What is calorie shifting?
Some would have you believe it is the latest break through in weight loss. It has however been around for years. It is a very effective way to lose weight while limiting the chances of your body shifting into starvation mode. There are two ways to accomplish calorie shifting. If you combine both you get even better results.
Calorie shifting
The first way is calorie tapering during the day. You want to eat the more in the morning and less in the evening. This approach works very well because you are much less likely to store the early morning meal as fat because you've been fasting overnight. This is the opposite of the way most of us eat. One way to accomplish this is to eat more carbs early on and taper this down during the day. Calorie shifting or tapering during the day better matches the calories you are taking in with the calories you are burning. Here is an example plan:
2000 calories/five meals:
Meal 1: 550 (breakfast)
Meal 2: 350 (snack)
Meal 3: 450 (lunch)
Meal 4: 300 (mid afternoon meal)
Meal 5: 350 (dinner)
The second way is to vary your calorie intake each day. Calorie Shifting or the zig zag method is on of the best ways to lose fat. Any time you cut your calories for a long period of time your body will adjust. When your body adjusts you hit a plateau and stop losing weight. Calorie shifting allows you to fool your body and keep it out of starvation mode. You must have a deficit to lose fat, but what you don't want is a large deficit for a long period of time. The way to fool your body's starvation response is to avoid prolonged calorie deficits. Lowering you caloric intake below maintenance for a day or two then raising it to maintenance or above for a day or two, will keep your body from decreasing your metabolic rate. Remember the sum total for the week must be below your maintenance needs in order to lose the weight. Here is an example:
Low calorie days (15-20% below TDEE): 1920 calories - 3 days
High calorie days (maintenance level): 2400 calories - 1 day
Combining these two methods will give you even better results. These two approaches will dive you the best chance to avoid plateaus. They will also help you to keep your body using fat and not burning muscle.
2000 calories/five meals:
Meal 1: 550 (breakfast)
Meal 2: 350 (snack)
Meal 3: 450 (lunch)
Meal 4: 300 (mid afternoon meal)
Meal 5: 350 (dinner)
The second way is to vary your calorie intake each day. Calorie Shifting or the zig zag method is on of the best ways to lose fat. Any time you cut your calories for a long period of time your body will adjust. When your body adjusts you hit a plateau and stop losing weight. Calorie shifting allows you to fool your body and keep it out of starvation mode. You must have a deficit to lose fat, but what you don't want is a large deficit for a long period of time. The way to fool your body's starvation response is to avoid prolonged calorie deficits. Lowering you caloric intake below maintenance for a day or two then raising it to maintenance or above for a day or two, will keep your body from decreasing your metabolic rate. Remember the sum total for the week must be below your maintenance needs in order to lose the weight. Here is an example:
Low calorie days (15-20% below TDEE): 1920 calories - 3 days
High calorie days (maintenance level): 2400 calories - 1 day
Combining these two methods will give you even better results. These two approaches will dive you the best chance to avoid plateaus. They will also help you to keep your body using fat and not burning muscle.
Need to find your calorie maintenance level or want a calorie plan based on your maintenance level? Try this diet calculator.
Click here when you are ready to learn the secrets of calorie shifting.
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