plateaued, calorie cycling.

LiannaMC89

Hello! I've hit a plateau after 28lbs lost...i keep bouncing around between 181 and 183 and its nerve wracking. Ive been researching calorie cycling, or zigzag dieting and was wondering if anyone had advice. My problem is that i wasn't getting enough calories and am fighting to get up to 1400 today...i even prelogged everything that im going to eat today to make sure i eat it! I'm used to 900-1150ish, sometimes 1200. And by doing that, i got stuck:( So, i was wondering if anyone has done this before and has any advice/story about it. I'm worried that with the increase of calories compared to what my body is used to receiving, that i'm going to gain weight back. Although, I am slightly comforted by reading that eating more can help shed the pounds, but I know everyones body is different. Thanks for any and all help!

melaniedsm

I don't have any advise, I am just curious about the answer too.

cip1

People often suggest going into the maintenance for two weeks or a month - to reset your metabolism (especially if ate less then you should have), then back on the calorie deficit, but this time around eating the right quantity of food.

It kind of makes sense, methinks?

LiannaMC89

True, I am hoping to get more info on all this...I'm sick of not only seeing the numbers on the scale bounce like that, but the same goes for my measurements.

KSonaee

Gosh, I have only lost 8.6lbs but I feel like I am stuck as well already...I exercise so much more but the scale does not show it and I am accounting for weight gain due to retaining water, having had a lot of sodium in your system, or simply not having an empty stomach... the past few weeks I don't see any change.... i'm frustrated. Sometimes myfitnesspal is telling me I am eating to few calories but that is only sometimes... What to do?

lindsey1979

What worked for me was intermittent fasting -- I guess this could be seen as a more extreme version of calorie cycling. After reading about some of the benefits of fasting and being stuck bouncing back between the same two lbs for 6 weeks (despite sizable weekly deficits), I thought I'd give it a try -- a new way to create those weekly deficits. I tried the 5:2 plan and after the first week, the scale started moving again. I'm not sure if it was just coincidental timing of a release of water weight or what, but it did get the scale moving again and I found a better way for me to create that weekly caloric deficit. I found IFing to be very manageable and that was a big surprise for me.

LiannaMC89

Thats probably a little too extreme for me to be honest.

lindsey1979

Thats probably a little too extreme for me to be honest.

Fair enough. I thought the same thing too, which is why I put off trying it for so long. I thought I was going to be STARVING the whole time -- like there was a 2% that I wasn't going to be hangry all the time. But after reading about some of the benefits of it and reading others' experiences about how it wasn't that big of a deal, I decided to give that 2% a shot.

And I was SHOCKED by manageable it was. It also showed me how much I was eating when I wasn't truly hungry -- but out of habit, mistaken for thirst, etc. And that was even more surprising to me. So, I just share it with you because I thought it was way too extreme as well...before I tried it.

LiannaMC89

I'll most definitely do some research on it to learn more though. Thank you!!

Branstin

Have you reviewed/recalculated your weight loss goals to make sure that you still have a calorie deficiency for your current weight? Secondly, are you eating back at least half of your exercise calories. If you are not giving your body the proper amount of nutrients then it will affect your weight loss efforts. It is not about eating more to lose weight. It is about eating appropriately enough to properly fuel your body so it can do its job. The 1200 daily calories limit is far too low, especially when exercising.

Kitteneyes01

I doubt you'll gain any weight. If you do it will be water weight. Remember when zigzagging you still eat the same amount weekly, just the daily amount changes. So if your on a 500 calorie a day deficit, you will still eat 3500 calories less a week, but spread it out differently through the days. I used to have 3 days where I would eat at my normal deficit, then two lower days, I took the calories that I substracted from the lower days and added them to the high calorie days, that is above normal deficit. it's really fun. Or it was for me haha

Kitteneyes01

This is how my plan would look back then:

Monday - 1500
Tuesday - 1300 (200 substracted and added to Wednesday)
Wednesday - 1700
Thursday - 1500
Friday - 1200 (300 substracted and added to Sunday)
Saturday - 1500
Sunday - 1800

LiannaMC89

Have you reviewed/recalculated your weight loss goals to make sure that you still have a calorie deficiency for your current weight? Secondly, are you eating back at least half of your exercise calories. If you are not giving your body the proper amount of nutrients then it will affect your weight loss efforts. It is not about eating more to lose weight. It is about eating appropriately enough to properly fuel your body so it can do its job. The 1200 daily calories limit is far too low, especially when exercising.

