Zig Zagging
 

I heard that if you eat the same number of calories every day (For Example, 2000) then your metabolism will slow down until you only burn 2000 calories per day. (From a book at www.thepowerstore.com) For this reason, you need to insure the body doesn't get too comfortable burning the same number of calories every day. The body is a magnificently adaptive organism and we don't want the body to adapt to the chronically lowered energy intake by reducing the Resting Metabolic Rate any more or any faster than necessary. To do this, you zigzag your calories over a 7 day period.

An example of how to zigzag your calories is provided below.
My personal target = 2000 average
Monday - Target Calories = 2000
Tuesday - Target times 1.2 = 2400
Wednesday - Target times .6 = 1200
Thursday - Target times .8 = 1600
Friday - Target = 2000
Saturday - Target times 1.4 = 2800
Sunday - Target = 2000
Total 7 Day Average = 2000

My question is: Does anybody do this... is it really helpful?

I tried something like this for a while when I was on my plateau last year. Unfortunately, I was always way overeating on my high cal days and not able to stay OP on the low cal days, so at that point, for me, it didn't work. It makes sense to me, and a lot of people swear by it. I definitely think it is worth giving it a shot, just make sure you are not going to starve on you lowest day, because that is really low. Let us know how it works! Good Luck :)

Nicole

This sounds interesting. I have read probably way to much on weight loss and it does say if you eat too few calories (crash dieting) your metabolism will lower itself to that amount thinking you are starving yourself to death and it just wants to keep you going! Thats why when an overweight person who may normally eat 2800 a day drops to 1200 a day they lose a lot at first then the body adjusts to it to keep them alive and the weight loss stops or slows way down. It makes sense that it would work the same way eating 2000 calories too-the body adjusts to it over time. My goal weight is 160 and around 2000 is what the body needs to maintain that weight-this is why I try to eat that much. Sometimes I will only have 1700 or 1800 and sometimes 2000 depending on the day.

thanks for the info-I may try that!
lorelei