I found the holy grail of weight loss for lazy metabolisms

dalexander82

Thanks for the post, I have thyroid issues as well and I was starting to get discouraged. Thanks! :flowerforyou:

crista_b

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Sapporo

Hi,

For people who want to make their own zigzag calorie schedules (from your own calculated TDEE)

Start with the number of calories you normally have your limit set to (this is TDEE-500 for 2lbs per week), we will call this AVE

Day 1: AVE
Day 2: AVE - 20%
Day 3: AVE + 20%
Day 4: AVE
Day 5: AVE - 10%
Day 6: AVE + 10%
Day 7: AVE

These numbers are directly from that site that the OP listed, I just changed it into percents.

EXAMPLE:
My average TDEE is 2090 (I got this number from my bodymedia fit) so my average number of daily calories to lose 2 lbs per week would be 1590. So AVE = 1590

Day 1: 1590
Day 2: 1590- 0.2*1590 = 1272
Day 3: 1590+ 0.2*1590 = 1908
Day 4: 1590
Day 5: 1431
Day 6: 1749
Day 7: 1590

If you have any questions about this, feel free to send me a message.

Wouldn't TDEE -500 cals be one pound per week loss?

mainesm

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Sapporo

I used to do this with WW points years ago. Now it is kinda natural, I'll go between 1700-2200 during the week but only the high end on exercise days, with 1870 being my daily goal. This site says 2040 cal per day should be my daily goal, then the zigzag makes that my lowest and 2700 highest one day.
I might try purposely zigzagging to see what it does, but I would not want to eat 2700 cals one day unless I go hiking in the hills for a couple of hours (sounds like a good idea).

bluepacific71

*BUMP*

fkbourne

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jchrisman717

Thank OP for posting and sharing. This website is all about sharing ideas and helping each other out. If you don't believe it - or don't think it will work for you - then don't do it. Geez people - why so many rude comments. No what works for one doesn't always work for others. But at least the OP is being nice enough to give us all another way to look at things, and it may actually help some of us. I think it sounds easy and doable and the way you explained how your doing your calorie bump in MFP makes sense.

I also took the chance and did the Eat More to Lose Weight which I think is ultimately a good plan - I only lost a few pounds and though I did feel better I just couldn't keep losing. I think I would have lost more if I could have committed to a more consistent strength training program. But right now in my life, its just too hard to do. So hopefully this zig zag will at least get me started on some weight loss. If not - well hey - I wasn't losing before so changing and trying something new isn't going to hurt anything.

fkbourne

I did a search in the forums and I only found a couple of topics that mentioned calorie zig-zag so I decided that I would make this post with instructions.

First things first: Go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm fill out the form and click at the bottom where it says "7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)"
All you have to do is follow the schedule (weight loss and extreme weight loss) and you will start to lose weight.

If this worked for me it HAS to work for you. Just to give you a little background, I am 31 years old, 5'2 and my highest weight was 170lbs. I have hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia. The combination of metabolic disorders has made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight with just diet and exercise. I've tried low cal (1200) , total energy expenditure with a deficit (2000) and everything in between that range; low fat, low carb, you name it! nothing has really worked until I tried calorie cycling.

I have been doing this for over 5 weeks and I have been losing 1lb each week consistently by following the weight loss schedule. If I plateau again I will try the extreme weight loss but so far so good.
I wanted to post this the first week I lost weight but I wanted to make sure that it really worked before getting your hopes up.

To adjust myfitnesspal I customized my calorie goals to my lowest calorie day ( tuesdays for me) and created 6 work outs with the calorie adjustments so I can just add it each day and count my calories the regular way. For example:
My daily calorie is set up at 1298
Then I add a "Monday zig-zag" exercise that I set up at 325 calories, this sets my Monday net calories to 1623
Do the same each day with a pre-set work out for each day and you are done.

Hope this helps!!!

How can YOU DISCOVER Something that OTHER People have been writing about FOR Years???!!! It's like telling the Native American Indians that Columbus DISCOVERED America! Just say...YOU LEARNED something that was NEW To YOU!

Get out of here! All you have to do is Eat Normally...which is "Zig Zag!!!" No one eats the same amount of calories each day, some days you naturally want more or less food or something sweet>>>That is why having a WEEKLY calorie goal is Important, same is true with an Exercise Routine. That's why it is CRAZY when people get upset when they eat more than they planned, let your Body DO its thing, heck, if you eat 300-500 excess calories one day, then eat fewer the next 2/3 days. CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN EATING THE SAME CALORIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT...That's CRAZY (Same with An Exercise Routine.) People WILL eventually Learn about THEIR Body.

Rude

jchrisman717

So move your days around and call what they call Monday Friday or Saturday. Make it your own. I think it looks great and will be trying this myself starting next week. What a great idea. Just like muscle confusion with interval work out, its like interval calories.