I have, i upped my calorie goal to 1500, and right now its hell for me to even make it to that. I get full really quick, im guessing because i wasnt eating a higher amount of calories for a long time. And even with eating back calories after exercising, I'm still struggling.:(

LiannaMC89

This is how my plan would look back then:

Monday - 1500
Tuesday - 1300 (200 substracted and added to Wednesday)
Wednesday - 1700
Thursday - 1500
Friday - 1200 (300 substracted and added to Sunday)
Saturday - 1500
Sunday - 1800

I'm trying my hardest to get above 1200...I have to prelog everything to make sure i eat it now. I think i got stuck in the "1200 to lose weight" thing. :laugh:

Kitteneyes01

Have you reviewed/recalculated your weight loss goals to make sure that you still have a calorie deficiency for your current weight? Secondly, are you eating back at least half of your exercise calories. If you are not giving your body the proper amount of nutrients then it will affect your weight loss efforts. It is not about eating more to lose weight. It is about eating appropriately enough to properly fuel your body so it can do its job. The 1200 daily calories limit is far too low, especially when exercising.

I have, i upped my calorie goal to 1500, and right now its hell for me to even make it to that. I get full really quick, im guessing because i wasnt eating a higher amount of calories for a long time. And even with eating back calories after exercising, I'm still struggling.:(

Try eating some high calorie foods. Like avocado, nut butters, maybe some full fat chocolate milk? Or also nuts and seeds. It almost blew my head away the first time I discovered 1 ounce of nuts was like freakin' over a hundred calories! Lol

Branstin

Focus on calories dense foods. Don't make yourself sick but you do need to meet those nutrient levels.

Peanut butter
Avocados
Nuts
Chocolate
Pasta

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/24/high-calorie-foods_n_4849013.html

LiannaMC89

Have you reviewed/recalculated your weight loss goals to make sure that you still have a calorie deficiency for your current weight? Secondly, are you eating back at least half of your exercise calories. If you are not giving your body the proper amount of nutrients then it will affect your weight loss efforts. It is not about eating more to lose weight. It is about eating appropriately enough to properly fuel your body so it can do its job. The 1200 daily calories limit is far too low, especially when exercising.

I have, i upped my calorie goal to 1500, and right now its hell for me to even make it to that. I get full really quick, im guessing because i wasnt eating a higher amount of calories for a long time. And even with eating back calories after exercising, I'm still struggling.:(

Try eating some high calorie foods. Like avocado, nut butters, maybe some full fat chocolate milk? Or also nuts and seeds. It almost blew my head away the first time I discovered 1 ounce of nuts was like freakin' over a hundred calories! Lol

Soooooo just reminded me that i have cashews! I'll give that a try. No milk for me though...tummy hates it lol. Right now, it feels like ive been eating all day to be honest. Looks like i need to go buy avocados too!

Kitteneyes01

Have you reviewed/recalculated your weight loss goals to make sure that you still have a calorie deficiency for your current weight? Secondly, are you eating back at least half of your exercise calories. If you are not giving your body the proper amount of nutrients then it will affect your weight loss efforts. It is not about eating more to lose weight. It is about eating appropriately enough to properly fuel your body so it can do its job. The 1200 daily calories limit is far too low, especially when exercising.

