does calorie cycling work?

autumnpennell
autumnpennell Posts: 196 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
hi guys,

so i've heard the new buzz about calorie cycling but i was wondering has anybody has true success with it??? i've heard that instead of a calorie limit for the day, you have a limit for the week. so some days, you can eat 1200, other days 1600, as long as you stay in your budget for the week. i'm only curious because i have splurged for the past couple o'days. friends' bachorlette party, wedding, etc. but right afterwards, i'm sure to be super strict, and i've noticed my weight has not come bak yet!!! is this a result of "calorie cycling"?

Replies

  • dawnmichelea
    dawnmichelea Posts: 112 Member
    I did it for a couple of months and loved it! Worked great, actually overcame a plateau by cycling my calories. It was also great having days where I could eat more. Made the lower days easier because I knew a higher day was coming! I reached my goal, and have been maintaining, I still look at my calories more as a weekly total! Good luck to you!
  • Weight_less
    Weight_less Posts: 102 Member
    I did it for a couple of months and loved it! Worked great, actually overcame a plateau by cycling my calories.

    Please tell more about it. What amount of calories did you consume?
  • stacyll
    stacyll Posts: 43 Member
    i'd like to know more about this too. i guess i'll google but if there's any good articles please link them here. thanks!
  • azamlynn2000
    azamlynn2000 Posts: 24 Member
    If you go to freedieting.com , it will tell you how to cycle your calories for your body. Just started it 5 days ago and broke a plateau that I had for almost a year now. Good luck!
  • azamlynn2000
    azamlynn2000 Posts: 24 Member
    Freedieting.com will help you with your calorie cycling. Please, will you tell me how it goes for you? Go to the calculators! They are awesome!
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    We are trying to build lifetime habits.
  • rdjamis
    rdjamis Posts: 26 Member
    i think one day a week splurg is good ..keeps your body from going into famine mode .. our feast or famine genes kick in.. :)
  • cdpark617
    cdpark617 Posts: 316 Member
    We are trying to build lifetime habits.
    For me a lifetime habit isn't just about a daily intake of calories, weekly seems just as reasonable.
  • nettip
    nettip Posts: 113 Member
    Bump to show a friend not on mfp
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    I always have used a weekly goal with great success. Many people who practice intermittent fasting find this very natural.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    hi guys,

    so i've heard the new buzz about calorie cycling but i was wondering has anybody has true success with it??? i've heard that instead of a calorie limit for the day, you have a limit for the week. so some days, you can eat 1200, other days 1600, as long as you stay in your budget for the week. i'm only curious because i have splurged for the past couple o'days. friends' bachorlette party, wedding, etc. but right afterwards, i'm sure to be super strict, and i've noticed my weight has not come bak yet!!! is this a result of "calorie cycling"?

    calorie deficit works. if you calorie cycle while maintaining a calorie deficit, then "it works".
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Nothing wrong with using a weekly goal. I don't know that going out and pigging out then eating next to nothing would be a healthy way to eat but generally staying in budget by the week isn't a bad thing. The problem lies with those who over eat and then keep promising to do better tomorrow except tomorrow never comes.
  • GCAsMom
    GCAsMom Posts: 120 Member
    I cycle between cycling and flat allotment. It busts through those little plateaus every time. I use the zig-zag calculator on shapefit.com (I found it doing a Google search.)
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    I always try to go by my weekly goal and use the daily goals as guidelines. If I go over one day by a few hundred and the next under by a few hundred it tends to even out. Calorie cycling seems to be a good plan but hungry can be pretty random so I wouldn't stick it personally.
  • mryak750
    mryak750 Posts: 198 Member
    I always have used a weekly goal with great success. Many people who practice intermittent fasting find this very natural.

    This....I practice IF and it works great for me....some days I consume very little cals, others more...the scale continues to move....I LOVE IF
  • jdholland5508
    jdholland5508 Posts: 162 Member
    The reason that this is so popular is that people believe that it allows you to lose weight while building muscle. The jest of it that on days you strength train you eat more calories than you do on days that you don't strength train. You then make sure that the average of these for the week is under your daily limit.

    That being said I have tried this for the last couple months and have not noticed a difference between this and a strict daily calorie deficit. One thing of note is that the freedom of having high calorie days has helped mentally. I don't think there is anything magical about the cycling but if it helps you adhere to the calorie deficit for a longer time then it will work for you.

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