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A friend of mine asked me whether or not calorie shifting work. The idea is that calorie shifting is a strategy to reduce the natural slowdown in your metabolism when it thinks it should go on starvation mode when you are trying to lose weight.
What is calorie shifting?
Calorie shifting means changing the kinds of food, the components (protein, carbohydrates, and fats), and calories every few days to shock your metabolism to reduce the likelihood of hitting plateaus. The theory is that you can lose more weight and eat more food doing calorie shifting.
For example, if you are following a 1400 calorie diet everyday, then you shock your system by eating 2000 calories every 7th day so that you average less than 1500 calories a day. Or you eat a different amount of calories each day such as 1200 calories one day, then 1600 calories, then 1300 calories, 2000 calories, etc. Another example would be to eat low carb for a few days, then have a high carb day.
Do I need to pay someone to tell me how to calorie shift?
We naturally eat varying calories every day. One or two days a week, my calories intake would be as high as 2300 calories and as low as 1300 calories. It really depends on what I am doing that day. When averaged, I am taking in 1600 calories each day.
For about $20, the Fat Loss 4 Idiots website will show you how to do all that with their 11 day plan. When you really dig into it, you will find that a lot of buzz on the internet about calorie shifting stem from this site. I am even wary of people posting positive reviews of calories shifting on diet forums. I am particularly bothered by its claim to lose 9 pounds in 11 days. If it were only that easy.
Weight Loss for Busy People has a more detail review of calorie shifting.
Calorie shifting probably does no harm, but you will be $20 poorer.
Until next time and thanks for stopping by Small Steps to Health.
Photo by: Swaminathan.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think there may be something to it, but I’m more casual, like you. I eat more/less depending on weather, how much exercise I’m getting that day or the day before, pms, who I’m hanging with, etc. I mix it up, but am too lazy to be strict about it, plus I see no need.
@julie – And that is how we should live our life, balancing out our need instinctively without having to be strict about too many things. Thanks for the comment Julie.