High calorie day?

[Jess55 97]

I saw someone post about that they had one day a week where they ate higher calories. I started thinking, is this helpful? I usually eat around 1200 calories a day, sometimes 1300. My weight loss has been slower than a lot, averaging 1 lb a week, sometimes less. How many people have tried it and does it seem to work? I know I can't eat to low of calories. I just had a fill Wednesday and I lost like 4 lb on the 2 day liquid diet, then came mushies and my weight immediately started going up again, which I expected, but not by 3lb. I am thinking because I wasn't eating the 1200 calories, hopefully now that I'm back up on my calories it will even out.

[vlp1968 83]

I don't know about one high day during the week. I have read that varying your calories from day to day can help weight loss. Like eat 1200 one day, then 900 the next et... Never tried it though. I counted calories when I first started solids after surgery but have stoped. I've gotten into a routine with what I eat.

[reverie 49]

Calorie cycling really has no true benefit; one high calorie day probably won't change your weight-loss negatively or positively.

[kshallow 9]

I started zigzagging my calories a couple months ago and I do believe there's something to it. My weight loss picked up and I do think there's something to the theory of not allowing your body/metabolism to get too comfortable or stagnant. It keeps your body working harder to burn the calories. That said, what works for one person may not work for another. It's worth a try!

[amberakamom 13]

1-2 days a week I don't count calories. I don't do it to lose more weight, I just do it so that I don't feel deprived. Works fine for me.

[HeatherinCA 10]

I wouldn't intentionally eat more, I kinda somewhat give myself leeway on the weekends, because I'm eating out and stuff. Also I know for myself, I cheat, I cheat a lot, I don't need to add in a specific high calorie day. I'm sure we do it all week long whether we realize it or not.

Regardless you have to burn 3500 calories to burn a pound, intentionally eating more won't help you lose weight.

[kshallow 9]

you don't have to necessarily eat more or up your calories a whole lot! Try taking 8400 calories for example (1200 a day x 7 days) and just mix up your daily amounts. Eat 900 one day, then the next, eat 1500. My doctor recommends this quite often for people experiencing a plateau. The point is to change up the quantity of food, not quality. I wouldn't recommend a bag of doritos to get the extra calories. It doesn't take a whole lot to add in a few hundred calories a few extra days each week. Things slowed down for me quite a bit over Feb-march so I took the suggestion and tracked my calories quite carefully to see if this would, indeed make a difference and nine pounds in the last ten weeks is lookin pretty good to me considering I am about 8 lbs. away from my 135 goal. The point is this: it may work and it may not but to state that it absolutely won't work, don't try it, it's a bad idea, it's ridiculous. I think it's great to try different approaches now and then, tweak things here and there, change things up! As long as it's not crazy unhealthy or physically dangerous what have you got to lose...except some additional pounds?

[Jachut 487]

I think the thing is, you still need to eat relatively the same amount of calories over the week - ie. you must balance out a high calorie day with a low calorie one! It cant hurt to try it, some people swear by it. Myself, I know I have the odd high calorie day quite without plan, simply because some days I eat badly. I have to eat badly for four or five days to really notice my weight go up though. And it doesnt happen overnight, but a week later or so. i always think I've gotten away with it, but damn, there it is a week later! It sure doesnt speed up my metabolism and make me lose.

[acanady 0]

I have a high calorie day every week. Usually on Sunday. I usually go up a few pounds from it but I quickly go back to eating normally on Monday and I lose those pounds quickly plus a few more by the end of the week. It has been working for me. I am 9 pounds away from my goal of 135.

1/25/10

Surgery date:

[Acadia 20]

The one day of 300-500 calories extra only works if every other day is around the same. 1,200 calories Mo-Sa then 1,500-1,800 on Sun. You will likely gain a pound or even ten for some men, generally from the sodium, but you'll lose it and more assuming you didn't also slack on working out.

This kicks your metabolism up to burn extra calories based on the temporary increase in calorie consumption.

Remember, 1,200 calories a day is starving your body, especially if you're active. Giving your body more food for a day makes it think the famine is over. Just don't go overboard. Keep it to 500 extra calories or less.

[MaggieB 6]

I think the thing is, you still need to eat relatively the same amount of calories over the week - ie. you must balance out a high calorie day with a low calorie one! It cant hurt to try it, some people swear by it. Myself, I know I have the odd high calorie day quite without plan, simply because some days I eat badly. I have to eat badly for four or five days to really notice my weight go up though. And it doesnt happen overnight, but a week later or so. i always think I've gotten away with it, but damn, there it is a week later! It sure doesnt speed up my metabolism and make me lose.

I am finding this to be the same for me.