calorie zig-zagging tip

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rosadona
rosadona Posts: 36 Member
in Food and Nutrition
hey guys! so i've been thinking about adding calorie zig zagging to my regimen. i have noticed that if i'm generally doing well and i eat a bit more or less than normal a few days, it actually spikes weight loss. however, it always seemed like too much trouble to try to remember to change it every day and how many to stay under or below... WELL! i thought of a trick that makes it a bit easier. i set my calorie limit to the most i'd want to eat in a day, and then i created a food in the database called "calorie deficit" - it's the same as quick added calories (which i never use because i'm more interested in the carb, protein and fat intake than calories when i eat something, so i always take the time to figure out the macros) but since it's labeled "deficit" in your diary you'll remember when you look back that it's not something you actually consumed. then, when i want to create a bigger deficit on a particular day (the whole zig-zagging effect) i add in some calories under the calorie deficit heading (today i put in 225, not just for the sake of zig zagging but because yesterday i overdid it a little with my intake and i want to offset that). anyway, hopefully this will help someone else!

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  • fldillon
    fldillon Posts: 22 Member
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    Nice tip! I'm sure I'll hit a point where I need to do this so that's a good way to make it easy.
  • theflyingartist
    theflyingartist Posts: 385 Member
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    good thinking! thanks for the tip! C:
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
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    Sorry what is calorie zig-zagging and what is it used for?
  • rosadona
    rosadona Posts: 36 Member
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    yeah it always seemed like too much of a hassle to remember to leave calories at the end of the day, and it feels worse to go over on your high-cal days and see a big red number (even if it's what you're aiming for, the red sign saying you're over your limit is psychologically a bummer). this way it's easy to keep track of - you can even go through the days at the beginning of the week and put in your extra deficits so it's just automatic.
  • rosadona
    rosadona Posts: 36 Member
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    Sorry what is calorie zig-zagging and what is it used for?

    it's a way to keep your metabolism stoked. so... lets say you want to eat 9,800 calories weekly (which is 1400 each day). rather than eating the same amount of calories every day, you "zig-zag" it - so 200 extra here, 200 less here, 300 more here.... etc. that way the body doesn't get to used to a certain amount of calories and learn to maintain on that level, rather than continuing with losses. i feel like it really does help! plus then you can splurge a little on your higher calorie days (as long as you're smart about it), or you can plan your days around what you have going on. bbq? high calorie day, no guilt! day off and it's raining? low calorie day and have a cozy day at home! that kind of thing.
  • quitmakingexcuses
    quitmakingexcuses Posts: 906 Member
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    Ooh good idea! Thanks :)
  • stc74
    stc74 Posts: 297 Member
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    this zig zag thing is what I think i need to do. I basically started on a plateau and I need a way to keep up with the diary. Some days my brain may be too tired to remember what I was supposed to do. The first few weeks of school I'm almost a zombie when I come home....

    thanks for the idea!

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