Calorie cycling to prevent yo-yo dieting?

Myjourney2345

Hi everyone, I posted here before about wanting to lose 15-20 pounds. I was wondering if anyone could share their experience with calorie cycling for weight loss? I gained some weight back after losing it last year. At the time I was eating only 1,450-1,500 calories a day while ( which clearly wasn't enough for my activity level). It helped me lose weight, but ultimately it led me to binge and now I have gained back 15 pounds from the 27 I lost.

I don't want to repeat the same mistakes twice and I would rather lose the weight slowly in order to keep it off in the long run. I am 5'4.5 and weigh 143.2. I try to get 6,000-10,000 steps a day and I spin five days a week and do bootcamp twice a week in the morning. According to my Polarm400, I burn around 465 calories by cycling for an hour and 435 calories during bootcamp (which consists of 40 minutes of cardio on the treadmill and rowing machine and 20 minutes of strength training). On days I don't workout I try to get 12,000-14,000 steps in.

I find that if I eat less than 1,600 calories a day I get cranky and lethargic. I also find that eating 1,450 calories a day triggers me and makes me binge. For the past few days I have been eating 1,450 calories, 1,732 calories ( yesterday when I worked out twice), and today I plan on eating 2,000 calories ( working out once and walking 10,000 steps). Any thoughts on this? Could it be that doing 2 lower calorie days, with 3 moderate calorie days and 2 higher calorie days the key for weight loss and then long term maintance?

Anyone else experienced losing 25 pounds and gaining some of it back and then losing it again by doing something differently?

SezxyStef

I gain on vacation and over holidays this year it was outside my window so I am back losing a couple pounds but no I don't gain more than 6-8lbs because I log in maintenance.

When I need to lose I log.

I eat a reasonable deficit for 1/2lb a week loss...and I don't mind if I don't lose due to eating a bit more.

I eat exercise calories back while losing and in maintenance.

My plan is and has always been to lose weight in a way that I can live that life for the rest of my life.

Eating reasonable portions, expecting reasonable weight loss...

I have often said the goal here should be to eat as much food as you can and still lose a reasonable amount of weight...and my maintenance is the same...eat as much as I can and maintain.