Zig Zagging Calories

ChitownFoodie

I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?

merrillfoster

bump

funkyspunky871

When I zig-zagged my calories for a couple of weeks, I didn't use NET calories... But, then again, I never ate back my exercise calories in the first place. If you do eat them back (as you should; I'm a horrible hypocrite), then I'd do NET calories.

lil_missfit

bump

hush7hush

What calculator did you use to figure it?

shapestocome

I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?

No, it is not the net calories it is the calories from food only. For zigzagging you eat the amount of calories that the site says -- it counts your exercise into the formula when figuring out your calories for each day.

thisis4me

Bump

Mads1997

It would depend on what calculator you use. I zig zag and eat most if not all my exercise cals back.

00trayn

I'm zig zagging my calories and I'm eating the numbers it tells me to. I'm also lining up my high calories days with my heaviest workout days to balance things out a bit. So I'm kind of eating back my calories, but the number I pay attention to is how much I've eaten, and getting that to match the zig zag schedule amount.

ChitownFoodie

What calculator did you use to figure it?

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

ChitownFoodie

I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?

No, it is not the net calories it is the calories from food only. For zigzagging you eat the amount of calories that the site says -- it counts your exercise into the formula when figuring out your calories for each day.

THANKS!! That's actually the answer I was hoping for. LOL

shapestocome

I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?

No, it is not the net calories it is the calories from food only. For zigzagging you eat the amount of calories that the site says -- it counts your exercise into the formula when figuring out your calories for each day.

THANKS!! That's actually the answer I was hoping for. LOL

Yes, that is the same calculator I used. Here is a great blog that will explain it very well:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/my-positive-experience-with-calorie-zig-zagging-98777

b00b0084

What is Zig Zagging Calories?
And does it work/how does it work?

iamhealingmyself

Pretty sure it should be net calories. If not (today) my 1680 high day after my exercise (which is NOT included in my activity level) would only net to just over 1100 calories. That's way below my max fat loss rate of 1400 calories per day. You could end up undoing the benefit of the zig zag if you get too low on your available intake and cause your body to store what you are eating (no, I'm not saying starvation mode) if you do this for a long time.

I've always eaten most if not all of my exercise calories back (when I can exercise) and have lost consistently since I began in January. There is a thread here on MFP that deals with zig zagging by a long time member who I believe is a nutritionist. I'm sure someone's posted the link, if not search for how to zig zag correctly and see if it comes up. I would ask him if it's not already in there. I read that post last month and don't remember what it said about the goal being net or gross.

143sunflower

Freediet.com plug in your height weight and age...it will calculate your zig zag calories...

joeygirl84

Sara, I'm so confused I don't get it still... I'm losing weight... But I never eat my exercise calories back... I'm supposed to? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of burning them? You can answer on my wall if you prefer since we are friends... Teach me hehe

iamhealingmyself

According to NEWFIEDAN - 5/2/11 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/212510-how-to-zig-zag-cals-properly-caloric-cycling-properly?hl=how+to+zig+zag&page=5

"...so on your home page after you put in your food and exercise at the end of the day that number (that number being your zig zag goal for that day) should = your net calories...."

FOOD EATEN - EXERCISE BURNED= NET CALORIES

That means EAT BACK your exercise calories otherwise your NET (on the home page summary box, not the food diary totals) won't equal whatever your zig zag goal is. The zig zag goal will not match your MFP numbers since MFP is setup for the same goal 7 days a week and zig zagging isn't. Some days you will be over and some you will be under. It's helpful to put your zig zag goal in your food notes so you (and others if it's public) will know you were zig zagging and not just over/under eating.
The only time it doesn't make sense to eat back your exercise calories is if you are working off your maintenance numbers.

As I said earlier, today is my 1680 day (high day). I exercised and burned 575 calories. I've eaten 2011 calories (despite what my food diary is telling me I need to do) So far my day looks like this:
As you can see my NET caloires are still 244 calories UNDER my zig zag goal of 1680. If I didn't eat back any of my exercise calories today and stopped food at 1680, my NET would be 1105 calories for the day. Oh another thing, disregard the big 64 calories remaining since that is based off of the MFP goal and not the zig zag goal. You will need to manually calculate that by taking your zig zag goal (1680) and subtracting your logged NET (1436) which means that at 11:12pm I still have 244 calories to consume to meet my goal for today.

It's really up to you but if you find that your zig zagging and not eating back your logged exercise and you feel tired, don't lose, feel hungry more often than before, consider trying it this way the next week and see which way works better. When losing weight, bigger (losses) isn't always better.

scmcgee

Bump. Following thread.

ysamatar

Bump!

Mads1997

that calulator would have me eating another 2000 calories a week more than MFP does after taking into exercise into account

LadyOfOceanBreeze

I reallyreally wish I understood all of this!

shapestocome

According to NEWFIEDAN - 5/2/11 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/212510-how-to-zig-zag-cals-properly-caloric-cycling-properly?hl=how+to+zig+zag&page=5

"...so on your home page after you put in your food and exercise at the end of the day that number (that number being your zig zag goal for that day) should = your net calories...."

