Stats:
26 yo
5'10"
181 lbs
21.2% BF (just got this checked last week)

In the last two years I have lost almost 55 pounds. I have gone from a female size 18 (tight), now down to a 12 (tight too). I have gone a long way and I am very proud of myself.

Since about the end of May I have been tracking my macros, calories, and working out consistently at the gym (big deal for me because I have NEVER been this consistent with the gym). I have gone down since then from a size 14 to the 12 I am in now. I haven't, however, gone down on the scale though. I always thought this to mean I was gaining muscle (due to lifting) and losing fat.

I am still very overweight, so no weight loss is really getting me down. Yes, I have lost an inch and a half off my waist, but I need more results to keep myself satisfied. I know now that I will always include the gym in my lifestyle, even if I do end up eating the wrong things every now and then because of how great I have felt since sticking to my gym routines. I would never have gotten through my summer classes in the morning, on top of working every night till 9pm without the extra umph of the workouts.



So anyways, I have been reading about calorie cycles. Over the past two years I have not lost the weight at an even average of 2 (or so) pounds per week. I would go through around two to three months of consistent calorie reduction (with cheats here and there, but nothing major) and then get crazy for about a week or two and eat everything in sight.

Disgusted with myself would go back to my diet. I would lose rapidly (within a week or two) once back to normal, and then it would slow, and I would be stuck at the new (but lower) weight for a long time. It would come off in 5-10 pound increments usually before stopping. This, also was with little to no exercise. I am aware this was probably muscle as well as fat.

I have been a life dieter. I have gone up and down and up and down all my life. My first serious diet was when I was 13 years old. I am an eater, I love it. I eat when I am happy, I eat when I am sad, I eat when I am normal. EAT EAT EAT. Well, I need a diet that will make my weight loss a bit more consistent and keep my motivation up. My body seems to like the cycle. It will ONLY let go of this weight during the times I cycle, so I have decided to make it a planned (rather than unplanned binging as I have been doing in the past).

I am assuming that the best way to do this would be to calculate the number of calories I need to eat per week and then vary them throughout the week in a high-low-high-low type fashion. Anyone know anything about this or can point me somewhere I can read more about it? Any tips or thoughts?

Some are very anal about caloric counting, I'm more concerned with what actually goes into my body. Would you mind posting what you eat on a daily basis so that it can be analyized? Lets start with diet first, it's 80% of the entire program. You can bust your ass at the gym everyday but if you don't fuel your body properly, it's going to be a lost cause! Let's get this figured out and get you where you want to be!

I will post foods later tonight if you think it is needed (let me know)...

My macros have been usually around - 20% fat/ 50% carbs/ 30% protein and 1500-1800 calories. I aim for 20/40/40, but I usually end up with a little more carbs.

I am pretty sure I have the macros down, I just wondered if anyone knows anything about calorie cycles before I start experimenting with it on my own.

Jeremy has a zig-zag calculator (http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=64) on his site. Your daily calories could be something like:
1991
2172
1810
2172
1810
2172
1810

(Your current calories could be a bit low. I'm currently eating about 1700 to 1800 calories at 115 pounds.)

That is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks!

Also another question...when I do cardio should I pay attention to the machine when it tells me how many calories I burn (the cardio machines I get on asks for weight and age)? And then do I just add those numbers daily to my calorie target? Sounds like a really dumb question, but I have trouble making myself eat more when I am doing more cardio....makes all the hard cardio work seem pointless.

That is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks!

Also another question...when I do cardio should I pay attention to the machine when it tells me how many calories I burn (the cardio machines I get on asks for weight and age)? And then do I just add those numbers daily to my calorie target? Sounds like a really dumb question, but I have trouble making myself eat more when I am doing more cardio....makes all the hard cardio work seem pointless.

Some people eat more on cardio days. Some people eat more on weight days. Most people I've heard of on the forums eat the same number of calories whether they are exercising that day or not.

You shouldn't add on the number of calories it says you burned on the machines because you'd be burning more than 0 calories if you opted to sit on the couch instead of use the machine.

With the zig-zag calculator, you should never have to add on calories to what it tells you to eat.