Is 500 calories on two non consecutive days per week the same as 1000 calories on three non consecutive days a week?

(www.goodtoknow.co.uk)

Now here’s a thought…

I am no mathematician. But it seems to be that, if, on a normal day, I eat 2000 calories, then on the 500 calorie days I am stinting by 1500 calories, ergo a 3000 calories per week deficit.

So isn’t this just the same as eating 2000 calories on four days a week, and 1000 calories on the other three days?

It sounds right to me – both diets amount to 11000 calories a week, compared to a normal intake of 14000 - but it seems wrong!

It also sounds SO much easier to do. Having got used to “starving” (as Steve calls it) on 500 calories twice a week (and today is one of those days), being allowed to eat double that would seem like a luxury.

But would it have the same effect on the body? That depends whether we just lose weight because of the overall weekly deficit, or if extra fat burning is kicking in when we starve ourselves for a day.

Anyone who knows the answer to this conundrum, please let me know.