Two questions regarding spiking or zig zagging

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brucedelaney
brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm considering changing up my plan a little bit to include1 or 2 spike days a week.

Question 1, being at about 1000 Calorie a day deficit (2lbs of loss per week), would 1 or 2 days at 500 extra calories 'spike' my metabolism?

Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

Replies

  • NicoleLyn1818
    NicoleLyn1818 Posts: 110
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    You're not supposed to go below 1200....body goes into starvation mode and you will plateau.
  • pope369
    pope369 Posts: 159 Member
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    Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

    I can't speak to your first question, but when I spike, I try to be just as diligent about logging every little thing as I am on days that are dead on goal or slightly under. It just helps me compare apples to apples.
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
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    You're not supposed to go below 1200....body goes into starvation mode and you will plateau.

    Where did I say I was eating less then 1200 calories?

    I said a 1000 calorie deficit, my maint Cals are 2600ish so 1000 calorie deficit is 1600 which is what MFP is recommending and a spike day means adding calories not subtracting.
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
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    Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

    I can't speak to your first question, but when I spike, I try to be just as diligent about logging every little thing as I am on days that are dead on goal or slightly under. It just helps me compare apples to apples.

    Yes, this is part of my plan, I was wondering if MFP has a way to actually customize your plan based on varying caloric levels per day.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I'm considering changing up my plan a little bit to include1 or 2 spike days a week.

    Question 1, being at about 1000 Calorie a day deficit (2lbs of loss per week), would 1 or 2 days at 500 extra calories 'spike' my metabolism?

    Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
    Options
    I'm considering changing up my plan a little bit to include1 or 2 spike days a week.

    Question 1, being at about 1000 Calorie a day deficit (2lbs of loss per week), would 1 or 2 days at 500 extra calories 'spike' my metabolism?

    Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    Love the exercise "spike day" Idea, never thought of that. Now, as for what you're saying, I should eat 3600 calories on my spike day? Which is 2000 above my weight loss calories. I'm not sure I can eat that many calories... not to mention it scares the heck out of me.
    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    Options
    I'm considering changing up my plan a little bit to include1 or 2 spike days a week.

    Question 1, being at about 1000 Calorie a day deficit (2lbs of loss per week), would 1 or 2 days at 500 extra calories 'spike' my metabolism?

    Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    Love the exercise "spike day" Idea, never thought of that. Now, as for what you're saying, I should eat 3600 calories on my spike day? Which is 2000 above my weight loss calories. I'm not sure I can eat that many calories... not to mention it scares the heck out of me.
    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    Don't let it scare you.......enjoy it!
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    [Love the exercise "spike day" Idea, never thought of that. Now, as for what you're saying, I should eat 3600 calories on my spike day? Which is 2000 above my weight loss calories. I'm not sure I can eat that many calories... not to mention it scares the heck out of me.
    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    3600.... I bet I could handle that if I set my mind to it... How many calories in that whole pack of oreos again???? LOL
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
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    I'm considering changing up my plan a little bit to include1 or 2 spike days a week.

    Question 1, being at about 1000 Calorie a day deficit (2lbs of loss per week), would 1 or 2 days at 500 extra calories 'spike' my metabolism?

    Question 2, how do you handle your spike days on MFP, Just go ahead and blow your goal by 'x' number of cals that day or do you constantly re-adjust the goals for that day?

    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    Love the exercise "spike day" Idea, never thought of that. Now, as for what you're saying, I should eat 3600 calories on my spike day? Which is 2000 above my weight loss calories. I'm not sure I can eat that many calories... not to mention it scares the heck out of me.
    I would pick one day and eat above maintenance by 1000 calories or so. As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    Don't let it scare you.......enjoy it!

    Well I did the math if I'm doing that 1 day a week and eating at 1000 surplus of maint and 1000 cals under for 6 days then it's still at 5000 calorie weekly deficit so math dictates I should lose the weight still.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
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    Bump... I want to try this myself.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
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    As far as logging, I add an exercise called 'spike day' to adjust the calories.

    This is genius! Thank you! You just solved something I've been annoyed at MFP for for almost a year! lol

    *not gonna focus on how stupid I feel for never thinking of it* ;)
  • TiffanyA2008
    TiffanyA2008 Posts: 197
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    You're not supposed to go below 1200....body goes into starvation mode and you will plateau.

    Plus, your body will only go into starvation mode if your CONTINUOUSLY taking in UNDER 1200 calories.

    -I know this isn't what we are talking about, but want everyone to understand things!
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
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    You're not supposed to go below 1200....body goes into starvation mode and you will plateau.

    Plus, your body will only go into starvation mode if your CONTINUOUSLY taking in UNDER 1200 calories.

    -I know this isn't what we are talking about, but want everyone to understand things!

    .... AND as I stated earlier, I'm NOT going under 1200 calories... my lowest is 1600ish per day which is approximately a 1000 calorie deficit recommended for 2 lb a week loss.
  • lalalazzz
    lalalazzz Posts: 131 Member
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    You're not supposed to go below 1200....body goes into starvation mode and you will plateau.

    Plus, your body will only go into starvation mode if your CONTINUOUSLY taking in UNDER 1200 calories.

    -I know this isn't what we are talking about, but want everyone to understand things!




    This person is in outer space.

    There is a website freedieting.com that has an option that gives you a seven day schedule for zig-zagging calories. Check it out. I also manually adjust my calorie allotments. Adding it as an exercise is a great idea, thanks.

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