Calorie Cycling -Zigzag Method

I'd like to know how best to do this too...I've been thinking about it, but I want to do it the right way.

I use this one and make it so my high days correspond with the weekend http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

I'm going to try this too. Has anyone else had success with it?

I use this one and make it so my high days correspond with the weekend http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

Interesting...i've been kind of at a plateau so I may try the zig zag method

I looked at that same calculator before creating this thread. I am just not sure how to plan out my foods and exercise well while trying this. Also, how does it affect your MFP tracking? I wouldn't like it telling me I was over every other day.

I've tried the zig-zag very informally. I could just be lucky or it works for me. I will try once a week to eat over my calories, followed by a couple days a week way below my calories. Other days I try to stay very close.

I've read a book called BFFM - Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle by Tom Venuto (a very successful body builder).
Below are some excerpts from his book regarding the zig-zag method.

quote:
At times, an aggressive calorie deficit greater than 20% may be called for, but
calorie cuts greater than 20% are much more likely to cause muscle loss and metabolic
slowdown. If you do use a calorie deficit greater than 20%, then it’s wise to raise calories
at regular intervals using the “zig-zag method” you’ll learn about in chapter six. This will
“trick your body” and prevent your metabolism from slowing down when you have a
large calorie deficit.

Here’s another common cause of fat loss plateaus: Your calories are too low and
your body has gone into starvation mode. Once you go into starvation mode, no amount
of increased training will help. The only way to get out of starvation mode is to eat more.
If you know your caloric intake has been very low for a long time and you suspect the
starvation response is the culprit, the best thing you can do is raise your calories. Keep
your food quality “clean” (don’t eat a lot of junk), just eat more of the same good foods.
Depending on the degree to which you have slowed your metabolism, you might need a
brief one to three day raise in calories before dropping back down (zig-zag method), or
you might need to raise your calories for longer period.

One proven way to give a sluggish metabolism a jolt is by using the “Zig-Zag” or
“High - Low” method of dieting: that is, eat one to three days of higher calories and
higher carbs followed by one to three days of lower calories and lower carbs. On the low
calorie/low carb days, you lose body fat rapidly, but before your body can adapt, you raise
the calories back up, which increases your metabolic rate and keeps you out of starvation
mode.
endquote

I put the first couple of chapters in here for those that are new and think that simply eating low calories will work.

I'm no expert, but have learned a lot from reading this book. I personally haven't done the zig-zag the way he recommends because I haven't plateaued (yet). Take this for what its worth. I hope it helps.

P.S. - edited: Don't worry about your MFP diary. Some people will ask you why its high or low...just reply that you are doing the zig-zag.

BUMP

Good idea. But how do you make sure you are still getting the correct amounts of nutrients and stuff? How far in advance do you plan your meals?

You have the option of manually changing specific nutrient and caloric goals per day you feel like taking in more or less. You can set the percentage of carbs:protein:fat ratio so that it coincides with your needs for that day. It may feel a bit tedious, but those adjustments will keep your numbers from turning red. Personally, I have a baseline calorie goal already set, and I don't mind seeing red numbers. The only "plan" I set for myself as far as knowing which days I'm going to increase or decrease intake, are dependent upon the amount of exercise planned for that day. If it's going to be a moderate burn, it's going to be a moderate intake, and so on.

Then I'll switch it up every now and again and go back to the baseline calories for a week or so, then once I've started losing weight, it usually is rapid, so I'll slow it down with a spike day, taking in around 2 - 3x my BMR calorie goal, then go right back to the baseline for another week. But I'm mainly doing that method for muscle mass gaining and fat loss. I'm comfortable with my weight for now and so I'm okay with the fluctuations. As long as the physical results are showing...which they are.