I found the holy grail of weight loss for lazy metabolisms

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  • SashaMegan
    SashaMegan Posts: 110 Member
    Bump!!!!!
  • crudd123
    crudd123 Posts: 244 Member
    bump
  • momofJandA
    momofJandA Posts: 1,035 Member
    so here's what I'm thinking (yes I have been thinking about this all day). I set the numbers as if I was sedentary and then I can still add in my exercise calories. Which will essentially still have me zig zagging- I just get those exercise calories back on days I need them and don't on days I don't- kwim?
  • miracle4me
    miracle4me Posts: 522 Member
    bump
  • Gay11nell
    Gay11nell Posts: 166 Member
    BUMP! THANKS!
  • FitnSassy
    FitnSassy Posts: 263 Member
    I did a search in the forums and I only found a couple of topics that mentioned calorie zig-zag so I decided that I would make this post with instructions.

    First things first: Go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm fill out the form and click at the bottom where it says "7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)"
    All you have to do is follow the schedule (weight loss and extreme weight loss) and you will start to lose weight.

    If this worked for me it HAS to work for you. Just to give you a little background, I am 31 years old, 5'2 and my highest weight was 170lbs. I have hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia. The combination of metabolic disorders has made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight with just diet and exercise. I've tried low cal (1200) , total energy expenditure with a deficit (2000) and everything in between that range; low fat, low carb, you name it! nothing has really worked until I tried calorie cycling.

    I have been doing this for over 5 weeks and I have been losing 1lb each week consistently by following the weight loss schedule. If I plateau again I will try the extreme weight loss but so far so good.
    I wanted to post this the first week I lost weight but I wanted to make sure that it really worked before getting your hopes up.

    To adjust myfitnesspal I customized my calorie goals to my lowest calorie day ( tuesdays for me) and created 6 work outs with the calorie adjustments so I can just add it each day and count my calories the regular way. For example:
    My daily calorie is set up at 1298
    Then I add a "Monday zig-zag" exercise that I set up at 325 calories, this sets my Monday net calories to 1623
    Do the same each day with a pre-set work out for each day and you are done.

    Hope this helps!!!

    How can YOU DISCOVER Something that OTHER People have been writing about FOR Years???!!! It's like telling the Native American Indians that Columbus DISCOVERED America! Just say...YOU LEARNED something that was NEW To YOU!

    Get out of here! All you have to do is Eat Normally...which is "Zig Zag!!!" No one eats the same amount of calories each day, some days you naturally want more or less food or something sweet>>>That is why having a WEEKLY calorie goal is Important, same is true with an Exercise Routine. That's why it is CRAZY when people get upset when they eat more than they planned, let your Body DO its thing, heck, if you eat 300-500 excess calories one day, then eat fewer the next 2/3 days. CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN EATING THE SAME CALORIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT...That's CRAZY (Same with An Exercise Routine.) People WILL eventually Learn about THEIR Body.

    Although I don't agree with his delivery, I see the logic in his comment.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
    bump
  • Becky99504
    Becky99504 Posts: 30
    I did a search in the forums and I only found a couple of topics that mentioned calorie zig-zag so I decided that I would make this post with instructions.

    First things first: Go to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm fill out the form and click at the bottom where it says "7 day calorie cycle (zig-zag)"
    All you have to do is follow the schedule (weight loss and extreme weight loss) and you will start to lose weight.

    If this worked for me it HAS to work for you. Just to give you a little background, I am 31 years old, 5'2 and my highest weight was 170lbs. I have hypothyroidism and hypoglycemia. The combination of metabolic disorders has made it nearly impossible for me to lose weight with just diet and exercise. I've tried low cal (1200) , total energy expenditure with a deficit (2000) and everything in between that range; low fat, low carb, you name it! nothing has really worked until I tried calorie cycling.

    I have been doing this for over 5 weeks and I have been losing 1lb each week consistently by following the weight loss schedule. If I plateau again I will try the extreme weight loss but so far so good.
    I wanted to post this the first week I lost weight but I wanted to make sure that it really worked before getting your hopes up.

    To adjust myfitnesspal I customized my calorie goals to my lowest calorie day ( tuesdays for me) and created 6 work outs with the calorie adjustments so I can just add it each day and count my calories the regular way. For example:
    My daily calorie is set up at 1298
    Then I add a "Monday zig-zag" exercise that I set up at 325 calories, this sets my Monday net calories to 1623
    Do the same each day with a pre-set work out for each day and you are done.

    Hope this helps!!!

    How can YOU DISCOVER Something that OTHER People have been writing about FOR Years???!!! It's like telling the Native American Indians that Columbus DISCOVERED America! Just say...YOU LEARNED something that was NEW To YOU!

