From plateau to progress: Understanding the benefits of calorie cycling

When it comes to weight loss, getting fit, and improving your health, it can often be a complicated or difficult journey, and we all know there are no magic solutions.

Major lifestyle changes and strict diets can be extremely difficult to stick to, do not work long-term, and can even cause damage to your metabolism.

This is where eating plans like calorie cycling come in.

Calorie cycling has recently been rising in popularity and is often touted as a more simple and sustainable way to lose weight. But is it actually legitimate, or just another internet fad?

Here's what you need to know.

What is calorie cycling?

Calorie cycling — sometimes referred to as the calorie-shifting diet, the zig-zag diet, or intermittent calorie restriction diet — is not really a traditional diet.

It is better understood as a type of eating pattern which people claim can help you lose weight.  

It involves regularly switching up the number of calories you eat and alternating between high-calorie days and low-calorie days.

On your high-calorie days, you would eat your maintenance calories or a slight surplus, and on your low-calorie days, you would eat at a calorie deficit.

No food groups are cut out, and you don't need to eat a certain number of meals or at certain times of the day — it is all about the number of calories and regularly switching up your intake.

While the term 'calorie cycling' is fairly new, it is similar to some intermittent fasting diets, particularly the 5:2 system or alternate-day fasting [1].

Many people also believe our ancestors likely ate this way back in hunter-gatherer days when food was not always readily available [2].

Calorie cycling vs yo-yo dieting

As you might know, restrictive diets are notoriously difficult to stick to and often do not work long-term [3].

If you are on a weight loss journey or have tried a traditional diet in the past, you might have even experienced this yourself.

There are several reasons that extreme diets or yo-yo dieting do not work. For one thing, long-term caloric restriction and eating too little can put your body into 'starvation mode', meaning it will store energy as fat and slow down your metabolic rate [4].

Metabolism is the process of your body breaking down food to use as energy, and having a slower metabolic rate will actually hinder weight loss efforts [5].

Yo-yo diets can also make it difficult to maintain or gain muscle — and having more muscle increases your resting metabolic rate and your body's fat-burning abilities.

Following a fad diet or extremely low-calorie diet can also lead to increased cravings, damage your mental health and relationship with food, cause fluctuating weight, damage things like bone density and gut health, and lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies [6].

Many people will have some success when they first start a diet — and some even manage significant weight loss — but when they stop adhering to the diet, they often experience weight regain.

Some people even experience weight gain or fat gain while sticking to a diet, if their body has gone into starvation mode.

In comparison, calorie cycling is designed to be easier to follow, less restrictive, and more maintainable long term.

Proponents say it is easier mentally (since following a low-calorie diet intake every day is very difficult) and physically (since your body is not trying to survive on constant low-calorie days).

It is designed to somewhat 'trick' the body into not properly noticing the regular change in calorie intake, therefore not going into survival mode or slowing down metabolic rate [7].

For this reason, it is also sometimes called a metabolic confusion diet, and some say metabolic confusion can actually encourage your body to burn more fat.

Is calorie cycling good for weight loss?

Like many weight loss diets or health routines, it is difficult to say for certain whether calorie cycling will help you lose weight, and more research needs to be done.

It is also important to remember that different things work for different people, and there are no guarantees.

Proponents of calorie cycling claim it can help with weight management and weight loss, and many people find it easier to follow than traditional calorie restriction.

Some studies have found calorie cycling can aid fat loss.

One study from 2014 found that a calorie-shifting diet was linked with weight loss, decreased feelings of hunger, and increased satisfaction after 4 weeks [8]. However, this was only a small study and was done over a short period of time.

However, other studies have found this type of intermittent calorie restriction is no more effective than a traditional calorie-restricted diet, with participants experiencing similar results [9][10].

In addition to the theory of metabolic confusion, calorie cycling could lead to weight loss simply because you'll likely be more aware of what you are eating and will end up consuming fewer calories overall while you are following this kind of plan.

It is also common to go through a 'plateau' with fitness or weight loss, which is when you stop seeing progress even when you are continuing to follow a healthy regime. Mixing up your routine could help combat this.

Ultimately, weight loss typically comes down to calories in vs calories out [11]— if you are eating less than you burn (i.e. a calorie deficit), you will lose weight.

However, if you have metabolic syndrome, hormone issues, or other health complications, it may be more complex for you, and you should speak to a medical professional before starting any diets or lifestyle changes.

Pros and cons of calorie cycling

Like any form of diet or eating pattern, calorie cycling will suit some people more than others, and while there are benefits of calorie cycling, there could also be some potential downsides to keep in mind.

Some of the positives are:

• Calorie shifting is more flexible than a typical low-calorie diet
• It doesn't require cutting foods
• It may aid fat loss
• It could be better for your metabolism and hormones than a restrictive diet
• It might be easier to stick to

Some of the negatives are:

• Low-calorie days may be difficult to follow
• You could end up eating the wrong amount if you do not calculate your daily calorie intake correctly
• There is no guarantee that it will work (although this is the case with any diet or eating plan)
• You could damage your relationship with food and your body

How to calorie cycle

Depending on your lifestyle, health, and goals, the exact pattern you follow while on a calorie cycling plan can be adjusted to suit you. The most important thing is that you stick to it.

Some people might alternate each day, with 3 high-calorie days and 4 low-calorie days each week.

Others might do a mixture of high, medium, and low days. Others might do a week of higher days, followed by a week of low days.

The number of calories you eat on your high and low days will depend on your metabolic rate and your body's unique calorie needs [5].

Your metabolic needs and daily energy expenditure are impacted by things like your age, sex, muscle mass, and level of activity, so it is best worked out with the help of a professional such as a doctor, dietitian, or personal trainer.

If weight loss is your goal, and you need a little additional support, you could also consider a comprehensive programme like Juniper's Weight Reset.

The holistic programme involves the use of medication — Wegovy or Mounjaro — which are designed to regulate appetite and reduce cravings.

You'll also have online consultations and access to support from health coaches, dietitians, nutritionists, medical specialists, and an online community.

The medication is designed to be used alongside regular exercise and healthy food intake and will provide you with a biological reset, behavioural reset, and community.

Throughout the course of your programme, the team will help you to develop sustainable changes that you can maintain long-term, beyond the effects of medication alone.

It's not designed to be a quick fix or cheat code — it's a set of tools to help you live a long, healthy life.

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