What exactly is it, how do you do it, and what does it do for you?

I've seen a lot of people lately mention that they do it, and I have a general idea what it means, I think, but would love some details. Thanks!

It's actually a pretty simple concept. You take your daily caloric count, multiply it by 7. And then have a couple straight days, a couple higher days, a couple lower days. This is my zig zag schedule:

Ex Fat Loss - column one
Fat Loss - column two
Maintain - column three
Monday 1608 1894 2367
Tuesday 1608 1608 1894
Wednesday 1930 2272 2840
Thursday 1608 1894 2367
Friday 1608 1704 2130
Saturday 1769 2083 2603
Sunday 1608 1894 2367

I got it from freedieting (dot) com (slash) tools (slash) calorie_calculator.htm

It has been working for me. I recommend trying it.

I'll preface this by I'm not an expert...but the main concept is that it after about 3 days at a particular calorie level you metabolim begins to slow and eventually platuea. Ziz zagging tricks your body into constantly adjusting to hopefully never hit a platuea. I do mine a little differently than pp, I used freedieting to create it though as well as my BMR and AMR. It was kind of just trial and error finding the right calorie level for my body. I was at 1300-1400 calories and losing 1/2-1 lb a week and these last two weeks I've zigg zagged and lost 2 lbs last week and 3 lbs this week (and last week was TOM). So I think it's working well.

MTTHF 1400-1500
WSun 1600-1700
Saturday 2000 (but never above AMR maintenance)
So my daily average is 1542-1628 (I usually aim to be on the lower end of that)

I love it because it gives me the flexibility to "cheat" without "cheating" or eat more good foods like veggies, whole grains, whatever I happen to want. It makes me feel like I will really be able to do this forever and I've really stopped thinking that I'm on a "diet" and that I'm just living!

What's an AMR? I know what a BMR is; I have that on my computer and input my weight daily. I've just never heard of AMR ~ ever. I actually went to freedieting and even it didn't give me any results for AMR.

Hades Handmaiden..I understand the concept of your daily count x 7, but how do you come up with the 2nd and 3rd set of numbers you have. Am I not getting something. Would you mind going over that one more time?
Looks like you're doing really well.
I'll also go to the website you mentioned.
Thank you.

PS I FOUND it on the website...Thanks :-)

I have never heard of this either but am willing to try it out. Makes sense to me!

I have just started a zig zag schedule this week to try to break through a loss slowdown. I looked at that freedieting website, but I don't think I could eat the number of calories it recommends! As it is, I'm eating when I'm not hungry to get to goal on my higher calorie days.

My schedule is:
Mon/Tues 1700-1800
Wed 1250
Thu/Fri 1500-1600
Sat/Sun 1250

Freedieting suggests:
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri/Sun 2240
Wed 2688
Sat 2464

I guess I can always adjust my schedule if it doesn't work!

ars ~ you could really benefit from upping your calories. Right now your body isn't going to lose as quickly with your count being so low. You are at the bare minimum for survival; you need to up those calories to see a better result. If your body already hasn't gone there, it's going to go into starvation mode.

I just went to the freedieting website and agree with Ars the calories for fat loss and even extreme fat loss are much higher than what I am currently eating per the Loseit application on my iPhone.

Freedieting dot com
Maintenance: 1634 Calories/day
Fat Loss: 1308 Calories/day
Extreme Fat Loss: 1280 Calories/day


Lose it App: 2lbs/week: 975 calories/day

Opinions?

You should never go below 1200 calories.

You don't list your age so it's hard to calculate your BMR without that but I would say your "loseit" ap is not taking into consideration several factors. I would never go below 1200 calories or one of two things could happen, starvation mode or you'll lose quickly and gain it all back quickly.

Thanks the app does add in my age which is 25.

I keep reading never to go below 1200 calories but what confuses me is at my goal weight ~90-100 I'll have to eat <1200 to maintain.

I realize the number is low and as I lose more weight it will get lower and lower (it started at ~1100 on the app). I haven't been losing quickly only about ~1-1.5 lbs/week with diet and exercise.

I'm really afraid of a gain if I up the calories.

Wanderland, if I calculated correctly, at your goal of 90 to 100 pounds, what you'll need to maintain is 1433.50 to 1485.76, respectively. I think what you may be looking at is your BMR which is just what your body burns if you stayed in bed all day. That number is around 1200.

BTW to get those numbers I said that your lifestyle was sedentary, so if it's more than that, you'll need even more calories.

Here's the website: http://allnutritionals.com/calculato...calculator.htm

This is your BMR at your current weight just to maintain that weight:

1499 Before activity factor

1799 Seditary
2061 With activity factor "light activity"
2324 Moderate
2586 Very active
2848 Extra active

Those are your calories for your height and weight just to maintain your current weight.

I'm really concerned over the ap you've listed especially if it's telling you to go so low in calories.

Jkin and Hades thank you for the extra effort you went to look up my info!

This week I'm going to increase cals to 1300 and then in 2 weeks 1498 per freedieting with zig zag. I'm trying to taper this change because I've been at this low cal thing for 8 weeks.

The app "loseit" started me off at less than 1200 when I was 172 lbs. I still like it because it is a free calorie tracker that I am really comfortable with. I've changed the plan to lose 1.5lbs/week instead of 2/week and it gave me the same numbers freedieting did.

Again thank you both so much!

Not to butt in or anything, but...

That's really weird. I use Lose it too, and it has me at 1500 cal/day. I've got 40 pounds on you, but that's still a HUGE difference. I wonder if you should go back into your settings and look at the info you inputed. You are on way too low of calories, (IMO) but that's weird with the lose it thing.