FOOD EATEN - EXERCISE BURNED= NET CALORIES

That means EAT BACK your exercise calories otherwise your NET (on the home page summary box, not the food diary totals) won't equal whatever your zig zag goal is. The zig zag goal will not match your MFP numbers since MFP is setup for the same goal 7 days a week and zig zagging isn't. Some days you will be over and some you will be under. It's helpful to put your zig zag goal in your food notes so you (and others if it's public) will know you were zig zagging and not just over/under eating.
The only time it doesn't make sense to eat back your exercise calories is if you are working off your maintenance numbers.

As I said earlier, today is my 1680 day (high day). I exercised and burned 575 calories. I've eaten 2011 calories (despite what my food diary is telling me I need to do) So far my day looks like this:
As you can see my NET caloires are still 244 calories UNDER my zig zag goal of 1680. If I didn't eat back any of my exercise calories today and stopped food at 1680, my NET would be 1105 calories for the day. Oh another thing, disregard the big 64 calories remaining since that is based off of the MFP goal and not the zig zag goal. You will need to manually calculate that by taking your zig zag goal (1680) and subtracting your logged NET (1436) which means that at 11:12pm I still have 244 calories to consume to meet my goal for today.

It's really up to you but if you find that your zig zagging and not eating back your logged exercise and you feel tired, don't lose, feel hungry more often than before, consider trying it this way the next week and see which way works better. When losing weight, bigger (losses) isn't always better.

Yes, it totally depends on what you are using as your numbers. On the calculator that I used you put in your number of days that you exercise and it will figure your exercise calories in so if I look at my numbers, most days for zigzagging it has me at 1506 then a couple higher and a couple lower. But the average is 1506 -- on mfp I am supposed to eat 1200 plus my exercise calories so if I would be zigzagging and using 1506 plus my exercise calories I would be WAY to high -- I would be eating to maintenance every week therefore would NOT lose anything. But this adds the 300 calories that I would normally eat back to my food goal everyday for the week (it just uses high days and low days instead of the same every day)

So you can do either BUT if you use the calculator on the freedieting.com site and you put in that you exercise 5 days a week then DO NOT eat back the daily exercise calories because it IS calculated in there for you.

What I do is the same as Sara -- I don't exercise on my low days and exercise a lot on my high days so the numbers on mfp turn out to be close.

If you are using the calculator on the freediet.com site than read this blog -- she explains everything very nicely: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/my-positive-experience-with-calorie-zig-zagging-98777

shapestocome

oh, one more thing -- I use the fat loss numbers not the extreme fat loss -- extreme fat loss is without eating your exercise calories back -- that may be the confusion.

shapestocome

The other method using mfp numbers (maintenance and max loss) and you do eat back your exercise calories (using net as your goal) that nckrystalblue is speaking about -- is described in this post:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/212510-how-to-zig-zag-cals-properly-caloric-cycling-properly?hl=how+to+zig+zag

So either way is right it just depends on how you calculate your zig zag numbers to begin with.

Hope this helps!

lil_missfit

this is so confusing:noway:

I am trying zig zagging this week.....I just hope I am doing it right:embarassed:

nicolina823

bump. This all makes my head hurt. I'll have to read it after work.

lotushw

bump

I think I get it now....:drinker:

b00b0084

bump

I think I get it now....:drinker:

at least you do.... im so lost!!! :huh: :grumble: :huh:

starsnyc21

Just as an FYI - you are suppose to use you Net calories. Freedieting.com is not taking exercise into consideration. I believe it says that near the bottom of the page. There is conflicting information on this post. If would anyone seriously considering please google and research on your own to ensure you get accure information.

iamhealingmyself

Yes, it totally depends on what you are using as your numbers. On the calculator that I used you put in your number of days that you exercise and it will figure your exercise calories in so if I look at my numbers, most days for zigzagging it has me at 1506 then a couple higher and a couple lower. But the average is 1506 -- on mfp I am supposed to eat 1200 plus my exercise calories so if I would be zigzagging and using 1506 plus my exercise calories I would be WAY to high -- I would be eating to maintenance every week therefore would NOT lose anything. But this adds the 300 calories that I would normally eat back to my food goal everyday for the week (it just uses high days and low days instead of the same every day)

So you can do either BUT if you use the calculator on the freedieting.com site and you put in that you exercise 5 days a week then DO NOT eat back the daily exercise calories because it IS calculated in there for you.

What I do is the same as Sara -- I don't exercise on my low days and exercise a lot on my high days so the numbers on mfp turn out to be close.

If you are using the calculator on the freediet.com site than read this blog -- she explains everything very nicely: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/my-positive-experience-with-calorie-zig-zagging-98777

If you enter an activity level when calculating your MFP goal or the zig zag numbers you wouldn't be logging those exercise calories on MFP anyway so that is correct, you would NOT want to eat them back.

My personal level is set to sedentary as my job is sedentary and my lifestyle has been sedentary for many years. In May I set myself a goal (again) to try to walk 30 minutes a day, but, as in January when I started, I'm not physically able to do that everyday (or exercise in general) due to spinal issues. Because I cannot guarantee that I can or will work out 3-5 times a week, I don't want those calories built into my diet numbers or I'd go over on most days. So far this month I've only missed 2 days, but until I have most of the month under my belt and feel I can continue moving forward, I won't change my activity level.

iamhealingmyself

oh, one more thing -- I use the fat loss numbers not the extreme fat loss -- extreme fat loss is without eating your exercise calories back -- that may be the confusion.

If I didn't eat my exercise calories back while using the Ex FL numbers, I'd be lucky to hit about 800 net per day. That's not healthy.