has anyone had success with zigzagging cals?

BeautyFromPain
BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey,

so my weight loss is pretty slow..
jw if anyone has had success with zigzagging calories?
How many you ate each day and what the results were? Should I just do it for a week or longer?

Thankyou :)

Replies

  • clarech82
    clarech82 Posts: 244 Member
    I haven't tried but would like to know the answer
  • AmerTunsi
    AmerTunsi Posts: 655 Member
    Yep! I live by it ... I haven't hit a plateau yet *knock on wood* and it allows me to have some higher calorie days where I eat some things I may be craving. I have lost almost 50lbs since July. :)
  • TurtleJeepChic
    TurtleJeepChic Posts: 16
    What is zigzagging cals?
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    Not sure what you mean by zigzagging but I have often varied my calories on a daily basis and am not afraid to go significantly over as long as my weekly average is not too far from goal. Has it worked for me? Sorry to be wishy-washy but yes and no. I still lose but seem to take ages to recover from my (usually unintentional) "binge" (very high calorie) days. As long as I am not significantly over (eg less than 500 over) and make up for it later on, I still seem to lose weight consistently. But I don't know if I would have lost even more if I was more consistent day to day.
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Monday: 1,500 calories (Chest and Triceps)

    Tuesday: 1,800 calories (HIIT)

    Wednesday: 1200 calories (Back, Biceps)

    Thursday: 1,800 calories (HIIT)

    Friday: 1,200 calories (LEGS)

    Saturday: 2,200 calories (HIIT)

    Sunday: 1,200 calories (Rest)

    this averages around 1550 a day. yay or nay?

    http://www.maxdiamondelite.com/zig-zag-calories-for-weight-loss
  • victoria543
    victoria543 Posts: 51 Member
    Hi there sounds like an interesting idea would love to know more myself i lost the first 7lbs easily then joined MFP and the last 3lbs have been a real struggle to drop. :smile:
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    Ah I see. I guess I naturally do it. It makes sense to me to eat more on the day of (or better still the day before) more intense exercise. Once again not sure I would do better if more consistent. Another issue: is it better to zigzag on total or net calories? Food for thought.
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    Duplicate post
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
    I don't stick to a strict "zigzag" plan or anything but if I go over one day, I stay under the next and so on... not really had a plateau as such yet either.
  • AmerTunsi
    AmerTunsi Posts: 655 Member
    It looks good. You never drop below 1,200 and that is good. Keep in mind though that if you do a workout and that brings your net calories below 1,200 make sure you eat some of them back.
  • cofakid
    cofakid Posts: 213 Member
    I don't stick to a strict "zigzag" plan or anything but if I go over one day, I stay under the next and so on... not really had a plateau as such yet either.

    I'm pretty much the same. i prefer not to go over at all but wen i do i try and even it out and go under the next day and make my averages good. I'm generally a little bit under most days and that makes up for when i go REALLY over
  • cpeterson70
    cpeterson70 Posts: 19 Member
    The dietitian running the class I am taking says to average your calories. I would imagine it would extremely hard and stressful to be so rigid.
  • FaithHopeBELIEVE
    FaithHopeBELIEVE Posts: 626
    Most defnintely works for me!!! Go to www.freedieting.com and enter your stats and it automatically gives you a chart for maintenace cals, fat loss cals and extreme fat loss cals for the whole week. LOVE it! I maually go into MFP and custom change my goals each day to what the chart shows me.
  • FaithHopeBELIEVE
    FaithHopeBELIEVE Posts: 626
    Yep! I live by it ... I haven't hit a plateau yet *knock on wood* and it allows me to have some higher calorie days where I eat some things I may be craving. I have lost almost 50lbs since July. :)

    yes this! Love how I have high days and can eat more.
  • regthelittleone
    regthelittleone Posts: 95
    Yep , worked for me!!! I used the freedieting.com website also. I was stuck at 135lbs since July 2011. Last week was the first time I ever tried zig zagging my calories( skeptical at first) But I decided to go for it( eating more than I was used to) And to my surprize I lost 2 pounds this past week!!! This is my second week and hopefully I will see another loss this week. Give it a try , you might be surprized also!!!!! Good luck
  • lpw58
    lpw58 Posts: 15
    Today is my first official day of trying the calorie cycling/zig zag method. I have been at a standstill for weeks now. I am soooo hoping this gets me out of it.

    Good luck to you!

    Lorna
  • littlesis412
    littlesis412 Posts: 314 Member
    bump.
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