Anyone tried zig-zagging your calories?

tlnester
tlnester Posts: 34
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
Hello All!
I am new to this site(just joined last week) and would love to know if anyone has or is currently calorie cycling(zig-zagging)? If so, how is it working for you and what is your particular method? I started about 2 weeks ago, lost 2 pounds, fell off the wagon last week, so I'm getting back this week, just need some motivation:) I tend to up my calories on Fridays and Saturdays, then go low again (ex, 1800 cals, even up to 2000 cals on Friday and Sat, then back down to 1500). I exercise 6 days a week as well. I've had numerous people tell me it tricks the metabolism, therefore you avoid plateaus..we will see!!

Replies

  • missbeezy
    missbeezy Posts: 198
    I have not personally done it but I know others who have, some it worked others it did not. I think it depends on each person. Good luck and glad you are back on the wagon!
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
    I'm just now starting it up. I re-set my calories for 1400 instead of 1200. And i had a spike day on Friday and from yesterday on i will always have a different NET calories. Like yesterday i had about 1300, today i'm shooting for 1400. Tomorrow 1350, Tuesday 1250, i hope it works!!
  • MrsBehaving
    MrsBehaving Posts: 100 Member
    I am doing some diet research and I am leaning towards trying "The 17 Day Diet". Don't let the name deceive you. It sounds like a gimmicky thing but it doesn't seem like it to me after reading about it. It sounds like it consists of 4 cycles, each 17 days long. I think you keep doing the first 3 until you meet your goal weight and then you go on the 4th cycle (maintenence). And it sounds like part of the idea behind it is calorie cycling. Along with healthy carbs. I have not read the book yet, but I think I will be purchasing it this evening. Being that I have a Kindle, I can have it in my hands in 2.2 seconds.
    It sounds promising and it has been featured on Dr. Phil and The Doctors. Some people are fast to jump down someones throat when they try a new "diet" but I am a FIRM believer that not everything works for everyone. I don't expect everyone to follow THIS diet just because I am. So I would hope that everyone else would not expect me NOT to follow this diet just because they aren't. You know what I'm saying? Well, since you were asking about the cycling, I thought I would mention this book. :flowerforyou:
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    I am carb cycling for my first week. 3 days I eat less than 100g of carbs and another 2 I eat regular carbs (around 220) and another day around 400g. I'll let you know how it's been in about a week more. So far I am still losing inch measurements on my waist.
  • Anniepoo04
    Anniepoo04 Posts: 16 Member
    I really believe that it is helpful to change your calories around. I lost 85 pounds doing WW and did this thing called the Wendy Plan. And what it is basically is everyday you eat a different calorie amount what this does is confuse your body. Before I did this my body stalled and I could not lose weight. I have not tried this yet with this MFP still pretty new to the site.
  • mommytomia
    mommytomia Posts: 42
    I have been doing it for the last two weeks because my weight loss stalled.
    I think it is working, because I have started losing again.
    I was skeptical at first because it upped my calories 2-400 calories on some days.

    *It is worth mentioning that I was 7 pounds from goal after 21 pounds lost when I started zig-zagging, not at the beginning of my weight loss*.
  • GoodGolly6
    GoodGolly6 Posts: 7
    I lost 33 lbs. After baby#2 in '06. I ate by the ABS Diet from the editors of Men's Health, ran, weight trained, etc. One thing I didn't do was count calories rigidly, but I always had an idea of what I was eating and I did a cheat meal a week. You get to a point when you don't want to eat it, BUT it helps reset your metabolism. Good luck to you!
  • tlnester
    tlnester Posts: 34
    Thanks everyone for all of the input..I'm going back to it, it was working for me!! I do believe it helps keep the metabolism guessing and I like the fact you can enjoy a couple of higher calorie days(without going too crazy of course):-)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories