Zig Zagging Calories

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ChitownFoodie
ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?
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  • merrillfoster
    merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
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    bump
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    When I zig-zagged my calories for a couple of weeks, I didn't use NET calories... But, then again, I never ate back my exercise calories in the first place. If you do eat them back (as you should; I'm a horrible hypocrite), then I'd do NET calories.
  • lil_missfit
    lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
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  • hush7hush
    hush7hush Posts: 2,273 Member
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    What calculator did you use to figure it?
  • shapestocome
    shapestocome Posts: 476 Member
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    I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?


    No, it is not the net calories it is the calories from food only. For zigzagging you eat the amount of calories that the site says -- it counts your exercise into the formula when figuring out your calories for each day.
  • thisis4me
    thisis4me Posts: 219 Member
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  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    It would depend on what calculator you use. I zig zag and eat most if not all my exercise cals back.
  • 00trayn
    00trayn Posts: 1,849 Member
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    I'm zig zagging my calories and I'm eating the numbers it tells me to. I'm also lining up my high calories days with my heaviest workout days to balance things out a bit. So I'm kind of eating back my calories, but the number I pay attention to is how much I've eaten, and getting that to match the zig zag schedule amount.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    What calculator did you use to figure it?

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?


    No, it is not the net calories it is the calories from food only. For zigzagging you eat the amount of calories that the site says -- it counts your exercise into the formula when figuring out your calories for each day.

    THANKS!! That's actually the answer I was hoping for. LOL
  • shapestocome
    shapestocome Posts: 476 Member
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    I used the calculator to see what mine would be, but I'm curious. Are these NET calories?


    No, it is not the net calories it is the calories from food only. For zigzagging you eat the amount of calories that the site says -- it counts your exercise into the formula when figuring out your calories for each day.

    THANKS!! That's actually the answer I was hoping for. LOL

    Yes, that is the same calculator I used. Here is a great blog that will explain it very well:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/my-positive-experience-with-calorie-zig-zagging-98777
  • b00b0084
    b00b0084 Posts: 729 Member
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    What is Zig Zagging Calories?
    And does it work/how does it work?
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
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    Pretty sure it should be net calories. If not (today) my 1680 high day after my exercise (which is NOT included in my activity level) would only net to just over 1100 calories. That's way below my max fat loss rate of 1400 calories per day. You could end up undoing the benefit of the zig zag if you get too low on your available intake and cause your body to store what you are eating (no, I'm not saying starvation mode) if you do this for a long time.

    I've always eaten most if not all of my exercise calories back (when I can exercise) and have lost consistently since I began in January. There is a thread here on MFP that deals with zig zagging by a long time member who I believe is a nutritionist. I'm sure someone's posted the link, if not search for how to zig zag correctly and see if it comes up. I would ask him if it's not already in there. I read that post last month and don't remember what it said about the goal being net or gross.
  • 143sunflower
    143sunflower Posts: 56
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    Freediet.com plug in your height weight and age...it will calculate your zig zag calories...
  • joeygirl84
    joeygirl84 Posts: 224 Member
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    Sara, I'm so confused :( I don't get it still... I'm losing weight... But I never eat my exercise calories back... I'm supposed to? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of burning them? You can answer on my wall if you prefer since we are friends... Teach me hehe
  • iamhealingmyself
    iamhealingmyself Posts: 579 Member
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    According to NEWFIEDAN - 5/2/11 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/212510-how-to-zig-zag-cals-properly-caloric-cycling-properly?hl=how+to+zig+zag&page=5

    "...so on your home page after you put in your food and exercise at the end of the day that number (that number being your zig zag goal for that day) should = your net calories...."

    FOOD EATEN - EXERCISE BURNED= NET CALORIES

    That means EAT BACK your exercise calories otherwise your NET (on the home page summary box, not the food diary totals) won't equal whatever your zig zag goal is. The zig zag goal will not match your MFP numbers since MFP is setup for the same goal 7 days a week and zig zagging isn't. Some days you will be over and some you will be under. It's helpful to put your zig zag goal in your food notes so you (and others if it's public) will know you were zig zagging and not just over/under eating.
    The only time it doesn't make sense to eat back your exercise calories is if you are working off your maintenance numbers.

    As I said earlier, today is my 1680 day (high day). I exercised and burned 575 calories. I've eaten 2011 calories (despite what my food diary is telling me I need to do) So far my day looks like this:
    zig%20zag%20net.jpg As you can see my NET caloires are still 244 calories UNDER my zig zag goal of 1680. If I didn't eat back any of my exercise calories today and stopped food at 1680, my NET would be 1105 calories for the day. Oh another thing, disregard the big 64 calories remaining since that is based off of the MFP goal and not the zig zag goal. You will need to manually calculate that by taking your zig zag goal (1680) and subtracting your logged NET (1436) which means that at 11:12pm I still have 244 calories to consume to meet my goal for today.

    It's really up to you but if you find that your zig zagging and not eating back your logged exercise and you feel tired, don't lose, feel hungry more often than before, consider trying it this way the next week and see which way works better. When losing weight, bigger (losses) isn't always better.
  • scmcgee
    scmcgee Posts: 165
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    Bump. Following thread.
  • ysamatar
    ysamatar Posts: 484 Member
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    Bump!
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    that calulator would have me eating another 2000 calories a week more than MFP does after taking into exercise into account
  • LadyOfOceanBreeze
    LadyOfOceanBreeze Posts: 762 Member
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    I reallyreally wish I understood all of this!

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