Anyone stagger calories on SB?

  • So, I know the book doesn't tell us to count calories at all, but I have been doing so anyway (recently anyway). I have read that some people (though not necessarily on SB) stagger calories. For example, they have 2000 calories on Monday, 500 on Tuesday, and 1500 on Wednesday. This way they have days when they feel very satisfied and it keeps the body from getting too used to the same routine each day. Anyone here do this?
  • I also count calories on sb...I was having between 1400-1600 cals per day but I just got my bodymedia fit and I'm going by their numbers for me (based on my calorie burn) which is between 1800 and 2200 per day. I have no stats yet to see if it works (weighing in on Friday but only have had this tool since Friday night so not a good snapshot yet). All you can do is try it to see if it works for YOU. Give it a couple weeks and then adjust.
  • It makes sense to keep the body from getting into a routine. I think if I tried doing 500 cals in a day, it would be the end of the diet for me. I'd be acting like Godzilla by the end of the day.
  • Well I started doing the staggering/cycling calories for the last couple of weeks. My weightloss was slowing down and I read that our bodies get used to the same foods/cals each day and compensate. So, I decided to eat a little more than usual on Friday nights, and then very little on Saturdays, just to spice things up, and it seems to be having a positive effect. I was just curious if anyone incorporates this into SB regularly and how it affects them.
  • I've done the 500 cal thing three times now (once per week), and since SB prevents me from having extreme cravings, it has been suprisingly easy to stay around 500 cals.
  • I think i kinda stagger my calories, i tend to eat alot less during the week but I am doing phase 1.5, because i just need that wine on friday nights
  • Yah...I'd never make it on 500! I do have one cheat meal a week, too. I count those calories and still don't go over maintenance for the day but I think that helps too...well, at least I hope it does. I'm at the beginning of my discovery journey!
  • Not on purpose....

    We travel quite a bit and I do find it difficult to stick 100% OP on a cruise. When I was on the beach last time, I always tried to be 90% on plan while I was gone. I'm sure I consume more calories during that time, but I also try to pick up the activity a bit.

    I don't generally weigh myself until I'm home for a few days, there is so much sodium in the food and water on the ship that I know I'm retaining water. When I do weigh about 3 days later I'm usually about 3 pounds or so lower than I was when I left... I've often wondered if I'm not eating enough at home.

    We're leaving in 2 weeks for a couple of weeks, so hopefully I have the same experience this time around.
  • Interesting - I have also read about this. Keep us posted on your experience. I definitely eat more on the weekends, less during the week.
  • Will do!
  • When I first started trying to lose weight, I took the advice of a friend of mine and had only 500 cals. per day on some days. It wasn't hard, really, but I did feel very tired and irritable on those days. I tried it again, just as an experiment a few months ago and was completely unable to sustain myself on 500 cals. per day. I figure that if I'm going to do that, I'm going to have to stop exercising on those days...and that isn't a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

    Interested to hear your results!
  • I have done this once per week for the past 3 weeks. The evening before I do a 500 cal day, I eat more than usual. Then I do a 500 cal day. My weightloss was really slow around 150. I really am not hungry on my 500 cal days, nor do I have any trouble exercising. I got on the scale today and am down to 146.6, 2 pounds this week, which is a lot for me. I am usually a 1 pound per week kinda girl. I will keep monitoring and re-update in a few weeks.


    Update: And I lost another pound by Saturday. Crazy! I did one calorie heavy evening, one 500 cal day, one 1000 cal day, and regular SB healthy eating on the other days.
  • Thx for the updates! Congrats on your loss!