TDEE & Activity Question

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ruggedshutter
ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hopefully this is a quick question. I have set my TDEE to lightly active (1-3 workouts per week). I know from 4 months of data that my TDEE is 2800. I am eating at 2000 Calories everyday and I'm following TDEE (so no eating back exercise calories). My question is, does it matter when I workout during the week? Could I essentially put in 3x 30 minute workouts in one day and be good the rest of the week? Does it matter if it's in one day or does it need to be spread out over the whole week?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited May 2015
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    ruggedshutter wrote: »
    Hopefully this is a quick question. I have set my TDEE to lightly active (1-3 workouts per week). I know from 4 months of data that my TDEE is 2800. I am eating at 2000 Calories everyday and I'm following TDEE (so no eating back exercise calories). My question is, does it matter when I workout during the week? Could I essentially put in 3x 30 minute workouts in one day and be good the rest of the week? Does it matter if it's in one day or does it need to be spread out over the whole week?

    I doubt it would work that way...and I'm not sure I would even consider 90 minutes per week of exercise to be light active.

    Also, you have your own data, so why bother with the calculator?
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
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    In theory, both yes and no.

    There are significant benefits to splitting up those workouts, rather than putting in an hour and a half. Also, not sure if you're ever worked out that long, but it ends up being far less intense than if you'd done shorter workouts unless you have incredible endurance (which most people who are overweight, sadly do not).

    You would have to check the actual calculator you used and the instructions that follow, but I know the two I use recognize working out "1-3 workouts per week" to really mean working out 1-3 days per week.

    Try it and see? If you've got decent data you should know in 4-6 weeks.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,238 Member
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    No idea if it would work, but you would not get the other benefits of the exercise as even doing all three workouts on the one day, it still practically means working out once a week. Find three half hour time slots throughout the week, it certainly is possible
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    edited May 2015
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    365andstillalive wrote: »
    In theory, both yes and no.

    There are significant benefits to splitting up those workouts, rather than putting in an hour and a half. Also, not sure if you're ever worked out that long, but it ends up being far less intense than if you'd done shorter workouts unless you have incredible endurance (which most people who are overweight, sadly do not).

    You would have to check the actual calculator you used and the instructions that follow, but I know the two I use recognize working out "1-3 workouts per week" to really mean working out 1-3 days per week.

    Try it and see? If you've got decent data you should know in 4-6 weeks.

    That's pretty much what I thought as well. I can get quite busy in the summer that waking up at 4am to work out isn't always possible and having the energy (and motivation) at 8 or 9pm can be a struggle
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
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    ruggedshutter wrote: »
    365andstillalive wrote: »
    In theory, both yes and no.

    There are significant benefits to splitting up those workouts, rather than putting in an hour and a half. Also, not sure if you're ever worked out that long, but it ends up being far less intense than if you'd done shorter workouts unless you have incredible endurance (which most people who are overweight, sadly do not).

    You would have to check the actual calculator you used and the instructions that follow, but I know the two I use recognize working out "1-3 workouts per week" to really mean working out 1-3 days per week.

    Try it and see? If you've got decent data you should know in 4-6 weeks.

    That's pretty much what I thought as well. I can get quite busy in the summer that waking up at 4am to work out isn't always possible and having the energy (and motivation) at 8 or 9pm can be a struggle

    Honestly, if it's a priority to you, you'll make time. We all have competing priorities in our life.

    Remember, it's just three half hour sessions a week. Pop something in the oven that takes an hours to cook and go for a run; wake up early one morning to workout; on your lunch hour head out and be active.

    If you want to make it work, you will. Otherwise, adjust your TDEE accordingly and live with marginally slower weight loss and less endurance until you have time to build it with regular exercise.
  • Geekymonkey99
    Geekymonkey99 Posts: 63 Member
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    Whatever it is that you're doing that is taking up your time between 4am and 8pm is viewed as a priority to you that has to be done, no matter what. Try to apply this same mentality to working out. I like to equate it to getting up for work almost every day. We just... do it, whether we hate it or love it. We know what will happen if we don't, so we don't even give ourselves the option NOT to.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    The health guidelines are given in terms of hours per week, though they are often stated as hours per day. In terms of calories burned and weight loss, there's no significant difference between doing one 90 minute workout or three 30 minute workouts. In terms of fueling your workouts, it would make a difference, because once you cross the one hour mark, they start talking about eating to fuel the workout. With the 30 minute workouts on different days, you could ignore that.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    ruggedshutter wrote: »
    Hopefully this is a quick question. I have set my TDEE to lightly active (1-3 workouts per week). I know from 4 months of data that my TDEE is 2800. I am eating at 2000 Calories everyday and I'm following TDEE (so no eating back exercise calories). My question is, does it matter when I workout during the week? Could I essentially put in 3x 30 minute workouts in one day and be good the rest of the week? Does it matter if it's in one day or does it need to be spread out over the whole week?

    I doubt it would work that way...and I'm not sure I would even consider 90 minutes per week of exercise to be light active.

    Also, you have your own data, so why bother with the calculator?

    @ruggedshutter I agree with this...90mins wouldn't really be considered lightly active...

    And if you have your own data why use a calculator?

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