1,200 Cal a day = 8,400 a Week

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lareyna124
lareyna124 Posts: 54
in Food and Nutrition
Can i change my daily calorie intake as long as i don't exceed the 8,400 /week?
For example eat 1200 today and 1350 tomorrow and so on.....

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  • tiffnday
    tiffnday Posts: 27 Member
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    I don't see why not. As long as you don't go under 1200 calories a day. That is how your body goes into starvation mode.
  • Chrissy_Michelle
    Chrissy_Michelle Posts: 176 Member
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    I believe so. It's like "zig zagging" your calories. I've heard that is very effective.
  • hedleyrocks247
    hedleyrocks247 Posts: 185 Member
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    Here is a website that shows zig zagging calories http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
    I don't see anything wrong with it, keeps your body guessing!!
  • bpanter
    bpanter Posts: 10 Member
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    I think that it really has more to do with what your body burns on a daily basis - so I think the short answer would be "no". However, the 1200 per day (net) that you are eating is probably to lose weight, not maintain, so it's not like it would be horrible if you went over every now and then because you have a buffer in your calorie intake from your daily "break-even" point. I think the main thing is to be cautious and dedicated to your diet, but not so strict that you can't reward yourself when the time is right. As long as you maintain, and work out - you should be ok. Remember too, that if you eat 1400 one day that you can always get on the treadmill for 20 minutes or so to make up the difference and still net 1200.... That's what I do when I go over my daily goal, but sometimes a cheat day never hurts too!
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    You can do it, sure. It's called zig zagging calories and some people lose much better doing that.
  • charlene77
    charlene77 Posts: 250 Member
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    But if you did 1350 one day, that would indeed take you under 1200 on another day. So I'd say no, that wouldn't work to yuor benefit. I'd also do a bit of reading on this......but calories aren't really transferable. I'd look at it another way.....daily....give your body what it needs (fuel) to do the job you are asking of it.....You need a minimum of 1200 calories a day to do that. Less, especially on a regular basis, is dangerous.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    Yes I do it and it works! I have lost 80 lbs doing this, it all comes down to calories in vs. calories out at the end of the week! Just don't get to drastic I keep it within 200 cals difference per day. Good Luck!
  • charlene77
    charlene77 Posts: 250 Member
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    Opps, wanted to add that zigzagging your calories at a safe level is beneficial for your metabolism.
  • Losing2Live69
    Losing2Live69 Posts: 743 Member
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    Here is a website that shows zig zagging calories http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
    I don't see anything wrong with it, keeps your body guessing!!

    I went to that site and it said I should be eating between 1800 and 2100 calories a day for extreme fat loss. I eat 1400 right now. I just can't see myself eating that many calories and continuing to lose weight. I was on an 1800 ADA diet with my last pregnancy because of gestational diabetes. I couldn't even fit enough food in my day to make it to 1800 calories.
  • busygirl1
    busygirl1 Posts: 217
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    I have had a look at this, do you still eat the same amount if you exercise on this plan?
  • hedleyrocks247
    hedleyrocks247 Posts: 185 Member
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    Here is a website that shows zig zagging calories http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
    I don't see anything wrong with it, keeps your body guessing!!

    I went to that site and it said I should be eating between 1800 and 2100 calories a day for extreme fat loss. I eat 1400 right now. I just can't see myself eating that many calories and continuing to lose weight. I was on an 1800 ADA diet with my last pregnancy because of gestational diabetes. I couldn't even fit enough food in my day to make it to 1800 calories.

    I'm not saying it's for everyone - everybody is different! :smile:

    I just know for myself - I am concentrating more on what my BMR (i think this is an extremely important number) is and only trying to lose a pound a week - I am also trying not to be discouraged by having a week or two of no weightloss - and if I feel that I'm plateauing I'm going to try zig zagging. I'm not doing it at this moment because I'm just starting out again.

    But I know what works for me - and I've tried really low calorie diets with lot's of excersise in the past - this works for a time but I always get stuck and frustrated! About 5 yrs ago I was 15 pounds away from my goal weight - eating nothing but vegetables, grilled chicken, salads and really healthy cereals, plus working out 5+ times a week. I had a job where I was on my feet all day and running my butt off as well. I was stuck there forever - then I got pregnant and upped my calories a little bit to be healthy for the baby and put on all the weight I lost and then some - looking back at my calories in/calories out....I was definitly not taking in enough at the time to keep up with all the excersise I was doing. So here I am starting out again, and this time I do not want to ever go into "starvation mode" again. I'm working out, watching my calorie intake and crossing my fingers that this time I will be successful :smile: I'm also trying not to freak out if I have a day where I go over! I plan on doing this for the rest of my life and there are going to be days that are good and days that are bad - the key is not to think of them as bad - just another day!!
  • WettonJ
    WettonJ Posts: 21
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    Yeah it will be ok, but remember if your eat more or less then work out within the day your body will burn optimum fat the next day, so just work out more the day you eat more.. dont eat at nights, if you do train hard that early morning.. zig zagging will be ok ;-)

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