That's what I did - I moved them so that my highest day is on Saturday

SashaMegan

Bump!!!!!

crudd123

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momofJandA

so here's what I'm thinking (yes I have been thinking about this all day). I set the numbers as if I was sedentary and then I can still add in my exercise calories. Which will essentially still have me zig zagging- I just get those exercise calories back on days I need them and don't on days I don't- kwim?

miracle4me

bump

Gay11nell

BUMP! THANKS!

FitnSassy

I did a search in the forums and I only found a couple of topics that mentioned calorie zig-zag so I decided that I would make this post with instructions.

First things first: Go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm fill out the form and click at the bottom where it says "7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)"
All you have to do is follow the schedule (weight loss and extreme weight loss) and you will start to lose weight.

If this worked for me it HAS to work for you. Just to give you a little background, I am 31 years old, 5'2 and my highest weight was 170lbs. I have hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia. The combination of metabolic disorders has made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight with just diet and exercise. I've tried low cal (1200) , total energy expenditure with a deficit (2000) and everything in between that range; low fat, low carb, you name it! nothing has really worked until I tried calorie cycling.

I have been doing this for over 5 weeks and I have been losing 1lb each week consistently by following the weight loss schedule. If I plateau again I will try the extreme weight loss but so far so good.
I wanted to post this the first week I lost weight but I wanted to make sure that it really worked before getting your hopes up.

To adjust myfitnesspal I customized my calorie goals to my lowest calorie day ( tuesdays for me) and created 6 work outs with the calorie adjustments so I can just add it each day and count my calories the regular way. For example:
My daily calorie is set up at 1298
Then I add a "Monday zig-zag" exercise that I set up at 325 calories, this sets my Monday net calories to 1623
Do the same each day with a pre-set work out for each day and you are done.

Hope this helps!!!

How can YOU DISCOVER Something that OTHER People have been writing about FOR Years???!!! It's like telling the Native American Indians that Columbus DISCOVERED America! Just say...YOU LEARNED something that was NEW To YOU!

Get out of here! All you have to do is Eat Normally...which is "Zig Zag!!!" No one eats the same amount of calories each day, some days you naturally want more or less food or something sweet>>>That is why having a WEEKLY calorie goal is Important, same is true with an Exercise Routine. That's why it is CRAZY when people get upset when they eat more than they planned, let your Body DO its thing, heck, if you eat 300-500 excess calories one day, then eat fewer the next 2/3 days. CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN EATING THE SAME CALORIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT...That's CRAZY (Same with An Exercise Routine.) People WILL eventually Learn about THEIR Body.

Although I don't agree with his delivery, I see the logic in his comment.

fruitloop2

bump

Becky99504

I did a search in the forums and I only found a couple of topics that mentioned calorie zig-zag so I decided that I would make this post with instructions.

First things first: Go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm fill out the form and click at the bottom where it says "7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)"
All you have to do is follow the schedule (weight loss and extreme weight loss) and you will start to lose weight.

If this worked for me it HAS to work for you. Just to give you a little background, I am 31 years old, 5'2 and my highest weight was 170lbs. I have hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia. The combination of metabolic disorders has made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight with just diet and exercise. I've tried low cal (1200) , total energy expenditure with a deficit (2000) and everything in between that range; low fat, low carb, you name it! nothing has really worked until I tried calorie cycling.

I have been doing this for over 5 weeks and I have been losing 1lb each week consistently by following the weight loss schedule. If I plateau again I will try the extreme weight loss but so far so good.
I wanted to post this the first week I lost weight but I wanted to make sure that it really worked before getting your hopes up.

To adjust myfitnesspal I customized my calorie goals to my lowest calorie day ( tuesdays for me) and created 6 work outs with the calorie adjustments so I can just add it each day and count my calories the regular way. For example:
My daily calorie is set up at 1298
Then I add a "Monday zig-zag" exercise that I set up at 325 calories, this sets my Monday net calories to 1623
Do the same each day with a pre-set work out for each day and you are done.

Hope this helps!!!

How can YOU DISCOVER Something that OTHER People have been writing about FOR Years???!!! It's like telling the Native American Indians that Columbus DISCOVERED America! Just say...YOU LEARNED something that was NEW To YOU!

Get out of here! All you have to do is Eat Normally...which is "Zig Zag!!!" No one eats the same amount of calories each day, some days you naturally want more or less food or something sweet>>>That is why having a WEEKLY calorie goal is Important, same is true with an Exercise Routine. That's why it is CRAZY when people get upset when they eat more than they planned, let your Body DO its thing, heck, if you eat 300-500 excess calories one day, then eat fewer the next 2/3 days. CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN EATING THE SAME CALORIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT...That's CRAZY (Same with An Exercise Routine.) People WILL eventually Learn about THEIR Body.

OK, have a nice day.

Bump
Amen!

Kindone

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toysbigkid

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