Starting a new routine

Currently I am set at sedentary with a goal of 10,000 steps on my fitbit, I use the treadmill not faithfully a few times a week.

Question.

Ive created with the assistance of a personal trainer, a beginners plan. 4 days of basic dumbell strength training alternating, back, legs, core and arms and 2 days of cardio 30-40 minutes on a the treadmill.

Should I change my sedentary to active or lightly active and still eat back calories ?

What happens if I do that and i dont follow through with all of the days, will I be overeating because MFP expects me to work out ?

I dont want to set myself up for failure but how will i know how many calories to eat if I change to active and dont actively work out that day ?



Thanks

Kim

Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Leave your setting at sedentary and enter your exercise when you do it.
    Eat back 50-75% of the calories MFP gives you as they tend to overestimate. Adjust the calories you eat back after a couple of weeks logging so you are eating at your goal.

    Cheers, h.
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,713 Member
    For this reason, I just keep my settings to sedentary and log what I do. Some days I do nothing, so don't have to worry about overeating. The days I do a lot I log a lot.
  • drachfit
    drachfit Posts: 217 Member
    Stay sedentary, log the cardio, eat back some of the cardio calories.

    Weight lifting is much harder to calculate calories so don't bother. Just think of it as bonus mystery weight loss and check the scale and re-evaluate if you are losing too fast.