There was a thread last time I came to 3FC about calorie zig zagging, and it was my favorite way to manage my weight, so I thought I'd restart the topic fresh and new!

Instead of having a set limit for the day (ex. 1600 calories) zig-zaggers will add up all their calories in a week and divide the amount by 7, and the goal is for the average calorie intake to be 1600 (or whatever their personal goal) per day.

This is especially good for people who have natural cycles of very hungry and less hungry days. I was so frustrated trying to get 1600 calories every day. Some days I'd be near my limit before dinner and unable to eat enough to calm my hunger, while the next day I might feel perfectly fine with only 1200 calories under my belt, but I'd feel like I had to force myself to eat another helping in order to get up to 1600.

In the zig-zagging world, it's okay to have a 1200 day, followed by a 2000 day because the average is 1600.

It's not for everyone, since not everyone has cycles between days of being hungry and not so hungry, but it's a way for those who DO cycle to have a plan more custom-fit for their own body.

So come on in, cyclers! I can't wait to see who else joins in

That sounds like something I would like to do.. but is it healthy? Your body needs 1200 calories so its not like you would be able to dip below that. It would be interesting to see some studies on this!

Just a clarification - you body does not specifically need 1200 calories per day. 1200 calories is the limit which is generally considered the minimum needed for a nutritionally sound diet.

The ZigZag method still has you reaching your same nutrient and calorie targets on a weekly basis. The difference is that fluctuate by day during the week. ZigZaging is most popular in helping to break a plateau.

I don't ZigZag intentially but I work out of town in a small town where healthy food choices are tough to come by. I end up zigzaging unintentionally.

Lori

I'm not a cycler, simply because it doesn't seem to work for me. But I've heard other people do seem to get results. And of course, I don't eat the exact same amount every day but it's within a narrow range.

Going below 1200 for an extended period of time isn't considered healthy unless you are being medically supervised. But an occasional day around 1100 probably wouldn't hurt anyone. I'd feel pretttty hungry, though.

Jay

I have had a similar experience to Jay. It hasn't really helped me. I didn't see a greater weight loss when I did it, and I actually had a hard time adjusting to more food on some days and less on others. I have settled into a routine where each day is within a 200 calorie range. However, I may intentionally zig-zag if I know that I am going to be eating out during the week. I may try to eat lighter for a day before or after to balance out the week.

I don't think there is anything wrong with it, and if it helps someone stay on plan - I think it would be a good thing to try.

As a new years thing I figured I'd give it a try so I'm just on my first week. But so far so good. It really seems to be working for me which is awesome. I've always had a problem with just not being hungry some day and just eating to eat and being super hungry others, so it seems to be working well for me. I'm gonna try and stick with it for the rest of the month and we'll see what happens.

Yeah I zigzag unintentionally too.. between 1100-1400. I know your body can live on less than 1200 - I used to eat 700 calories a day. I was just saying that it is not exactly a great idea to go below that number often.

I just came across a great article that explains zig zagging for beginners:
http://ifitandhealthy.com/calorie-shifting-diet/

Hopefully that helps someone!

Good article - I guess our bodies don't like anything repetitive. I was reading an article recently that says if you do the exact same exercise (like 30 min on the elliptical) you will eventually burn less calories then if you alternated exercises.

Lori

Laura, thanks for the article! Very informative. That sounds like something good to try when you plateau or start losing really slowly. I will have to remember that it if I need to shake things up.

I'm starting the "zig zag" today and I'm hoping like **** it works for me!!


~Utterly Absurd~

Its easier to zigzag for me since I'm in college - Thursdays and Saturdays are big drinking nights so I try to eat less other days so I can drink on those nights. I usually have 1100 calories everyday, but thursdays and sundays I have more because of the alcohol, those days usually add up to probably 2000 calories. It's really annoying, I wish there was an easier way to do it. I don't feel overly hungry though on 1100 a day - I'm smart about it, I have a lot of protein, fiber, and fruits and veggies.

oh and it helps me maintain.. I'm not really trying to loose. I'm just trying not to gain! Last year I gained 10 lbs in one semester. My freshmen year I lost 10 lbs.. its been a bumpy road haha.

I actually do zig-zag, although I'd never thought of it like that. My goal is to keep my average net calories less than 1100. (this is net, not total eaten--I subtract out exercise calories burned) So, for instance, today was 700 calories (1000 cals eaten-300 burned through exercise), but I imagine tomorrow will be more like 1600 calories, because I'm eating out and I won't have time to exercise. This method has definitely been working for me. I really cycle my calories more out of necessity than anything else. Some days it's not very possible to eat under 1200 calories, and some days it is. I just find it far easier to stick to with less stress. I will say this about it though, if you are a daily weigher, except A LOT of fluctuation. If you really vary your calories a lot, you will have some mornings with a lot more food in your system and likely your sodium intake will vary a lot. However, the fluctuations don't bother me because I understand that they are not actually fat - just water weight and such.