Rest days

Seen a lot of people saying they drop calories on rest days. Why do you do this? I know you aren't expending as many calories but surely the tdee you calculate takes into account the rest day and you should just eat the same as training days?

Replies

  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.
  • Jennellee
    Jennellee Posts: 13 Member
    To add to that thought, protein synthesis requires fuel. The reality is we don't build muscle in the gym, we only tear down the existing muscle. New muscle growth happens at home and during rest. So don't starve your body, feed it!
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.

    Exercise using MFP is so inaccurate. It told me I was burning a meagre 400 calswith 2.5 hours. I now wear a fitbit which tells me I burn 900 ish so I wouldn't go by those numbers
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
    Jennellee wrote: »
    To add to that thought, protein synthesis requires fuel. The reality is we don't build muscle in the gym, we only tear down the existing muscle. New muscle growth happens at home and during rest. So don't starve your body, feed it!

    So you agree with me?
  • Jennellee
    Jennellee Posts: 13 Member
    So you agree with me?[/quote]

    Yes, I agree. I think it's more important to maintain calories on rest days, because your body is rebuilding muscle. For many though, I think it's more about weight loss so they try to keep their calories lower on rest days.

  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
    Jennellee wrote: »
    So you agree with me?

    Yes, I agree. I think it's more important to maintain calories on rest days, because your body is rebuilding muscle. For many though, I think it's more about weight loss so they try to keep their calories lower on rest days.

    [/quote]

    Yes definitely I can't really see why if anyone wants to build muscle they would drop cals on rest days
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Different strokes for different folks.... lots of ways to skin this cat...

    *insert your cliche here*
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited August 2016
    Seen a lot of people saying they drop calories on rest days. Why do you do this? I know you aren't expending as many calories but surely the tdee you calculate takes into account the rest day and you should just eat the same as training days?

    Seeing as MFP is setup on the NEAT method, it stands to reason that "most" would eat less on less active days.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.

    this for me too
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited August 2016
    capaul42 wrote: »
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.

    Exercise using MFP is so inaccurate. It told me I was burning a meagre 400 calswith 2.5 hours. I now wear a fitbit which tells me I burn 900 ish so I wouldn't go by those numbers

    Most people aren't using MFP's calculations for calories, though. People are using a Fitbit like you, or a heart rate monitor or numbers from a treadmill or elliptical machine.

    Jennellee wrote: »
    So you agree with me?

    Yes, I agree. I think it's more important to maintain calories on rest days, because your body is rebuilding muscle. For many though, I think it's more about weight loss so they try to keep their calories lower on rest days.

    If you're doing cardio, eating the same amount of each day doesn't seem like it would be as important as strength training. Since strength training doesn't burn many calories it would seem to me that the people you are talking about probably aren't. They're more concerned about cardio, which is a shame.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.

    Exercise using MFP is so inaccurate. It told me I was burning a meagre 400 calswith 2.5 hours. I now wear a fitbit which tells me I burn 900 ish so I wouldn't go by those numbers

    Most people aren't using MFP's calculations for calories, though. People are using a Fitbit like you, or a heart rate monitor or numbers from a treadmill or elliptical machine.

    Jennellee wrote: »
    So you agree with me?

    Yes, I agree. I think it's more important to maintain calories on rest days, because your body is rebuilding muscle. For many though, I think it's more about weight loss so they try to keep their calories lower on rest days.

    If you're doing cardio, eating the same amount of each day doesn't seem like it would be as important as strength training. Since strength training doesn't burn many calories it would seem to me that the people you are talking about probably aren't. They're more concerned about cardio, which is a shame.

    You do realise mschines are so inaccurate?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.

    Exercise using MFP is so inaccurate. It told me I was burning a meagre 400 calswith 2.5 hours. I now wear a fitbit which tells me I burn 900 ish so I wouldn't go by those numbers

    Most people aren't using MFP's calculations for calories, though. People are using a Fitbit like you, or a heart rate monitor or numbers from a treadmill or elliptical machine.

    Jennellee wrote: »
    So you agree with me?

    Yes, I agree. I think it's more important to maintain calories on rest days, because your body is rebuilding muscle. For many though, I think it's more about weight loss so they try to keep their calories lower on rest days.

    If you're doing cardio, eating the same amount of each day doesn't seem like it would be as important as strength training. Since strength training doesn't burn many calories it would seem to me that the people you are talking about probably aren't. They're more concerned about cardio, which is a shame.

    You do realise mschines are so inaccurate?

    Many are very accurate for steady state assuming they have HR as well as sex/age/weight inputs.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    SueInAz wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    But not everyone uses TDEE. I personally use MFP's NEAT numbers which do not include exercise. Exercise is added in when you log exercise, or in my case when my fitbit syncs. I didn't find TDEE method worked for me as my activity level is never the same day to day.

    Exercise using MFP is so inaccurate. It told me I was burning a meagre 400 calswith 2.5 hours. I now wear a fitbit which tells me I burn 900 ish so I wouldn't go by those numbers

    Most people aren't using MFP's calculations for calories, though. People are using a Fitbit like you, or a heart rate monitor or numbers from a treadmill or elliptical machine.

    Jennellee wrote: »
    So you agree with me?

    Yes, I agree. I think it's more important to maintain calories on rest days, because your body is rebuilding muscle. For many though, I think it's more about weight loss so they try to keep their calories lower on rest days.

    If you're doing cardio, eating the same amount of each day doesn't seem like it would be as important as strength training. Since strength training doesn't burn many calories it would seem to me that the people you are talking about probably aren't. They're more concerned about cardio, which is a shame.

    You do realise mschines are so inaccurate?

    Depends on what you're doing, actually, and how much data the machine accepts.