Alternate day diet and exercise

loxleys
loxleys Posts: 230 Member
edited October 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing the alternate day diet for about 2 months and lost about 7lbs so far but now I've started cycling to work everyday (35mins daily) and running 3 times per week (15 miles+) and now I'm struggling with hunger more than ever but that's not too bad but I'm exhausted most days. I eat back my exercise cals on down days but not up days
Does anyone have any advice?

Replies

  • loxleys
    loxleys Posts: 230 Member
    I'm sticking to 600 cals on down days and approx 2000 on up days
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    May I ask why you don't just eat at one moderate number every day?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    A lot of people (not all) have issues with versions of IF and endurance exercises. If it is not 'working' for you, I would suggest thinking about stopping - or try a different IF protocol.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    ^ agreed.
    choose a way of fat loss that still leaves you with sufficient energy.
    otherwise you are more prone to give up.
    everyones different.
  • martintanz
    martintanz Posts: 280
    I've been doing the alternate day diet for about 2 months and lost about 7lbs so far but now I've started cycling to work everyday (35mins daily) and running 3 times per week (15 miles+) and now I'm struggling with hunger more than ever but that's not too bad but I'm exhausted most days. I eat back my exercise cals on down days but not up days
    Does anyone have any advice?

    Eat more than 600 calories? Seriously. I spoke with my former trainer about this. It is crazy to try to exercise on so few calories.
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
    I've been doing the alternate day diet for about 2 months and lost about 7lbs so far but now I've started cycling to work everyday (35mins daily) and running 3 times per week (15 miles+) and now I'm struggling with hunger more than ever but that's not too bad but I'm exhausted most days. I eat back my exercise cals on down days but not up days
    Does anyone have any advice?

    In the space of 2 months I lost 29lb eating the calories suggested by MFP (if you don't then seriously why are you on here?) with at least two or three hours a week at the gym. I would have put 35lb, but as I'm building muscle I've gained 6lb back but I should be loosing again soon :3
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    How about just modifying the plan and making it work for you. Eat less on your up days and move them to the down day until you're comfortable. Same deficit in the end.
  • loxleys
    loxleys Posts: 230 Member
    I've been trying to lose weight cutting my daily cals since I started on mfp in oct 2010 and i only lost 4lbs!!! 2 months on the alternate fasting and I've lost 7
    I'm about 1inch off my waist to getting into my pre baby jeans (8 years and 4 stone later) and I'd love to do it for Xmas
  • fieldsy4life
    fieldsy4life Posts: 155
    I don't know what your starting weight was, but 7 pounds in 2 months isn't anything special for all that mental and physical abuse you're doing to your body.

    Take it from me - I was the king of fad diets haha.

    Just eat healthy, and if you're gonna be doing all that endurance training (cycling + running), you should eat like an athlete.

    If you feel like s***, your body is telling you something.

    Just eat a modest amount of calories per day until you reach your goal weight, then up calories slowly till you find your maintenance number instead of pigging out on M, W, F, Su and being anorexic on T, R, Sa.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Since you've increased activity, you should probably increase your calories a bit as well
  • fieldsy4life
    fieldsy4life Posts: 155
    I've been trying to lose weight cutting my daily cals since I started on mfp in oct 2010 and i only lost 4lbs!!! 2 months on the alternate fasting.
    I'm about 1inch off my waist to getting into my pre baby jeans (8 years and 4 stone later) and I'd love to do it for Xmas

    I'm willing to bet MFP told you to eat only 1200 a day, and with all that cycling and running that is too low. Plus, I'd look at the type of food you were eating - I come from the school of thought that changing the type of food can have a physiological effect on your body (so I but heads with the pizza and ice cream dieters on here).
  • tami101
    tami101 Posts: 617 Member
    Maybe since you are now riding your bike to work every day, you might need to raise your calorie goal. Start with maybe 800 on your low day and 2200 on your up day and see how it goes. I'm no expert, and this is certainly not a plan I could stick with, but if you are tired and hungry all the time it would seem to me that you need to eat more. =)
  • loxleys
    loxleys Posts: 230 Member
    Mfp did say I should eat 1200 cals when I joined, for me daily that was too low and found it hard. I didn't lose weight well and ended up just using mfp as a food diary.
    I usually eat mainly healthy food, but since starting the alternate diet I end up eating more rubbish just because Its allowed.
    Confused!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Mfp did say I should eat 1200 cals when I joined, for me daily that was too low and found it hard. I didn't lose weight well and ended up just using mfp as a food diary.
    I usually eat mainly healthy food, but since starting the alternate diet I end up eating more rubbish just because Its allowed.
    Confused!
    you're supposed to add in your exercise calories and eat those too.
  • fatukulelepete
    fatukulelepete Posts: 10 Member
    I have read through this thread and I am not sure I have found the answer to the one thing that confusesd me with this diet........

    I have used the formula given on the Upday Down Day website and I got 982 Calories on a down day and 2807 Calories on an up day based upon moderate exercise 3 - 5 days a week at 35% weight loss mode.

    But......

    This weekend I will be going for a 7 mile walk and I will use Endomondo to measure my calories. If this were a down day I would end up with negative calories overall. Endomondo sends the info to myfitnesspal automatically.

    Here's the question.....

    Is that accounted for in the 3 - 5 days moderate exercise I put into the formula, or should I eat back those calories to end up with a final total for the day of around 980 calories on Myfitnesspal?

    Pete
  • fatukulelepete
    fatukulelepete Posts: 10 Member
    This isn't working.......

    I have decided to reduce my fasting days to Tuesday and Thursday and do very light exercise on those days and stick to my MFP target calories for the other five days.....eating back any significant calories burned. I hope to return to losing one pound a week.

    Pete
  • lagina19871
    lagina19871 Posts: 54 Member
    I just started this diet today, my down days are 285 my up days are 1424 for the induction phase, I would like to lose 15-20 pounds I am currently 147 and 5 ft tall. anyone following this diet feel free to add me.
  • mummyzena
    mummyzena Posts: 259 Member
    lagina19871 wrote: »
    I just started this diet today, my down days are 285 my up days are 1424 for the induction phase, I would like to lose 15-20 pounds I am currently 147 and 5 ft tall. anyone following this diet feel free to add me.

    I would set your down days for 500 lover. Go for a higher percentage as you only have a bit to lose.
    I put your stats in at 30% and it gave you 1717 up day and 515 down day. That is far more achievable than 285 and 1424.xx
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