does your TDEE stay the same on your non workout days

magsmichelle

I work out 5 days a week for a total of 250-270 minutes a week. My TDEE is 2105 based off of 3-5 hours a week of exercise.
On Saturday and Sunday, my off days, is my TDEE still 2105, or is it reduced since I am doing little movement?
I guess my question is, is my TDEE only my TDEE on my workout days?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

If you use a TDEE calculator and put in 3-5 hrs of exercise per week then you're meant to eat the same amount of calories every day. You don't eat less on non-workout days.

Your actual TDEE fluctuates daily, not just based on exercise. But using the TDEE method of calorie counting is intended to average them so it's simpler.

williams969

If you're doing TDEE method, then yes, that number is an average over the week. You eat the same amount every day. Even rest days.

higgins8283801

yes. my tdee is the same as yours actually. lol. the calculator figures it all out, and you are suppose to eat whatever it tells you every day; even on rest days. For me, that is 1894 for weight loss and it is pretty accurate as I average 0.2-0.8lbs lost a week and that is with 3 rest days a week.

TimothyFish

Technically, no, it doesn't stay the same. But since you are basing it on what you during a week, you should treat it like it does stay the same because the number you have is lower than actual on workout days and higher than actual on non-workout days.

honkytonks85

No way of knowing your TDEE since that's a measurement of your BMR + your daily activity. If I sit on my butt all day in front of the television on a Sunday my TDEE is lower than when I go to next work on Monday cause I am moving from the bus stop to work, walking at lunch time etc. etc.

segacs

Your actual TDEE fluctuates daily, and even mathematically it will change based on the time period over which you calculate it. This is a graph of my actual observed TDEE calculated as a 30-day moving average:




As you can see, it fluctuates quite a bit, because weight loss isn't linear, and because you move a different amount each day and eat a different amount each day.

But the TDEE method simplifies it all by averaging it out. So yes, you'd eat the same number of calories each day.

heybales

MFP method is really a daily TDEE method - when you log the exercise done. But it can make planning difficult for some with the fluctuations daily. Like if you have Fitbit synced, that's what happens. Literal TDEE figures, eating level based on those.

The average TDEE deficit method is just that, an average, as nicely shown above. Allows better planning.

The difference is with average TDEE deficit method - you better do your workouts that you based the week on, or you may have little to no deficit.
Really, if you miss a planned workout, you should skip 100 cal that day. If you make it up, eat 100 more.
If you did a totally extra workout, log and eat back those calories less the same % deficit you are taking.