Zig-zagging and exercise calories

merrillfoster

So I've been looking into this zig zag dieting thing, and even found a website that will give you goal calories for each day. My questions:
1. MFP sets me at 1200. This other website sets me at 1216 on my 'low' days and 1574 on my 'high' days (with a few sets in between. This is obviously going to set me higher for the week than 1200x7 would. Is this right, or should I do like 3 days at 800 or something and then some at 1400 (or whatever) so that the week still averages out to 1200x7?

2. How do you factor in exercise calories for this? do you still eat them? Not eat them? How does zig-zagging or calorie cycling factor these in?

MaryBeth1989

I would really like advice for zig zagging as well.
I'm at 1220 on here. How does it work?

Fabnover40Kat

Mine was actually higher on one website! MFP has me at 1480, their site has me at 1757!!! Im trying to do the 1757. I havent changed my profile. I havent changed any of my workouts. According to that site I need to atleast burn 300 cals a day. This is the first real week of zig zag and I find it hard to eat all those calories!

My friend who is not a personal trainer but exercises and eats all healthy foods, trains for marathons told me Im still not eating enough! UGH!! Im just trying to break this plateau!

Oompa_Loompa

whats that website pleeease lol

merrillfoster

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

TiniTurtle

i zig zag 1000-1500 & try not to eat my exercise calories & not worry about if i'm meeting the MFP goals for the week, though it has me pretty much on target (i use an iphone app daily & it shows a graph of my weekly intake with a net amount). it seems to be working. eating 1500 at my height & weight is still a deficit without a workout, though the 1200 MFP has me set at will only help me lose 0.8 lbs a week. good luck! i'm going to check out that website, thanks for sharing it. )