Zig Zag Diet or Calorie Shifting

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Replies

  • ragingtomato
    ragingtomato Posts: 11
    Hmm ok thanks so much! I hadn't thought of it that way.
  • TashaKnight
    TashaKnight Posts: 50 Member
    I'm a recovering anorexic, and at one point I did try a calorie-shifting diet. It was the 2-4-6-8 diet, which in all honesty, could have killed me. However, it DID work better than just going 200-200-200-200 every day. I lost 5 pounds in 10 days actually... even though I had supposedly turned off my metabolism. Maybe you could try it, but add a 1 or a 2 in front of the 200-400-600-800. Good luck!
  • beep
    beep Posts: 1,242 Member
    I'm a recovering anorexic, and at one point I did try a calorie-shifting diet. It was the 2-4-6-8 diet, which in all honesty, could have killed me. However, it DID work better than just going 200-200-200-200 every day. I lost 5 pounds in 10 days actually... even though I had supposedly turned off my metabolism. Maybe you could try it, but add a 1 or a 2 in front of the 200-400-600-800. Good luck!

    Oh, my heavens, girl, you're lucky to be alive.

    Take it from me, a person who has put herself in starvation mode every time she tried to "diet" that it never works for long and you always end up gaining it back because it's unrealistic. I am testimony to this website. I, for the first time ever, and I'm 52, have been able to keep up with weight loss through this website for 1 month and a half. It is the longest time ever I have been able to stick to it, because following the quidelines here is helping me lose 2 pounds a week, consistently... eating my exercise calories to boot.
  • laurenk182004
    laurenk182004 Posts: 1,882 Member
    Ok, I've decided to give it a try! I wouldn't think it could hurt anything :flowerforyou:

    Daily Energy Needs= 2,500 (I rounded down from 2,607 to ensure weight loss, this is not my BMR, it's based on the same principals, but it factors in your base activity level)
    Muliply daily needs by 7 (days per week) Total = 17,500 calories per week
    I want to lose two pounds per week so I subtracted 7,000 calories from that total
    That gave me: 10,500 Weekly = 1,500 a day (to lose two pounds per week)
    I Then made up the following "zig-zag" schedule for myself, and I'm feeling like it's
    going to be great! I think I was underestimating my daily calorie needs because I was eating between 1,200 and 1,300 calories per day, and having a binge day every now and then. I'm thinking now that maybe that wasn't so healthy, even though I've managed to lose 50 pounds :) I'll let you know how this turns out! :)

    *Monday-1,800

    *Tuesday-1,400

    *Wednesday-1,700

    *Thursday-1,400

    *Friday-1,600

    *Saturday-1,400

    *Sunday-1,200
  • Mags
    Mags Posts: 91 Member
    This past week I got very frustrated with not loosing any weight/fat. I kept my calorie count down and continued my cardio and weight training regularly, but was still getting nowhere. I started doing a lot of research on the internet and articles about the Zig Zag or Calorie shifting diet. Basically you continually change you calorie intake to keep your metabolism guessing and constantly burning the fat you have stored. Evidently body builders do this regularly if the want to loose a lot of fat in a hurry.

    Has anyone ever tried this sort of diet and how did it work out for them?

    No but I would be very interested in finding out more...

    Here's to eating the entire lamb shank instead of half it in an hours time :drinker:

    Mags

    60770.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    I don't think it has to be too complicated, or too precise either.

    The general idea it to just "mix it up" and keep your body guessing. Sort of like how they recommend you not eat the same breakfast 7 days a week (like I am guitly of!).

    I'm going to keep it simple, and just try and exericse differently each day, and if I save 100 or 200 extra one day, I'll eat it the next, and so on.

    I started Jillian Michael's Shred DVD, and I already feel a difference, so I think the plateau is moving!!!

    GOOD LUCK out there! :flowerforyou:
  • flachix
    flachix Posts: 256 Member
    I just discovered the Jillian website, she is on sale too. laugh. but the idea of totalling your calories then dividing them unequally through the week makes sense. I am going to try that. very clever.:love:
  • pavang82
    pavang82 Posts: 454 Member

    I started Jillian Michael's Shred DVD, and I already feel a difference, so I think the plateau is moving!!!

    where do you buy her dvd from?
  • Mags
    Mags Posts: 91 Member
    hi guys

    it worked for me; 3 pounds off after plateau of 3 weeks; stay away from scales mid week though; scary

    Mags

    60770.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
    I think all who follow MFP guidelines really do this--to a point.

    I do it, in a way but by using MFP guidelines, because I eat most of not all my exercise calories every day. And, because my exercise calories vary day to day, I eat differing amount of calories daily.

    On days I only ride 10 miles, I burn up about 330 calories, so eat about 1400-1600 calories for that day. Then, on days I ride 15-20 miles, I burn up about 700 calories, so on those days I eat between 1700-1900 calories a day. And etc.

    Yesterday, for my 30 miles ride, I burnt up over 1300 calories! I didn't eat all of them-no way I could--3 months ago I could have easy but now I'd bust a gut!. But, I did eat almost 2300 calories yesterday-more than I've had in a long while.

    This morning, I weighed, and I've dropped 1.5 pounds overnight!!!!!!!!!!!

    That 30 mile ride was well worth every ounce of effort.

    So, I think one could say that if you count what all who follow MFP guidelines do by shifting how much they exercise each time (which I think most exercise experts suggest you do anyway), then I guess you can say we all really do this "calorie shifting.
  • kingon8
    kingon8 Posts: 200 Member



    I ate unlimited negative calorie fruits and vegetables all day long and it kept me full!! Every time I started getting overly hungry, I would eat a couple oranges, or an apple, or some carrots or some other veggie and it would tame the need.

