What is calorie cycling?

Its looking at your calorie goal as a weekly thing, and planning some days to be high while others are low or middle.

Such as if you average 1600 calories a day, have 2 days at 2000 and the other 5 at 1440.

Sun 1440
Mon 1440
Tue 2000
Wed 1440
Thur 1440
Fri 2000
Sat 1440

our bodies can get into a rut the same way that humans as a whole can get into a rut in the way that they live - i.e. doing the same thing on a given day of the week each and every week of our lives... so if you eat the same foods in the same amounts (calories) and do the same exercises each and every day of the week, your body can adjust to that exercise/food/calorie level and this can cause plateaus and other stoppages in the process of losing weight.

So cycling your foods/calories/exercise will help prevent the body from adjusting to a given set of things and will keep it moving more towards the goal of losing the weight or gaining muscle or building endurance or what ever the end goal is...

to put it simply, it means don't eat the same calorie counts each and every day - I try to vary the amounts by 200 to 300 each day.
food cycling works the same way - don't eat the same foods each and every day - make the body guess what is coming next and it doesn't get into a rut the same way. same thing with exercise - I do cardio 7 days a week and weights 5 days a week but I never do the same exercises on the same day on consecutive weeks - keeps my body guessing on what it needs to be prepared for and the result is that my body is never prepared and I don't have problems with my body getting 'adjusted' to a given pattern in my daily routines.

I have heard this, but I have also seen many times that muscle confusion and tricking the body is just false bro-science. Does anyone have any facts/studies regarding this.

Personally I believe a calorie is a unit a energy measurement for thermodynamics, I can not see the body adjusting the laws of energy because it is in a rut. Most plateaus seem to be just a lack of accuracy, smaller range for error, water retention and just the fact that weight loss is not linear. I also judge my weekly more than my daily intake. So in some ways I practice calorie cycling, but it is a convenience thing for me.

The idea sounds good, but most things in nature come down to pure math and not rationalizations with human emotions. Many times the simplest answer is the correct one. Most organisms also thrive In a consistent environment,and this would seem to negate the idea of tricking the body.

Not dismissing the above quoted, seriously interested in this too.

per the request - this is what I am using as a basis for the idea of cycling calories/food/exercises (besides my own personal experience):

3 Nutrition Tricks that Target Your Trouble Spots
by Bruce and Janet Krahn
Trouble Spot Training & Nutrition Experts
Trouble Spot Nutrition Trick #1: Cycle Your Calories
(STOP eating the SAME amount of calories every day)
It's no secret that in order to lose fat your body needs to be in a calorie deficit each day (burning off more calories than you're consuming).
Conversely, in order to build muscle your body requires a calorie surplus (taking in more than you're burning off).
However, eating the same amount of calories day in and day out when trying to lose fat can quickly result in adaptations, making it impossible to lose weight... OR gain muscle.
The solution is to "cycle" your calories. For example:
- Weight Training Days = Calorie Surplus (12-15 x Lean Body Mass)
- Interval or Diet Days = Calorie Deficit (8-10 x Lean Body Mass)
This will keep your thyroid activity (T4-T3 conversion) efficient and leptin sensitivity high - all while helping you maintain the proper estrogen to testosterone ratio necessary for fat loss and muscle gains.
Trouble Spot Nutrition Trick #2: Cycle Your Macronutrients
(STOP eating the SAME amount of carbs, proteins, and fat every day)
All calories are NOT created equal.
Proteins, fats and carbs are all metabolized differently by the body and each produces a unique hormonal response...
... Especially when it comes to the hormone insulin.
IMPORTANT: Some people are more "sensitive" to the actions of insulin, while some are more "resistant".
If you have stubborn fat areas or trouble spots that won't budge no matter how hard you try, you are likely insulin resistant, which means you would benefit greatly from replacing your "healthy" carbs such as rice and potatoes with healthy fats.
When this is done the right way it can make your body become more insulin sensitive, resulting in greater fat loss and more lean, calorie burning muscle - especially in stubborn body parts.
Trouble Spot Nutrition Trick #3: Cycle Your Food Choices
(STOP eating the SAME types of foods every day)
Food allergies are extremely common these days.
Eating foods which you are allergic to can increase levels of inflammation causing your adrenal glands to secrete more cortisol.
This in turn increases insulin and blood sugar levels causing your body to hold on to and deposit fat, rather than allowing you to access your stubborn fat for energy.
The best way for you to avoid developing food allergies is to rotate your food selections.
A few tips that will help is to avoid eating the same types of proteins back-to-back, while reducing or eliminating wheat and dairy - the two most common food allergens.

adding link:
http://www.answerfitness.com/316/zig-zag-dieting-fitness-nerd/

you can also search on Google and find most of the info that I would post here...

I calorie cycle - 1200-1300 on weekdays and around 2500 a day on weekends. Averages out to 1600 daily. I find 1200-1300 very easy to stick to on weekdays because I have a structure and do pretty much all my exercise on weekdays, then weekends I haven't needed to really change up my routine or had my weight loss affect my time with my husband and friends. I still don't binge like a maniac, but beer and nachos for the win!

It works for me and keeps me honest and on track.

I need to read this.