Calorie Cycling?

hannalunaa

Hi Everybody.. :]
So.. I am trying to maintain a weight of 109 lbs currently.
I am 5'6", and an 18 year old girl, which means my maintenance is 1549 cal per day.
I have been underrating for a very long time, about 1000 calories a day. [I now have started eating at 1549, don't worry!] Sometimes, I believe as a result of my recent long period of underrating, I just feel like I need to "binge". Usually this will be after going out partying and dancing or even sometimes randomly. However, I always still track everything I eat when I do decide to let go and "binge". The next day, I subtract whatever excess calories I have eaten from my intake for the following day to make up for it and be back at my planned calorie intake for the week. I realize this is not so healthy, as today I have only been able to have 500 calories because yesterday I went 1049 over my goal.
I have always done this whenever I eat in excess and it always allows me to maintain my weight and sometimes even drop more. Recently I read about calorie cycling.. so I have been thinking about doing something similar.. my question is...
Would taking 200 calories off of my intake from each of 5 days a week, adding up to 1000 calories uneaten, and then adding those 1000 uneaten calories to two other days of the week, in whatever ratio, have the same effect of maintenance as just eating at my maintenance [1549] every single day?
For example: [may vary]
Monday: 1349 cal
Tuesday: 1349 cal
Wednesday: 1349 cal
Thursday: 1349 cal
Friday: 2049 cal
Saturday: 1349 cal
Sunday: 1649

Or even:
Friday: 2549
Saturday: 1349
Sunday: 1349
Monday: 1349
Tuesday: 1349
Wednesday: 1349
Thursday: 1349

I hope you guys can understand what I am trying to ask. I am not sure exactly if this is how I would do it [ I might take off 300 each day instead of 200, add it differently, etc.] but basically my weekly calorie intake will be the same no matter what. I am just wondering if this will work and have the same results as eating my regular maintenance every day? I am just afraid to gain weight!! Okay, thank you so much for taking the time to answer!

h1udd

That’s fine .. it still works, it’s exactly what I do. There is no way I could get through a weekend in 1530kcal ... so drop my midweek calories by 150 and have 375kcsl extra a day st the weekend ... that’s a bit of cake and a latte right there ... or a burger ... big glass of wine

kimny72

OP, many people here look at their calorie goal weekly rather than daily, so they have more cals some days and less others and it all comes out even over the week. However, having very high days and very low days can keep some people in a constant cycle of low-level binge/restrict that messes with their hunger cues and state of mind. Considering your past, it might not be a bad idea to try to even out that pattern a little, but ultimately you have to find what works for you. Have you talked to a doctor about your weight and eating?

It's great that you are no longer under-eating, but it's still concerning that you are underweight and "afraid to gain". Especially at your age, you could still be developing which can certainly affect your weight. Please continue to take care of yourself :flowerforyou: And please know I am only commenting out of concern.

hannalunaa

@kimny72 and @h1udd Thank you so much for your replies! Very helpful :]

PAV8888

Hello @hannalunaa!

I am glad that you're taking steps to improve your health.

Regretfully I will challenge you in your eating and maintenance assumptions as they are designed around absolute minimums, fall slightly below them at times, and by your own description are defended with "religious" fervour well beyond what would be viewed as common/normal (most people do not normally eat only 600 Cal to make up for being over 1000Cal the previous day)

You are currently at 17.8 BMI which still makes you officially under-weight.

It is normal for weight to fluctuate, so defending that low level of weight seems... excessive. You also make no mention of any strength or other goals other than maintaining a very low weight.

At 109lbs age 18 5ft 6" your BMR is 1291 and your choice of 1549 calories is slightly below the 1.25 sedentary multiplier MFP would give you. In fact it seems to be in line with a 1.2 activity multiplier you would get off a different calculator for sedentary and no exercise.

So your target calories are those that would be suitable for an extremely sedentary person, yet your lifestyle description is NOT.

You have a lifetime ahead of you and life will be a LOT easier for you in the future if you take the time now to sort through any issues you may be having that are not letting you enjoy a more normal relationship with food.

So while your calorie "cycling" as described will, of course, work, I disagree that the low caloric target and the defense of your current low weight are appropriate, and would challenge you to discuss both your target and how you view a potential weight gain to BMI 20 (frequently suggested as a minimal BMI for someone in recovery) with by preference with someone who specialises in helping out people with eating disorders and at an absolute minimum with your doctor.

As @kimny72 suggested, with a history of under-eating and your current age it would be far from impossible for you to actually still be developing and growing which would most certainly impact your weight. You don't sound like someone who would be able to handle that scale at this point of time and based on your post.

Brendalea69

I do both calorie cycling and carb cycling along with OMAD for my maintenance plan.

heybales

Strong ditto to @PAV8888 since you are not sedentary, either with exercise, or perhaps not in daily life anyway without exercise.

Now, perhaps you intended to add exercise when done as extra calories.

Which means you are now doing it MFP style - so just do it instead of getting confused with weekly avg TDEE method.