Calorie Cycling?
 

I'm beginning to hear a lot about calorie cycling and was wondering if anyone here does this and if so... what sort of plan do you use? What are your calorie counts for your low days and your high days?

When I joined Curves, the owner gave me the Curves book that advocates some calorie cycling... has anyone here tried that method?

Thanks!

What is it?

I calorie cycle.

For me, I eat according to my activities for the day. For example -

On days I just do cardio - 1400 calories
On days I do strength and cardio - 1600 calories
On days I rest - 1200 calories

I have seen some recommend this site - http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm . Once you've entered your info and have your results, if you scroll down you have the option to see a 7 day calorie cycle plan.

Good luck with your goals.

Hugs
Michelle

calorie cycling is a way to keep your metabolism jolted so to speak. Our bodies try very hard to keep us in 'HOMEOSTASIS'. That is why if we start losing a bunch of weight--the body senses starvation. Let's say you have dropped your caloric intake from 1800 to 1400. You try to maintain that number every day. The body becomes more efficient at only using 1400 cs a day and then it adjusts your metabolism so you can eat less and still not lose weight. The body constantly adapts. So the theory of cycling calories is to KEEP YOUR BODY FROM adapting to a certain calorie limit.

For example using the website: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

my BMR is 1515. to maintain my weight I need to eat 2083 cs day.l
To lose 2-3 lbs a week I need to eat 1416 cs day.

I COULD do that only eat 1416 cs per day. Eventually my body will adapt (plateau my weight loss). However, I could also calorie cycle:

1416 *7 = 9912

but so does 1416+1416+1700+1416+1416+1558+1416 =9912

The method chic is using is actually recommended by the author of Lean Gains. He mentions on rest days that he eats fewer calories and less carbs. On heavy cardio days he eats more calories and more carbs. ON heavy strength days he eats more protein and more calories.

edited to say: when I was easing myself into a weight loss plan a couple of years ago I was just logging my intake and my weight loss amount on an excel worksheet. I noticed when I naturally zig zagged (cycled) my calories the weight loss would jump start. So I learned it was a useful tool.

I read somewhere that some people kind of zigzag their calorie numbers like one day eat 500 calories the next day 2000. Correct me if I am wrong, but that does sound very extreme.

it is kind of extreme me too. I once used ADF as a way to lose 35 lbs fast. it worked. You will not go into starvation mode with either plan because on your HD--you basically eat maintenance. but...these plans really get your body guessing so there is little to no adaptation.

I do, but not intentionally. It seems impossible to eat the same number of calories a day, unless I were to eat the same thing. I range between 1350-1850 (although of course, there are days that I "accidentally" go above that!) but as long as each week it's about the same, it's okay.

I know that calorie cycling sounds like it makes sense, but metabolically it can't happen. Your body needs exactly what it needs in the way of energy - no more and no less. If you consume more caloric energy than your body needs, the extra will be converted to storied glycogen (animal carbohydrate) and fat. Calorie cycling is like saying if you put in different amounts of gas into your car each time you fill-up, the car will not know what to expect and will burn more gas everyday.

Originally Posted by Samantha100:
I know that calorie cycling sounds like it makes sense, but metabolically it can't happen. Your body needs exactly what it needs in the way of energy - no more and no less. If you consume more caloric energy than your body needs, the extra will be converted to storied glycogen (animal carbohydrate) and fat. Calorie cycling is like saying if you put in different amounts of gas into your car each time you fill-up, the car will not know what to expect and will burn more gas everyday.

It's not really like saying that. We are still giving it "less" than it needs, just in varying amounts. And we aren't cars, we are people.

Zig zagging my daily caloric intake has worked for me both in losing and maintaining my current weight. For me it makes a big difference as I know there are days where I can indulge more than others rather than eating the same number of calories every day. I also mix it up with my exercise sessions so my body doesn't get used to a "routine".

I also do this unintentionally.I try to stay about 1200 but usually shoot for more of a range of 1200-1400.I feel like I personally need the flexability.

Originally Posted by Samantha100:
I know that calorie cycling sounds like it makes sense, but metabolically it can't happen. Your body needs exactly what it needs in the way of energy - no more and no less. If you consume more caloric energy than your body needs, the extra will be converted to storied glycogen (animal carbohydrate) and fat. Calorie cycling is like saying if you put in different amounts of gas into your car each time you fill-up, the car will not know what to expect and will burn more gas everyday.

Yes, but ...

Losing weight is accomplished by eating fewer calories than you need each day. As long as you don't go over the number of calories your body needs to function, calorie cycling will work.

In fact, for many chickies, it does work better than eating the same number every day. Particularly, if you vary your activity level. Allowing yourself more calories on active days, and fewer calories on "calmer" days really does work well from a biological perspective.

