Eating at TDEE for a week- break

Tanya949

I'm planning my first "break" in eating at cut for a week in April. I wanted to be able to eat at TDEE on my week of holidays, but will probably not be as active, and have not planned for my usual exercise routines. (about 1800 cals burned in 4 sessions) Would it be more beneficial to take a week when I am exercising regularly, or on a week with little exercise? Does it matter?

heybales

If you can separate those even better, because than 2 different weeks with reduced stress from 2 different things.

If you can do the exercise break first, like vacation, just walk perhaps as much as you care too.
Eat at TDEE and deficit correct for that level of activity.

Body will recover more and be really ready to go on exercise.

So then the next week back to exercise, when body is able to do more fully recovered, eat at TDEE correct for that level.
The body will know exactly what to do with those extra calories when it's able to work even harder.

You'll likely see performance increases this week, take advantage of them. You won't get an increase like that again until you do that routine again.
But, if lifting, you should be able to maintain any gains on the bar you got.

Tanya949

I'm getting myself ready for my exercise break next week. (Vacation week) Using weekend days with no activity averaged out from my fitbit, that's TDEE of 2278. I will be doing some walking, so will eat back those calories minus 70/hr (BMR cals).

The week after I'm doing "diet" break, using work day, no activity numbers averaged from fitbit. That gives me 2860 cals per day, and will eat exercise cals back (-70/hr).

The second week, not sure how I'm going to get 2860 cals in everyday, I'm not used to it! I wonder if more carbs would be OK since I'm back to exercise.

Does this sound OK?

heybales

I'm getting myself ready for my exercise break next week. (Vacation week) Using weekend days with no activity averaged out from my fitbit, that's TDEE of 2278. I will be doing some walking, so will eat back those calories minus 70/hr (BMR cals).

The week after I'm doing "diet" break, using work day, no activity numbers averaged from fitbit. That gives me 2860 cals per day, and will eat exercise cals back (-70/hr).

The second week, not sure how I'm going to get 2860 cals in everyday, I'm not used to it! I wonder if more carbs would be OK since I'm back to exercise.

Does this sound OK?

So are you doing 2 weeks eating at TDEE, one is with no exercise, one is with exercise?
Or keeping a deficit still on the week with no exercise, but taking diet break the week of going back to exercise.

2 weeks of diet break is fine too, and good plan for adjusting it where you need it.

Since Fitbit is best at calorie burns for walking and jogging, I wouldn't even worry about the figuring it out separately. If you have the account unsynced normally, then perhaps sync them up and take the adjustments - which already has the BMR cal's handled correctly. That will also adjust correctly if more lazy outside the walking activity than normal.

Sure, even more fat and protein if easy enough to add, but true, carbs is usually easier. Well, fat might easy too.

Kotori

Bump!

Tanya949

I am doing 2 weeks at TDEE, first for no exercise (and no work) Since I will be on vacation I have to subtract the extra daily calories I would burn at work. Second week I add calories back in for work and exercise, so TDEE is much higher the second week. If my calculations are correct, I am eating on maintenance the first week, then diet break on second week. (2278 and 2860) I am eating 2185 daily right now at cut.

My accounts are not synced right now, so I will do that to have it make adjustments for me.

And yes, more fat for sure. That's really easy.

Tanya949

Hmmm... That's wrong. Eating at a deficit week one and at maintenance week two with activity adjustments.