Zig Zag Diet or Calorie Shifting

Options
dwalden
dwalden Posts: 77 Member
in Food and Nutrition
This past week I got very frustrated with not loosing any weight/fat. I kept my calorie count down and continued my cardio and weight training regularly, but was still getting nowhere. I started doing a lot of research on the internet and articles about the Zig Zag or Calorie shifting diet. Basically you continually change you calorie intake to keep your metabolism guessing and constantly burning the fat you have stored. Evidently body builders do this regularly if the want to loose a lot of fat in a hurry.

Has anyone ever tried this sort of diet and how did it work out for them?
«13

Replies

  • dwalden
    dwalden Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    This past week I got very frustrated with not loosing any weight/fat. I kept my calorie count down and continued my cardio and weight training regularly, but was still getting nowhere. I started doing a lot of research on the internet and articles about the Zig Zag or Calorie shifting diet. Basically you continually change you calorie intake to keep your metabolism guessing and constantly burning the fat you have stored. Evidently body builders do this regularly if the want to loose a lot of fat in a hurry.

    Has anyone ever tried this sort of diet and how did it work out for them?
  • AnneV
    AnneV Posts: 3
    Options
    Haven't tried it - but I am feeling your frustration on the topic.:noway:
  • PhotographerOfNature
    PhotographerOfNature Posts: 452 Member
    Options
    I totally understand!!! I just posted a topic "I've Had It!!!" about the same issue. This Friday night, my husband and I are going out to celebrate our 10th anniversary to an Italian restaurant. I'm pretty sure I'll go over my limit that night so I guess I'll find out about the zig zag diet. :happy: Maybe the manicotti will jolt my system. I don't think there is anything low fat in an italian restaurant. It is soooo good! Then, I'll be right back to my 1200 calories. :sad:
  • pavang82
    pavang82 Posts: 454 Member
    Options
    This past memorial weekend holiday, I consumed so much calories. On Friday I had two hot dogs and a slice of pizza, I had McDonald s on Saturday and Sunday (Big Mac Meals), I had Fazzoli (Spaghetti with Meatballs) on Saturday, and boy tons and tons of white rice with deep fried pork, sausage, chicken. I went over my recommended 1200 calories/day. I knew everything I ate, I went over. So, I was like I'll just face it and get back on track Monday.

    But to my surprised when I weighed myself Monday morning, i lost a pound. I was so SHOCKED!! Of course the past previous weeks I was within my range of calories (I cheat on the weekends) and exercising, but I wasn't loosing any weight. Then this past weekend I didn't exercise at all and ate so much and manage to loose one pound. I still couldn't believe it' so to confirm that I've lost a pound, I weigh myself on Tuesday again and it still says that I've lost one pound (I only weigh myself once a week, but this past week was an exception).
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
    Options
    I haven't heard about it, but I understand the logic behind it. When you eat the same amount of calories, your body adjusts, just like if you do the same exercise over and over again. You need to change up your exercises, so why wouldn't you have to change up your calories once and awhile? If you do it, let me know how it goes!
  • gabi_ele
    gabi_ele Posts: 460 Member
    Options
    I have newver heard of that diet and my experience was just the opposit from pavang. I went over my calories sunday and monday and gained 4 pounds, I have been back on track again and am still up 2 pounds from last week:sad: I guess it depends on your metabolism or who knows what. I have heard iit on here bevore that people went up in calories and lost, I guess it's just not a good idea for me . If I was you I would try it and let us know how it went... not that it will help me:grumble:
    I wish you success:flowerforyou:
  • 2Shoes
    2Shoes Posts: 396
    Options
    This past memorial weekend holiday, I consumed so much calories. On Friday I had two hot dogs and a slice of pizza, I had McDonald s on Saturday and Sunday (Big Mac Meals), I had Fazzoli (Spaghetti with Meatballs) on Saturday, and boy tons and tons of white rice with deep fried pork, sausage, chicken. I went over my recommended 1200 calories/day. I knew everything I ate, I went over. So, I was like I'll just face it and get back on track Monday.

    But to my surprised when I weighed myself Monday morning, i lost a pound. I was so SHOCKED!! Of course the past previous weeks I was within my range of calories (I cheat on the weekends) and exercising, but I wasn't loosing any weight. Then this past weekend I didn't exercise at all and ate so much and manage to loose one pound. I still couldn't believe it' so to confirm that I've lost a pound, I weigh myself on Tuesday again and it still says that I've lost one pound (I only weigh myself once a week, but this past week was an exception).