    Get out of here! All you have to do is Eat Normally...which is "Zig Zag!!!" No one eats the same amount of calories each day, some days you naturally want more or less food or something sweet>>>That is why having a WEEKLY calorie goal is Important, same is true with an Exercise Routine. That's why it is CRAZY when people get upset when they eat more than they planned, let your Body DO its thing, heck, if you eat 300-500 excess calories one day, then eat fewer the next 2/3 days. CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN EATING THE SAME CALORIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT...That's CRAZY (Same with An Exercise Routine.) People WILL eventually Learn about THEIR Body.

    OK, have a nice day.

    Bump
    Amen!
  • Kindone
    Kindone Posts: 138 Member
    bump for later
  • toysbigkid
    toysbigkid Posts: 545 Member
    bump
  • Becky99504
    Becky99504 Posts: 30
    How can YOU DISCOVER Something that OTHER People have been writing about FOR Years???!!! It's like telling the Native American Indians that Columbus DISCOVERED America! Just say...YOU LEARNED something that was NEW To YOU!

    Get out of here! All you have to do is Eat Normally...which is "Zig Zag!!!" No one eats the same amount of calories each day, some days you naturally want more or less food or something sweet>>>That is why having a WEEKLY calorie goal is Important, same is true with an Exercise Routine. That's why it is CRAZY when people get upset when they eat more than they planned, let your Body DO its thing, heck, if you eat 300-500 excess calories one day, then eat fewer the next 2/3 days. CONSISTENCY DOES NOT MEAN EATING THE SAME CALORIES DAY IN AND DAY OUT...That's CRAZY (Same with An Exercise Routine.) People WILL eventually Learn about THEIR Body.

    Wow, I think you need more fiber.
    amen!
  • km_jenn
    km_jenn Posts: 107
    bump
  • Becky99504
    Becky99504 Posts: 30
    when I tried the so called zig zag method I gained weight....
    I am not a fan. it may work for some but it wasn't for me.
  • callikia
    callikia Posts: 226 Member
    bump
  • Coco_puff901
    Coco_puff901 Posts: 54 Member
    Bump
  • lindsy721
    lindsy721 Posts: 350 Member
    I assume you're eating good foods though, no matter what the calorie count of the day is? Like not just junk and stuff?
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
    Interestingly enough, I pretty much do this already... except that my calorie spikes aren't scheduled. I just end up having one or two days a week where I go over by a few hundred calories, balanced by the rest of the week where I stay at or below. The average daily calorie count (for extreme fat loss) given by the zig-zag method is almost exactly what I get from MFP after adding in my exercise calories. So I guess I'm doing it right?
  • hallie_b
    hallie_b Posts: 175 Member
    bump for later
  • Olive32214
    Olive32214 Posts: 467 Member
    Boom, Boom Bump !!!!
  • Jesstruhan
    Jesstruhan Posts: 331 Member
    bump
  • slowturtle1
    slowturtle1 Posts: 284 Member
    Interesting! I don't need it yet, but it's nice to have the info! Thanks!
  • Jessie1227
    Jessie1227 Posts: 71 Member
    bump
  • neurogirl
    neurogirl Posts: 706 Member
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  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
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  • LCraig0124
    LCraig0124 Posts: 11 Member
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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Now, if you ate the same amount of calories every day, and your exercise burned different amounts on workout days, and of course none on rest days - wouldn't you indeed end up with the exact same result?

    Your body on different days is getting a different amount of calories to work with.

    And it's not so much as fooling your metabolism, as eating at a reasonable level in the first place so you don't have to fool it.

    Since you include exercise in this TDEE level and don't eat it back, it sure appears the net effect would be the same.

    So did you ever eat at the level it is averaging out to for an extended 3-4 weeks?

    Because when I took their figures and did weekly avg, works out exactly the same way.
  • sniperzzzz
    sniperzzzz Posts: 282 Member
    Of course its the same calorie outcome overall weekly, but calorie cycling can be effective on a hormonal level. That's how it can help break plateaus. Some days you eat at maintenance or above, this can be effective for people who have been eating low calories for a while. So in essence, your having a mini re-feed some days within your weekly deficit, this can be all that is required, to get things moving again. My thoughts are dont knock it until you have tried it. You have to break the mould sometimes, to find out what works for you, and to learn how your body responds to different approaches.
  • jgkoutr
    jgkoutr Posts: 8,105 Member
    bump
  • lja20
    lja20 Posts: 54 Member
    Bump
  • Nenabobena
    Nenabobena Posts: 79 Member
    I assume you're eating good foods though, no matter what the calorie count of the day is? Like not just junk and stuff?

    Yes, you assume right. By all means I was supposed to be losing with my clean diet and exercise but my metabolism was not having it. Calorie zig-zag changed my metabolism so I started to lose weight.
This discussion has been closed.