It's easy to gain weight and just as easy to lose it. Really? Well, it depends on the viewpoint. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, "The road uphill and the road downhill are one in the same." What does that mean for dieting? Well, we gain weight and lose it by the same path:eating.
The best way we have found for losing weight by eating is the zig-zag or calorie cycling model.
A big problem for dieters is the dreaded plateau and many claim they can't lose weight no matter how little they eat which is often an indicator they are in starvation mode which is when the body detects low intake and hangs on to fat to make sure it doesn't starve rather than lose the weight.
So zig-zagging is a way of eating that works with the body's metabolic process to fire it up by eating more and lose weight when eating less while the body is still burning high, then increasing intake again, to keep the body metabolism up.
A good way to do this is simply to add in more food on the high days, and exercise portion control on the low days. Using common sense like cutting back on or adding refined carbs like breads can also be used alternately with low and high calorie days.
A good place to figure out your zig-zag diet is to go to freedieting.com's calorie calculator and plug in your information. After you push calculate you will see a new button for 7 day calorie cycle. Give it a try. At the end of a week, re-caluclate with your new weight and enjoy. Remember, plateaus happen when the body adjusts to intake levels, so keep your body active by keeping it stoked with food!
