Average calories over the week

aurora_boogaloo

I eat very well and exercise hard during the week - usually ending up with around 200 cals left per day. However, I don't really exercise on the weekend and I like to have some drinks - which tends to put me over for those days. Averaged out over the week I'm still pretty much under my 1200 per day.

Is this a bad thing? Does it matter over the course of a week?

usaeagge

I would not think that it matters over the long haul. The only thing I would worry about with the days of fewer than 1200 claories would be nutrient intake. Your nody will start shutting down important functions if you don't supplement your food intake with some vitamin supplements.

Caseyanna

Great question. I've always wondered this too...like can you have rollover calories??

redrustdobe

Search ZIGZAG diet.

The principal is that your total calories for the week remain constant, but daily calories have highs and lows. Its supposed to help you get through plateaus. I think generally you don't want your daily intake to be less than 1200 though.

emiskins

search zig zagging on this site, there is a lot of good info out there about this!

aurora_boogaloo

Exactly, Caseyanna!

jowings

I do the same, aurora. I am very good about sticking to my calories during the week and work out hard then I tend to relax on the weekends. I am at my goal weight, just trying to maintain. That's not to say that I go hog wild every weekend! I try to still make healthy choices, but I let myself cheat a little bit : ). I also continue to do some light exercise on the weekends, whether it's walking to the store, etc. to ease the burden of the extra calories.

jowings

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aurora_boogaloo

So - weekends of not bothering too much could be counted as a 'zag'? Sweet! ;-)

amysj303

I think it is not that simple. You can zig zag on cals, it keeps your metabolism guessing in a way, if you consistently restrict calories your body can adjust by burning less, which is will do when we restrict calories too much.
You have to do what works for you, if you are losing, great, but if you are not losing it might be that the occassional binge is enough to keep you at your current weight.

aurora_boogaloo

Nudge

4theking

I do this using the spike diet. I only eat 1800 or so calories and then have a day at 4500. My daily average is around 2300.