Weight falls after cheat days?

Ruchell

I'm not claiming to be an expert here but this sounds like zigzagging. Long explanation short, zigzagging is eating the same amount of calories 6 days a week, then one day, you spike your calories. It's apparently because you are "shocking" your metabolism. Google "zigzagging" It's a really popular diet technique. When my weight stops, I zigzag for a few weeks, and it usually drops.

here's a helpful website that will calculate your "zig-zag" calorie schedule

Thanks. Any idea how I can keep the result of this going? It seems like I am just bouncing the same few pounds around. As soon as I start back the 6 days of calorie controlled eating, my weight goes right back to where it was.

Ruchell

Go to bodyrecomposition.com and read Lyle's series on Leptin for a better understanding of this. Last time I tried to quote it I butchered it badly, but in short, Leptin is a hormone in the fat cells and it plays a role in fat loss. When you eat at a deficit for long periods, Leptin can decrease and this can slow fat loss. Doing a refeed (carbohydrate spike) can bump Leptin levels back up which then has the potential to start fat loss going again. Cheat days can accomplish this.

Thanks for the resource, I will read into this. It makes sense, but the fat loss doesn't keep going. It goes back up as soon as I continue eating at 1500.

Ruchell

Go to bodyrecomposition.com and read Lyle's series on Leptin for a better understanding of this. Last time I tried to quote it I butchered it badly, but in short, Leptin is a hormone in the fat cells and it plays a role in fat loss. When you eat at a deficit for long periods, Leptin can decrease and this can slow fat loss. Doing a refeed (carbohydrate spike) can bump Leptin levels back up which then has the potential to start fat loss going again. Cheat days can accomplish this.

This is why I lost weight by not eating my exercise calories and sticking to 1200 calories (gasp!). I had/have binge days a few times a month....and when I say binge, I mean BINGE.....like too much to log. It keeps me from getting burnt out on being perfect all the time. :bigsmile:

Thanks for the input. The way you are doing it was the way I lost the first 1/2 of my weight and then it stopped working and thats originally bumped up to 1500. Looks like I need to refigure everything again.

Ruchell

Sometimes you have just gotta trust your gut, literally. I have had that, where there are days that I don't get to log everything I eat or see how many calories I have burned - but apparently I only ate when I was hungry and managed to lose a couple pounds. Sometimes I think that thinking about it all of the time makes us want to eat more than we really need to. Although, that usually is only good for me for about a week and then I better start tracking again because I fall into my old habits of eating when I really shouldn't.

Yes, for sure. I feel like that is what helped me survive Thanksgiving!

Captain_Mal

Ruchell

When you cheat, your often get a whoosh - which is water weight being shed from fat cells.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

Thanks, I'll read this!

Helloitsdan

Cheat days are said to boost metabolism.
I tell all my friends to have a cheat meal every week and those who are at the end of the loss to have a cheat weekend!

PS: HIIT and cycling carbs will help drop the last 10lbs.

Ruchell

When you cheat, your often get a whoosh - which is water weight being shed from fat cells.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

From ^this:

Finally, many have reported whooshes following an evening which included alcohol. A mild diuretic, this would also tend to implicate water balance issues in the whoosh phenomenon.

OP, I looked at your diary and you did have alcohol last night. If you usually drink on your cheat days, this could be why.

:drinker:

Yes, I thought it could be this and it would explain most of the cheat days, but not all. I definitely know alcohol can cause water weight to shed. This is probably the #1 reason why I'm not just jumping to up my calorie goal.

demurefemme

Yes, this is so annoying!!! I broke a 10 day plateau over Thanksgiving and I've been attempting a zig zag ever since...it is making me nervous (I hate going "over" on my over days), but I'll report back how it goes! I'm three days into it

Ruchell

Interesting, I am trying cheat (carb load) days for 30 days to see how it goes. After my first 2 cheat days my weight went up 3 pounds. I did not freak out cause I figured it was just water weight. On the 4th day my weight was back down and I had lost a pound and a half.

I spent weeks researching carb cycling before I attempted this method. So far I am pleased with the results from my first go at it. I am very close to my goal weigh (5 more pounds) . But my new goal is to get my BF% down. I plan to keep having my cheat days.

I haven't heard of this before. Thank you, I will read more about it.

