How Calorie Shifting Diets Work and How They Can Benefit You

How calorie shifting diets work is best understood after a brief discussion about how weight gain and weight loss works in general.

Weight gain or loss is the result of our metabolism.

The metabolism is the “calorie burning furnace” within us, and our metabolic rate is determined by various factors. If the metabolism is running in “high gear”, we burn more calories than we otherwise would; which helps to speed up weight loss.

Our metabolic rate adjusts itself based upon what it is given, and therefore expects. If we consistently consume 2000 calories per day, our metabolism adjusts itself based upon that. If we suddenly reduce our daily intake to say, 1500 calories in order to try to lose some weight, the metabolism perceives that reduction as a threat of starvation, and adjusts itself to conserve calories in order to maintain weight.

How ironic is it that by eating less in order to lose weight, our bodies adjust themselves to burn fewer calories and maintain weight?

This metabolic self-preservation method is the same thing that happens if we stand outside on a cold day – we shiver and our teeth start to chatter – the body is protecting itself from the perceived threat of freezing; just as it will protect itself from the perceived threat of starving.

Now it is pretty easy to see why weight loss is difficult, and why diets so often fail.

This is how calorie shifting diets work – they use a strategy that keeps the metabolism working at an elevated rate, avoiding the rate reduction that most diets cause; which is what makes most diets so hard to follow and so prone to failure.

How calorie shifting diets work is by alternating the types of food that we eat, and the times of day at which we eat meals, in order to “blind” the metabolism to the fact that a weight loss plan is in action. This effectively causes the metabolism to continue functioning at pre-diet levels, meaning that weight loss continues to happen quickly.

Additionally, and on a very positive note; another aspect of how calorie shifting diets work is that they are much less restrictive in terms of the types of foods that are allowed during the diet cycle, making the diet easier to follow. They also make it a lot easier to “eat on the run” as we sometimes have to do, because we are not limited to the more restrictive diets. Have you ever seen or heard of a weight loss program that allows “days off”; times when you are allowed to eat whatever you like while still following the diet? Calorie shifting diets typically run in cycles; usually for about nine days, during which you follow a meal plan; then you are “off” for three days; before starting another new meal plan for another nine day cycle. This is also part of how calorie shifting diets work and how they cause the metabolism to continue running at a higher rate.

I encourage you to follow the link below and learn more about how this type of weight loss plan can benefit you.