I started zig-zagging this week to see if I could jump start my metabolism. I ate a ton yesterday, but still managed a 1450 day (which is a LOW day for me) plus 300 calories burned off at the gym.

My calorie goal is to average 1650 a day and to burn at least another 1000 calories per week at the gym.

I believe I pretty much do the zig-zaging as I usually have a couple days a week with higher calories. Do you do it for any specific length of time, staying low say for a week and then change?

Didn't do Fitday yesterday but I ate some ham and I am up 1.5 lbs. this a.m. from the SALT!!!! But calorie wise I was around 1400.

Phyllis

I'm back after 2 MONTHS!!! I was working part time in a store, so I used the excuse that I didn't have time for me!! What a fool-I'm up 4 lbs. so here I am again. I started my daycare again yesterday for the school year so hopefully I will be back on track with my exercise and calorie counting. No more excuses. I was soooo tired this morning for no particular reason so I forced myself off the couch and put in my Walk Away the Pounds for Abs video. Boy was I in for a rude awakening!! I did the 45 minutes, but it was hard to keep up. Amazing how quickly we can get out of shape. Anyhow, I feel much better now and am looking forward to getting back on track--and staying!! I will have to check out My Fitday and see if I remember what to do. Take care all. Keepin' the faith...Dawn

Well, my bday is September 18th so my goal was to be at 150lbs by then. However, that is impossible given that I am 157 today. SO, my new goal is to be at 155 by my bday! I am going to be extra strict with the calories (and drop them by about 100-200 per day for the next week or so) in order to jump-start my metabolism. Hopefully I'll drop 2-3lbs by then! That's my goal!

Good luck to everybody else and their respective goals.

After much thought....I have to believe Counting Calories is the best way to go. It's the only thing that makes sense to me.
I WAS going to go back to counting points..but after a few hours I realized......no can do!
So I hope I can stay...
That being said, will one of you PLEASE, in laymen's terms explain, one more time to this very newbie @ calorie counting, the calorie deficiet thing.

Thanks....I need to be here, among this great support board.

Any advise will really be appreciated.....soooooooo, I can I stay

D2S....what caloric range do you use??
Will your 100-200 calories less be with exercise?? How do you figure your deficiet??

Thanks

Everyone...is zig zagging just uping or lowering your calories each day?? One day high, one day low??

Hi ladies, been busy so haven't been doing the every day thing here. Weekend was either at or slightly below maintenance, same for Tuesday. Yesterday a little better, deficit of 520. Need to start lifting again, my wedding is a little over two months away and need to get my arms going in the right direction

L.J. do you use Fitday to record your food? If you use it or one like it you can get the number easily. Add up the calories you had for the day, let's say 2000. You burn calories everyday automatically (lifestyle) and you add your excercise to that number. Lets say 2400. So you have a deficit of 400.

On fitday when you sign in it asks about your lifestyle and it will then give you the number (Basil) and you add the exercise points to it. It is suggested to say you are not exercising to get a low number (as it seems high).

I hope this makes sense, even if you don't want to use Fitday that is a good place to go to get your daily calories your burning so you know and then work from that figure each day.

Phyllis

Phyllis,
I was following another thread about zigzagging that kinda explained it. I'm no expert as I JUST started doing that. I'm doing an average of 1650 for each day. So to figure my daily intake, I calculated the total for the week which is 11550. Then I just kinda decided what I wanted each day to be - either a high day, low, or average. So I have a couple of 1400-1500 days, a couple of 1800-1900, and a few in between those ranges. I just wanted to give it a try for a couple weeks and see if I like it.

I also excercise about 1000 calories off per week, but I'm not figuring that into my calculations.

I hope that made sense.

Phyllis... THANK YOU so much......I have *visited* fitday, but have not attempted it.
I guess I am only taking into consideration exercise burned calories that the treadmill counts electronically...I can't even imagine how many are burned *lifestyle* Who knew!!!!!!!!!!!!
I may have to check out fitday this weekend...what the heck
I really am loving the counting calorie way....seems so natural and sooo much easier, plus I seem to be making better choices!!
Stops me in my tracks.....like....oh no that has THAT many calories....nope, bad choice and move on...........
I'll get this yet....

Also do you or anyone else reading this, journal on paper as well as fitday and or spread sheet....Just curious.

I actually journal right here on 3FC. If you look at the top of this page, you'll see a link for Journals (you can also get there from the main 3FC page, where you click on forums, there is another link there for Member Journals). I try and journal about once or twice a week, some people do it everyday, some several times a day. What I like about it, is that other people can read and leave comments / encouragements, etc. Like the rest of 3FC, its a very positive place to hang out and see that there are tons of people out there just like you!

Tinabinab..........Oh wow..I didn't know that or realize it....Thanks. I guess I just kind of come right to the messages board.....

I'm going to check that out as well.....Thank you so much!!