I have, i upped my calorie goal to 1500, and right now its hell for me to even make it to that. I get full really quick, im guessing because i wasnt eating a higher amount of calories for a long time. And even with eating back calories after exercising, I'm still struggling.:(

Try eating some high calorie foods. Like avocado, nut butters, maybe some full fat chocolate milk? Or also nuts and seeds. It almost blew my head away the first time I discovered 1 ounce of nuts was like freakin' over a hundred calories! Lol

Soooooo just reminded me that i have cashews! I'll give that a try. No milk for me though...tummy hates it lol. Right now, it feels like ive been eating all day to be honest. Looks like i need to go buy avocados too!

Ahh okay. Me loves me milk =P that's why I suggested it hehehe. But whatever tickles your fancy.

LiannaMC89

Focus on calories dense foods. Don't make yourself sick but you do need to meet those nutrient levels.

Peanut butter
Avocados
Nuts
Chocolate
Pasta

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/02/24/high-calorie-foods_n_4849013.html

Thank you for the link! It really helps!

stevee290

I cut carbs to less than 50 and salt to under 1500 for a few days If that doesn't work I up my calories.

ahoy_m8

Congratulations on your progress so far! There is a metabolic limit to how much energy can be drawn from fat daily. It's 30 cal/lb fat, so it is really helpful to know your BF% and your total pounds fat. When your calorie deficit is greater that what can be drawn from fat, the body has no choice but to extract what it needs from lean mass. (

When you were 30 pounds heavier, your fat could give you 900 More kcal/day than it can now. At your new lighter weight, you have less margin for error and can tolerate less deficit safely. Sparing muscle is the primary reason people intentionally slow their weight loss as they become more lean.

Many people advise adding slowly, upping intake 100 kcal daily and holding that 2 weeks before upping it another 100 kcal daily. It's less than 1oz almonds/day, and I've never had a problem adding 100 kcal. I have done this following a few weeks at a big caloric deficit, and I didn't gain. I kept losing in that annoying scale-stuck-3weeks-then-whoosh way. Others recommend eating at maintenance a couple weeks. I have not tried this approach, but some seem to really appreciate eating more. You're doing great. Good luck.

LiannaMC89

Congratulations on your progress so far! There is a metabolic limit to how much energy can be drawn from fat daily. It's 30 cal/lb fat, so it is really helpful to know your BF% and your total pounds fat. When your calorie deficit is greater that what can be drawn from fat, the body has no choice but to extract what it needs from lean mass. (

When you were 30 pounds heavier, your fat could give you 900 More kcal/day than it can now. At your new lighter weight, you have less margin for error and can tolerate less deficit safely. Sparing muscle is the primary reason people intentionally slow their weight loss as they become more lean.

Many people advise adding slowly, upping intake 100 kcal daily and holding that 2 weeks before upping it another 100 kcal daily. It's less than 1oz almonds/day, and I've never had a problem adding 100 kcal. I have done this following a few weeks at a big caloric deficit, and I didn't gain. I kept losing in that annoying scale-stuck-3weeks-then-whoosh way. Others recommend eating at maintenance a couple weeks. I have not tried this approach, but some seem to really appreciate eating more. You're doing great. Good luck.

Thank you!! I'm definitely going to add in nuts!

mi2mina

i was at 215 about 2 years ago my lowest weight was 178 and now im at 187 i have been able to maintain between holidays xmas thanksgiving between 184-188 for a year and havent been able to get out of that cycle ...i do boot camp twice a week but recently....went back to calorie counting ....its the most efficient for weightloss. and i have more control. then having eating habits out of control...so hopfully this time around i can actually get to 175 by october .. good luck...oh yea try HIT training , hight intensity training get your heart pumping quick...its mostly about the after burn....

