Cycling Calorie Diet Plan


There is a new method of dieting out there that is getting the attention of a lot of interested people. It is known as "Cycling calories" and no this is not a term that implies hopping on a bicycle and pedalling away those extra pounds. It is a newer concept in dieting that involves manipulation of the foods you consume and it is proving itself to be a viable diet plan for those who use it.


Also referred to as shifting calories the cycling calorie diet is a direct attempt during weight loss to manipulate your calorie intake in order to shock or confuse the body's natural defence mechanisms. You essentially trick your immune system into not recognizing that it is losing weight so it does not go into the conventional safety mechanisms that it has in place. It appears to work. 

The human body is an amazing machine. It is comprised of an array of safety systems and is constantly trying to maintain and repair itself despite the many abuses and misuses that it undergoes on a daily basis. For the most part these additional safety features are a blessing to those who just cannot resist that extra glass of wine or additional square of chocolate or other sweet treat that can be just so irresistible. However, when it comes to dieting your body may not always know what is in its best interests. As soon as your body becomes aware of the fact that weight loss is occurring it mistakenly believes that you are starving and attempts to put an immediate stop to this self imposed starvation. Your metabolism slows down to make better use of the calories that you do consume and your weight loss follows suit, it slows down or comes to a complete stop. 

Most dieters refer to this phenomenon as "hitting the wall" or "plateau" and suffer through these periods of little or no weight loss in frustration. Other dieters become so frustrated with the dieting process that they literally give up. They allow their body's natural defence mechanisms to win out over their desire to lose weight.

In Cycling or Shifting calorie diets you attempt to eliminate this plateau from occurring. By cycling or eating different numbers of calories each day this type of diet can effectively trick the body into not recognizing that a steady weight loss is occurring within it. Your metabolism therefore does not try to slow down to protect itself from the dreaded effects of self imposed starvation. 

The theory of this diet is that because your body does not hit the dreaded dieting plateaus that it would on other standard diets you continue to lose pounds and so achieve overall higher levels of weight loss than you would on other diets. You shock your immune system into believing that everything is fine and nothing irregular is happening to your body. The key to this weight loss plan is to not develop a routine of dieting every day. Your defence mechanisms will begin to recognize if you are consuming 1200 calories per day over an extended period of time so throw out any routine in your eating simply to confuse it. On this plan your calories can be adjusted daily in almost any manner. 

You can reduce your total calorie intake for 1, 2 , 5 or 10 days and then return to a normal food intake for any number of days till you flip flop back once more to your reduced calorie days. Diet every other day and eat as you normally would every second day if this is a plan that appeals to you, or reduce your calorie intake for three days and then eat as you normally would for the next two, you choose how you alternate your regular food days within your dieting days.

A few of the most common shifting calorie diet plans are as follows:

Fat Loss 4 Idiots uses a plan of shuffling calories on a 14 day schedule where for 11 days you eat a scheduled diet plan and then you take the next 3 days off to eat normally and consume whichever foods you would like to on those days. 

The diet itself rotates the different types of foods that you consume throughout the day to additionally trick your metabolism. The three cheat days built into the program are there not only to prevent the body from creating a defence mechanism but also to prevent the participant from becoming frustrated with a strict diet plan and falling off the diet. You continue this 14 day diet plan for as long as is necessary to reduce your excess weight.

The "Johnson Upday Downday Diet" is a calorie shifting diet plan that runs on a 2 day schedule. Consisting of an up day on which you consume your regular food intake and a down day on which you consume 20 to 35 percent less calories than you would normally consume. You continue this two day diet pattern until your desired weight loss is attained.

The Q.O.D. Diet or every other day diet by John Daugirdas is a 2 day diet plan. On this diet plan you alternate a fasting day or a semi fasting day consisting of a strict 300 to 400 calories with your regular eating days. You continue with this 2 day routine till you effectively lose the amount of weight that you are aiming to drop. I find this one a little startling and would not recommend it as a healthy means of losing weight. Whenever you diet just remember to keep the basic rules of dieting in focus. They are there to insure your dieting success and will help you stick to a safe and healthy diet plan.

Keep in mind that exercise and diet go hand in hand so add a physical fitness program into your weight loss plan. It doesn't have to be a rigorous workout, 20 to 30 minutes a minimum of three times a week will aide in weight loss and muscle toning. It can be a walk or yoga program. You could also simply dance or sashay your little behind around the living room a few times every few hours. Just get up and move more than you currently do.That's all it takes to participate in a physical fitness program.

A full proof tip for weight loss is to drink the recommended eight to ten glasses of water a day. Another is to be very aware of the types of food that you consume. You can eat a lot of some foods for a minimum number of calories while other foods can be more filling and leave you feeling fuller for longer. Eggs and oatmeal are good examples of filling foods. 

Also keep in mind that foods rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals will provide you with more energy than calorie rich but low nutrition foods. For this reason consume plenty of eggs and other protein rich foods, fresh fruit, and vegetables while you diet. A normal daily calorie intake level is 1,940 to 2,200 calories per day for women while a normal calorie intake for men is between 2,700 to 3,000 calories per day. A safe weight loss is generally achieved by reducing calorie intake by no more than 250 to 1000 calories per day depending on your body type, sex and genetic disposition.

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