That being said, I do not believe anyone should cycle below 1100-1200 calories, because your body does need basic nutrition every day to function properly.

The bottom line is that you have to push or pull your body through all of the movements you take in a day along with keeping your heart pumping, your body temperature normal, and digesting your food. All of this takes energy - calories. If your body didn't keep supplying energy, you would DIE. There are only two ways for you body to obtain energy, what is storied on your body (glycogen, fat/lipid, and protein) or what you eat. It you eat more than you require, your body will convert the extra into storage (usually fat). If you eat less than you need, your body will convert stored energy to ATP (cellular energy material). If you want to burn more calories and keep your metabolism up, then MOVE YOUR BODY. Walk, Run, anything to get your heart rate up and your breathing rate up (a sign of your body converting storied energy to ATP). You can swear by calorie cycling is your want, but there hasn't been any double blind research studies from a major university to provide any proof that it works. Some of you need some biology homework!

Thanks Samantha! I think we all appreciate your concern.

I do it kind of naturally. I have a GoWear Fit and my goal is to be between 500-1000 deficit. So when I have a really high day (saturaday was 3600) I might eat between 2600 & 3000. A low day (like today) i might burn only 2400 so I shoot for 1400-1900.

Candice

If I read this thread correctly, it IS the case that calorie cycling works, it's just the mechanism that's in question.

Samantha seems to be saying is that claims about calorie cycling affecting metabolism aren't valid -- that particular mechanism isn't the cause. I have heard her exact argument from other science-oriented types!

It seems that calorie cycling could work simply because we are, on average, keeping ourselves in calorie deficit.

Is that right?

yes. more coming out then going in = deficit. That is the major science behind 3500 less = 1lb.

However, some have noticed even though they are following their low calorie plan they stop losing. They have found shifting--jolts the body out of homeostasis--and lets them start losing again.

Unlike cars, our bodies are amazing at adapting to our circumstances. If you put 1 gallon of fuel in a car, and that car has 24 mpg. I guarantee at 24 miles--you will have to put more gas in that car.

Not so with the body. The body can adapt. You can start using 1 gallon fuel to go 24 miles and that will be the consumption rate, but eventually the body will learn how to go 30 miles per gallon if need be by lowering "fuel consumption" or metabolism. So you will stop losing weight or lose less slowly.

Originally Posted by Heather:
It seems that calorie cycling could work simply because we are, on average, keeping ourselves in calorie deficit.

Is that right?

Yes :)

I believe in moderate calorie cycling where I never go above the number of calories that my body needs each day, thus never storing excess fuel.

I also believe that eating smaller meals, more often helps as well. Providing regular fuel so that my body does not store what it doesn't need "right now".

And, yes Jen. I agree with your post as well. The human body DOES respond much differently than a machine does. And to make things more complicated, no two bodies respond the same. We are indeed ALL laboratories of one, as Meg is fond of saying!

Originally Posted by jendiet:

my BMR is 1515. to maintain my weight I need to eat 2083 cs day.l
To lose 2-3 lbs a week I need to eat 1416 cs day.

Okay, I got my BMR which is 1931. How do I get how many calories to eat to lose 2-3 lbs a week?

Originally Posted by jendiet:
However, some have noticed even though they are following their low calorie plan they stop losing. They have found shifting--jolts the body out of homeostasis--and lets them start losing again.

I'm not trying to pick a fight here, and I (sadly) have no training in biology. But if all the arguments for the metabolism shakeup are what people seem to be noticing, then I have to say I don't think that's very good evidence. In the absence of controlled, blind experiments, it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine that calorie cycling is doing anything to metabolism. There could be a lot of other reasons why people lose weight at that point. Perhaps they would have broken that plateau anyway, perhaps they are eating less, perhaps they pay more attention...

I'm not saying I know this to be the case -- I am not familiar with all the research. But Samantha's point earlier seemed to indicate that all evidence indicates that the metabolism argument doesn't hold water. And I've heard others with biological training say the same thing. Is there good research that supports the metabolism explanation for calorie cycling?

Again, I'm not trying to pick a fight, just understand the evidence for the argument.

Originally Posted by Heather:
In the absence of controlled, blind experiments, it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine that calorie cycling is doing anything to metabolism. There could be a lot of other reasons why people lose weight at that point. Perhaps they would have broken that plateau anyway,

I've often thought this to be a big factor. If a person is gonna plateau for 3 weeks (or whatever time period) and then just spontaneously start losing again (and this happens a lot) - then a lot of people are going get frustrated and try something new right about the time they would have started losing again anyway. But they will come away thinking they did something to end the plateau.

Originally Posted by Heather:
But Samantha's point earlier seemed to indicate that all evidence indicates that the metabolism argument doesn't hold water. .