    But...an orange has 75 cal, apple has 100, etc so you'd reach your 600 calorie mark pretty quickly! Just doesn't seem healthy to me.

    check out negative calorie foods on google or yahoo, they are foods that you burn more calories digesting than are actually in the food to begin with.
  • flachix
    flachix Posts: 256 Member
    this months muscle and fitness has a 90 day challenge in it and part of it is calories shifting. it calls it differently, high, med and low calorie day, and suggests you do that for the entire 90 days. very interesting. of course for their body builders the numbers are extreme but the same principle can apply to lower calorie intack. they adjusted by approx 200-300 a day, then repeated the cycle. so far I am having excellent results with that. I know its all water weight loss, but back on track watching the scale drop so quickly is very enspiring.
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    Jillian Michael's Shred DVD...

    I got it at HMV, but you can also order online from Chapters, Indigo, Amazon, etc...
    ENJOY!
    :flowerforyou:
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    I've done it a few times when I've hit a plateau and found that it works. I eat higher calories for a day or two and then go lower again. My trainer recommends a three day pattern: one higher and two lower calorie days.
  • dwalden
    dwalden Posts: 77 Member
    I created a spreadsheet which does this based on what my average calorie burn is suppose to be. It really works it out nicely for me. I can plan out what I am going to eat for every meal 3-4 days in advance. If ayone would like a copy just let me know. It is in Excel 2003 format.
  • Mags
    Mags Posts: 91 Member
    hi there

    I will take a copy please.

    Mags
  • insearchofskinny
    insearchofskinny Posts: 80
    I have!! ...and it absolutely does work! :happy:
  • tayner
    tayner Posts: 372
    question on this topic then...I am supposed to eat 1800 calories a day. some days i get close, some days not so much.... it can vary by a few hundred from day to day just by food choices, meal chosen for dinner, etc.. so, would this work like a zig-zag by default without doing it intentially or do i need to go over that 1800 occasionally?
  • pkgirrl
    pkgirrl Posts: 587
    Hmm so just curious. I was wondering if I set my cals to lose 1/2 lbs per week ( as oppose to 2) that gives me about 1800cal to work with in a day. I exercise a lot some days ( like today I'm biking 40k then running 10) but yesterday I did nothing. If I just always eat the 1800, and not worry about exercise cals, would that work too?
  • ilike2moveit
    ilike2moveit Posts: 776 Member
    Thanks for all of the input from everyone. I am giving it a shot to see if it helps in continuing my weight/fat loss. I will give a report at the end of the week and let everyone know how it comes out.
    I'm very interested in the results. Best wishes.
  • mrsparker
    mrsparker Posts: 12
    Why are you not suppose to eat the same breakfast every day? I eat my bowl of bran flakes with skim milk and strawberries every morining and my 2 cups of coffee. Is it with other meals to or just breakfast.:ohwell:
  • 2BHEALTHY
    2BHEALTHY Posts: 62
    I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ATE FOR THE 600 OR 500 CAL. DAY..... DOESNT FRUIT HAVE ALOT OF SUGAR. i LOVE IT THAT YOU LOST SO MANY CAL. IN ONE WEEK i WOULD LOVE TO DO THE SAME..
  • 2BHEALTHY
    2BHEALTHY Posts: 62
    Shifting your cals does work. Your metabolism takes a few days after cutting calories to begin to decrease, so then you increase the amount of cals for a couple more days, then keep doing this till you are taking in the maximum amount of calories per day that is suggested for you or you decide. If your metabolism begins to dcrease it wont have time, because you will be upping your calories every few days, and exercising daily keeps it high, and keeps you from losing muscle mass. I have been doing this for about 2 1/2 months now, and when I started, I did 3 days at 600 caloires and then 4 at 900, and I lost 5 lbs for that week, and for 2 1/2 months it has stayed off, and I lost more than just that 5 lbs, the week after I did the 600/900, I did 1200, and lost 3 lbs. I have not gained any of it back, and am still losing. I dont advise that you go as low as I did, but you can shift your calories low and as long as you up them every 3 or 4 days your metabolism will not have time to drop.
    OK i WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ATE (500-600) A DAY THX
  • dwalden
    dwalden Posts: 77 Member
    Thanks for all of the input from everyone. I am giving it a shot to see if it helps in continuing my weight/fat loss. I will give a report at the end of the week and let everyone know how it comes out.
    I'm very interested in the results. Best wishes.

    I have been continuing my carb/calorie shifting from the past year and things have really gone well. I have been trying to keep things slow and steady to try and build muscle while still loosing fat. I have lost about 35 lbs and more importantly 20% body fat. I intend on keep this pace as much as possible and maintain my current weight as much as possible and reduce fat to 8%.

    This is such a science and statistics thing I just love it. I have made a tone of improvements to my spreadsheet including a 2-Way, 3-Way and No-Carb cycle program. If this gets any more fun I do not know what I will do with myself. :happy:
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member


    This is such a science and statistics thing I just love it. I have made a tone of improvements to my spreadsheet including a 2-Way, 3-Way and No-Carb cycle program. If this gets any more fun I do not know what I will do with myself. :happy:

    You're my kind of dork! :wink: I'm having so much fun tinkering with workouts, calories (zig and zag), nutrient combinations.... I'm in my own little dorky heaven!

    Add that I just started to run? HEAVEN! Stride length, shoe style, incline, distance, speed and results..
    *giddy handclapping* This is soooo cool!
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