Zig-Zag help please!

kkauz42

This may be a little premature but I am a little frustrated. This is my 3rd week of zig-zagging but it's my 2nd week of VERY little loss. The first week I lost 1.2 lbs which I was thrilled with, the next week was .4 and today was .2. I'm not going to give up, there's no way, I think I may just need some guidance/help.

I use the calculator on freedieting.com to get my calories allotment. I set my exercise level to sedentary so that I eat my exercise calories back. (I read somewhere on here that if you set it to exercising x amount of days a week that you do NOT eat your exercise calories back). I exercise 6 days a week and I have an HRM (Polar FT4) so I think my burn is pretty accurate.

There is only 1 "change" that I can think of. The first week I followed the calculator exactly with Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, and Sunday being the same and then Wednesday and Saturday being the high days.
Monday- 1752
Tues- 1752
Wed- 2103
Thurs- 1752
Fri- 1712
Saturday- 1928
Sunday- 1752


I have seen a lot of other people who zig-zag and fluctuate their calories more so I decided to give that a try. I still have the same daily average
Monday- 1574
Tues- 1774
Wed- 2103
Thurs- 1575
Friday-1774
Saturday-1928
Sunday-1774


Since I have started fluctuating more I haven't seen any movement and I'm not exactly sure why. Does anybody have any advice or tips?? How often do you put in your new statistics into the calorie calculator as well? Maybe that is the issue...I am going to change that today. Anyone that has experience or can help that would be great!!

Oh and I am not doing any weight training yet. I do cardio and I alternate between running (intervals) and elliptical (also intervals) and on Thursdays I play volleyball.

UponThisRock

What are you trying to accomplish by zig-zagging?

kkauz42

Losing weight. and it set to 1lb/week on here

XXXMinnieXXX

sounds like really hard work to me... maybe try not zigzagging lol x

UponThisRock

Losing weight. and it set to 1lb/week on here

Zig-zagging doesn't have any special benefits for weight loss. If you're not losing, eat less, or move more, or both.

MinaAriel

Are the calorie numbers you are posting before eating your calories back from exercise? I think you kind of naturally zig zag if you eat your calories back from exercise. If you choose not to eat back exercise calories or do not exercise at all (which I do not recommend), then I think you might have more success. Also, many of the "zig-zaggers" have talked about spike days which means they stay around the same base except for one time a week. You have 6 days of lower net calories then you have a calorie spike one day and that supposedly keeps your metabolism going.

MinaAriel

Did you know your average calories are 1786? I'm on 1500 + exercise calories to lose 1lb at week. Maybe less spike days? I don't know your stats so it's hard to tell if that is where it needs to be.

kkauz42

Are the calorie numbers you are posting before eating your calories back from exercise? I think you kind of naturally zig zag if you eat your calories back from exercise. If you choose not to eat back exercise calories or do not exercise at all (which I do not recommend), then I think you might have more success. Also, many of the "zig-zaggers" have talked about spike days which means they stay around the same base except for one time a week. You have 6 days of lower net calories then you have a calorie spike one day and that supposedly keeps your metabolism going.

Yes, the calories I posted are calories before exercising. I net those calories when I do exercise (6 days/week)

kkauz42

Did you know your average calories are 1786? I'm on 1500 + exercise calories to lose 1lb at week. Maybe less spike days? I don't know your stats so it's hard to tell if that is where it needs to be.

On here my allotment is 1790. I am 6'0" tall so I'm not short

MinaAriel

LOL- Well I'm 5"4' so I imagine there is a difference. Honestly, if I were you, I would keep it steady throughout the week with one spike day (maybe your day of rest so you aren't exercising so your net calories will be higher without a whole bunch more food). Start with one and see what happens. I do something similar. I was at 1200 calories + exercise but wasn't losing it fast enough. I decided to raise my calories to 1500 and I only eat half my exercise calories. I've been losing slow and steady but I still have energy so I'm happy with it.

kellyscomeback

Try tracking your sodium for a week, I think you may be going over your daily quota and hanging onto some water weight.

I know what MinaAriel is trying do say. Try going down to 1500 + eating back your exercise cals (I eat back about 80-90%) for a week and see if that helps. Also, going a tad over one day a week is ok. Sundays are my rest days and I usually go over by 150-200 and have a good loss the next day (depending on how much I 'cheated' that day).

greenhumanclay

I have been zig zagging for a couple months now and it has been effective! Im much shorter 5 ft so that explains why your calorie intake is much different. IMO I'm no expert @ all so you can take my tips with a grain of salt, but I would try switching (freedieting.com) the exercise to 5 days per week since you said you exercise 6 days a week Set it to 5 moderate days not 5 intense vs. sedentary even though Im sure your HRM works fine! Follow the regular weight loss not extreme which I sure you already are!

Monitor salt because that for sure will make your body hold onto some weight. If I go over my salt intake or over 2000mg the next day I weigh more If I keep it around 1000-1500mg the scale will drop 2 lbs. Try eating less salt not sure how much you consume and more protein since you are so active and make you sure you are hydrating properly water helps flush your system out not that you don't know that but give it another shot, zig zagging can be a bit annoying since it can be confusing, Good Luck and keep your body moving and log EVERYTHING you eat!!