Ruchell

Go to bodyrecomposition.com and read Lyle's series on Leptin for a better understanding of this. Last time I tried to quote it I butchered it badly, but in short, Leptin is a hormone in the fat cells and it plays a role in fat loss. When you eat at a deficit for long periods, Leptin can decrease and this can slow fat loss. Doing a refeed (carbohydrate spike) can bump Leptin levels back up which then has the potential to start fat loss going again. Cheat days can accomplish this.

THIS. This is why I have myself and clients do carb cycling.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Thanks alot! I read your advice on here often and I always appreciate what you have to say

Ruchell

Love the sharing and support you all give one another!
I have a question... Carrie posted that she "read OP's diary."
I did not know that was possible. We can read each others diaries?
How does that work? I assume it is by permission only. Like between buddies or something?

I also appreciate all of the support and advice!

Ruchell

The same thing happens to me as well. I think it's because you are not working your muscles and afterall muscle does weigh more than fat. Don't worry about it and don't put too much stock into it, just be happy with it :bigsmile:

I'm definitely happy about it! I just wish it would stay off, what worries me is that as soon as I go back to calorie deficit my weight goes back up.

mynika

bump bump
great topic.

Ruchell

This phenomena is something that my doctor has actually requested that I do. She calls it metabolism spiking. Eating the same calorie content day in and day out seems to make me stay the same day in and day out, yeah I lose some but the drastic loss has been when I really EFF with my metabolism. I never go over but I do what I can do go between 1000 and my max allotted with weight loss. So one day I ll do 1000 the next day I ll do like 1900 the next day 1600 and really try to focus on accurate counts.

Seems to work for me. It works in vice versa with me I will stick at say 1800 every day, then I go to 1200 and viola loss of weight. Usually it is the opposite though I am at 1400 every day for a week then I spike to 1900 or 2000 and I drop like 4 lbs in one day.

Interesting! Do the lbs come back on on the days when you stay at 1400?

I am not a doctor, I just play one in bed.

Thanks for the advice, Dr. :blushing:

Ruchell

Cheat days are said to boost metabolism.
I tell all my friends to have a cheat meal every week and those who are at the end of the loss to have a cheat weekend!

PS: HIIT and cycling carbs will help drop the last 10lbs.

Thanks. Sounds pretty similar to what I have been hearing from everyone. Maybe I need to do it more often than I have been.

StacySkinny

I've noticed this too. I hope someone comes up with a good answer. So far looks like some contradictions. Gah, I wish this site had a nutritionist to ask these questions to. lol

allie0630

What is carb cycling? How much of your diet should be carbs? Mine seems to be at 50% or above.

Cold_Steel

This phenomena is something that my doctor has actually requested that I do. She calls it metabolism spiking. Eating the same calorie content day in and day out seems to make me stay the same day in and day out, yeah I lose some but the drastic loss has been when I really EFF with my metabolism. I never go over but I do what I can do go between 1000 and my max allotted with weight loss. So one day I ll do 1000 the next day I ll do like 1900 the next day 1600 and really try to focus on accurate counts.

Seems to work for me. It works in vice versa with me I will stick at say 1800 every day, then I go to 1200 and viola loss of weight. Usually it is the opposite though I am at 1400 every day for a week then I spike to 1900 or 2000 and I drop like 4 lbs in one day.

Interesting! Do the lbs come back on on the days when you stay at 1400?

I am not a doctor, I just play one in bed.

Thanks for the advice, Dr. :blushing:

Thankfully I have not really gained weight back I plateued recently so I tried it and dropped three lbs. My doc instructed me to follow a 3 to 1 pattern so I do like 1200 1200 1200 spike too 1850 then next day 1200 then 1850 1850 1850 then back too 1200 ....or so takes a solid 7 days..

Helloitsdan

What is carb cycling? How much of your diet should be carbs? Mine seems to be at 50% or above.

Carb macros depend on what your goal is.
I like to base my macros on Protein and Essential Fats first.
1g Protein per Lean Mass and .45g Fat per Lean Mass.
Carbs make up the rest.

Carb cycling is dropping carbs down below 150g a day for 3 days.
On day 4 you refeed up to 400g.
What this does is allows your body to burn off Glycogen quickly then it feeds on fat stores.
Make sure you are eating your daily Protein and Essential fats!
Remember this...the body wants carbs so this tends to create a lot of moodiness!
=D