Varying Calorie Intake?
 

I'm counting calories, and trying to stay around 1200 each day. I know that the weekends may take me a bit over, but I've read that having a couple of days of higher calorie intake can boost your metabolism. Has anyone tried this? How much should I vary? Thanks!

It's called calorie cycling or carb cycling or zig zag dieting and is a method used by body builders. It's not just a matter of eating more on a couple days a week. You have to do it the right way, both the diet and exercise that goes with it.

You can do a search on the phrases above and get all kinds of information on it.

Georgia

There used to be a place called Wendy's Plan..She said we could 'rock our points' if we were on WW...(example; you have 28 points to eat everyday...eat your 28 points for a day or two THEN drop to 16-18 points for a day THEN back to the 28 points) she'd reccommend doing this twice a week.

It worked for me but I was eating the frozen WW foods and then came to dislike them something awful...I tried the regular store shopping and since I don't cook it didn't work either..so I gained my weight back.

I've been gaining and losing 30-50 pounds since I had my babies over 30 years ago :(

Have a Happy Sunday All.

ASoutherner~

I varied my caloric intake by accident. I had two days where I went over my 1650 limit. One day, I had about 2000 calories. Yesterday, I went to a Chinese buffet with my husband. I made sure to get small portions but I imagine that I still went over a bit.

This morning, I finally lost another pound after being stuck around 181 for two weeks.

varying your calories daily will work, with the goal in mind to keep your weekly average at your calorie goal. I would double check with your height and weight, but 1200 calories is teensy to be eating daily, you probably can eat a lot more and still lose weight every week.

I saw a news report that claims that weekends ruin weight loss for the exact reason you mentioned... be careful with that thought process and good eating :)...

My goal is to maintain an average of 1100 to 1200 calories/day each week. I try to eat fewer than 1,000 one day and over 1200 the next.

The reason I'm doing this is because I reviewed my calorie intake during the time period that I lost 30 pounds & found that inadvertantly I had been calorie cycling.

Lynn

I think the point is to average the same number of calories, but lower some days, higher others. If your goal is to average 28 points, and all you do is drop points some days, you are *lowering* your average. If you go lower than 28 some days, then others you have to go over 28. Otherwise, what you're really doing is going to a lower calorie count period.