Ok guys need some help heres my schedule, I do HIT wiehgt training M,W,F. And 45 min fasted cardio M,W,F,S,Su. Now I am gonna try to do a zig-zag of 2000 cals one week and then 1800cals the other. My question is should I decrease the amount of calories I take in on the off-days of those weeks...or should I just keep the calorie intake at the specified numbers?

Supa

*bump

A few things:

1) How much do you weigh? Those numbers sound a tad low for someone your age who does all that activity.

2) Zig-zagging with a 200 calorie difference really isn't "zig-zagging". It's more along the lines of either something like

Week 1 2200 2200 2100 2100 2000 2000 1900
Week 2 2100 2100 2000 2000 1900 1900 1800
Week 3 2000 2000 1900 1900 1800 1800 1700
Week 4 1900 1900 1800 1800 1700 1700 1600
Week 5 Start over

or

Every week 2400 1600 2200 1800 2300 1700 2800

Neither of these are actual numbers, just hypothetical. The point of zig-zagging is to eat enough, often enough, to keep your body from burning muscle and also from slowing your metabolism while allowing a lower calorie intake several days to hopefully burn a little extra fat.

I do unintentional zig-zagging right now by eating anywhere from 1600-2000 calories about 3-4 days/week during the week and eating anywhere from 2300-3000+ calories on the weekends and usually once during the week too. While I'm not specifically on a "cut" I am eating as healthy as I can when I am not eating out and I have been seeing some pretty nice results maintaining a lifestyle like I just mentioned.


I know it doesn't answer your question, but to be honest, there really is no correct answer. You'll see a marginal difference either way by eating 200 calories more or less a few days of the month.

1. Well I wiegh 176lb, 5'9, and 20 yrs old. I have dropped from 195 since Jan. '05.


2. I see what you mean by 200 not really being much of a change. I read that a zig-zag is more effective if done weekly and not daily. Your thoughts?

Supa

1. Well I wiegh 176lb, 5'9, and 20 yrs old. I have dropped from 195 since Jan. '05.

Personally, I think you'd be better off sticking in the 2000-2300 range, but it's up to you. I'm sure you know how your body responds better than I do. I just hate to see guys, especially young ones, who weigh over 150 lbs. eat 2000 calories as a maximum. Most thin girls I know eat around that amount every day.


2. I see what you mean by 200 not really being much of a change. I read that a zig-zag is more effective if done weekly and not daily. Your thoughts?

Well, Jeremy Likness had recommended the weekly zig-zag I presented to you a while back. However, on his website and other places I've read about zig-zagging explain it on a daily basis.

Personally, I have found it to work better for me on a daily basis. However, I'm not seriously cutting. I'm more or less maintaining by eating far less calories the days I don't go out to eat or drinking to kind of make up for the extra calories. It works very well for me.

See, I've been on a 1900-1800 calories diet since Jan, and I made this loss. Now I havent had any noticable muscle loss, and obviously no gain since I'm cutting. But I'm afraid that 2000-2300 cals is way too much and that it might ruin my progress.

As for the daily vs. weekly. I'm still not sure of how effective zig-zaggin will be for me. I mean I have been having steady progress...but I guess when I heard of the success of zig-zaggin I thought it would speed up my loss more than the rate Im going now. :confused:

Supa

Personally, I think you'd be better off sticking in the 2000-2300 range, but it's up to you. I'm sure you know how your body responds better than I do. I just hate to see guys, especially young ones, who weigh over 150 lbs. eat 2000 calories as a maximum. Most thin girls I know eat around that amount every day.

Well, Jeremy Likness had recommended the weekly zig-zag I presented to you a while back. However, on his website and other places I've read about zig-zagging explain it on a daily basis.

Personally, I have found it to work better for me on a daily basis. However, I'm not seriously cutting. I'm more or less maintaining by eating far less calories the days I don't go out to eat or drinking to kind of make up for the extra calories. It works very well for me.

See, I've been on a 1900-1800 calories diet since Jan, and I made this loss. Now I havent had any noticable muscle loss, and obviously no gain since I'm cutting. But I'm afraid that 2000-2300 cals is way too much and that it might ruin my progress.

As for the daily vs. weekly. I'm still not sure of how effective zig-zaggin will be for me. I mean I have been having steady progress...but I guess when I heard of the success of zig-zaggin I thought it would speed up my loss more than the rate Im going now. :confused:

Supa

One thing I will never understand is why people who are making progress they are happy about post questions regarding changing what they are doing. Don't take this as an offensive remark, it's not, I really am just curious. I can't tell you how many posts I see people asking for advice, someone gives it and they reply back "well I've made this progress so far, so I don't want to change what I'm doing".

The bottom line is, if what you are doing is working for you, then stick with it and don't worry about what other methods are out there right now. There are millions of methods and they all have worked for somebody out there. They very well may or may not work for you, and the only way you'll know is by trying. When you hit a plateau, then consider changing your current approach.

As for the zig-zagging. It does work, but so does a pretty steady intake of calories every day/week. Either will work, so pick which approach you prefer and stick with it until your progress stalls. Then switch it up at that point.

Noone can tell you what will work best for you. Everyone responds differently to different approaches. Of course it's fine to ask for recommendations, but like I said, if you are seeing the progress you want (and 20 pounds in 3-4 months with no lean mass loss is quite impressive), then keep at it for now.

Had a feeling I was gonna get an answer like that ;) . Well I guess your right, if something aint broke why fix it? Well then clarify 1 last thing before this thread can die...How will I know when I plateau...will it be like a week or month of no change? And does it eventually happen to everyone? Thanx for the help.

Supa

Had a feeling I was gonna get an answer like that ;) . Well I guess your right, if something aint broke why fix it? Well then clarify 1 last thing before this thread can die...How will I know when I plateau...will it be like a week or month of no change? And does it eventually happen to everyone? Thanx for the help.

Supa


Well, a plateau is pretty much any time you were progressing and all of a sudden are not satisfied with the progress you are making. Some people consider it one week they don't lose any fat, other people consider it after several weeks.

Personally, I consider a true plateau when you have seen absolutely no fat loss after about 3-4 weeks. Then I would say it's time to re-evaluate your approach and consider changing one or more things including diet, weight training program and cardio. It may be something as simple as eating 300 calories more or less each day. (That's right, I said possibly eating more.)

It doesn't happen to everyone, and those who adjust their cutting plan accordingly as they progress are usually less likely to plateau, but if I had a dollar for every thread I've seen where someone asks how to get over a plateau, I'd be a very rich man. ;)