Rest day

ladygirl123

Do I keep macros and calories the same or change on rest days?

@usmcmp thanks again for your help with macros/calories I should follow. I'm following your recommendations and feel great! Thanks

AJ_G

That completely depends on if you're using the default MFP system of logging exercise as you do it and eating the calories back, or if you're going with the TDEE method.

With the TDEE method, you do not need to change macros or calories on rest days, but you have the option to if you want to. What I mean is that with TDEE it's really more important what your weekly calorie intake is more so than your daily, so if you want to eat more on workout days and less on rest days, as long as it averages out among the week.

As for the default MFP method, when you add exercise, it automatically adjusts your calorie goal, and your macronutrients as you add it, so it's kind of done for you in that sense.

FoxyLifter

Meet your protein and fat minimums (1g of protein per pound of lean mass and 0.35g of fat per pound of body weight) and fill the rest with whatever you'd like.

I don't like that MFP increases the macros when I add in my exercise calories, so I switched to the TDEE method since my exercise schedule is pretty much the same week to week.

ladygirl123

Thanks, this is all new to me. I'm still trying to understand TDEE and MFP method. I think I want to stick with TDEE method....so if my numbers are 1300 cal 95g pro and 45g fat, are you saying I can either keep it the same on rest days or I can average it out for the week, meaning I can go up on calories on workout days and down on off days? As long as I average 1300/days cal and of course staying with same protein and fats grams? So I shouldn't try to lower carbs? Am I understanding this correctly? Hope I'm explaining right lol. And if I go with TDEE don't log workout calories because MFP will expect me to eat calories burned?

usmcmp

You would keep calories the same on rest days. Your exercise schedule had you working out 5 days per week I believe.

If you go with the TDEE method you do not log workouts. Unfortunately for you there are many factors counting against you for calorie needs. Height, age, weight and gender. You may want to consider sticking with MFP's method and underestimating calories burned.

MamaBirdBoss

At 1300 cal, I'd stay the same. If you were eating, say, 1500 or 1600 cal on WO days, it would depend on how hungry you felt on a WO versus a rest day.

My hunger lags enough that I'm not actually more hungry on WO days.