Right now I'm eating anywhere between 1300-1400 calories a day and doing okay with my losses. But I am curious as to the benefits of calorie cycling for those of you who do it. I understand that it throws your body off so it won't get used to the same number of calories each day, but...

What made you decide to try this way of counting calories and how is it working for your weight loss in comparison to eating around the same number of calories a day? Also, if you do find you lose more this way, could you explain to me how many calories you increase/decrease and on which days?

Thanks!

I started off just counting calories and doing some exercise, like walking 3 times a week and playing tennis once or twice a week. After about 60 pounds, I hit a 4 month plateau. I broke the plateau by raising my calories back up a little and joining a gym for resistance training and I started jogging, working my way up to a longer route at a faster pace. I hit another mini-plateau about 8 weeks ago.

Since my caloric intake appeared to be mathematically sound and my exercise keeps increasing in intensity, I decided to try to break the plateau by calorie cycling. In the past, after several days of staying on plan, I would find myself feeling like I was starving. I would fill up on relatively healthy foods, for just one day, like low fat string cheese and chicken and salad. It was after these "cheat" days that my weight would always drop. Not just a little, but a pound or two! This indicated to me there might be something to the idea of cycling.

I started doing it as part of my plan about 2 weeks ago. I don't follow the precise cycle I was given by the websites. Rather, I eat on plan, but on days I feel extra hungry, I allow myself to eat a few hundred more calories. I try to listen to my body. I still have a decent deficit for the week. In the last two weeks, since trying this, I'm down 4 more pounds.

Hey I have been calorie cycling for a few weeks now and it's part mental and part physical. Like my "high" days (the days when I eat more calories) I work out harder and I try to plan any outings on those days (usually a Tuesday lunch and Saturday) on my "low" days, I know to keep it simple and avoid temptation. I don't go out to eat and I pull back a little on the exercise (okay that's a total lie, I don't pull back, but I'm working on it) it's cool because there are some days when I know I can eat more and those are the days I sneak a treat in; and on my lighter days, if it really sucks...then I just think, "tomorrow is another day"...I like it.

I've only been doing it since Monday, so I can't really comment on if it's working yet, but I can share what I am doing. I wanted to try it out so I could allow myself some extra calories on the weekend, as I was finding it hard to stick to 1500 when I wanted to eat out occasionally or have a decent amount to eat when we have family over for dinner. I found that even eating "whatever I wanted" I was still at about 1600-1800 calories. So I wasn't being excessive in my treats.

So, I don't know how it's working yet, but here is my plan. This is for a daily average of 1500 calories.

Mon: 1200
Tues: 1200
Wed: 1500
Thurs: 1300
Fri: 1500
Sat: 1800
Sun: 2000

I am not sure I will be able to reach 2000 on Sun, so I may adjust this a little. Like for instance, yesterday I made 1300, but later that night I was so hungry I just had to eat some carrots and light cheese. So with that I probably was at 1400 for that day, but oh well. One of the 1200 days I only made it to 1150 and I think on the 1500 day I did 1450. So it all evens out in my mind.

Honestly, I get light-headed if I go straight 1200 or 1300 too long so I allow myself to go over when I am really hungry. I average about 1525 daily. Most days are 1200-1400 and then there is usually a day or two a week that I might get up to 1600-1800. I don't sweat it as long as I keep my average good and continue to lose. It doesn't require perfection just good old-fashioned determination.

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the replies.

Wildflower, I'm anxious to see how your new cycling plan works out for you.

I may try doing this if I hit a stall in my weight loss. It sounds really interesting.

I wanted to add...when I was on a strict calorie allotment I think it was more mentally challenging b/c I felt some sort of defeat if my calories weren't perfect. Knowing that I can have those good and not so good days and still be ok for losing fat takes some of the pressure off. I know as long as I eat somewhere between 1200-1800 calories I will still lose fat. I may not lose as much fat as quickly as say a strict 1300 would allow me to lose but I am not gaining, I am still losing! Most of all, I am living well and I am not over-eating! Over time, it's gotta work out.

This is what I do...I don't think you should ever feel hungry when trying to lose weight. When I am having a "hungry" day, I increase by just 2-300 calories (if that) to satisfy my body and I feel better!

sorry, duplicated post.

I love calorie cycling! I agree with 4star, it drives me bananas to have to stick to a strict number and I can not do lower than 1300. I like working out hard and I can't do that on low calories.

I stick between 1400-1600 (not intentionally, but glancing at loseit! and this seems to be what ends up happening when i'm not going out to eat or drinking). By the sixth or seventh day of this, I'm starving, so I let myself get up to maybe 1900.

It gives me a mental break and lets me get right back on plan the next day. Keep in mind, I also exercise quite a bit... cardio 3x a week, strength training 3x a week and yoga 2-3x a week. Been dropping about 2lbs a week for a bit over a month.

I've been doing some zigzagging over that last 10 weeks. Wasn't intentional at first. It works better for me becasue it fits into my lifestyle better. Some days are super busy or super hungry...
I usually vary by 200 calories or so. I aim for an average of 1550, never lower than 1200 and never (rarely) more than 2000. I found the couple of weeks I tried to stay real low consistently (like 1350 per day) I didn't lose anything -- either because my body rebeled or because I overate at night. Also, the couple of times I went REALLY high, like 2500, I couldn't get it to average out over the rest of the week, no matter how hard I tried. It was like the damage had already been done for that week.
I plan goal numbers for each day in a week, but they do move around sometimes. If a day turns out to be unexpectedly low, I leave it low and I compensate the next day. Anyways, those are the numbers that work for me at this weight (247lb) and activity level (light). Cheers!

ive not long started zz cals but been calorie counting now for over a yr and got stuck lots of times. i found this on one of the posts a while ago and it has helped me find out what kind of number i need (i dont stick to it fully but try an stay 100/200 around the number) http://www.freedieting.com/tools/cal...alculator.htm#

I cycle because 2x a week I'm on campus for 12 hours versus 3 days when I'm at home cause I don't have class and I've found I need more calories on those 2 12-hour days and I was struggling to eat enough on my days off. Now I don't feel hungry at school so I can focus on learning rather than how hungry I am.