Calories on non-lifting days

llfretwell

I am 2 weeks into the stronglifts program and loving it! I am doing great with increasing my weights but I feel like it is a constant struggle for me with food. I'm certainly hoping this food-relationship improves. Since I've began this program, I have been getting advice from someone who is much more experienced than me with all of this and I've appreciated his advice and guidance so much.

When it comes to calories, he suggested that I at maintenance (I don't have much to lose and mainly want to replace this fat with muscle), even on the days that I'm not lifting. I told him that it scared me to eat at maintenance, I wanted to lose about 10 lbs first, and that I wanted to shave off a couple hundred calories and see how that goes first. He said that was fine but that I needed to eat that many calories even on the days that I'm not lifting. I just thought I'd ask what everyone else does on here and what success they've had with it. Do you eat the same amount of calories even on the days that you aren't burning, or do you cut down your caloric intake on those days? I feel like I STAY confused about all of this and I want to make sure I'm getting my caloric intake right.

SezxyStef

I eat TDEE-15% everyday...my maintenance is 2000.

There are days that I am hungrier and might go as high as 18-1900 sometimes hitting maintenance but not often.

I have 4lbs left and still eat at a deficet...doing a body recomp requires a close watch on what you eat and being intune with your marcros etc. That is why I eat at a deficet...lose the fat first then if I want to do a bulk...I will and another cut.

Neonbeige

I eat at TEDEE -20% since I have to lose a bit of bf. But I eat that every day, if I lift or not. I must say that I am struggeling a bit with this on my lifting days, because I lift in the morning and feel super hungry the whole day after especially after a deadlift day. Up to now I managed to stay within my goal.

Since you don´t want to lose much, you could try a -10% deficit and see how that goes? It´s not too few but it would maybe make yourself feel better about the whole thing :-)

girlie100

Yep what Stef said :bigsmile:

As you are within that 10lbs to goal I would look at TDEE -10-15% and aim for the same amount each day it just makes life easier, set your protein and fat macros to suit and then the rest is carbs.

If you have been eating at well below this number, then add 100cals a week to build yourself up to it.

You can calorie cycle so eat maintenance or over on workout days and then eat under on rest days but you have to nail the macros on this for it to work, especially the pre/intra/post workout.

I'm on a specific cut at the moment to drop into a lower weight class but I luckily have someone else that does all the macro manipulation for me :bigsmile: So my workout days are around 2200 - 2900 and my one and only proper rest day is about 1500 cals

Leadfoot_Lewis

I eat the same amount of calories everyday, with the exception of days when I do an activity like a 1-2 hour bike ride, then I will eat more. I am of the opinion that on rest days your body needs just as many calories as it does on days you workout, because it's on rest days when your body recovers. Why deprive your body of extra calories when it needs them to recover?

krokador

I don't really change my calorie goal on rest days, however I do cycle my carbs a bit so rest days will end up being a bit lower in carbs than my lifting days. I also do IF so the whole timing of it just comes down for me to having more carbs around my workout time than around my rest times (better performance, woo!).

As for how much I'm eating, It'll typically be around 1700-2000 cals a day when all is said and done (there are a couple things I don't track like vegetables, so journal is set to about 1500). TDEE is around 2250 so I guess that's a 10-15% drop. It works pretty well for losing weight when I stick to it, lol. But in your case, since you're so close and you've basically never done lifting (right?) you can probably recomp that 10lbs you want to lose fairly easily, so eating at maintenance sounds like a good idea IMO. Heavy lifting doesn't progress quite as well on caloric restriction!

llfretwell

I don't really change my calorie goal on rest days, however I do cycle my carbs a bit so rest days will end up being a bit lower in carbs than my lifting days. I also do IF so the whole timing of it just comes down for me to having more carbs around my workout time than around my rest times (better performance, woo!).

As for how much I'm eating, It'll typically be around 1700-2000 cals a day when all is said and done (there are a couple things I don't track like vegetables, so journal is set to about 1500). TDEE is around 2250 so I guess that's a 10-15% drop. It works pretty well for losing weight when I stick to it, lol. But in your case, since you're so close and you've basically never done lifting (right?) you can probably recomp that 10lbs you want to lose fairly easily, so eating at maintenance sounds like a good idea IMO. Heavy lifting doesn't progress quite as well on caloric restriction!

I THINK that is around what my TDEE is also. I have my calorie goal set to 1750, but sometimes I go over a couple hundred. Whoops. I like to eat. A little too much...

Anywho..you think that it will be pretty easy for me to recomp this fat of mine?

krokador

Well, pretty easy being relative here, I guess! All in all shouldn't be too much of a struggle, but you're still going to have to work for it (obviously!) and it will take some time.

My best advice here is to not try to do everything at once, because that doesn't work! Trust me. If you really want to cut first, don,t expect your lifts to keep progressing as fast. If you want to gain some strength while you recomp, the inches/scale might take a bit to drop, so you'll have to be patient and consistent. If you're lifting purely for strength and performance, don't go hungry!

And going over your calories every other day isn't so bad - there will be days where you are under, too. It's alright. As long as you stick to relatively good for you foods most of the time and exercise the balance should go in the right direction

Hope that helps!

llfretwell

Yes it does!! Thank you so much!!!