On the days that you don't exercise.

How do you keep calories in the green. When I work out I know I'm going to be subtracting calories. But I find it difficult to stay withing calories (1550) when it's my rest day.
Of course I know just to eat fewer calories. But am I the only one who feels this way on rest day?

Replies

  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    I hate rest days for that reason. I wanna eat, dammit!

    So, if I am having a particularly filling rest day, I will do a Wii workout or some yoga, or I just leave myself over on calories.
  • darylinny
    darylinny Posts: 146
    Boy I know how you feel! Rest days! What are those? LOL I usually put in some form of cardio for about an hour, even if it's just walking. Slap on the heart rate monitor and go for a brisk walk at 20 minute intervals during the day.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    I don't always stay in the green! But on days I work out, I'm usually too low. So it always evens out in the end. If I'm really over, I'll do some sort of exercise after dinner. Go for a walk, do a video, play on the Wii. Anything to help offset some of those extra.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I don't care much if I am in the red on my "rest days," if I ate healthy meals. My calories goal is 1210 (maintenance), so sometimes is easy to go over by 100 or 200 calories, when I don't exercise and I eat out.

    Most of the time I am under my net, specially when I have lots of exercise calories, so going over 1210 a day or two, has not made a dent in my weight.
  • auzziecawth66
    auzziecawth66 Posts: 476 Member
    I actually find if I cycle in a higher calorie day every now and again that I actually lose more weight... I think it has to do something with keeping my body guessing so my metabolism doesn't bottom out. (not necessarily true but that's my personal opinion lol)
  • anira
    anira Posts: 5
    I don't stay in the green all the time neither. But I'm trying to get back on the wagon and I notice if I see myself going past my limit I sometimes have a forget it then day and end up bring over by like 500 that day.
    How many rest days do y'all have 1? 2?
    I did well losing 15lbs when I first got on MFP. And now I'm up 9lbs. Trying to get back in shape. Honeymoon over lol
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    On days I exercise I eat 3200 calories a day (exercise 6 days a week) but on my rest day (either saturday or sunday) I eat to maintenance. My BMR is 2300 (and that is with my activity set at sedentary and a 500 calorie deficit built in) and by adding my deficit (500 calories) back in I have 2800 calories to eat which makes it alittle easier to manage... I still lose weekly with this method....
  • anira
    anira Posts: 5
    Ed.
    So with that method theoretically you have 400cals to spare? The 3200-2800?
    I should figure my calculation but all of the calculator that tell me how many calories to consume to lose a pound a week said around 1600. I input it as 1550 on the MFP.
  • Tigermad
    Tigermad Posts: 305 Member
    I don't care much if I am in the red on my "rest days," if I ate healthy meals. My calories goal is 1210 (maintenance), so sometimes is easy to go over by 100 or 200 calories, when I don't exercise and I eat out.

    Most of the time I am under my net, specially when I have lots of exercise calories, so going over 1210 a day or two, has not made a dent in my weight.

    Are you sure your maintenance is 1210? That's really low.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I don't care much if I am in the red on my "rest days," if I ate healthy meals. My calories goal is 1210 (maintenance), so sometimes is easy to go over by 100 or 200 calories, when I don't exercise and I eat out.

    Most of the time I am under my net, specially when I have lots of exercise calories, so going over 1210 a day or two, has not made a dent in my weight.

    Are you sure your maintenance is 1210? That's really low.


    Yeap, I am 100lbs and barely 5 feet, and my BMR is 889 (edited to add this info).
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    I go over and I don't care. I am usually a little under on exercise days so I figure it cancels out over the course of a week.

    Heck, I usually don't even log on the weekends and those are my rest days. I'm working on fixing that tho :blushing:
  • BigDaddyBRC
    BigDaddyBRC Posts: 2,395 Member
    On the days I dont, and do workout...I'm in the "green".

    It's all about awareness.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Rest and eat less.
    Up fats and lower carbs a little.

    Enjoy the rest!
  • I would just like to say WOW. I dont know how you have done it but congratuations on losing so much. I am just trying to lose like 50 so far I have lost 5.
  • deetra
    deetra Posts: 35 Member
    hey how do u guys work out how many days a week to exercise and how do u no if you are in the red or the green how, what you are basing your calorie intake on ?
  • elishabeish
    elishabeish Posts: 175 Member
    On days I exercise I eat 3200 calories a day (exercise 6 days a week) but on my rest day (either saturday or sunday) I eat to maintenance. My BMR is 2300 (and that is with my activity set at sedentary and a 500 calorie deficit built in) and by adding my deficit (500 calories) back in I have 2800 calories to eat which makes it alittle easier to manage... I still lose weekly with this method....


    I am amazed at your weight loss and your before and after pics! What an inspiration you are!
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    it doesnt matter for me. it all evens out in the end. the days i go a bit over balances with the days i go under. i dont sweat individual days because i still average 1-2 pound loss a week