Calorie shifting involves varying calorie intake each day to keep the metabolism guessing and prevent it from slowing down. It can be done with a good calorie counter, but consuming less than 1,200 calories a day can be problematic. There is no significant scientific evidence to suggest that calorie shifting changes metabolic rate. It is recommended to discuss with a doctor and focus on healthy eating and exercise for gradual and permanent weight loss.
Calorie shifting is an idea embraced in various diet books and programs, particularly the idiot-proof diet. This particular diet suggests that people tend to lose weight on other diets, by reducing carbs or calorie intake, but then gain weight quickly because metabolism adjusts to lower calorie intake and slows down accordingly. The Idiot-Proof Diet and other diets like the Zig-Zag Diet propose that you should keep your metabolism “guessed” so that it doesn’t prevent weight loss by slowing down to adapt to a reduced-calorie eating style.
The basic premise of calorie shifting includes the following concepts:
Instead of eating the same calories and types of food each day, people look at the total calories needed for a week.
Instead of eating the same number of calories each day to reach this total, people vary their calorie intake amounts each day while staying within their total weekly calorie allotment.
Since the body does not know what to expect, the metabolism cannot adjust or slow down because the daily calorie intake will be variable.
Also, the metabolism cannot adjust to certain foods, since the foods eaten vary in nature.
Do you really need a book to tell you how to do this? Most people who have practiced calorie shifting suggest that all you really need to try this diet is a good calorie counter so you can estimate your total calorie intake for each day. Also, you need to plan ahead so that every day you can eat a different number of calories. If your total calorie allotment for the week reaches 1,200 calories per day, some days you would consume less than 1,200 calories and other days you would consume more.
There are some problems with diets that cause you to consume less than 1,200 calories a day. When calories jump to 1,000 or 900, some people start to feel weak, dizzy, or nauseated. At least from an anecdotal standpoint, calorie shifting, especially on very low calorie days, can be problematic. Many nutritionists recommend that you eat no less than 1,200 calories a day, especially not on a regular basis, even if you switch calories to higher amounts on other days.
The method of changing calories from day to day certainly existed before diets like the idiot-proof diet. Weight Watchers has had various systems for years where you can change your daily intake of points or calories. While some people give anecdotal evidence that these programs are very effective, there is no significant scientific evidence to suggest that these programs actually change your metabolic rate.
As with any diet or exercise program, you should discuss your plan for using calorie shifting with your doctor. This concept may work well for you. On the other hand, some doctors still recommend that following healthy eating plans on a daily basis and getting adequate exercise are more likely to help you lose weight gradually, which is more likely to be permanent.
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