Ask Rocco: Why Calorie Shifting is Shifty Buisness
A reader wants to know if calorie shifting will keep her metabolism high. Rocco tells her why it's a shifty scam full of false promises.

Question: Rocco, I have been eating a very lean menu, fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats chicken and fish since Memorial Day. I lost one complete size already. Now I have heard about calorie shifting to keep your metabolism fired up on high. Do you have menu plans for that? If I continue to eat 1200 calories per day and increase my workouts what will that do? Do I have to eat more if I workout more?

- Jessica

Answer: I have to tell you after doing a bit of research, the Calorie Shifting Diet also known as the FatLoss4Idiots diet is basically a scam, as are most of the diets that promise incredible fat loss in a short amount of time.

Your metabolism is not based on the food you take in and at what time. It is directly related to the amount of exercise you do and how healthy your thyroid is. If you have dieted up and down over the years you probably have beat the shit out of your thyroid and if that is the case there’s really no diet that can fix that, only a hormone called “Thyroxin,” which is prescribed by a doctor.

To answer your question about calorie consumption, 1200 calories doesn’t seem like enough calories to take in unless you are 100lbs. A good estimate to go by when you are committed to an exercise program is to base your caloric intake on adding a zero onto your own weight. So, if your weight is 130lbs, then your minimum calorie intake should be 1300 calories and if you exercise add 400 calories for a grand total of 1700 calories per day.

If you are trying to lose fat you can reduce your caloric intake but never go below what your goal weight is. So if you are 160lbs then you should be taking in 1600 calories plus 400 calories to equal 2000 calories per day. Then, the next week you would reduce your caloric intake by 200 which would give you 1400 with 400 for exercise. If your goal weight is 126lb,s then you would only reduce your caloric intake to 1260 calories with 400 for exercise.

FYI- this formula doesn’t not work if you do not exercise, so if you’re lazy, you’re SOL.

Rocco Castellano
		About the author:
		Rocco Castellano is a contributor for Cincy Chic as well as the co-founder of askROCCO Media, which provides boot camps, seminars, media content and online fitness services at askROCCO.com . He is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and has written askROCCO Uncensored v1 available at bookstores everywhere. To submit your fitness question click here.

Last update: 22-10-2007 17:08

Published in : Magazine Items, Health