Do you eat less on rest days?

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Jamal_Guildford
Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I think the title says everything....

What do you eat on rest days? The same number of kcal (based on your TDEE) as you are exercising.

Today is my rest day and I exercise between 7 and 8 hours per week. My TDEE is around 2900 kcal (6'3 and 11.2 stones). Also what kind of food do you have: more protein than carbs? I am thinking about having a whey protein shake.

Thanks for your response,
Jamal

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Eating less on rest days depends on if you are following the TDEE method or the MFP "eat back exercise calories" method.

    You seem to be following TDEE method so you would eat the same number of calories every day.

    Irrespective of whether I'm eating more or less calories (I'm eating back my exercise calories) I always try to hit my minimum goals for protein and fat.
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
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    Eating less on rest days depends on if you are following the TDEE method or the MFP "eat back exercise calories" method.

    You seem to be following TDEE method so you would eat the same number of calories every day.

    Irrespective of whether I'm eating more or less calories (I'm eating back my exercise calories) I always try to hit my minimum goals for protein and fat.

    This is what I understood when I browsed on some websites. The number calories is counted on a weekly basis and not daily.

    What is the MFP "eat back exercise calories" method?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    This is what I understood when I browsed on some websites. The number calories is counted on a weekly basis and not daily.

    What is the MFP "eat back exercise calories" method?
    Other sites tend to use TDEE methods where an exercise estimate is included in your goal, MFP doesn't work that way. It excludes your exercise. So when you exercise you log it with a calorie estimate and that's added to that day's goal.

    Read this if you want to know more....
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • Jamal_Guildford
    Jamal_Guildford Posts: 214 Member
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    This is what I understood when I browsed on some websites. The number calories is counted on a weekly basis and not daily.

    What is the MFP "eat back exercise calories" method?
    Other sites tend to use TDEE methods where an exercise estimate is included in your goal, MFP doesn't work that way. It excludes your exercise. So when you exercise you log it with a calorie estimate and that's added to that day's goal.

    Read this if you want to know more....
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf

    Which method should I follow? I really enjoy food and I will find hard to restrict myself today.... I think looking after his diet is harder than exercising.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Which method should I follow? I really enjoy food and I will find hard to restrict myself today.... I think looking after his diet is harder than exercising.
    Personal preference - both methods should give you the same number of calories over the course of a week.

    Eating back exercise calories on the day I exercise works best for me as I have very big calorie burns from cycling which I need to fuel properly.

    TDEE way of same calories every day has the benefit of simplicity.
  • chezza189
    chezza189 Posts: 25 Member
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    I eat less on rest days because I figure I won't be needing the calories as much as when I have non rest days. For example tonight I have 2hrs of karate, so I will have an extra 200 calories. Tomorrow I have nothing apart from work so I will just eat my minimum :)
  • mxmkenney
    mxmkenney Posts: 486 Member
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    I eat more calories on the days I workout because I am so stinking hungry!!! So I do tend to eat less on days I don't workout. I would say if you eat over your TDEE on the days you work out, then eat less on your rest days to balance it out.
  • matt6050
    matt6050 Posts: 56 Member
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    I generally feel more hungry on rest days, so my rest days are typically higher in intake
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
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    i often skip breakfast on the weekends, and tend to eat less in general then. I prefer tdee, it's easy, I don't have to think about it, it's done and my life is regular. I like my life regular. :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    My exercise is not consistent, therefore, TDEE doesn't work for me. My TDEE changes dramatically from day to day and week to week depending on what I'm doing. I'd have to recalculate it constantly. For example, I might be doing nothing for several days and then hike 15 miles one day, run 4 miles the next, and do nothing for a few more days. It's different all the time.

    Using the MFP method makes the most sense to me, that's why I'm here on the site using it. Since I use the MFP method, rest days mean fewer calories earned, so fewer calories to consume. I've been successfully maintaining at goal using this method for over three years. My advice is to use whatever method is easiest and most sustainable for you, personally. :flowerforyou:
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
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    I have maintenance calories set at 2,000/day or 14,000/week. I base my calories off of being lightly active (I walk here or there and I move around a lot at work.) MFP sets my calories lower than 2K/day so I upped it myself.

    Any lick of exercise I do, I add to MFP and eat back. Like jenilla, my exercise is NOT consistent whatsoever, so I find that works for me.

    I try to be on target by the end of the week so I don't lose any more weight (can't afford to) and make sure I'm at/around my maintenance calories.
  • mamahannick
    mamahannick Posts: 322 Member
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    I generally feel more hungry on rest days, so my rest days are typically higher in intake

    Same here. I am hungrier on rest days it seems.
  • sarafischbach9
    sarafischbach9 Posts: 466 Member
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    I always have in my mind that I will eat a couple hundred less, but it doesn't always work that way. Others on here have said that they find they are hungrier on rest days, and I find that is true for me as well sometimes.

    Most days, though, my intakes are about the same, so I figure it all evens out somehow.
  • salvyhead
    salvyhead Posts: 66 Member
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    I eat my TDEE on rest days and TDEE plus about half my exercise calories on gym days. (If I eat all my exercise calories, I gain.)

    Have been maintaining eleven months so this approach works for me. Of course some people can eat all their exercise calories - unfortunately I am not among them.

    -S
  • Always_Belle
    Always_Belle Posts: 73 Member
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    Some rest days I eat less and some I eat more. If I am able (work-home balance), I will eat less however if I'm at a business event or doing something with the family that requires me to eat while out and about on my rest day, then I might eat more. The key is to not obsess over it and allow yourself to eat more and eat less, depending on how life gets in the way.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
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    I usually eat less on rest days, just not as hungry, but I generally only take 1 per week, sometimes two but not lately.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
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    Which method should I follow? I really enjoy food and I will find hard to restrict myself today.... I think looking after his diet is harder than exercising.
    Personal preference - both methods should give you the same number of calories over the course of a week.

    Eating back exercise calories on the day I exercise works best for me as I have very big calorie burns from cycling which I need to fuel properly.

    TDEE way of same calories every day has the benefit of simplicity.
    This! It totally depends on your lifestyle

    I use TDEE since it's easy and I don't have to worry about counting exercise calories and make sure I am eating the right amounts back.

    ETA: spelling.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    Nope. I don't work out on weekends and those are my highest calorie days since I "save" my exercise calories for Saturday and Sunday. I just make sure my weekly average is at/near goal and I'm happy. Haven't had any problems with it.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    No

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