Calorie shifting is an idea espoused in several books and diet programs, particularly the Idiot Proof Diet. This diet in particular suggests that people tend to be able to lose weight on other diets, by reducing carbohydrates or calorie intake, but then quickly gain the weight back because the metabolism adjusts to a lower calorie intake, and slows down accordingly. The Idiot Proof Diet, and other diets like the zig-zag diet propose that you have to keep the metabolism “guessing” so it doesn’t prevent weight reduction by slowing down to accommodate a reduced calorie eating style.
The basic premise of calorie shifting includes the following concepts:
- Instead of eating the same calories and types of foods each day, people evaluate total calorie needed for a week.
- Rather than eating the same amount of calories each day to reach this total, people vary their calorie consumption amounts each day while still remaining within the total weekly calorie allotment.
- Since the body doesn’t know what to expect, the metabolism can’t adjust or slow down because calorie intake on a daily basis will be variable.
- Further the metabolism can’t adjust to certain foods, since foods eaten will vary in nature.
As with any diet or exercise program, you should discuss your plan to use calorie shifting with your physician before embarking on it.
