Does the "Zig Zag 7 Day Calorie Cycle" really work?

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Andrea_Bassett
Andrea_Bassett Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I have seen a lot of people post the link to the Zig Zag calorie cycle (http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm). It is a really interesting concept. When I input my calculations the calorie suggestions are 300 calories above what MFP suggests. I am curious if this really could work to get over my plateau. If anyone can shed some light on this it would be great. Has anyone tried this tactic with success?
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  • h2onut
    h2onut Posts: 164
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    I was definitely skeptical because it meant upping my net cal intake from 1200 to 1300-1700 but... It has worked for me when I follow it properly:D
  • ProTFitness
    ProTFitness Posts: 1,379 Member
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    Againg Anything like this work if you follow it and are consitant with it.
  • aclark6818
    aclark6818 Posts: 209 Member
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    I'd like to see if it works. Thanks for the link :smile:
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    I do it....works great!
  • Dnsnyder
    Dnsnyder Posts: 263 Member
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    bump (save the link for future)
  • hjfischer
    hjfischer Posts: 250
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    That is interesting. I like how they give you calorie suggestions for zig zagging. The calories are much higher on that site than MFP for me. I might need to up my calories a bit to get over this plateau.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I've been trying to follow it for almost a month now. And when I was sticking to it and not going crazy on the weekends with food and drink, it was working. I got down to my lowest weight in several months and stayed below 150 for nearly a week. But then I let indulgences get the best of me. I'm going to try to stick to it better in the next few weeks, and hopefully with more strength training I see some real results from it.
  • thoward74
    thoward74 Posts: 15 Member
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    I haven't really looked at the zig zag theory too much. But, I do know from experience that when I hit a plateau, I would often increase my calories for a day or two, then drop back to 1200 and it seemed to make me start losing again. I never tried it on a 7 day cycle though, just when my weight loss would slow down.
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
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    I can testify that the zig zag diet works. I have a very good friend who has applied the zig zag method. That, coupled with some HIIT, cardio, and weight training, has dropped 36 lbs for her since January. She never plateaued, not once.

    Personally I do slow incremental changes. But lately have been considering this as an alternative.
  • brinkley89
    brinkley89 Posts: 9
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    I've never heard of this process, but if it works I'm willing to give it a try just so I can get over my plateau...I'm tired of being the same weight for 3 weeks now (almost 4).

    3700210.png
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  • Andrea_Bassett
    Andrea_Bassett Posts: 7
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    Thank you all very much for your feed back. I have been following the 1200 calories per day and I feel starved sometimes plus I am at a plateau and I think that is why - I'm not eating enough calories. I am definantly going to try this method. It's worth a shot. Thanks again!
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
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    The principal is simple enough.
    Body is adaptive to resources. If you reduce resources, your body adapts to the new quantity of resources. (plateau)
    If you are constantly changing the level of resources every day, the body can never adapt because the quantity of resources is a moving target.

    I also assume it works the other way too....constant calories, with a zig-zag of burn.
  • wlddove
    wlddove Posts: 85 Member
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    Thanks for posting this. I just posted a similar topic, and was wondering if anyone had tried this. I think I might have to give it a shot for a week and see what happens... because I've been stuck for over a week now, and I'm frustrated.
  • MsImperfect0
    MsImperfect0 Posts: 127 Member
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    ooo im definatly going to try thi!
  • tn2010
    tn2010 Posts: 228 Member
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    I just started the 17 Day Diet and the second cycle of this plan is a zig-zagging plan. I'm anxious to begin the next cycle.
  • kadye
    kadye Posts: 136 Member
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    I was definitely skeptical because it meant upping my net cal intake from 1200 to 1300-1700 but... It has worked for me when I follow it properly:D

    If you go to the site http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm the values they give you are not net calories. You put in how much you exercise and the zig zag you are given are the number of calories you are supposed to eat. I am doing Insanity and I put in that I exercise 5/week intense and am going by what numbers it gave me. Some days, I burn 400 calories and only eat 1360 TOTAL calories. This makes my "net" less than 1000. Some days, though, I am eating nearly 1800 calories. I just want to be sure that if people are using this site, they don't put in an exercise level and then also eat back exercise calories. This might make you much less successful.
  • kadye
    kadye Posts: 136 Member
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    If you go to the site http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm the values they give you are not net calories. You put in how much you exercise and the zig zag you are given are the number of calories you are supposed to eat. I am doing Insanity and I put in that I exercise 5/week intense and am going by what numbers it gave me. Some days, I burn 400 calories and only eat 1360 TOTAL calories. This makes my "net" less than 1000. Some days, though, I am eating nearly 1800 calories. I just want to be sure that if people are using this site, they don't put in an exercise level and then also eat back exercise calories. This might make you much less successful.
  • Andrea_Bassett
    Andrea_Bassett Posts: 7
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    You are right! I only exercise 3 times per week and the calculator calculated out to look like this:


    Ex Fat Loss
    Monday 1512
    Tuesday 1512
    Wednesday 1815
    Thursday 1512
    Friday 1512
    Saturday 1664
    Sunday 1512


    So lets say I work out Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
    On Monday I would eat the 1512 calories but with the average 300 calories burned for my exercise my net would really be 1212 calories consumed, Tuesday the same, burn 300 calories and the net would be 1212, on Wednesday burn 300 calories and net would be 1515. The rest of the days in the week I would eat exactly the calories figured, with no deficit from exercise.
  • mosaix
    mosaix Posts: 87 Member
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    BUMP
  • Hope0485
    Hope0485 Posts: 2
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    I'm using the zigzag method and it does work. I have hit 2 plateaus....the first one lasted for 4 weeks, but I didn't zigzag at that point. That was so frustrating. When I hit the second plateau I started zigzagging. Plateau broke quickly!! Love this method and also allows me to have something to eat on those high calorie days that I normally couldn't have, like piece of birthday cake.

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