Carrying Over Calories

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sweetbn
sweetbn Posts: 318
in Food and Nutrition
So, I have read a lot about some people zig-zagging calories and want to hear your experiences!

I usually am under my calories on the weekdays, but over on the weekends and I have been stuck at 135.2 for about a month now and wondering if maybe even though I am under for the week, the weekend is killing me. Not that this weekend will be any better as it is my birthday, but maybe I can start next weekend. ;)

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  • adcoursey
    adcoursey Posts: 20
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    zig-zagging is a good way to break a plateau in your weight lost, or get that metabolism boost for those last few stubborn pounds.
    the way it works is by tricking your body into thinking that food is plentiful and there is no reason for your body to sustain any extra fat stores. the way this is accomplished is by varying your calorie intake 2-3 times a week, going lower than your daily average by 100-150 calories, then above it by around 100.
    pooling calories to be consumed on one or two days of the week is generally NOT helpful when it comes to weight loss.
    a shift in your exercise regimen will also boost the results of a zig-zag.

    if you go for it, good luck, and make sure you track accurately -- you don't want to just gain weight!
  • Clew
    Clew Posts: 910 Member
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    A lot of people swear by zig zagging. I tried it a few months ago when I was on a plateau for several weeks and it seemed to help. It will screw up your food journal status reports, but who cares, you know what you're doing! :) Weight Watchers has a similar principle with their floating points you can use throughout the week.

    Your weekends might be affecting your progress depending on what you're eating/drinking, but if you still average out to the same ~weekly~ calorie count I'd imagine you'd still be okay in general. You might just be in a little stall.:smile:
  • lessjess1
    lessjess1 Posts: 71 Member
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    What is zig zagging?
  • sweetbn
    sweetbn Posts: 318
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    What is zig zagging?

    Adcoursey explained it pretty well:
    varying your calorie intake 2-3 times a week, going lower than your daily average by 100-150 calories, then above it by around 100.

    I know the extra on the weekend isn't good for me but I just exhibit extreme lack of control. It's usually only one of the days due to low exercise and eating out. I think I am just going to try to eat more in general during the week and less on the weekend and see how that goes.
  • lutzsher
    lutzsher Posts: 1,153 Member
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    For a number of months when I first started MFP I "undid" all my hard work on weekdays by going over on weekends and stayed the same weight as a result.
    It was only when I got really dedicated to my food (and calorie) intake and started to practice "calorie shifting" (my zig zag) that the scale moved.
    I would start (AFTER the weekend, ha ha) by being VERY dedicated to your diet for about 2 weeks. If that doesn't shift the scale a bit then I would definately try to calorie shift for a few weeks as that should do the trick.
    You have done so well so far! Good luck on this last bit!

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