Zig Zagging and Exercise Calories?

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ljbhill
ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I need some advice... Do you eat your exercise calories when zig zagging?

I have been with My Fitness Pal for 7 months now. My calorie limit has been 1200 since I started. I have lost 12kg (26Ib) in that time. Slowly but surely but the last 2 months I have lost nothing. I hover within 1-2kg of my goal weight.

This has been trying on my motivation and in recent weeks I have slipped but I'm back on track now, am exercise and paying more attention to what I am putting in my mouth.

After reading a lot of the forums, I have come across calorie 'zigzaging', whereby one day you are under calories but the over. It seems that many people heigh a plateau when they are near goal and this seems to have helped. I am going to stay within 100-200 of my calories give and take on alternative days. I don't want to do any more than this, as I am already only on 1200 and don't want to consume more less than 1000 on any given day. I like my food! I want a healthy relationship with it and this means I need to eat! So here is what is will roughly look like-

Monday- 1000
Tuesday- 1400
Wednesday-1000

And so on... But... Do I eat my exercise calories ? Usually I do. Is it the same when zig zagging? So for example-

Monday- 1000 (+100 calories from exercising)= 1100
Tuesday- 1200 (+200 calories from exercising)= 1400

Any feedback from people who have done the zig zagging would be much appreciated. I'm looking forward to mixing it up and pushing past this plateau. I'll keep you posted :wink:

Replies

  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
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    A good discussion here on the topic - look at page 3 for an example close to your situation....

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/212510-how-to-zig-zag-cals-properly-caloric-cycling-properly
  • flimflamfloz
    flimflamfloz Posts: 1,980 Member
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    I was under the impression zigzagging was more:

    1600 (big increase cals)
    1200 (normal cals)
    1600
    1200

    Especially because you are already on 1200 normally.

    And then we are talking about half weeks if not weeks, i.e. :
    Mon-Wed (lots of cardio exercise on those days) 1600 = boost metabolism (exercise + food)
    Thurs-Sun 1200 = metabolism has not catched up yet... so the body is still burning and has not "realised" yet that you are eating less

    EDIT:
    Just read the link above, and I think the OP is hitting the following problem:
    "we all respond somewhat differently but as a general rule a long lasting deficit will drop metabolic rate on you which is why I used to encourage a cheat day or cheat meal every few weeks."
    I think your body is "sleeping" (too low cals for too long) and is not used to burn them anymore, hence your struggle...

    Not sure about the original question though :p
  • MichelleF81
    MichelleF81 Posts: 98 Member
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    agree with flamfloz above, your cals appear to be too low to actually be classed as zig zagging. To zig zag you're supposed to go over your goal one day and then under it another, not hit your goal on a high day and then go under it even more on a low.
  • MichelleF81
    MichelleF81 Posts: 98 Member
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    Also, just looked at your diary and you go significantly over on calories almost every single day......that's probably why you've stopped losing.
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
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    Ops. That's what I meant! I'm suppose to be 1200 and I am zig zagging 1000-1400 (thanks for picking that up!)

    I agree. 1200 is low but I often eat higher on the weekends. I'm just trying to put my calories into some kind of formula/structure to get me focused and losing again! I'm not a fitness fanatic. I wouldn't be able to keep it up. I opt for an exercise lifestyle that I can live with. I do 1xpilates, 2xruns, 1xweight session and 2x45 minute walks per week.
  • MichelleF81
    MichelleF81 Posts: 98 Member
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    I think if you do a google search and find a site where you can put in your weight and goals etc then it should come up with a pretty decent zig zagging formula for you. I've never tried it myself but I might if I suddenly hit a brick wall or get incredibly bored with 1200 cals each and every day!
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
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    duplicate post :embarassed:
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
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    Also, just looked at your diary and you go significantly over on calories almost every single day......that's probably why you've stopped losing.

    I know! I've lost sight and become de-motivated which is why this week I started zig zagging! Eating only 1200 calories, per day, every day, for 6 months, has gotten a little old. I stopped losing before I started going over :frown:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    if you are very close to your goal, you should look at moving closer to maintenance cals.

    when i was 4 pounds from my goal i changed my deficit to 1/2 a pound which changed my cals from 1200 to 1380, and i lost 2 pounds the following week!
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice guys but am I able to eat my exercise calories on top of the zig zagging? So-

    Monday- 1200 (earn 100 cal exercise cals)= 1300
    Tuesday- 1400 (earn 150 cals from exercise)= 1550
    Wednesday- 1200 (earn 200 cals from exercise)= 1400

    and so on... or do I need to stick to the cals before the exercise? Thanks for all the advice! It can be a little confusing and I don't want to gain when I'm so close to goal!
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
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    check out this site:

    www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    and make sure you put in that you exercise DO NOT do the maintainance. It will give you what you need to consume each day with the exercise plan you have. then there is a button to click and it will give you a zig zag plan. this is what I am doing too!
  • dawnmichelea
    dawnmichelea Posts: 112 Member
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    Bump to follow up on web sites!
  • FoodMage
    FoodMage Posts: 8
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    Bump
  • evesacks
    evesacks Posts: 94 Member
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    I think:

    a) You aren't losing the last bit as you seem to go over calories every so often - so in effect you are all ready zig-zagging without the days were you eat less than target! If you eat more at weekend and want to lose then you need to eat less in the week. I manage this by not eating exercise calories in the week if I ate over target at weekend.

    b) Exercise calories - debates on whether to eat them or not... I reckon if you are having trouble losing try eating half of them because - exercise calories are an estimate and don't take into account your BMR (ie that if you were sitting on the sofa instead of exercise it would use some calories, just not as much.

    Also to do the zig zagging you would probably eat more on your exercise days so don't really need the exercise calories IYSWIM.

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