Different strategy to fat loss

camilla8981
camilla8981 Posts: 11 Member
edited December 23 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys,

So like many others, I find adherence to a caloric deficit difficult at times. I often find that I start to go off plan after about 2 weeks of cutting. However, I found a forum post on another website stating a strategy which goes as follows; 2 weeks of a 30-33% calorie deficit which in my case takes me to between 14-1500 calories a day (my maintenance is roughly 2000), followed by 1 week of eating at maintenance level. The benefits are apparently physiological and psychological and promotes adherence to the cutting phase. I’m aware that the process will take much longer, however, my theory is that by being more consistent I will end up with a better result. Any ideas, comments or has anyone tried this approach? Looking forward to hearing from you. Camilla :)

Replies

  • corysmithsmail
    corysmithsmail Posts: 166 Member
    I'm no scientist or anything but while it sounds like a good idea, I'm kind of wary of it. I say that based off my experience of going from a weight loss mode to a maintenance mode. My calories for weight loss was approx. 1450/day and my maintenance cals are approx. 1930. When I decided to do maintenance, I just switched from the 1400s/day right into maintenance cals. I'm pretty OCD about my calories and logging so I am fairly confident that there were no outside factors. But that first week I gained some weight before my body "realized" what was going on. Again, I'm no expert but it just seems to me that you might be taking a step back before taking 2 steps forward....if that makes sense. But like you said, it would really just mean a slower process I just know for me, it would be a mental thing seeing weight gain when I'm trying to lose. But whatever works for you, there's no one size fits all!
  • corysmithsmail
    corysmithsmail Posts: 166 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    corysmithsmail wrote: »
    I'm no scientist or anything but while it sounds like a good idea, I'm kind of wary of it. I say that based off my experience of going from a weight loss mode to a maintenance mode. My calories for weight loss was approx. 1450/day and my maintenance cals are approx. 1930. When I decided to do maintenance, I just switched from the 1400s/day right into maintenance cals. I'm pretty OCD about my calories and logging so I am fairly confident that there were no outside factors. But that first week I gained some weight before my body "realized" what was going on. Again, I'm no expert but it just seems to me that you might be taking a step back before taking 2 steps forward....if that makes sense. But like you said, it would really just mean a slower process I just know for me, it would be a mental thing seeing weight gain when I'm trying to lose. But whatever works for you, there's no one size fits all!

    Nothing to do with your body "realizing" what's going on. You return to maintenance and your body tops of glycogen, which is stored with water, and you gain water weight.

    Of course not...which is why I put the word in quotes.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    camilla8981 wrote: »
    Hey guys,

    So like many others, I find adherence to a caloric deficit difficult at times. I often find that I start to go off plan after about 2 weeks of cutting. However, I found a forum post on another website stating a strategy which goes as follows; 2 weeks of a 30-33% calorie deficit which in my case takes me to between 14-1500 calories a day (my maintenance is roughly 2000), followed by 1 week of eating at maintenance level. The benefits are apparently physiological and psychological and promotes adherence to the cutting phase. I’m aware that the process will take much longer, however, my theory is that by being more consistent I will end up with a better result. Any ideas, comments or has anyone tried this approach? Looking forward to hearing from you. Camilla :)

    All of my problems with adherence were because I would try to change too drastically and/or be too strict with myself. If I tried to do a plan that I could not adhere to under normal circumstances then I would struggle to resume the deficit after the first maintenance week.

    I would suggest that you review your 2 week strategy and figure out how to make it as easy as possible for you to adhere to before thinking this might fix it. Otherwise there is nothing wrong with taking it slower and nothing wrong having more maintenance periods.
  • camilla8981
    camilla8981 Posts: 11 Member
    So the idea is that you adjust your maintenance calories based on your new body weight. And agreed, the weight you think you have put on after 1 week of maintenance is stored energy in your muscles and system, by eating maintenance, perhaps a little below will ensure that you maintain your weight. Any increase in the scale would be water. I am research orientated and read a few papers suggesting that this approach might work well on a long term basis. In fact the paper I read stated that the participants in the 2 weeks on 1 week of condition managed to keep their weight off compared to the control group at a 6 month follow up. I will give this a go in February when I start, as I am currently bulking!
  • camilla8981
    camilla8981 Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you all for your inputs
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    Sounds fairly similar to the methodology in the MATADOR study - they used two weeks of aggressive diet followed by two weeks of maintenance. Sure, it takes longer to reach a weight loss goal, but most people trying to lose enough weight that such a strategy matters probably don't have a deadline, so the long term success of it is far more important.
  • Bookworm1860
    Bookworm1860 Posts: 54 Member
    It sounds like the blog was based on the MATADOR study. The group that was rotating on and off of the calorie reduced periods actually lost more weight than those on continual reduction, they also had a smaller reduction in resting energy expenditure. It was, unfortunately, a rather small sample. https://www.nature.com/articles/ijo2017206
  • camilla8981
    camilla8981 Posts: 11 Member
    Yep, that’s the study I am referring to, however, rather than a 2 week diet break I will do just 1 as I’ve feel that I can manage with just that and I’ve been into nutrition and fitness for a few years now.
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