Working Out + Daily Calorie Intake Question

ndoxtater4
ndoxtater4 Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
When you go on a website where you can get an estimate of your weight loss progress by listing your current weight, height, age, activity level and weight loss goal and it gives you a daily calorie intake based on when you want to accomplish this goal by, is this calorie goal meant to be what you consume every day whether you go to the gym or not?

For example, if I'm told I should consume about 1700 calories a day to lose about a pound a week, should I cut back a bit on rest days or eat this many regardless if i go to the gym or not?

Replies

  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
    I think it depends on the site.

    MFP gives you a calorie goal per day and you eat those calories REGARDLESS of what activity you do. But if you DO exercise, then most people tell you to eat back at least 1/2 - 3/4 of the calories you "won back" with said exersise. Other sites may not work that way.

    On this site, to lose 1lb a week I am to eat 1580 calories a day. Period.
    If I do exercise, then I 'win' more calories I can eat if I want.
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
    This is the amount you should eat every day. MFP already calculated a deficit based on what you set your weight loss goals to.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    When you go on a website where you can get an estimate of your weight loss progress by listing your current weight, height, age, activity level and weight loss goal and it gives you a daily calorie intake based on when you want to accomplish this goal by, is this calorie goal meant to be what you consume every day whether you go to the gym or not?

    For example, if I'm told I should consume about 1700 calories a day to lose about a pound a week, should I cut back a bit on rest days or eat this many regardless if i go to the gym or not?

    Depends................

    MFP does not include exercise up front....just activity level. You have to log exercise here to get a bump in calories. Hence the term "net" calories. If you are not a consistent exerciser....this is a good method**.

    TDEE does include exercise up front. Find your TDEE.....then cut back 500 a day to lose a pound a week. There are several on-line calculators. TDEE will average the calories.....so you won't have the up/down of working out or rest days.

    **Regarding eating calories back - many people start by eating back half. MFP & many machines give generous calorie burn estimates.
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
    If the site(s) you used take into consideration your everyday activities + your workouts that is your TDEE & you do not eat back exercise calories burned. If you did not enter how much you workout daily or weekly, then you eat back you exercise calories. The 2nd method is how MFP works. The first method is how TDEE calculators work (iifym.com, scooby calculator - some of the faves here).
  • marcellomoo
    marcellomoo Posts: 107 Member
    Try using a TDEE calculator that incorporates your exercise level:

    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Your TDEE is the number of calories you should maintain weight at. To lose weight, you eat below this. If you eat 500cals below your TDEE every day, that's a 3500cal deficit a week = 1lb loss. 750 below TDEE every day = 1.5lbs/week etc.

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