A cyclical dietary approach involving fluctuating calorie intake is often managed with a computational tool. This tool typically allows users to input their basal metabolic rate, activity level, and target weight to generate a schedule of daily caloric targets that alternate between higher and lower values. For instance, a schedule might recommend 1800 calories one day, 1500 the next, followed by 1900, and so on.
This method of calorie cycling can be beneficial for several reasons. It may help to prevent plateaus in weight loss by keeping the metabolism challenged and adaptable. Additionally, the higher calorie days may offer psychological and physiological benefits, mitigating the potential negative effects of prolonged caloric restriction, such as fatigue and muscle loss. While the underlying principle of varying caloric intake has been practiced for some time, the advent of online tools and mobile applications has made this approach more accessible and readily implemented.