    That is EXACTLY what happened to me and I lost a pound too.

    I am on the Jillian Michaels website and she says the same thing. You need to calculate how many calories you need for the week, and divey it up each day, making the calorie intake different. One day have 1200 calories, the next 1400, then 1600, then 1325...etc etc. You catch my drift. I have been doing that and it seems to be working. I have lost 9.5 pounds in about 3 weeks and haven't exercised a day. (I am very muscular under all the fat)
  • Jenna423
    Jenna423 Posts: 178 Member
    Options
    "I am on the Jillian Michaels website and she says the same thing. You need to calculate how many calories you need for the week, and divey it up each day, making the calorie intake different. One day have 1200 calories, the next 1400, then 1600, then 1325...etc etc. You catch my drift. I have been doing that and it seems to be working. I have lost 9.5 pounds in about 3 weeks and haven't exercised a day. (I am very muscular under all the fat)"

    2Shoes- How do you determine how many calories you should have each day? Should there be a certain number of caloric difference (200, 300..)? :indifferent: Should I still exercise every day? (Cause it would just break my heart to skip a day or two... :laugh: ) Sorry, I have a lot of questions! :embarassed:

    I want to try this, I've heard about it before and I'm hoping it will work for me, I'm just not sure how to go about it.
  • dwalden
    dwalden Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    I just took, based on my BMR, and determined how many pounds per week I wanted to loose. Example would be my BMR is around 2300. I want to loose 1 lb per week which would be approximately 3500 calories. Divide that by seven or 500 calories per day and subtract from my BMR. This gives me around 1800 calories per on average I want.

    I then adjust my calorie intake each day by + or - a minimum of 200 calories making sure my weekly average is around 1800. That is what I am intending on doing.
  • 2Shoes
    2Shoes Posts: 396
    Options
    "I am on the Jillian Michaels website and she says the same thing. You need to calculate how many calories you need for the week, and divey it up each day, making the calorie intake different. One day have 1200 calories, the next 1400, then 1600, then 1325...etc etc. You catch my drift. I have been doing that and it seems to be working. I have lost 9.5 pounds in about 3 weeks and haven't exercised a day. (I am very muscular under all the fat)"

    2Shoes- How do you determine how many calories you should have each day? Should there be a certain number of caloric difference (200, 300..)? :indifferent: Should I still exercise every day? (Cause it would just break my heart to skip a day or two... :laugh: ) Sorry, I have a lot of questions! :embarassed:

    I want to try this, I've heard about it before and I'm hoping it will work for me, I'm just not sure how to go about it.

    This is how she has it in her book. (Winning by Losing).......

    Monday 1200 calories
    Tues. 1500 calories
    Wed. 1200 calories
    Thurs. 1600 calories
    Friday 1200 calories
    Sat. 1400 calories
    Sun. 1700 calories

    Total weekly caloric intake: 9,800.

    Her total weekly caloric intake is 9,800, which is where she needs to be to loose, but varied daily caloric intake so that her metabolism isn't able to adapt to the restriction.

    I didn't figure out my caloric intake, Jillian did on her website. I input my activity level, and she punched out the golden number. She also has metabolic typing too. I don't follow that part much, as long as I stay under. I lose.

    Her work out routine is weight training and only one day of cardio. I wonder if I would lose more quickly if I did, but I just haven't yet.

    I can't tell you not to exercise every day, I am just telling you what I have done. It's literally the first time I have ever "dieted" and lost this much weight. I usually lose about 5 pounds, it takes months, then I give up and start eating crap again. I vowed to change this time, and I have never in a million years thought of just counting my calories......been on ever diet imaginable and nothing has ever worked. Til now! (lifestyle change)
  • Jenna423
    Jenna423 Posts: 178 Member
    Options
    Thank you very much :flowerforyou: ! This has been a big help. I am going to give this a shot, hopefully I can stick to it!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    Options
    YES!!! I've heard a lot about zig zagging!

    I'm going to try it after 3 weeks of being stuck, and sticking pretty close to 1200 calories.
    :flowerforyou:
  • 2Shoes
    2Shoes Posts: 396
    Options
    Thank you very much :flowerforyou: ! This has been a big help. I am going to give this a shot, hopefully I can stick to it!

