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Question about cardio on maintenance

LaurenAOK
LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hey all,
I've been using MFP for a few months and just hit my goal weight a little over a week ago (yay)! After being around these forums I thought I had everything figured out, however there is one thing I'm a bit confused about since I'm on maintenance now and most of the threads I see are by people who eat at a deficit.

My plan now is to eat on maintenence but tone up - I didn't exercise much before, just lost the weight through eating at a deficit. Now I feel good about my body but I know I'd feel even better if I could TONE! (Flat stomach = my dream :smile: ) I've just started The New Rules of Lifting for Women and I love it! On the days I don't lift I'm planning on adding some cardio (I'm thinking the C25K program).

Now, here's my question. I know to eat on maintenance on the days I lift - I've been told it's nearly impossible to build muscle while on a deficit. However, should I not eat my exercise cals back the days I do cardio? The point of doing cardio is to burn fat, and I feel like if I go eat all those calories back, it's just going to get stored right back as fat again. Right now my plan is to stay on maintenance and eat my exercise cals on lift days, but not on cardio days. Please feel free to tell me if this plan is totally flawed, or give suggestions on how to improve it! I really just want to burn fat and tone up. Thanks for the help, MFP!

Replies

  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Whoops, meant to put this in the fitness section. Oh well :P
  • blessmy5
    blessmy5 Posts: 95
    I'm interested in this also.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Bump?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    If you set your activity level correctly eat your TDEE all the week through and should even out. If you've set your TDEE as sedentary then you'd be eating back your exercise calories.

    The point of cardio is not, however, to burn fat, it's to strengthen your cardiovascular system - think of it as strength training for your heart & lungs. Forget pretty much anything you've ever heard about the "fat burning" zone and try to aim your cardio sessions at 75% to 80% of your MaxHR to derive the desired training effect, if you're running add at least one longer, slower run weekly to improve endurance.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    If you set your activity level correctly eat your TDEE all the week through and should even out. If you've set your TDEE as sedentary then you'd be eating back your exercise calories.

    The point of cardio is not, however, to burn fat, it's to strengthen your cardiovascular system - think of it as strength training for your heart & lungs. Forget pretty much anything you've ever heard about the "fat burning" zone and try to aim your cardio sessions at 75% to 80% of your MaxHR to derive the desired training effect, if you're running add at least one longer, slower run weekly to improve endurance.

    I do currently have it set to sedentary as I am a student with a desk job. It would make me a bit nervous to up my activity because my workout aren't very intense at this point; like 25 mins a day lifting or 25 mins a day cardio. I'm afraid upping my activity level would allow me to eat more calories than I actually burn.

    That's a good way to think of cardio though, thanks!
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