Kitteneyes01

Also, something I forgot to mention, not sure if it's in your link, you can also try drinking 100% fruit juice. Half a cup counts as one serving of fruit, and some are high calorie. A glas can have up to 250! If I can't meet my calories through food (which is very rare, like only when I have stomach flu or something) I drink fruit juice. Dried fruit also rocks that calorie boat! Just don't go eating a whole jar of Nutella like I do sometimes...or 6 ounces of cheese with honey over it. Lol you know, unless you have LOTS of calories to spare. :bigsmile:

Kitteneyes01

i was at 215 about 2 years ago my lowest weight was 178 and now im at 187 i have been able to maintain between holidays xmas thanksgiving between 184-188 for a year and havent been able to get out of that cycle ...i do boot camp twice a week but recently....went back to calorie counting ....its the most efficient for weightloss. and i have more control. then having eating habits out of control...so hopfully this time around i can actually get to 175 by october .. good luck...oh yea try HIT training , hight intensity training get your heart pumping quick...its mostly about the after burn....

Haha! For someone as out of shape like me, someone who can't even handle one regular push up (which is what you get for losing solely through diet and not doing strenght for 4 years btw), this is a bad idea, so I'll stick to calorie cycling :bigsmile: for now... Hehehe

LiannaMC89

i was at 215 about 2 years ago my lowest weight was 178 and now im at 187 i have been able to maintain between holidays xmas thanksgiving between 184-188 for a year and havent been able to get out of that cycle ...i do boot camp twice a week but recently....went back to calorie counting ....its the most efficient for weightloss. and i have more control. then having eating habits out of control...so hopfully this time around i can actually get to 175 by october .. good luck...oh yea try HIT training , hight intensity training get your heart pumping quick...its mostly about the after burn....

I dropped from 210 since i went pescatarian a little over a year ago along with cardio and weights. Then i got lazy, high stress, popped back up to 190, then dropped to 181, and now im stuck between that and 183. I was looking into HIIT too, just trying to figure out what routine i wanna try:)

Also, something I forgot to mention, not sure if it's in your link, you can also try drinking 100% fruit juice. Half a cup counts as one serving of fruit, and some are high calorie. A glas can have up to 250! If I can't meet my calories through food (which is very rare, like only when I have stomach flu or something) I drink fruit juice. Dried fruit also rocks that calorie boat! Just don't go eating a whole jar of Nutella like I do sometimes...or 6 ounces of cheese with honey over it. Lol you know, unless you have LOTS of calories to spare.:bigsmile:

True, lately i've been a waterholic, thats all i want due to the "lovely southern california weather" :laugh:

SnazzIT

What worked for me was intermittent fasting -- I guess this could be seen as a more extreme version of calorie cycling. After reading about some of the benefits of fasting and being stuck bouncing back between the same two lbs for 6 weeks (despite sizable weekly deficits), I thought I'd give it a try -- a new way to create those weekly deficits. I tried the 5:2 plan and after the first week, the scale started moving again. I'm not sure if it was just coincidental timing of a release of water weight or what, but it did get the scale moving again and I found a better way for me to create that weekly caloric deficit. I found IFing to be very manageable and that was a big surprise for me.

Yep, I did a three day water only fast to boost a change on my scale (which worked), and again have found my weight almost at a stand still for the last three weeks so I have started green juice fasting, and water today (and for the next 4 days) to give me another boost.

needsalife3

I tried calorie cycling but my metabolism is just too slow. I have to eat 1200 cal a day without adding back exercise. To break an 8 month plateau I changed up my exercise. Not longer, not harder, just different. Good luck.

lindsey1979

For HIIT, look into hill sprints. Some of the best HIIT out there and really gets quite a work out.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/par46.htm
http://www.poliquingroup.com/ArticlesMultimedia/Articles/Article/989/Eight_Reasons_Everyone_Should_Do_Sprints.aspx

amys31

I have a suggestion..as I have fallen into the media and MFT trap of starvation mode. First off....research starvation mode and you will see that it is extremely difficult to get into starvation mode...do the research dont trust me or the media. Secondly I have been maintaining my weight and eating what I am supposedly supposed to eat given my activity bla bla...haven't lost a bit!!!! Hmmm interesting right?! So I cut back and started calorie cycling...guess what Im not hungry and I lost 13 lbs. If you have questions friend me..Ive been researching this for many years and am in the fitness industry. I am willing to pay it forward free of charge, because I know frustration!