Eat!

Michael Sands Fitness Guide

The Diet That Fuels Performance, Not Punishment

Carb Backloading: A Smarter Approach to Eating

What is Carb Backloading?

Carb backloading is a structured but flexible eating system that shares some principles with ketogenic diets — with one important difference: carbs are not eliminated. Instead, they are strategically timed to maximize your energy, performance, and fat-burning potential without sacrificing muscle or long-term sustainability.

Where traditional low-carb diets restrict carbohydrates all the time, carb backloading only restricts them for 48 to 72 hours at the beginning. This short “reset period” helps your body switch from sugar to fat as its primary energy source.

After that, you’ll eat high-protein, high-fat meals throughout the day, and consume your carbohydrates in the evening — when your body is most ready to use them for recovery, not fat storage.

Why It Works

Most diets fail because they push your body into survival mode. When carbs are completely eliminated for too long, your body thinks it’s starving — so it starts storing fat and breaking down muscle instead. This leads to the dreaded “skinny fat” look: smaller frame, but still high body fat.

Carb backloading avoids this trap.

Instead of depriving your body, you trick it. By keeping carbs low during the day, your body uses stored fat as fuel when it needs it most. Then, at night, when the day’s work is done, you feed your body quality carbs to replenish glycogen and keep your hormones balanced.

The result? Sustainable fat loss, muscle retention, and more energy — without the misery of traditional crash diets.

What Makes It Different

  • ✅ No rigid meal plans. Just follow a schedule.

  • ✅ No constant hunger. You’re encouraged to eat — often.

  • ✅ No "cheat days" necessary. You get carbs every day.

  • ✅ Customizable to your life. Choose your own meals and supplements.

  • ✅ Vegetables don't count toward daytime carb limits (unless they're high-starch like potatoes).

  • ✅ One cheat meal per week helps reset hormone signals and keeps metabolism responsive.

SAMPLE 3-DAY CARB BACKLOADING DIET PLAN

PHASE 1: CARB RESET (Day 1 to 3)

Goal: Fewer than 30 grams of carbs per day. Focus on high-protein and high-fat foods. No evening carbs yet.

Day 1

8:00 AM - Breakfast
3 eggs scrambled in butter, 2 slices of bacon

10:30 AM - Snack
Handful of almonds or a beef stick

1:00 PM - Lunch
Grilled chicken thigh with spinach and olive oil

4:00 PM - Snack
Hard-boiled egg and cheese stick

7:00 PM - Dinner
Ground beef (80/20) with mushrooms, onions, and avocado

Day 2

8:00 AM - Breakfast
Omelet with sausage, cheese, and peppers

11:00 AM - Snack
Celery with almond butter

1:30 PM - Lunch
Tuna salad with mayonnaise over leafy greens

4:30 PM - Snack
Jerky or grilled shrimp

7:30 PM - Dinner
Chicken drumsticks with zucchini and olive oil

Day 3

8:30 AM - Breakfast
Plain Greek yogurt with chia seeds and walnuts

11:30 AM - Snack
Boiled egg with macadamia nuts

2:00 PM - Lunch
Steak bites with sautéed asparagus

5:00 PM - Snack
Cheese cubes and pepperoni slices

8:00 PM - Dinner
Pork chops with cauliflower mash and butter

PHASE 2: CARB BACKLOADING (Day 4 and Beyond)

Goal: Keep carbs low during the day. Eat your carbohydrates with your final meal. Aim for 80 to 100 grams of carbs daily.

Day 4

8:00 AM - Breakfast
Three eggs with avocado

11:00 AM - Snack
Protein shake with unsweetened almond milk

2:00 PM - Lunch
Grilled chicken with steamed broccoli and olive oil

4:30 PM - Snack
Turkey roll-ups with cheese

7:30 PM - Dinner (Carb Load)
Baked salmon, white rice, roasted carrots, slice of sourdough bread

Optional Dessert
Small bowl of vanilla ice cream or baked apple with cinnamon

Day 5

8:30 AM - Breakfast
Protein smoothie with almond butter (no banana)

11:30 AM - Snack
Boiled egg and olives

2:30 PM - Lunch
Beef stir-fry with low-carb vegetables

5:30 PM - Snack
Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder

8:00 PM - Dinner (Carb Load)
Chicken Alfredo with whole grain pasta and a mixed salad

Optional Dessert
Dark chocolate (two or three small squares) or berries with cream

WEEKLY CHEAT MEAL IDEAS

(Choose one meal per week, not a whole day)

  • Pizza and a small milkshake

  • Cheeseburger and fries

  • Pancakes and bacon for dinner

  • Pasta with dessert of your choice