She said there's no good research to prove it works that way. That's quite different than saying all evidence indicates it *doesn't* work that way.

I see there's a lot of debate about metabolism and such. But, I actually like calorie cycling because I can have what feels like a big eating day without ruining my diet plan. I choose to have my higher day on Saturday or Sunday, so I can go out to eat with family or splurge a little.

I really don't care that there are no controlled double blind experiments about it. I mean, there are lots of studies that show that the majority of people who lose weight gain it all back, are we all just giving up because of that?

Whatever I've been doing (eating the same cals every day) hasn't worked in the last 3 weeks. My weight loss has stalled. So you bet I'm going to try calorie cycling for a bit even if some of you think it doesn't work. This is my body. My choice.

And does it matter whether the weight would have come off anyway? No. Because calorie cycling isn't harmful to me.

I'm just adjusting what I eat over the course of a week to have high and low days.

I mean, if you think it won't work for you, dont' do it. That's the awesome thing, we all get to choose what we think might work for us and we really don't need to criticize what other people are doing just because there are no studies about it.

I thought Jendiets plan was the weirdest thing I'd ever heard of, but you know what, it works for her and she's losing weight so why would I ever try to tell her not to do it or caution her about the lack of studies (and if I did this at some point, I'm sorry) or tell her take a biology class or whatever. I'm just going to cheer her along on her journey, while I'm on mine.

Whatever. I'm giving it a whirl. Went to the website someone posted and got a plan that seems to only go up or down by 200 calories. Maybe it'll help me pay attention more as I count the calories....

spanks ;)

I'm someone who did calorie cycling over their maintenance calories and still lost.
Actually I can't figure out how I was losing 1.5 lbs a week. What I need to maintain my weight is like 2200 calories, and I was aiming for an average of 2000 a day.
This is what I did:
M 2000
T 1600
W 2200
T 1455
F 2400
S 1800
S 2600
Both Friday and Saturday I would eat MORE than I need to maintain my current weight, but I did still lose. I think about it this way... I gain a little bit of weight on those two days, but my metabolism is all reved up so the days I eat far less I'm burning off that fat stored over those two days and FAR FAR more than that. *shrugs* I haven't calorie cycled lately, because I've been lazy, but it worked for me at least.

Originally Posted by EveLHaelf:
Okay, I got my BMR which is 1931. How do I get how many calories to eat to lose 2-3 lbs a week?

I believe you are asking a question about the calorie tool.

to to the calculator via this link:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

put in your information again THIS time put in your level of activity whether it be 3 times a week exercise or what. Then there is a bar titled Results Guideline only

says Fat loss, extreme fat loss. That will be your read out of suggested caloric intake. Below that is the 7 day calorie cycle link. Click on that and it will show you what amount to intake during the cycle of a week.

I agree that everyone is different. And we are all individual unique laboratories. I do have a major in biology. Nursing. And I have been studying nutrition for a long time due to suffering from an eating disorder when a teenager. Roughly 15 years of my life. i have been personally studying nutrition and fitness.

It may not work for everyone. Anyone who believes that weight loss will slow down if calories become too low can see the science behind caloric cycling.

I also want to throw in this little tidbit. When I was desperate to lose weight before I would meet up with my long distance bf after 8 years of not seeing him--I found this book "miracle of fasting" by Dr. Bragg who opened the first health food chain in America.

If you haven't noticed. I respect conventional medicine but I am more of a naturopath myself.

This book recommended ADF. basically you do not eat anything except some water with raw organic apple cider vinegar and a little raw honey in it on one day. You eat normally but healthy the next. No restrictions. You do this for about 3 weeks, then you eat regularly for 2 weeks, then go back to it. I didn't own a scale, but my clothes started falling off me so quickly. This OF COURSE is an EXTREME METHOD OF CALORIE CYCLING. I started out at about 169-170 lbs (before I lost my scale and had to move to my parents house). I started in early September. By December 28th, I was down to 135 lbs. That is the fastest outside of Atkins, (which I was absolutely miserable on)I have ever lost weight. I did not calorie count at all. I kept that weight off for 2 years.

BeachBum can testify to caloric cycling. She does a 500, 2000 stint. And she is dropping weight like crazy.

If she were a normal keep your calories low everyday and if she had 4 days 2000, 3 days 500 her daily intake would be 1357. She lost 5 lbs in less than a week. Why? Ask anybody on a 1357 cs/day diet. Did you lose 5 lbs in less than a week? The answer is most likely no! So why did this work this way?

Or could it be like megwin mentioned. eating way below and then shifting higher keeps your metabolism revved and you lose weight quicker.

