Anyone do Calorie Cycling
 

Hi there. Just wondering if anyone out there has had luck with calorie cycling? The concept is eating low calories for a few days and then having a "cheat day", then low calories again and another "cheat day". It's supposed to be good for people that won't stick to diets if they can NEVER eat their favorite foods, and it prevents the body from plateauing because you are constantly changing up your calorie intake. At the end of a week, you'd still have a calorie deficit and therefore loose weight. Anyone do this with luck?

I JUST read something about this today and decided to try it. I got a printout from a website where I put in my weight, height, age, etc. and it gave me a calorie total for Mon-Sun. For example, today was 1349, tomorrow is only 1068, but Wednesday is 1695. So it zig zags back and forth (I think I found it by Googling "zig zag calories"). I really don't want to hit the dreaded plateau so I thought I would give it a try. I think it will be great on days I know I'm going to eat out or go to an event or something.

Cassie J.

I am doing it, but kind of by accident!! The aim is 1200 calories a day, but I find I range from 900 to 1650, but I am averaging the 1200 a day...I am losing, so far, but not fast.

Cassie-Thank you for telling me about it being called "zig zagging" also. I googled that and found some good forums.

Kathie-I'm curious to know how much you have to loose, if you don't mind me asking. Averaging 1200 calories seems like you should at least be losing 2 lbs per week.

I have lost 10 pounds in a month, but I went sort of crazy with nuts and actually GAINED weight!! I couldn't stop at 10!! I did drop 2 pounds last week.

Good for you Kathie! Although that sucks about the weight gain. :( I've actually lost 5.5 initially. That would be greater if it weren't for the fact that 3.5 of that was recent holiday pounds. It's only been a week and a half so I'm sure it's water weight, but I'll take it!! Going on a cruise in 2 weeks and wanted to trim up as much as possible by then. I'm being real specific about my zig zagging though. I'm more likely to stick with something if it is realistically sustainable.

Kathie-just noticed your weight loss goals...That's mine too!! Only I'm going for 149 cause it just sounds and looks better. Ha! Im at 163 now.

Wow, we are really close!!! My goal of 150 is my initial goal, but I "may" want to drop into the 140s too, and yes it DOES sound better!! LOL!!! I figured I would use 150 as a realistic goal. At the moment my short term goal is to get the hell OUT of the 160s!! That will be a happy day!!

Keep on going and you will get to those goals, I'm sure :D

Well, today was a "high" calorie day for me. I am glad to say that it feels uncomfortable eating *so much*! But make no mistake, I am getting it in! Unfortunately I had a long work day and came home starving (ominous music begins...now), but I ate what I had planned and am glad I had the extra cals to work with today.

Unfortunately, I got home so late that I missed my cardio class, so it is off to the basement to the treadmill...not as fun, but gets the job done.

I am taking one of Kathie's suggestions from another post and not weighing daily now. I will jump back on the scale Tues. and see if that works any better.

Stick it out and keep it going! We're getting there!

cassie, there is a weekly weigh in thread that a whole lot of us are using, and we weigh in on Fridays. It helps with accountability to post your success or lack thereof. You should join us!

I have had a low calorie day today. Again mine is not scheduled, more random, but it still seems to work. I am seriously starting to crave a hamburger and a coke!! I think I might have to plan for that soon, so I don't totally blow it! It isn't a healthy choice in any way, but the desire to have one is getting pretty overwhelming!! LOL!

Cassie-What are your weight loss goals?
Kathie-When you put your goals in fitday, does it give you that message that you should check with a healthcare professional because it's more than 2 lbs? I put in that I want to loose 13 pounds by 3/15 and it gives that message. It's only 2.07 per week. Sheesh. I find

I find that I am thinking about food all the time whereas I normally never did. My weight is mainly from my four kids and never getting down to my regular weight after each one of them. Not that I eat well because I was a fast food junkie. (Notice the "was") :) Going on a cruise soon and I barely even remember that because my mind is flooded with calorie information! UGH!

Kathie- if you are going to plunge into the burger, just try and do it in the least unhealthy way. Maybe a wheat bun, turkey burger, loaded with lettuce and tomatoes. Like that one book, Eat this, not that. Ha!

Okay, enough talk about hamburgers!!! (I could really go for a burger about now) :(

Scndtonun, I am about eight pounds away from my goal, so I am at the hard part of it now. I have struggled with ups and downs since high school and have lost weight and gained weight in probably all the wrong ways...so this time I am focusing on my health and doing it right in a way that will change the way I deal with food forever. I had been about 5 lbs from my goal before the holidays and then wild and reckless abandon took place, so I started out on Jan 5 to lose 15. I have lost 8 so far but the last ones are the hardest. I am not a big person (5'1") and goodness knows I have wrecked my metabolism over the years, and I love carbs.

