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Zigzag or calorie shifting. Anyone tried it?

boldimp
boldimp Posts: 17
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm pretty frustrated with my lack of results the last few weeks so I thought I would try calorie shifting (zig zag diet) to see if I get better results.

It seems like a smart way to trick your metabolism into not getting used to the same amount of calories everyday. I'm been eating 1400 calories a day so I added up all the calories I should have for the week then plan to alternate the amounts that I eat each day. My lowest day will be 1200 and my highest day will be 1800 while I zigag 1300 & 1500 calories the other days. I will still be eating the same amount of calories over the course of the week.


I'm wondering if any other MFP members have tried this?

Replies

  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    I started it last week and I lost 2.3 pounds - after losing less than a pound a week before.

    It's easy for me to fast so I do intermittant fasting where I don't eat from dinner-to-dinner 2 or 3 days a week. The trick is not to binge at the end of the fast (which I did the first time - oopsie!)
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I have done it since day 1 on MFP but I didn't know it had a name until recently. I eat anywhere between 1200 and 1800 calories daily. So far it has worked!
  • IndigoFlowers
    IndigoFlowers Posts: 221 Member
    I do it all the time :) So far it's worked great! I also change my intensity up all the time when I work out, so I never do anything the same twice in a row.
  • boldimp
    boldimp Posts: 17
    I'm glad to hear it works. I tried what you're doing once with great results but I have to take medicine twice a day with food so it rules out any true fasting... plus I'm way too hungry for that! LOL
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    Yes, I had been on a plateau since mid-February and just started zigzagging last week. I finally lost .5 lbs when I weighed myself today. Hopefully I will have good results during this next week, too.
  • hummzz
    hummzz Posts: 385 Member
    I did it, but not intentionally. I had plateaued for 2 months. And then I ate some things that weren't all that great for me, but stayed within my goals. Then started eating better again and lost a whopping 9 lbs in 2 weeks time! So I think there is something to that.
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