I suggest everyone conducts their own weight loss experiments on their own bodies. I am with seagirl, I WOULD NEVER tell anybody that was using a plan that was working for them that it was BUNK and they weren't really seeing results. Find what works for YOU. For me, caloric cycling got the scale moving. I was stuck at the same weight +/- 1 lb for 11 days.

I've been stuck in the same +/-1lb for 4 weeks! :devil:

So, yeah, I'm going to try calorie cycling, and adding 200 calories per day (which that calculator recommended given my recent increase in exercise) and dancing naked under the light of the full moon, and doing anything else that seems remotely like it might get the weight off.

lol..seagirl..dancing is a good way to exercise...i don't know what nakedness or moonlight would contribute--except for fun--so go for it!

I'm on day 3 of calorie cycling.

Day 1 was 1900. (also rode 13 miles)

Day 2, 1497, no bike riding. 25 mintues of yoga. This was the lowest day of the week, and I felt fine.

Day 3, 2100, 12 mile bike ride. I thought I wasn't going to be able to eat that much, but I'm managing to so far. ;) Biking makes me hungry!

I know that seems like a lot, biking/swimming makes me hungry too!

I still have 200 more calories to eat today. If I had wine, I'd get there easily ;) I'm at 1964, which is already 200 calories over my normal intake. I may just call it quits since I'm full.

i hear you on that. I was supposed to take in 1700 today and got to 1590 before calling it quits!

Wine sounds so yummmy and relaxing though! good job. I think it's wierd our bodies are telling us they are not hungry when we have obviously eaten way more than what we are trying to do today--in the past. That is how we gained the weight. It may be our calories are low, and our body just compensated by adjusting our hunger. I know 2000 seems like a crazy amount right now to me too!

Tomorrow I'm back to 1416--that is the normal amount for me too.

I was supposed to do 1700, I got to 1450. I had zumba tonight, so I ate light dinner and then wasn't hungry when i got home. should have eaten more at lunch maybe.

I'm going to work harder at getting more cals in, since I think these lower intakes might be what is causing my plateau.

ditto here. I got to 1500 today though. Made up for not making 1700 yesterday. I felt pretty darn good today.

If you see a scale flying out the window, do not be alarmed.

Day 21 of no scale downward movement.

I might cry at this point. If I barely exercise and eat whatever, I stay at one weight. Then when I work my butt off exercising, track my calories every day to be sure I'm in the right range - I lose what, 8 pounds? and then screech to a halt? Why fecking bother with all this work? Why count? Why not just eat what I feel like and keep up with my exercise because I like it and feck it all to heck.

I feel like I've been clearing out a basement of junk and trash and yet for every box I remove something else appears in its place.

It is very frustrating to do all this work and no results on the scale for so long. And no, my clothes aren't falling off me either. I'm tall so it takes more pounds off for it to really show. Not one person has even noticed my weight loss.

:tantrum:

Pep talk needed, please.

Originally Posted by seagirl:
If you see a scale flying out the window, do not be alarmed.

Day 21 of no scale downward movement.

I might cry at this point. If I barely exercise and eat whatever, I stay at one weight. Then when I work my butt off exercising, track my calories every day to be sure I'm in the right range - I lose what, 8 pounds? and then screech to a halt? Why fecking bother with all this work? Why count? Why not just eat what I feel like and keep up with my exercise because I like it and feck it all to heck.

I feel like I've been clearing out a basement of junk and trash and yet for every box I remove something else appears in its place.

It is very frustrating to do all this work and no results on the scale for so long. And no, my clothes aren't falling off me either. I'm tall so it takes more pounds off for it to really show. Not one person has even noticed my weight loss.

:tantrum:

Pep talk needed, please.

Wow, I totally feel your pain. I have been on a plateau for 6 months! Its frustrating. A big part of is that you are close to your goal.

So here is what I recently did. I decided to get the GoWear Fit (can't post links so just google it) - it tracks your calories burned. Based on the info I've learned from it I've actually started eating a bit more. I am in the middle of my second week and I have gone down almost 3 lbs. I am cautiously optimistic as I am in the still range I've fluctuated in for months. Also I bought it from Amazon so if it doesn't work for me within a month I can send it back.

So, I'm not a big motivational type person but I thought I'd share with you what I've been going through and what I have done. I feel your pain!!!!!

Candice

Thanks! That device looks cool.

The scale is finally down 1.4 this morning. :carrot: I think raising by avg. calorie intake by 200 per day, plus cycling them finally worked. I noticed from my Sparkpeople reports that when my calorie intake went lower and my exercise increased or stayed the same I stopped losing.

So, now I know and can try to eat towards the top of my range while keeping my exercise where it is.

Congrats seagirl!! :carrot:

woohoo seagirl. work that magic!!! I'm going for 1700 again today.