calorie cycling

jackieatx

Thoughts?

jackieatx

Honestly is it a good idea or bad? Have any of you lost weight this way?

WiegandS

i do carb cycling over calorie calorie cycling, but to be honest most carb loaded foods are also high in calories lol. I have been able to get results and maintain them while carb cycling, but calorie cycling only made me hungrier on days where I was on a lower calorie count scale... but that is just me. a lot of people really find it to help a lot so I say try and for 2 weeks and see if you feel any different

Suhizzle

Is it possible for someone to explain what "carb cycling" and/or "calorie cycling" mean for people who are not well-versed in the jargon (aka moi)?

Thanks.

yuliyax

I asked a fellow MFPer that seems to know a lot about this so here is a quote :
"i thinks it works well, simply because :
- it is more sustainable than regular diets when it comes to proportions. (you eat more when you need it, less when you are inactive)
- it helps to stick to the diet, fatigue and less motivation can happen when you try to maintain low intakes, giving you more opportunities to pig out. In the end of a given month, through time,it is possible than you end up with a hundreds more calories
- in accordance with the muscle gain/ fat storage prevention, you enhance the hormonal abilities (GH + Catecholamines) to make you lose more weight


You just need to make sure to spare the muscles tissues from breakdown by being high in proteins during both days, and if the excess is too big during the training days, watch out for fat, but NEVER remove the fat intakes.
Fat storage always happens, no matter what you eat, in how much proportions.

If you want to be even more efficient, lower down cardio/ remove it when you train, and when you don't , add some high-intensity trainings. In a couple of months, you'll have the results you want.

The only think to know it's all about thermodynamic when it comes to weight loss : if you degrate (oxydate) more than you bring, you end up in a deficit. that is why we use to say "the timing is irrevelant". Eating 3000 calories in a day, and 1000 the next is exactly the same than 2000/ 2000. We use timeframe (from monday to sunday), but in fact, see it as a dynamic system that doesn't give a crack about calendar, genes and metabolism reactions always happen, by being a bit clever, and manipulating the diet, you can have your results.

Now appart the thermodynamic, there are ways to optimise everything, I mean : losing more, building more,etc... and for that I think the timing IS revelant actually. "

Marmitegeoff

Yes I have lost a lot of weight by cycling 56 pounds in a couple of years without restricting my food at all. just keep your pulse in the fat burning zone <60 to 70 % of max heart rate and keep going. It is also better for the joints.

WiegandS

The idea behind calorie cycling is that you change your calorie intake every few days so that your body doesn't get used to burning the same amount of calories. Essentially it is meant to surprise and bump your metabolism. For example most people will do 1200 for 2 days then bump to 1400 then to 1600 or do 1200-1600-1800-1400 and so on and so forth thus preventing your metabolism from becoming stagnant. Many people have had great success with this, but it is not something I am able to do. My body is so used to eating X amount of calories per day and I always notice that even on the days I don't work out and I am only supposed to eat 1200 I end up overeating and eating the same amount of calories on would on days I do exercise.

Carb cycling is essentially is staying within your daily carbohydrate means, but changing the amount you eat and where you get your carbs from. My biggest issue is pasta and couscous so my cycling days is just simply avoiding starchy carbs for 2 or 3 days and then introducing it into a meal after I cycle it out of my system. This method works for me more than calorie cycling.

I suggest that if anyone is in a plateau or just wants to jump start their weight loss to just try it and see if it works and it's something you can incorporate. try it for 2 weeks and if not you can always go back to whatever was working before.

jackieatx

Thanks guys! I've been doing this inadvertently for the past few days and I notice a difference in my energy levels and I've lost a 1.5 lbs in two days. I think I'll stick with it. Does anyone have any advice as to strength training/cardio on which days?

jackieatx

Oh wait nvm, thx yax!

ImKindOfABigDeal40

I experimented with it for a month. I lost no weight

txbutterfly69

I experimented with it for a month. I lost no weight

When I first started, it took me a couple of months and then it "kicked in" and truly worked. I was shocked that I ate so many calories on one day and it worked. :-)

Marmitegeoff

Yes I have lost a lot of weight by cycling 56 pounds in a couple of years without restricting my food at all. just keep your pulse in the fat burning zone <60 to 70 % of max heart rate and keep going. It is also better for the joints.

Wrong Cycling OOOoooooopppppps