    You are very welcome. Let me know how it goes, and good luck. PS....... I sent you a message!
  • PhotographerOfNature
    PhotographerOfNature Posts: 452 Member
    Options
    So, since I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day, which I am assuming you just multiply it by 7 and get 8400 calories per week, how would I divide those calories up without dropping below 1200 on some days???:huh:
  • kingon8
    kingon8 Posts: 200 Member
    Options
    Shifting your cals does work. Your metabolism takes a few days after cutting calories to begin to decrease, so then you increase the amount of cals for a couple more days, then keep doing this till you are taking in the maximum amount of calories per day that is suggested for you or you decide. If your metabolism begins to dcrease it wont have time, because you will be upping your calories every few days, and exercising daily keeps it high, and keeps you from losing muscle mass. I have been doing this for about 2 1/2 months now, and when I started, I did 3 days at 600 caloires and then 4 at 900, and I lost 5 lbs for that week, and for 2 1/2 months it has stayed off, and I lost more than just that 5 lbs, the week after I did the 600/900, I did 1200, and lost 3 lbs. I have not gained any of it back, and am still losing. I dont advise that you go as low as I did, but you can shift your calories low and as long as you up them every 3 or 4 days your metabolism will not have time to drop.
  • Jenna423
    Jenna423 Posts: 178 Member
    Options
    Shifting your cals does work. Your metabolism takes a few days after cutting calories to begin to decrease, so then you increase the amount of cals for a couple more days, then keep doing this till you are taking in the maximum amount of calories per day that is suggested for you or you decide. If your metabolism begins to dcrease it wont have time, because you will be upping your calories every few days, and exercising daily keeps it high, and keeps you from losing muscle mass. I have been doing this for about 2 1/2 months now, and when I started, I did 3 days at 600 caloires and then 4 at 900, and I lost 5 lbs for that week, and for 2 1/2 months it has stayed off, and I lost more than just that 5 lbs, the week after I did the 600/900, I did 1200, and lost 3 lbs. I have not gained any of it back, and am still losing. I dont advise that you go as low as I did, but you can shift your calories low and as long as you up them every 3 or 4 days your metabolism will not have time to drop.

    :noway: :huh:
    How the heck did you only eat 600 and 900 calories a day!?!?!?!? :noway:
  • kingon8
    kingon8 Posts: 200 Member
    Options
    So, since I am supposed to have 1200 calories a day, which I am assuming you just multiply it by 7 and get 8400 calories per week, how would I divide those calories up without dropping below 1200 on some days???:huh:

    It wont hurt you to drop below that for a day, because your metabolism takes a couple days to decrease. So if you do monday at say 1000, then Tuesday at 1200, you are not going to be hurting anything.
  • kingon8
    kingon8 Posts: 200 Member
    Options
    Shifting your cals does work. Your metabolism takes a few days after cutting calories to begin to decrease, so then you increase the amount of cals for a couple more days, then keep doing this till you are taking in the maximum amount of calories per day that is suggested for you or you decide. If your metabolism begins to dcrease it wont have time, because you will be upping your calories every few days, and exercising daily keeps it high, and keeps you from losing muscle mass. I have been doing this for about 2 1/2 months now, and when I started, I did 3 days at 600 caloires and then 4 at 900, and I lost 5 lbs for that week, and for 2 1/2 months it has stayed off, and I lost more than just that 5 lbs, the week after I did the 600/900, I did 1200, and lost 3 lbs. I have not gained any of it back, and am still losing. I dont advise that you go as low as I did, but you can shift your calories low and as long as you up them every 3 or 4 days your metabolism will not have time to drop.

    :noway: :huh:
    How the heck did you only eat 600 and 900 calories a day!?!?!?!? :noway:


    I ate unlimited negative calorie fruits and vegetables all day long and it kept me full!! Every time I started getting overly hungry, I would eat a couple oranges, or an apple, or some carrots or some other veggie and it would tame the need.
  • beep
    beep Posts: 1,242 Member
    Options
    Actually, there has been talk on MFP about what to do when one reaches a plateau, and the consensus has been to up the calorie intake for a day or two. I think going below 1000 will eventually be counterproductive....
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    Options
    Actually, there has been talk on MFP about what to do when one reaches a plateau, and the consensus has been to up the calorie intake for a day or two. I think going below 1000 will eventually be counterproductive....

    There is research to support this Beep! Bill Philips of Body For Life says you actually get BETTER results if one day a week you, as he says, "Get a good feed" and then eat healthlyfully the rest of week in a zig zag pattern. This prevents starvation mode, and pushes the metabolism.

    With that said, I'm at a 2 week (going on 3) plateau, and I'm scared to up the calories! I'm going to try it!
    Good luck to everyone!
    :flowerforyou:

Categories