Do you always stick to the same "high day (s)" or do you switch it up based on the week? And does it matter in terms of keeping the plateau away? When I was regimented with calorie cycling before, I always stuck to the same high/low days. Ex: Wednesday was always my high day. This time around, I am less hungry overall (probably due to reduction in sugar intake) and so I don't always feel like eating so much my high calorie days and wondering if it's totally necessary to be so routine with it in order for it to be effective. Thanks!

I think the high calorie days are important as they give us the strength to deal with the lower calorie days.

For the summer, my "high" day (only one, because I go so high) is usually the same day because it's the day my husband and I go out to eat. However, when fall comes, we do not go out to eat as regularly, and I plan to vary my high day, depending on how hungry I am and/or any cravings I have. I'm not sure it matters, but its just more convenient and easy for me to vary the days.

What do you guys equal your calories out to for the week?

For instance, I try to stay around 1500 each day minus one day where I go up to about 2000. Do you eat less the other days so it equals out or do you just do the same amount of calories and then just the high day?

So 1,500 6 days and then 2000 one day? Or do you figure on 1,416 for 6 days and 2,000 one day to give you the same amount for the week or 10,500 if you ate 1,500 everyday?

That's how I do it, so that the weekly stays the same.

I think I'm going to start doing this. I was just calculating it all out. Figuring out my BMR and then the HBE and figuring out a calorie deficit.

So as long as I do it this way, then I should be able to lose about a pound each week. A little bit more if I exercise, which I generally do about 5 days a week. This week a little less with the heat.

Anyway, in answer to your question, I think my high day will end up being Sat or Sunday's most weeks. Right now I'm going to start working on only having 1 high day each week. I have been having 2 high days, which is too much. (at least for now)

If you're not hungry enough to eat more calories on your planned high days, then don't eat them! Save them for a day when you are extra hungry. That's what I do and it helps because then I don't feel guilty on days when I am hungry and eating more calories. Some days I can get away eating 1300-1400 calories, while other days I feel like I need to eat around 1600-1700.

Thanks to all for responding. Useful tips as always!

Emme - By the way, I really enjoy reading your thread. It's always insightful and honest.

That's the way I do it. I aim for an average of 1400 calories per day. During the summer, my husband & I go out to eat once a week, and there isn't any nutritional info. for the places we go. So, I estimate, and that one meal is so many calories, that it makes the day about 2000, which means I try to stay at 1300 for the rest of the week.

On a side note, it is really amazing how many calories one restaurant meal is. It's high even with me watching it, so I can't imagine how much I was eating when I wasn't trying to lose weight.

Thanks!

Right?! It's crazy to think about all the calories in restaurant items. I wish there was just a low-cal restaurant chain...

I'm flexible about my high and low days, based on my hunger level or if I go out to eat or something. I'll usually do a high day on Fridays b/c I want to have drinks and something yummy. If I need to use a high day another day, I do so accordingly. I try to keep my average cals around 1500. Last night I unexpectedly ate 1800 cals, so today I'm keeping it low at 1200-1300.

On days I'm not super hungry I take advantage- I don't EVER eat just to hit a number, that's crazy to me lol!

Agreed. I've often thought that if I had any interest in the restaurant business (I don't) that I would open up a gourmet type restaurant with good, lower fat/calorie items with the calorie counts listed on the menu. If such a restaurant existed, I would probably eat there all the time.

I do not have set high days and low days. I try my best to eat when hungry, and there are days that I am naturally hungrier than others. Here are my cals for the last month. I average pretty close to 1500 cals daily.

26-Jun 1659
27-Jun 1400
28-Jun 1457
29-Jun 1485
30-Jun 1620
1-Jul 1288
2-Jul 1573
3-Jul 1387
4-Jul 1798
5-Jul 1410
6-Jul 1396
7-Jul 1596
8-Jul 1426
9-Jul 1268
10-Jul 1618
11-Jul 1363
12-Jul 1663
13-Jul 1270
14-Jul 1798
15-Jul 1314
16-Jul 1348
17-Jul 1465
18-Jul 1793
19-Jul 1305
20-Jul 1641
21-Jul 1403
22-Jul 1348