Zig-Zag Method

So I want to start trying the zig-zag method where you vary your daily calories to keep your metabolism guessing.  Averaging 1250-1300 cals over the course of a week. Such as 1200 one day, then 1600, then 1300, then 1500, etc.

So I was wondering if anyone else has had results zig-zagging their calories?

I have had great success with this.  My weight loss was fifty pounds in six months and I experienced less problem with hunger when I zig-zagged.  My trainer recommended it.  After this initial loss I stopped zig-zagging for a couple of months and stopped losing.  When I went back to zig-zagging I began losing again.

On the days that I drop weight (usually once a week for me) I would eat more that day and the next, then drop down again, and so on.  It's so helpful, also, to not have to worry about being exact about the calorie level.

"Curves" recommends eating 2000 calories (one day?) and then dropping down again, if you are stalled.  Your weight might go up just a little, but then it starts going up again. 

We really do need to eat - not starve!  More attention needs to be paid to what we eat.  Lots of whole grains, vegetables and fruits are the first consideration (complex carbs - not simple carbs).  There is also too much emphasis on low fat vs. high fat.  The kind of fat is most important.  You can't go too far wrong with fats from most plant sources.  Good luck - and don't forget to stay active!

Is this an actual diet strategy or a way to spin the occasional binge?

If it's the latter, I've been doing this for YEARS and no, it hasn't worked for me.  But mine's been unintentional :)

No it is a real strategy...and your not really binging because your still consuming the same amount of weekly calories. Check out this site...


http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm#

they will give you a typical zig zagging schedule

Thanks Ann.

Scale~

This is an actual diet method.  I would never go above 1600 (which is still under maintaince for me) on my high day and never below 1200 on my low day.  For example:

• Monday - 1200
• Tuesday - 1500
• Wednesday - 1300
• Thursday - 1200
• Friday - 1600
• Saturday - 1200
• Sunday - 1500

Average = 1350

The zig-zag method works for me too and no, it's not binging.  I simply eat maintenance calories every 4 or 5 days, sometimes 2 days in a row.  I let my body dictate.

Pretty simple stuff.  I typically notice my weight loss the day after or a couple of days after I do the higher calories.

I don't intentionally zig zag but lifestyle dictates that some days I eat more, so the next day I just drop it down a bit, some times I work out so i eat more, or plan a meal out at the weekend so i'll drop my calories a little for a couple of days prior.  i've only been doing CC properly for 2 weeks, have lost 4lbs so far.  I'll let you know how it goes.

the only thing with that site is that it says that if I eat 1550 calories a day I will lose alot of weight (2-5lbs) a week, whereas if I eat 1830 I will lose 1.5 a week!

I am on 1550 now and I am not losing that much!  Ok on average though i have lost about 2lbs a week?

But yeah I think the zigzag diet is an excellent way to keep on top of the diet monster.  You could plan it so that the days where you are going out you have your higher calories and the days where you know you will be good just have the fewer.  I am gonna try this!

Thanks vrykolia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are eating the same amount of calories each day, but have varying deficits because of burning calories through different exercises, does that still count as a "zig-zag" diet?

http://strengthnspeed.tripod.com/Nutrition/Zi gZagCal.htm

I'm trying this...hopefully it will work!

I do a different type of zig zag...

Basically I always eat about 1200 calories a day...

But I zig zag my deficits by exercising at different levels of intensity...and do weekly deficits

One week I go for 600 cal deficits a day, next week it's 1000 cal deficits a day, then a week of 750/day, then a week of 900/day...

So far it's really helped my metabolism and I'm losing a consistant 1-1.5 lbs a week...I had been stalled in an up and down plateau for weeks until I started this last month...

during my 600 cal a day defici t I had to eat a bit more and exercise a bit less....The 1000 cal a day deficit meant alot of intense exercise...whew...glad that one is over for a few weeks!

So update time...

Been zigging and zagging for almost a month and I am down about 10 lbs.  It helped me break a 3 week plateau.  I have found that for me switching up throughout 7 days with 4 days at 1500 cals and 3 days at 1300 cals is the magic number (for now, until my body catches on).

Zig zagging calories has been working really well for me.

Oh I forgot to mention, I have been eating like 1700 calories for 3 days, then like 2500 calories for 1 day, then repeat, seems to be working really well for me.

Does anyone ever really stick to the exact same cal intake everyday I really dont think many ppl do. with that said how is this ziggzagging? if your still never going over 1600 cals a day and just bouncing around between 12 and 1600 thats not exactly overeating one day then dropping down to 1200.

maybe i dont understand the concept of this or what you have all said. To me it just sounds like a regular diet plan not what I have learned about zigzagging.

I don't know if anyone has said this yet, I'm being lazy, but your zig-zag is not big enough.  Zig Zag should differ by a couple hundred cals per day.  You should have about 3 or 4 days at the same amount and the others by 1,2 and 300 above that.

zig-zag example

Su 1500, M 1600, T 1500, W, 1700, Th 1500, F 1800, Sa 1500

Hey then again, make it simple.  Eat low for 3 days, then eat 500 below maintence For ex 1500 M,Tu, W, and 2000 Th, 1500 Sa Su, same deal and much easier.

Just found a website on this...always good to have more sources!

This one as well.

This article on zig zag calories for fat loss is a very good article I found on how to do this correctly.

Hi everyone, I'm just starting my zig zag diet, following a free diet course from this website :

http://calorieshiftingdietplan.com/

I have finished the diet course and I'm now planning to create my own diet course too. It is happy to see so many people have great success in zig zag diet and it makes me can't wait to create my own diet course. :)

I was gonna open a new thread for this, but I think I'll try posing my question here. Seems relevant :)

I base my daily calorie need on how many calories I've burned. Some days I do a lot of exercising, and some days I don't, and I adjust my calorie intake based on THAT, instead of saying that, everyday, no matter how much I exercise, I need to eat 1300 calories.

For example: Monday: burn 2200 cals all day, eat 1500 cals Tuesday: burn 1900, eat 1300 Wednesday: burn 2100, eat 1200 Thursday: burn 2100, eat 1400 and so on.

Basically, I try to keep a 500+/- calorie deficit, regardless of how much I burned. I DON'T say, that, everyday no matter what, I NEED to eat 1300 cals, no more no less.

Given the example pattern above... would this be considered constantly zigzagging? Am I better off sticking with a set calorie intake until I plateau? Is it actual BETTER to zigzag non-stop and keep your metabolism guessing? Anyone else do it this way? This isn't something I do periodically, this is JUST what I do, how I count calories and use this site. Looks like http://calorieshiftingdietplan.com/ is proposing just what I'm talking about...?

Anyway, any input or advice would be great. Thanks in advance!