How to zig zag cals properly/caloric cycling properly

binkybaby1

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ieva015

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Lance_K

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cdez80421

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Squidgeypaws007

How do you work out your maintainence calories?

Newfiedan

Maintenance level depends on goal:

Add the following to determine needs
0.5lb/wk -= 250cal
1 lb/wk=500
1.5lb/wk=750
2lb/wk=1000

Just add this to your mfp daily goal depending on which you selected.

Newfiedan

Nice post OP but not sure if this was explained but this is also very essential when doing a zig zag protocol.

#1) Protein and Fat should always stay consistent, only change Carbs on workout and non workout days.
#2) Carbs higher on workout days, lower on non workout days
#3) Keep your deficit consistent weekly, 1lb = 3500 Cals a week...

I am going to have to partially disagree with you on this, taking cals from protein/fat will not immediately hurt the body, this is more if you are going to cycle carbs in the equation which I do use but this would be more oriented towards someone whom is leaner, not someone whom is obese. I can achieve the same fat loss without dropping below maintenance level for caloric intake, this is what I meant by the cals in cals out formula being flawed. But this is better saved for a different topic/time.

usernamekelly1

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Helloitsdan

Thanx! This is what i just started recently.
I need reassurance sometimes!

I'm following the leangains protocol with +20%/-15% carb cycle.
I'm at 11-12% body fat and looking to hit 8% by May 1st.
Lifting 3 days a week so hitting close to 3k on those days.
Yum food eat!

jessikas5

Bump!!

tameejean

Bump.

alexiaans

Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

For example:

If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

Thanks so much for any answers!

alexiaans

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alexiaans

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alexiaans

BUMP...TRYING to get an answer to my question please?

crisanderson27

Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

For example:

If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

Thanks so much for any answers!

If you mean eat the same across the board and use your exercise to create the zig zag...the answer is no.

DarcieC2389

I will have to try it. The everyday routine of staying under my calories and working out five times a week is not yielding much weight loss for me.

mel128

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crisanderson27

I will have to try it. The everyday routine of staying under my calories and working out five times a week is not yielding much weight loss for me.

I've learned so much since I originally posted in this thread. Type of exercise has a huge impact on what kind of weight loss you experience. If you're fixated on the scale...you need to do cardio and deal with the lost lean mass and the resultant slowing of your metabolism etc. The 'weight' loss will be quicker, but your body won't change very much over the long term. If you want to see inches and clothing sizes drop rapidly...heavy strength training is the key. You can still do the cardio if you so choose...but lifting weights that are heavy for you...then putting them back down, will result in some pretty serious, and VERY quick changes in your body. This is starting to become a huge trend for women on this board...but the reason is because it works. Every single solitary one that tries it...sees results, across the board. It's impressive to say the least.

Now, don't get me wrong, diet is huge...but how you eat (calorie zig zagging, etc) isn't going to change too very much. Some people it works for, many it doesn't. It helped me a little...but didn't really get me off my plateau. Unless you're actually going into a fasted state, where your body chemically changes how things work...a calorie is a calorie. Your body only knows if it has food in its system, or not...and since your body doesn't know 24hrs from 10hrs from 48hrs...zig zagging won't always work. I'm partially convinced that the people who've had real success with zig zagging, are accidentally dragging their time not eating into the 14hr-16hr range, thus creating an empty/fasted state.

Anyhow, just some random thoughts spurred by your commentary, and not meant to be directed to you necessarily at all .

But it is something to think about.

alexiaans

Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

For example:

If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

Thanks so much for any answers!

If you mean eat the same across the board and use your exercise to create the zig zag...the answer is no.

Thanks so much for your answer! I just want to be sure I'm doing this thing right

soulynyc

bumping for later. need to read this thorougly. im doing my own zigzag(from wendy plan . without ww points) im using calories instead. would love to see what im doing right or wrong.

autumnk921

Thanks for telling us how to do it in laymans terms b/c sometimes all of this stuff gets confusing....I was actually looking into this last night so it's nice to see it in terms like this today....

Btw....I went to this site to do the calculations for me last night....

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

commonly_unique

Intriguing...I'll have to give this a try. Thanks for posting!

crisanderson27

Hello everyone. This post has been very informative but I keep searching through comments to find one answer and haven't quite found it yet...so I ask:

Is the amount of calories you set out to eat when doing this diet does, or does NOT take into account excercise?

For example:

If my calorie intake for a particular day is 1800 calories, is it 1800 NET or 1800 actual calories consumed I should go for?

I want to make sure I am hitting my targets of how many calories for each particular day, but I want to make sure I'm clear that my goal should be the calories I EAT or what I NET out with at the end of the day when I include excercise.

Thanks so much for any answers!

Looks like net from his example. He talks about creating a calorie deficit through exercise too. Which would imply you eat some calories back which will be "net" calories.

Yes, you eat back your calories. No, you don't use them to create the zig zag.

amysj303

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lalavogl

saving for later

capp138

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EmiVReyes

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shosh413

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Guamybear

anyone else do this?