Calorie Variance???

Aikigoth
Aikigoth Posts: 40 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all,

So I'm trying to work through a plateau. One suggestion I got in real life and online was to vary the amount of calories I eat. So my 'average' would be 1750. That would mean maybe doing something like 1500, 1750, 2000, 1750, 1500, 2000 etc.

The logic was we vary our exercise so our bodies don't get accustomed to it- why not with food?

Thoughts?

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    broscience. you dont need to trick your body, just eat according to your goals

    that being said, theres nothing inherintly wrong with eating this way, many people look at averages more than daily specifics
  • FlowerFairy493
    FlowerFairy493 Posts: 182
    It's called calorie cycling. I do this and it does work. But a plateau means you are eating at maintenance or holding back water weight.

    If you want to cycle though, just make sure your weekly amount of calories stay the same even if you vary the daily
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I absolutely refuse to do math and then eat up or down to a number. It's way more work than I want to do.

    When I'm hungry, I eat more. When I'm not, I eat less. It's just a natural thing for me. Especially at period time - I eat way more before and almost nothing at the end. There are always a couple days where I just eat to take pills. Every month, same deal.

    Taking cues from my body just makes more sense to me and works well for me.

    Some people thrive on the math, the magic number, weighing their food and counting their calories. You have to do what works for you.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    How do you define a plateau is a better question? How long has it been since you last loss weight?
  • Aikigoth
    Aikigoth Posts: 40 Member
    It's called calorie cycling. I do this and it does work. But a plateau means you are eating at maintenance or holding back water weight.

    Glad to hear it works for you. And sadly I don't think it is either of what you mentioned. I never have been able to get down past this weight. Stupid set point.
    How do you define a plateau is a better question? How long has it been since you last loss weight?
    3 horrible weeks after 3 weeks of success. :(
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    A three week time frame isn't long enough to freak out. There isn’t anything wrong with calorie cycling but it is important to understand normal body fluctuations. The rate at which your body burns fat will vary from week to week due to TOM, exercise, water retention from sodium, stress, bowels, hormones, medication, rest, etc. This is the reason it helps to weigh in under the same conditions once a week and look for a trend about every 4 weeks. As long as the trend is downwards then don’t worry that you didn’t consistently lose the same amount every week. Do you use a food scale?
  • Aikigoth
    Aikigoth Posts: 40 Member
    A three week time frame isn't long enough to freak out.

    Clearly you underestimate me, sir. ;)

    There isn’t anything wrong with calorie cycling but it is important to understand normal body fluctuations. The rate at which your body burns fat will vary from week to week due to TOM, exercise, water retention from sodium, stress, bowels, hormones, medication, rest, etc.

    I'm a pretty schedule-loving girl. My weeks don't vary that much really in terms of activity- weekends are the crazy ones but I always get either 1 hour of hard, fun cardio in or several hours of slower stuff. For example, Tuesday, Thrusday and Saturdays are my MA days and I've been going for 5 years since I moved to this town.

    While I understand there is some variance, it does not seem enough to hinder to the tune of 1.7 lbs a week. I haven't been losing anything. Its like someone turned a switch or something.

    Do you use a food scale?

    Yes. I have a degree in Bio Chem. I've been paid to do lab work; accurate measurer could be on my resume. (I also cook 95% of the calories I consume. Celiacs makes it expensive and hard to buy processed food, thankfully.)

    At any rate, I am leaning towards trying this.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Duplicate post!
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    I am not a sir. LOL!

    Don't worry, before I knew better I freaked out on the first day the scale didn’t move down.

    How were your sodium levels during the last three weeks?
  • Aikigoth
    Aikigoth Posts: 40 Member
    Ah, sorry. :) That avatar is soooo femme, how did I mess up my pronouns? Tsk, now I must exile myself in shame.

    Yeah the first day wasn't fun...all the way up to Monday which marked 3 weeks of not losing weight. :/

    I don't consume much sodium; its a family trait. Drove my BF nuts until he got used to it and he can from a sodium loving family. Poor boy still adds salt to everything- just not as uch.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    LOL!

    Stick with it for a few more weeks before changing things up a bit. It takes a while for some people.

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