I am ready to get off the roller coaster (and onto the treadmill)!

You are smart, Kathie, to plan ahead. That is real life. My sister will say things like, "I haven't had pizza in five years" or "I can't eat pasta anymore." To me personally, that's not a lifestyle; that's permanantly depriving yourself. Works for her, but it wouldn't for me.

Keep up the good work, everyone!

Cassie- You know what they say... the last 20 are the hardest! I've never been much of a "dieter". I would start Atkins or reducing calories and then after a week, I'd look in the mirror and think, "Hey, I've had 4 kids, I'm hardly horrendous looking." and so then I would give up. What I've come to learn is that although I only have 14 pounds til goal weight, I spend more time thinking about weight than I would spend getting it off once and for all. I am calorie zig zagging from 1100-1500. That's it for now. Introducing more than that at once would probably set me back. I have to get this calorie obsession down before I hit the "steps". I bought 3 DVD's and a step from "The Firm" off Craigslist. So far I've only watched the videos and dreaded what's in store for me. They are making quite a statement in my livingroom if I do say so myself. ;) One "step" at a time I guess. Haha. I could have had Pizza Hut tonight for dinner because it was my high calorie day, but I chose tacos with ground turkey instead. Yay for me!! Two thumbs up on your 8 lbs, I can't imagine what some people feel like starting out with large numbers to loose.

Oh yeah, my name is Michelle by the way. I tried every combination of it for my user profile and kept getting rejected so I went with my usual screenname.

Hey ladies! I had a good day today, even though I did eat a very tiny brownie with melted chocolate and mini marshmellows on top! but only the one, and it was like 1 inch square. I could have more, but chose not to! And I did 30 minutes on the treadmill today too!! Woohoo! I am always proud when I exercise.

Tomorrow is weigh in day, so I don't wanna totally blow it the night before. I have my fingers crossed that I have lost something, my ring is really loose!!

And wow, none of us has a whole lot to lose! I couldn't imagine needing to lose 100 pounds. At my heaviest I needed to lose almost 30 pounds, I lost 21, then gained back 19!! I lost ALL motivation for some reason and packed it right back on, and fast too!!

This time I am hoping to actually reach my goal weight, and then learning how to maintain it. I know this is a lifelong change of eating habits for me. The treats will be rare and far between.

Congrats on your continued success!

I weighed in this morning. 161 Baby!! That's 2 lbs lost! WHoot, WhOOT! So in less than two weeks, I am down 7.5 lbs.

Kathie-I have to admit, I'm afraid of exactly what you said. SOOO many people on here talk about loosing all this weight and then gaining it back PLUS some. They say you are supposed to consider it a lifestyle change, not a diet. How am I supposed to tell my head that? My real goal is to just get to my goal weight and figure out how to eat to maintain it. I am going to start a new thread..."What are YOU looking forward to?" Be sure and post...
Good job on your tiny cheat. I don't think any lifestyle is worth having if you can NEVER indulge. That can mean the difference between failing and succeeding. I had calories to spare last night so I had a small bowl of my beloved Cap'N Crunch. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day! Ha!

Michelle, that is awesome!! Way to go!! I had a very disappointing .6 lb loss. I am planning on weighing again in the morning and seeing if I had some fluid retention on my this morning. Wish me luck!!

Fingers crossed for you Kathie!! I know how you feel though. I'm not anticipating that I will keep dropping at this rate. But some loss is better than gain right? ;) Hey, where's your list of things you are looking forward to on the new thread I posted? I like hearing what people have in mind. Did I mention that I woke up about 3 times last night and everytime, I had just been dreaming about calories or forums or menus of some sort? Ugh, how long does the obsession last? Thinking about making tomorrow my highest cheat day to date. 1600 calories! I'm really craving some fast food breakfast! Going to look online for the best bang for my calorie buck! Ha. Happy Weigh-in!!

Hi ladies, I am Heather, but my firends call me Gibby. found this site by accident while looking for low fat recipes three days ago, and I am loving it. so much easier than my paper food diaries, and calculator! I am a complete yoyo diets, so when people ask me how much weight I have lost, i have no idea what to tell them, I can say my highest weight was 210, and lowest since high school was 160, right now i am sitting at about 177, and have been in a gain three lose -three pattern since the fall. It used to be that I would let things slide until I got a big wake up call when the scale hit 200 then i would serously hit the diet and excercise until I had lost some weight. then when the compliments started rolling in, i would let things slide again. I excercise very sporatically, and know if I could incorporate this inot my life regularly I would be so much better off. Well I could go on and on, but i will check back in a few days.