempting to lose weight. Only grains (multi-grain breads, oats, baked potatoes) and fresh vegetables which are high in nutrients, fibers and low in sodium are a part of your meal plans.

The diet uses a high- and low-day plan for carbohydrates that alternates from day to day. On low-carbohydrate days you should eat a quarter of your ideal weight in carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. When your high-carbohydrate days come around you can eat half your ideal weight in carbs. Once again, your entire carbohydrate count should be divided up into the four meals.

Carbohydrate Differentiation
Carbohydrates come in two essential forms, and understanding the difference is important to you being able to follow the Cybergenics diet plan. Fibrous carbs like those found in vegetables like cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes and zucchini are classified as being high in carbs but low in calories. Other carbs like oatmeal, potatoes and rice are starchy carbs. Starch carbohydrates should only be eaten on high carb days and only for the first two meals of that day.

For example: If your Ideal Body Weight is 145 lbs. or less, your total carbohydrate intake on Low Carb day should be between 36 and 37 grams.

145 lb./4 = 36.25g of carbohydrates

On High Carb days, your intake is 1/2 your Ideal Body Weight, in this case (145 lb. or less) that would be approximately 72 grams per High Carb day.

145 lb./2 = 72.5g of carbohydrates

We have divided carbohydrates into two categories: Starchy carbs (oatmeal, potatoes, yams & rice) and Fibrous carbs (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, asparagus, cabbage, celery, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, radishes and turnips).

Starchy and Fibrous Carbohydrates
Starchy carbs should be eaten only on High Carbs days and only in the first two meals of the day. Your fibrous carbs will be your main source of carbohydrates as they are high in fiber and low in calories.

IMPORTANT: On High Carb days, it is much better to eat higher levels of carbs early in the day, decreasing as the day goes on. This will help you consume those carbs in your daily activities and you won't "take them to bed with you," where they may be stored as fat.

Remember, you will eat only fibrous carbs on your Low Carb days. Your protein requirement remains the same throughout the 14 days. However, egg whites and canned tuna, which are high in sodium, should be excluded from your choices in the final six days.

PROTEINS:
Protein is, simply put, the most important nutrient for a person trying to lose weight. Protein is involved in almost every biological process within the body. It is required to build new muscle tissue, produce hormones and enzymes and support and enhance the immune system. In fact, protein helps control the rate of metabolism and regulates water balance and it is also extremely useful in maintaining muscle tone and muscle mass in dieting individuals. Lean protein sources are chicken, turkey, egg whites, fish, canned tuna, beans, tofu or even protein powder shakes. Vegetarians should make beans and tofu an important part of their diet to ensure they consume adequate amounts of protein.

To maximize the effectiveness of the diet you want to have one gram of protein for every pound of ideal weight. So, if your ideal weight is 165 pounds, you should consumer 165 grams of skinless chicken, fish, beef or other high-protein, low-fat foods every day. Furthermore, you need to divide those grams of protein up into the four meals.

1. Boil egg, separate, and discard yolks, or;
2. Make an "egg white" omelet, separating the yolk from the white before cooking, and use a light cooking spray. (If available, use a non-stick pan.)

1. Boil or "poach" it in water. This is the preferred method since boiling draws out some of the fat still remaining in the meat.
2. Broiling, baking and steaming are alternative methods if you prefer no to boil or poach chicken.

1. Because most canned tunas are extremely high in sodium,tuna should be drained and rinsed in a colander 2 or 3 times before serving.
2. Tuna can be eaten mixed with a small amount of vinegar, black pepper, lemon or chopped vegetables.

1. Broiling, baking and steaming are the best methods.
2. You may add a small amount of lemon, black pepper or chopped vegetables to your meal.

1. Oatmeal should be prepared in water only. Because dairy products are to be avoided during this program, using any kind of milk or cream is unacceptable.
2. To flavor your oatmeal you may use, in moderation, an artificial sweetener such as aspartame, and/or cinnamon. Do not use any fruit, honey, syrup or sugar products.
   

1. Potatoes can be baked, boiled, or microwaved.
2. Do not use butter, margarine, or sour cream.

1. Peel them before cooking
2. Weigh out 8 oz. of potato
3. Microwave or bake

1. Rice should be boiled in water.
2. Do not add any type of sauce or butter. You may use a small amount of chopped tomato or other vegetable if you like.

1. All fibrous carbs may be boiled, steamed or microwaved in water.
2. Vegetables should be cooked firm to ensure that their nutritional value ( vitamins and minerals remain intact.

Further Diet Resources:

• Bodybuilding Cyclic Ketogenic Diet
  
• Dirty Versus Clean Dieting
  
• Timed Carb Dieting
  
• How to run Glucophage on a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet