Zig ZAgging

jameslucy

Can anyone explain how to zig zag calories. MFP has set my goal as 1320 cals per day. If I exercise 5 days a week and earn an extra 500 or so cals do I eat them every day or just some days. Im not really sure how it works. I have read other posts on this but dont really understand them.

_Ben

Pretty much what you want to do is seperate your days by about 500 calories. So your net calories should be at about 1320 or so for 3 days, then maybe 3-4 of about 820 net calories. Zigzagging is based of switching back and forth between calories ingested, and if done right, works great in my opinion

jameslucy

Sorry Im being really dumb. Is net cals including my exercsie cals or not.

ohamberx0

Yeah, net includes exercise. It's what is left over after you've burned calories as well.

adross3

First question you should alsways ask when dieting is.....What is my try BMR. Basal Metabolic Rate This is the amount of calories you burn sitting on your behind in a 24 hr period. Then how active are you. My calculation algorithim is always off. The calculation gives me a 1600 BMR. My true BMR is 2100. This is because of my muscle mass. Finding your true BMR allows you to judge more accurately. I was loosing 2lbs per week not knowing why. I then checked my BMR and found out.

Fat is approx 3,500 cals per 1lb. The energy you eat as food is stored as fat or stored energy. Don't eat 3,500 cals and you loose 1lb of fat. Eat 3,500 cals and you gain 1lb of fat. That simple. If you want to loose 1lb of fat a week then spread it out at minus 500 cals per day. You will lose 1lb of fat a week. Knock of 1,000 cals a day and you will loose 2lbs per week.

Eating your exercise cals does two things. It supplies your muscles and brain with the proper nutrition it needs to grow and burn fat. Starving yourself in certain points of the day makes your body preserve its fat stores and you get sluggish. Knowing how many cals you burn in a day and what time of the day you go past your BMR's cal burn will enable you to eat to fuel up thru the day. Break your day down into sections before you eat 6X a day. Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner and Snack. This keeps the body burning and never in starvation mode. How active are you during these sections. Eat according to the amount of physical movement in each section.

You will go thru a platiau. Your eating habits has a predermined amount of weight loss. Your metabulism will increase thru exercise. Cleaning up your eating habits at this plateau will trigger more fat loss. Your physical body will be changing when exerciseing. Your weight will seem to have stopped, but your bones amd muscles will increase in mass. This will add weight to your structure. Don't worry, it's what you want. At this time you will need to clean up your eating. "CLEAN EATING". The fat will fall off you and your physical structure will increase. You will look better and feel empowered.

Invest in your future. Invest in yourself.

jameslucy

I apologise for being so stupid. Does that mean I eat 1320 for 3 days and 820 for four days and do I eat the more cals the days I excercise.

adross3

I apologise for being so stupid. Does that mean I eat 1320 for 3 days and 820 for four days and do I eat the more cals the days I excercise.

Eat your daily recommended 1320 cals and your exercise cals minus the 500 for fat loss. If you choose to loose more fat then knock down the 500 to 750 or 1000. Did you set up your weight loss cals in the settings? If so, then good. Once again, it is a good idea to learn how many calories you really burn resting.

Acg67

don't have 4 days a week eating <1000 cals

figure out maintenance, eat at 80-90% of that, profit

jameslucy

is net cals shown in the food diary as cals remaining at end of day. should that be either 1320 or 820. If some one could set out for me MOn thru to Sun and how many cals I should eat each day basing it on the fact that I will burn bout 500 on exercise MOn - Fri otherside I think Im gonna have to forget about the zig zagging cause Im just not getting it and each post is confusing me more. I would be really grateful ir someone could plan it out for me. Thanks