We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Broke plateau! Question on zig zag

kfitz10103
kfitz10103 Posts: 354
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Finally! I was the same weight for over 5 weeks and was getting so frustrated, (but I was glad I didn't gain). I zig zagged my calories for 1 week and it worked! I lost another 1 lb! Finally I have lost 50lbs! So my question is do I still zig zag or do I go back to my same daily calorie intake? Someone please help!!!!

Replies

  • kate2004rock
    kate2004rock Posts: 223 Member
    BUMP
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
    stick with the zig-zag, it shakes things up for your body!!! :)
  • Drunkadelic
    Drunkadelic Posts: 948 Member
    For me, zig-zagging only really worked the first week (I dropped like 3 lbs) and then after that I gained and lost those same 3 lbs for the next three weeks. But that could have been from a variety of reasons. I know a lot of people that zig-zag and have fantastic results. If you want to see more info on my progress with it, check out my blog. My first post is where I planned it all out.

    Congrats on breaking the plateau!! Any weight I lose now feels like such a huge accomplishment.
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
    I agree stay with zig zagging it is working for me :)
  • SassyStef
    SassyStef Posts: 413
    keep mixing it up
  • skinnymeinaz
    skinnymeinaz Posts: 384 Member
    Wish I could help I have been at the same weight for 2 weeks but at least not gaining. How do you zig zag calories?
  • Karrimae
    Karrimae Posts: 3
    Explain the zig zag thing to me. I wanna try. :smile:
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
    bumb. I want to have the answer to this question as well.
  • I don't know the answer to your question b/c each person's body is very different so I say try it out another week and play it by ear. I do want to say congrats! You totally rock for gettin that pound off and losing 50 total! kudos to u!
  • EmBlazes
    EmBlazes Posts: 374 Member
    Well done on breaking the plateau - that can be a real challenge!

    I am definitely a "3 steps forward, 2 steps back" kind of dieter. Even when I'm very consistent with exercise and diet I'll lose 7lbs one week and then have 2 weeks where I either gain a bit or stay the same.

    Because of that I now concentrate on my monthly weight loss even if I weigh in weekly because that's where you see your progress.
  • spacecase76
    spacecase76 Posts: 673 Member
    I have been eating maintenance trying to break my 7 week plateau. Last week was fail. I don't think I ate more than 1000 but 2 days. So, I am doing it a 2nd week, and am doing much better. Next week I will drop my goals back to loss. I would say, if your weekly total is still (daily loss cal) x 7 (days a week) then you can leave it and continue losing, but, if you should make sure it is still at a deficit for the week.
  • kfitz10103
    kfitz10103 Posts: 354
    So to zig zag you eat a different amount of calories each day. My total for the week is 11,760 or 1,680 per day. So the actual zig zag is to eat the following :
    M 1646
    T 1411
    W 1999
    H 1646
    F 1528
    Sa 1881
    Su 1646

    You can calculate yourself by multiplying your weekly intake by the following percentages:
    M 14
    T 12
    W 17
    H 14
    F 13
    Sa 16
    Su 14
  • Minoesh
    Minoesh Posts: 105 Member
    Well done on breaking the plateau - that can be a real challenge!

    I am definitely a "3 steps forward, 2 steps back" kind of dieter. Even when I'm very consistent with exercise and diet I'll lose 7lbs one week and then have 2 weeks where I either gain a bit or stay the same.

    Because of that I now concentrate on my monthly weight loss even if I weigh in weekly because that's where you see your progress.

    I'm very similar to you Emily which is why I have to look at this thing long term. I felt myself starting to get obsessive again with the scale (I have hit a massive plateau!) so asked my fiance to hide it away from me and only let me weigh in again in a month's time - now I just have to make sure I don't use the scale at the gym!! :laugh:
  • skinnymeinaz
    skinnymeinaz Posts: 384 Member
    Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.